THE LONELY ARROGANT...

"Knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up.
-- 1 Corinthians 8:1

Any time I have attempted to prove myself the smartest person in the room I've failed. On many fronts. First, I seldom have the highest IQ in any setting - even when alone. (I've known of an Ikea chair or two that have me beat.) Second, even if one were to prove to be smartest, he or she has still failed. The failure comes in simply having to prove it. In other words, winning the IQ competition usually goes hand in hand with losing the relationship opportunity.

The issue is not IQ, it is arrogance. Notice that Paul writes, (This) "knowledge" puffs up...; and not knowledge puffs up... There is a significant difference. 

The Apostle Paul is not against knowledge. He is not belittling education and understanding. As a matter of fact, Paul most certainly had an incredible intellect. He was in line to be High Priest of Israel and had an incredible grasp of the Old Testament. He confounded Greek philosophers with his wise arguments. And at one point, was even accused by a king of being driven mad by his "great learning."

Scripture repeatedly states that God's desire is that we have wisdom, understanding and knowledge. He is the author of all of the above.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding...     

-- Proverbs 2:6

Here is the point: Arrogance is a disease. It is a sickness of the soul. And it is an infection that affects every relationship. (Chosen ignorance is also a disease - and often a religious one. But that is for another post.)

Arrogance is self-serving / Love serves others

Arrogance stands alone / Love exists in community

Arrogance tears down / Love builds up

Arrogance leads to failure / Love always wins

Given time, the arrogant person will prove to be the smartest in the room - because he will be alone. 

God, help me to be humble and to love...

For now...

D 

SILENT SATURDAY...

The horror of crucifixion Friday lingers. The finality of the tomb buried all hope.

It is Saturday... and it is silent.

No one dreams of what lay ahead in only hours - tossed away stones, angels in white, a vacant tomb, and... No one can even begin to imagine.

It is Saturday... and it is silent.

The collective breath of heaven is held. Sunrise orders have been issued to angels.

It is Saturday... and it is silent.

Followers huddle in fear. Their past dead, their future unclear.

It is Saturday... and it is silent.

But the sun will lower and rise again. Saturday will pass, and Sunday will come. Darkness will pass. Light will break forth. Silence will be consumed by the joyous choirs of heaven.

What is dead will be alive. He who died will live.

It is Saturday... and it is silent.

But not for long!


For now...
D

COMPARED TO WHAT?

Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, to which God has called him.  
-- 1 Corinthians 7:17

Contentment is  a powerful thing. Comparison drains vitality like juice from a squeezed lemon.

Life's circumstances, trials, fears and pains do their best to at times to deflate us. And when we add the squeeze of comparison we can truly feel defeated and despondent.

Philippians 4:13 is one of the more quoted verses in Christendom:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

Often, it is used in ways that can distort the meaning to be self-serving. When understood in context, however, we see that Paul makes a powerful statement about contentment. He writes of understanding the secret of being content no matter the circumstances.

At the same time we must never confuse contentment with complacency. Paul, who wrote of this contentment also wrote:

Not that I have already obtained this... one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind 

and straining toward what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal... 

of the upward call of God.  -- Philippians 3:12-14

That is not the mantra of a complacent man! But note the goal - it is not one of personal aggrandizement or glory. Nor is it one of comparison. Paul's driving passion was to know both the God who called and redeemed him, and to grow in the personal purpose for which this God transformed him.

Comparison will drain us... Complacency will anesthetize us... Contentment will empower us.

And our contentment is in Christ.


God, let me find my place in you...

For now...
D

MINE...

You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.
-- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

It's one of my favorite scenes in Finding Nemo 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-3e0EkvIEM

Mine...

The seagulls seem to know only one word: MINE. And they repeat it in staccato machine-gun like fashion. Mine... mine... mine... It is a funny scene. We laugh... then get slightly irritated... then realize...

We are seagulls!

What is it that we consider "MINE?"
My house... my car(s)... my career... my kids...?
My life?

There are a couple hard realities within the true Christian life (and the following is certainly not an exhaustive list):

1) Nothing is truly ours. (We might argue that our faith is ours - our relationship with God. And though it is a gift, I'll concede on this point.)
2) Everything - in this life - is temporary. (See #1.)
3) It's not all about us. (Ouch!)

No, not even our lives are our own. A ransom was paid for us. A price - a high price - was offered up. A sacrifice was made. And we were purchased with the price of Christ's blood.

The Apostle Paul was a great example of one who understood that nothing - his stuff, or even his very life - was his own. And he learned this from the one who was the perfect example of sacrifice.

Jesus said:
For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve; and to give his life as a ransom for many.     -- Mark 10:45

No, we are not our own... we are not the owners of self. Mine... mine... mine... is the cry of the selfish, the self-absorbed, or at best, the immature. (And it is often what I exclaim; whether out loud or with an internal scream.)

God created us for a purpose. His purpose. And when we realize and rest in the truth that we are his - completely - we experience joy. Not the temporary happiness of stuff (Mine!), but true joy.

God, I am yours...

For now...
D

REAL...

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?     -- 1 Corinthians 5:6


Authenticity is vital to our life of faith. Deception, and especially self-deception kills life in Christ.

Our church once spent three months working through what would come to be known as The Twelve Words - our core values.

One of my soapbox topics is that of TRUTH. And in a culture that values relativism and seems to fly upside down both morally and logically (in my opinion), truth is often lost. Without doubt truth is an undervalued commodity. That said, when we worked through our Twelve Words, truth was not our first (word).

Jesus said the truth sets us free (John 8:32). However, many that heard him speak on hill sides, beaches and synagogues walked away un-free. They heard the words, saw the miracles, and yet they remained shackled in doubt, regret, sin and hopelessness. Or worse, many walked away with a false sense of justification, thinking they didn't need the forgiving grace this would-be Messiah was peddling. (Enter self-deception.)

The first of our Twelve Words was AUTHENTICITY. When we are authentic, we are both open to truth and opened by truth. (Think about that statement, and yes, there is a bit of chicken and egg...) We must approach truth with a right attitude to allow it to do it's work in us. At the same time, truth exposes our attitudes.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing... 

and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.     -- Hebrews 4:12

The Christian life both requires and produces authenticity. And inherent in authenticity is an attitude of humility. Paul warned the Corinthian believers that a little deception, a little inauthenticity, a little sin left unchecked will spread.

Christ said the kingdom of God belongs to the childlike. And it is with the authenticity - the openness and humility - of children, that we will find our strength in him.

God, create in me an authentic heart...

For now...
D

GIFT...

I couldn't decide which of two thoughts to go with from this morning's reading. So you decide...

What do you have that you did not receive? If then, you received it, why do you boast...?
-- 1 Corinthians 4:7

Everything is a gift. What we have... who we have in our lives... and for that matter, our very lives... all gifts.

We must always be mindful that: We brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world; (1 Timothy 6:7).

We can choose to be thankful. We can choose to be miserly, selfish and miserable.

Grace is undeserved. And I am glad. The nature of grace negates my need to perform; to be good enough, do enough, be special enough. Grace flows from the goodness of a giving God, who is the Father of light, and in whom, there is no shifting shadow (James 1:17).

God is pure in nature and in his love for us. There is no shadow, no dark-side motive.  (I won't pretend to fully understand the ugliness that also exists in this world, and that discussion is for another time. I do know that grace overcomes ugliness, and in the midst of each difficulty, grace is working.)

So what is our response to grace? We simply receive with a thankful spirit. We do not boast. Why? Because we have absolutely nothing to brag or be conceited about. My next heartbeat is given by God's grace. I have no power to effect one more heartbeat or breath. ALL is a gift.

Receive... and share...


(Well - after writing for a bit, I'm going with that. So just one thought on the other.)

For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power.
-- 1 Corinthians 4:20

It's Election Season. There is plenty of talk about what this one or that one is going to DO if elected. And most of it is just that... talk. Let's not be like that with our lives. Let's not be like that with the gift of life given us in Christ. Today, don't talk Christian... BE CHRISTIAN.


God, my very breath is a gift. Help me live a thankful life...

For now...
D

FOUNDATIONS

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
-- 1 Corinthians 3:11


Often, that which is unseen is most important.

What lies below the water line makes all the difference in keeping a massive ship upright, under power, and able to steer away from trouble and toward safe port.

Likewise, the tallest skyscraper's glory is completely dependent on what lies below grade. It is in what lies beneath that the building finds it's strength to stand.

You and I are much the same. Our lives are built on a foundation. And the foundations of people's lives vary in depth, strength, capability and dependability

There is one foundation that is completely reliable, and upon which we can build a life. Financial foundations can crumble. Health foundations can falter. Foundations of career, social standing, physical beauty, reputation, etc. are inherently cracked.

All of these, and more, are great finishes, trims, and decorations. They are important, but not most important. The secret to successful and purposeful living lies below the water line. It is beneath grade. (And, sorry for the mixed metaphors - let's stick with buildings and foundations).

Jesus told a story about two different men, two different houses, and one storm. One man built his house on sand. The other, on a rock. My guess is that as time passed - and weeds grew - the houses were indistinguishable. Then came the storm. One house fell. One house stood. The difference between the two was not in color or style. The distinction was in what could not be seen. One had a strong foundation. One did not.

Two things about storms in life: 1) They will come. They are inevitable. As surely as the tornado sirens blow to usher in an Oklahoma spring, the tempest will come. 2) Storms reveal foundations.

So the question: What is your foundation? What is it that you are building the house of your life - of all your are - upon? There is one foundation that is completely reliable, and upon which we can build a life. The old hymn put it this way:

On Christ the solid rock I stand, 

all other ground is sinking sand...

God, you are my rock and my foundation...

For now...

D

THE SUBSTANCE OF OUR FAITH...

...that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.        
-- 1 Corinthians 2:6

Spiritual gurus abound. They can be seen on television and heard on radio. Their writings adorn the shelves of Barnes and Noble, and their sayings are constantly memed on Facebook (I may have just invented a verb).

For the most part this is good and positive. But with all this access it is convenient for us to listen to the voices... and forget to listen to God's voice.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers about this. Ultimately, he says that our faith is not based on the wisdom of men and women - the voices out there. These voices can encourage and teach. They can inform and inspire. But these voices cannot - and must not - become substitute to the voice of God.

Frankly, it is very easy to become spiritually sedentary. Couch-potato Christianity sits idly waiting on crumbs of wisdom to be podcast, memed, etc. (And yes, I am overstating to make a point). Instead, you and I must be about the disciplines of spending personal time in prayer, meditation, worship, listening and reading scripture. This is how we primarily hear the God's voice.

Our favorite guru's faith is not our faith. It can add to, increase and aid our faith. But it is not our faith. For that matter, our parents' faith, pastor's faith, whoever's faith is not our faith. Our faith is based on the reality of a personal God who gave his son for each of us. Our faith is based on the truth of scripture that comes alive in us through the work of the Holy Spirit. Our faith is as personal as our God is personal.

God, help me to hear your voice... in, and sometimes in spite of, all the voices speaking around me...

For now...
D

Called

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle...
-- 1 Corinthians 1:1

Paul was called by God to do what he did, to be who he was. He was knocked off the back of a donkey, faced a blinding light and heard a mysterious voice from the sky. His calling was literal. And it was dramatic to say the least.

From its inception, Paul's calling defined his life. His calling empowered and emboldened him. Paul's life was anything but easy, and it was his calling that kept him on track, that pushed him onward, that helped him to endure.

It's Saturday morning and I'm headed to the gym, so I'll get to the point:

 You and I are no less called. 

It may not be to preach to philosophers on a Grecian hill, or to write chapters of the Bible. But we are called. 

God has uniquely gifted each one of us for his specific purposes and plan. We are called. Often we are the last to see it. It may be that those around you are impacted by your graciousness or giving; maybe it is your kind acts of service or the way you apply truth in difficult situations (for example). You may be changing lives without even knowing it.

That is the nature of living out a calling. It is a part of who we are. It is the way God has wired us and empowered us in redemption. Our calling flows when we trust and rely on God.

I have overused this quote, but it rings true:

You are who you are because of the Master Artist 

who put you together. -- Malcom Smith

Toward the end of his life Paul wrote to his friend:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, 

I have kept the faith. -- 2 Timothy 4:7

That is calling. That is living life on purpose (and with purpose). And that is my desire. 

God, you have called me and as Isaiah responded so do I... "Here I am, send me."

For now...

D

HE STILL MOVES STONES!

"Who will roll away the stone for us?"
-- Mark 16:3

Three women walk to a grave. In it lay one they loved. More than that, in that tomb had been laid to rest their expectations, their hopes, their faith, their lives.

"Who will roll away the stone for us?" they ask. "How will we get inside to mourn our loss; to grieve. How will we properly say goodbye to every dream we had for the future?" They were prepared to anoint the dead. They were not prepared for...

They hated that stone. It stood in the way. It signified finality. It stood for death. It was a symbol of separation. But in just a few moments it would signify something completely different.

You know the story. The stone had been rolled away. In the original language the emphasis is the stone had been ingloriously tossed aside. Our immediate reaction might be, good, at least we can get inside to mourn our loss; to reminisce what could have been. 

But when stones are tossed aside, things change... radically. Instead of a dead Messiah - an empty slab. Oh, except for an angel hanging out.

(My version of the conversation)
Angel: "Why are you looking for Life in dead places?"
Women: "..." (speechless)
Angel: "He is not here, he is risen!"
Women: "..." (still nothing - would you?)
Angel: "I tossed the stone so you could see... Life wins, death lost.
Women: "uh..."
Angel: "Ok now - go tell..."

The stone was moved - not for Jesus - but for the women; not so Jesus could come out, but so the women could see in!
-- Max Lucado, He Still Moves Stones

As Lucado says, the stone wasn't rolled away to allow Christ to exit the tomb. The stone was tossed for our benefit.

Stones are nothing to a living God. 

And stones - no matter what form or size - 

still have no power to separate. 

The God who spoke through limbs on fire, who parted seas and stopped rivers, who walked on waves and calmed the storms... HE STILL MOVES STONES!


God, no stone of my making or another is big enough to stand in the way of your life in me...

For now...
D

TORN CURTAIN...

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.
-- Mark 15:38

Mark's depiction of the crucifixion of Christ has an almost newspaper reporter feel. It is quick and straight forward. And one of the matter-of-fact details he mentions is this: at the moment Jesus gave up his life, the curtain of the temple was torn in two.

Removed by more than 2,000 years and cultural context, this detail can pass us by as strange or insignificant. It is however, a powerful picture.

The temple curtain separated what was known as the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple. No one was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, except for the High Priest who entered once a year to offer atonement for the sins of the people.

So here is the picture: God lives in there... and we live out here. We are separated (by this thick woven curtain). And we cannot really have relationship with him. We are outsiders, because of our sin. He is perfect. We are:

Separated.

Hopeless.

But the curtain came down. More than that, it was completely torn in half - from top to bottom. Again a picture: God did what we could not.

That is the message of grace. It is the heart of the gospel. God did what we couldn't. Through Christ's sacrifice, he made a way of redemption and relationship.

The writer of Hebrews put it this way:Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh... let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith...(Hebrews 10:19-22).

Note: The curtain was not torn from bottom to top. We must stop trying. We can never do enough, be enough, believe enough, pray enough - fill in the blank - to prove ourselves worthy to God. Christ took care of that on the cross. The curtain exists no more. 

And only curtains of our own making can "hide" us from the presence of God.


God, thank you for torn curtains...

For now...
D

Weak...

Jesus said, "Truly... one of you will betray me..." They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, "Is it I?" Peter said to him, "Even though they all fall away, I will not. If I must die with you, I will not deny you." And they all said the same. 
And he (Jesus) he said to Peter, "The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak." 
-- Mark 14, selected verses

This morning I feel weak in both body and spirit. Maybe at times you do too.

Peter boasted about his strength. He made promises he wouldn't keep. His spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak.

We can relate.

It is encouraging to remember however, that it was Peter who, after a fish breakfast on the shore with the risen Jesus, became the pillar of strength to the others. It was Peter who preached the first "Christ is Risen" message (to a large crowd - technically an angel and Mary Magdalene were first with the news). It was Peter who became one of the two foundations of the early church.

Peter failed again and again - willing spirit, weak flesh. But Peter also walked on water (I haven't). Peter preached at Pentecost. Peter reached and influenced thousands, actually multiple millions.

This was the guy who couldn't stay awake in a garden to support Jesus. This was the denier.

His spirit was willing, but his flesh was weak.

Jesus can work with a willing spirit.


God, give me a willing spirit. I'll let you deal with my weaknesses...

For now...
D

A VOICE THAT DOES NOT FADE...

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will words will not pass away."
-- Mark 13:31

To what voices do we listen? By what words will we live?

As example, this morning I ran across a TV program that a year ago was stirring fierce debate. Its subject and subject matter were inescapable - being the focus of news reports, magazine covers, etc. Opinions varied. Voices spoke. The volume raised. And now - near silence.

The point is some voices fade and many words lose power. They meld into the cacophonous symphony of white noise that plays around us all the time. Some of these shouting voices raise the volume, demanding to be heard. But ultimately, it is not volume that creates words that last, it is the truth therein.

The Apostle Paul, in speaking to his protege Timothy wrote: "The Scripture is God-breathed and powerfully applicable for living;" (My translation of 2 Timothy 3:16). Jesus put it this way: "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God;" (Matthew 4:4).

The point is, there is one voice to which we must listen. Its message is truth. Its content powerful. Its words, life. Peter said to Jesus when those around were abandoning the call: "... to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life;" (John 6:68).

God's voice is often a whisper - barely heard. And it is less perceptible with ears than with an open and a willing heart. He speaks through his word. He speaks through his children. Through his church. Through his creation. He is speaking. The question is: will we listen?

An Old Testament story tells of a prophet looking for God. As he stood in a cleft of the mountain, a mighty wind ripped through, but God was not in the wind. Then came an earthquake, but God was not in the earthquake. Then a roaring fire blazed, but God was not in the fire. Finally, there came "a still small voice" - the voice of God's presence.

Words of truth are easily drowned out by the chaotic noise of life. We must learn to hear. We must seek to listen.

Ultimately, other voices will fade; their messages exposed. But the words of God are life.


God, open my ears, that I might hear...


For now...
D

right BE-ing...

"Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures, nor the power of God?"     -- Mark 12:24

It is one thing to be wrong about something. It is quite another thing to BE wrong. (Period.)

Wrong opinions and perspectives can be changed given the right information. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent during Super Bowls and election seasons to change our minds; to help us make the "right" decisions.

But being wrong - on the inside - wrong of heart and mind, wrong of soul, is a far worse condition.

A group of religious "experts" came to Jesus in an attempt to trick him, to expose him. Their question was silly on the surface - seven brothers dying one after another, having customarily married the same woman... who will be her husband in heaven? However, their own question revealed the motive. It exposed their hearts. These men were from a group called the Sadducees. One of the hallmarks of their sect was that they believed and taught that this life was it. No heaven, no hell, no resurrection. Nothing.

It was not however, their opinions that condemned them. It was the condition of their BE-ing.

The term Ontology was often used both while I was in seminary as well as in undergrad secular philosophy classes. Ontology is defined as the nature of being. It is the who we are - truly, deeply; underneath external appearance, opinion, etc. It is our BE-ing.

Paul warns his protege Timothy about wrong BE-ing:

For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient 

to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, 

brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure 

rather than lovers of God, having an appearance of godliness, but denying its power.  

-- 2 Timothy 3:2-5

Jesus once said that it is not what goes into a person that condemns - i.e. what we eat or drink. (And it is sad that religion focuses so heavily on such things.) It is instead what comes out the defiles. Out of our mouths (and in our actions and attitudes) flows our heart's condition. And by our words, attitudes and actions our hearts are revealed and exposed - for better or worse. 

Our BE-ing is revealed. 

The good news? Grace trumps wrong BE-ing! Grace is always the more powerful. As Jesus told the uptight, religious, treacherous Sadducees, the scriptures reveal the powerful grace of a God who can (and desires to) change our BE-ing. 

Christ accepted people where they were. He still does. But he never allowed them to comfortably remain where they were. He still doesn't. His desire is to transform our BE-ing. 

God, help me to BE...

For now...

D

A MIRROR DARKLY...

"Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied... Untie it and bring it."
-- Mark 11:2

God sees beyond what we see. He knows depths - both within us and around us - that we do not. He has purposes that we discover little by little. They are revealed daily, layer by layer. The Apostle Paul put it this way:

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; 

then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.   

-- 1 Corinthians 13:12

Frankly, we wish we could see more; know more. We wish... but God knows better. Jesus said:

"Therefore, do not be anxious... But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow..."

-- Matthew 6:31-34 

We often pray to know God's will. But could it be that deep in our hearts we pray such things in order to weigh his will against ours; only to decide if we will choose what he wants for us?

The fact is God has revealed his will. It is that we seek him... that we know him... that we, by his power, live according to what we know. And it is then (and usually only then) that he reveals more. 

And it is not in revealing our future that we find we can trust him. We trust him because he has redeemed us from our past. We trust him because his words are always true. We trust him because there is no lie in his promises. 

He sees what we do not. He knows what we cannot. 

And he will lead us to go places with which we are unfamiliar. He will ask us to do some things that are far outside our comfort. (Think about walking into an unfamiliar village and walking out with the first horse you see!) But even then, Christ has seen the end from the beginning. And we can trust.

God, you see what I don't, I will trust your eyes over mine...

For now...

D