Presence

Oh give thanks to the Lord ; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered, (Psalms 105:1-5 ESV)

Seek His presence continually…

Do you have a friend you call on in times of need? Does it take a while to explain to them what is happening and why you need their advice? What if your life was so connected to their’s that you didn’t have to explain what was happening and why you needed advice? Wouldn’t their advice and council be something deeper and and richer if you were deeply connected in the life you share?

Now image how much deeper your understanding of the grace God gives us of you were deeply and richly connected to Him. Be knows you better than you know yourself but how well do you know Him? How connected are you to Him. Seek Him and bask in the glory of His Grace.

Do for who?

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For “the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof.” If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience—I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. (1 Corinthians 10:23-33 ESV)

There is a scene from Tinkerbell where the head fairy dust fairy goes and talks to an owl about his problems. He talks about how the other fairies are always causing problems and they are doing things that really cause him problems. The owl always answers, “who?” And finally the fairy realizes that he can not blame his problems on someone else, he is the one that has to face up to them…

We always want to blame someone else for our problems. Seldom do we do things motivated for the other. But that is what Paul is telling the Corinthians here to do. If someone sets food in front of you eat it without worry where it comes from, but if someone tells you it was sacrificed to idols, then don’t eat it for that person who told you will be adversely effected by you consuming the food. Everything we do should be based on how it will effect someone else, not ourselves, because God has taken care of us, we are conveying the message of His love to others, and that is done through our actions as well as our words.

So do not for you, but for everyone else. Allow God to shine through you.

How are we made right?

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:1-12 ESV)

Is baptism necessary for someone to be right with God? As Lutherans we say yes. Baptism is necessary for someone to partake in communion. Right, we say all baptized believers are welcome to the table in the ELCA. I remember talking about this statement in seminary. I said it was an exclusive statement and my professor said it was meant as an inclusive. It is exclusive for those who have not been baptized, as they are not welcome according to the statement. But it was meant to say that all baptized believers, not just Lutherans, or ELCA Lutherans. If you were baptized you are welcome. Well it is both exclusive and inclusive. So is baptism necessary for salvation and for participation in communion?

Both communion and baptism are means of grace, places we receive from God. There is nothing man does in them except participate, we do not give anything, we only get. We receive God’s grace through both communion and baptism, so where is it recorded that baptism has to come first? Can’t we receive the grace of God through communion, then come to be baptized? Also who is not to say that we are not already sealed by God before we are baptized?

Abraham was made right then circumcised. So when are we made right?

Where are you from?

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:17-21 ESV)

Where are you a citizen of?

Many of us can say we live in a country, and city and possibly state… so we are citizens of multiple places. Some of us could even be citizens of different countries…

And that was the case in Paul’s time ans your citizenship was a badge of honor. To be a citizen of Rome meant something.

However Paul is telling us that our citizenship here and now is not important. What is important is our claim to another citizenship. We are claimed by God as His children and are heirs to the kingdom. We are claimed by God and therefore we have something to shout from the mountaintops!

So next time someone asks you where you are from tell them you are a citizen of heaven!

Do we want to be gathered?

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”” (Matthew 23:37-39 ESV)

Do you ever read this and wonder how people could not have known who Jesus was? With everything He was doing, healing the sick, healing the lame, giving the blond sight, and setting chives free, how could they not get it?

But look around at us today and see how as the body of Christ we are divided, and do not agree. Jesus came to show the church, the body of Christ, the people of God how to live a better way. A way that was not like what they had known. It was not a new way for God, but our humanness got in the way of us seeming and understanding what God had set up for us to do. Jesus did something different from what the religious systems of the day setup and was doing. Today we also can think there is not a new revelation and that we have seen it all. God has shown us the new way and that won’t change… However the factor of our humanness is still there and we are still messing things up.

If Jesus came back today and said that he wanted to gather us under His wings would we want to be gathered? Are we ready to give up our religious systems to follow where Jesus is taking us? The only thing that truly matter is Christ and Christ crucified. The religious system is our way to understand that and help us live that life… Are you ready to give up anything that gets in the way of Jesus and be gathered under His wings?

imitate us…

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:17-20 ESV)

Are you imitating Paul?

Kind of hard to imitate someone you have never seen. Now we have a lot written from him and can see how he might have lived based on that. So it is easier to imitate the person we believe he was form his writings. But is it really Paul we are to imitate?

Paul tells us to “keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” Yes this line does come after imitate me, but this follows after his unpacking of what everything is compared to Christ. So maybe we are to imitate Christ and use the example of Paul and how he walked and lived. We all have a person in our lives that is a model to follow in their walk of discipleship. I have several, and most of them have also seen at their worst. And to me that is what makes them a good model for my faith. You see they do not have it all together and they speak that. They live their brokenness for the world to see. They do not hide it or sugar coat it. They are the living breathing embodiment of what God has called us to be. REAL.

So be real and show the world you don’t have it all together, but also show them who you rely on. And walk as He would have walked.

rubbish…

Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (Philippians 3:2-12 ESV)

We can not brag about ourselves because we really have nothing to brag about…

Paul does, though, according to the text above. He has met all the criteria for being on the inside by his lineage. But this does not matter. You see everything that is not Christ crucified is rubbish.

Rubbish is an interesting word. Merriam Webster Online defines rubbish as:

1: useless waste or rejected matter : trash
2: something that is worthless or nonsensical <few real masterpieces are forgotten and not much rubbish survives — William Bridges-Adams>

The Merriam Webster Student Dictionary defines it as “useless waste or stuff that has been thrown away : TRASH”

So rubbish is trash or unimportant stuff. It is something that in the grand scheme of things does not matter. And Paul here is saying anything that is not Christ Crucified is rubbish, trash, adiaphora, stuff that does not matter at all.

All of your possessions and everything you have, your house, your car, your clothes, your cell phone, your laptop, your tablet… All of these things do not matter. How much time do we spend worrying about what other people are going to say about the things that don’t matter? How much money (which doesn’t matter either) and time and life do we spend on getting out look right, our home right, our car right… And we miss the boat.

Everything except Christ crucified is rubbish and Paul even goes farther than that and uses a word that is not any where else in the New Testament. The word is skubala in the Greek and is only found here in Philippians chapter 3 and Paul uses it for the power it would bring out in his statement. It is translated as rubbish or dung, or loss, or refuse but none of these get close to what it means to us in English. We would hear it in “the _____ hit the fan.” It is a slang word of Paul’s day for animal or human excrement  Paul uses this word here for the effect of what it would have been heard as, because that is exactly what everything is in contrast to Christ crucified. Christ crucified is the only thing that can save us. We can’t, our car can’t, our clothes can’t, our spouses can’t, our churches can’t, our pastor’s can’t, our money can’t, our jobs can’t…. Nothing except Christ!

And that is the point. Everything else is rubbish or dung as the KJV says… Everything is worthless crap compared to Christ crucified and what that has done for you!

In Good and in Bad…

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. (Job 1 ESV)

Have you ever lost everything?

I’ve lost money, and a car, a job and many things in my life. I have actually, with my wife, lost two children to miscarriages before we were blessed with our three wonderful children. We wondered during this time if we had done something wrong. Did we stay out in the hot weather too long? Did we not eat the right foods? DId we not do soemthing right, or did we do too many things wrong? Why did htis happen to us? What did we do to deserve this?

It is kind of like the man born blind in the gospel, where the disciples asked Jesus who sinned this amn or his parents? And it was neither. Sometimes things are out of our control, and no matter how much we long for an explaination there is not one. We have to accept our life at face value and move forward in the day in and day out things that happen. We can seek to follow after God’s heart, but that does not guarrentee us that we will get a rose garden and everything will be smooth sailing. Job found out that his life could crash around him, but he never gave up on God. And God never gave up on him.

Our reading for today is just the first chapter of a long story that details all of the struggles Job and his friends went through. Job never gave up on God, even when his whole world was ripped out from under him. We can see from this that we should never give up on God, because God has promised and will always walk with us through everything we will face.

Apple of my eye

Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! From your presence let my vindication come! Let your eyes behold the right! You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress. With regard to the works of man, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words. Wondrously show your steadfast love, O Savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me. They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. They have now surrounded our steps; they set their eyes to cast us to the ground. He is like a lion eager to tear, as a young lion lurking in ambush. Arise, O LORD! Confront him, subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, from men by your hand, O LORD, from men of the world whose portion is in this life. You fill their womb with treasure; they are satisfied with children, and they leave their abundance to their infants. As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness. (Psalm 17 ESV)

Have you ever looked deep into someone’s eye and saw yourself?

Do you ever think about yourself as being in that spot of God’s eye?

The psalmist here says “keep me as the apple of your eye…” As if that is something that God can really do without us assisting. In order for me to be the apple of someone’s eye I have to be there with them looking them in the eye. So in order for you or me to the apple of God’s eye, we have to be looking God in the eye. Are you really able and ready to do that? That means you see God in the face and are ready to hear and be who He is leading you to be. Now if you do this, He will shelter you under His wing and keep you from all danger and harm. That does not mean that life will be easy or things will be smooth sailing, but you will have His undivided attention and the protect of His presence.

So stare at God’s eye and become the apple of His eye… And hold on for the ride of your life!