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07/30/2024

A Pew Moments with - Jesus's Last Miracle

All four gospel accounts record this violent act (Matthew 26:51, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:50–51, John 18:10–11). One records the names of the victim and perpetrator (John). One wrote down the detail of which I am writing about - the miraculous healing (Luke the physician).

Why did Jesus heal the ear of Malcus? Here are some reasons I think why.

1. Jesus lived what He preached. "Love your enemies" (Matthew 5) was more than just words or a platitude.
2. Jesus served as a powerful and needed example that the apostles would repeat. We know a non-apostle did - Stephen. We too need this courage and strength.
3. Jesus gave grace by giving to the soldier what he didn't deserve. Arresting an innocent man bears some guilt, even if an ignorant participant. People today argue over whether we can forgive those who have not repented. Could this be an example?
4. Jesus demonstrated what He didn't mean when telling the apostles to take a sword (also in Luke 22). I believe in self-defense, except for using force to protect myself from being persecuted for Jesus. After all, Jesus didn’t.
5. Jesus protected Peter. Had Malchus not been healed, the missing ear could have been used as evidence. What court would have rightly convicted Peter when the Court had no physical evidence? Can you hear the judge ask, "Which rar was cut off?because I see two ears!" Who would have had the audacity to stand before a Roman judge and want Peter punished while being forced to admit Jesus's miracle?
6. Jesus did what we often need to do - help those who have been hurt by one of our own. When your own "side" is wrong, don't take sides on the wrong side?
7. Jesus was foreshadowing a greater healing - the resurrection. Many of Jesus's miracles overcame the physical ailments of living in a cursed world. Our coming resurrection will be among the last miracles if not the last.

When it is the last miracle Jesus performed before being crucified, such an act is instructive and must be purposeful.

07/28/2024

A Pew Moments with Perry - Adam and Eve Loved Each Other

Is there any doubt Eve loved herself? She loved herself enough to please her senses. The forbidden fruit was pleasant to look at and looked promising to be delicious. She also loved herself with an ambition to acquire wisdom to be like God. Eve wanted to be happy.

Is there any doubt Eve loved Adam? She loved him enough to share in eating the physically pleasant fruit. She also loved Adam enough to want him to share with her in acquiring the wisdom of God. Eve wanted Adam to be happy.

Love is a beautiful thing. Deceived love is dangerous. Deceived love leads to misplaced love. "Love WHO you want because love is love" is as wrong as "Love HOW you want because love is love". Love who God wants. Love how God wants.

Eve had a strong love for self and Adam.

Is there any doubt Adam loved himself? I would infer based upon what facts we have that Adam didn't want to be alone since he was not deceived. Adam knew "it was not good" to be without Eve. Adam didn't love himself enough to tell Eve no. Adam wanted to be happy.

Is there any doubt Adam loved Eve? Strangely, if he didn't, he would have allowed her to eat alone knowing she would die. Again I infer he loved her enough that he didn't want her to be alone in her act. Adam didn't love Eve enough to tell her no. Adam wanted Eve to be happy.

Adam had a weak love for self and Eve.

The 2nd Great Command is to love your neighbor as yourself. There is a danger in practicing the 2nd Great Command without first practicing the 1st Great Command. This can become a strong self-centered love that is deceived. Or a weak other-centered love whether deceived or aware.

How many applications can we make today? How many are pacticing the 2nd Great Command without first and primarily practicing the 1st Great Command?

This is a problem as old as Eve and Adam.

02/26/2022

Saturday's Special - Jesus is Holy Ground

When John the Baptist claims he is unworthy to remove even the sandals of Jesus, there are two ways of understanding what this forerunner means:
1. The Obvious and Earthly.
2. The Deeper and Eternal.

1. The Obvious and Earthly - Here's the statement - "I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals." (CSB'17 Mark 1:7).

Within that culture, the lowest servant had the unwanted assignment of removing a guest's sandals and washing the filthy feet. Here is the humility of John in seeing himself as unworthy of the lowest servant's unwanted job. And yet God called him to be the forerunner, the bride groom's best man.

If John considers himself unqualified to be the lowest of the lowest, that is an example for us to follow. But this begs us to ask, "Why?" After all, they are cousins and John is older.

2. The Deeper and Eternal - Now we need to see the rest of the quote: "He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”" (CSB'17 Mark 1:7-8)

What would make Jesus more powerful than John? What would qualify Jesus so as to send the Holy Spirit? God is more powerful than man, and only God sends His Holy Spirit!

That John chooses sandals to illustrate this is fitting. Both Moses and Joshua were told to remove their sandals because they were standing on Holy Ground!

When we put the obvious and earthly together with the deeper and eternal, what is John saying? Jesus, God Incarnate, is Himself, Holy Ground!

02/25/2022

A Prayer Commentary - Peace and Safety (1 Thessalonians 5:3)

TEXT: "When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." (CSB'17 1 Thessalonians 5:3)

DEVOTIONAL: The sign reads, "Please trespass. Friendly Dog. No teeth. Electric fence turned off". How many would believe the sign? In fact if you did, Bill Engvall might hand you a sign saying, "Here's your sign". There are certainties so obviously false, that there is no excuse for believing then. And yet people do. And yet we do. How many pregnant women, in labor, half-jokingly, half-seriously, say, "I've changed my mind about having this baby!"? Such are those who, concerning Jesus's 2nd Coming, say, "Peace and Safety". Jesus has warned and informed. He is coming back. This passage is not concerned with "signs", just with certainty. How can one say, "Peace and Safety" when there is war, and crime, somewhere, and always happening? True reality is, just like a pregnant woman can't tell you exactly when her child will be born, it is certain her child is coming, and likewise Jesus is coming back. The only "sign" will be, "It's time."

PRAYER: True peace and safety, Jesus, are not found in waiting for your return. This life is filled with violence and danger. May I not be enticed by false security. May I realize true peace and true safety are found only in your return. Amen.

02/23/2022

Wednesday's Wisdom - Protection from Ourselves

At least three, maybe more, Egyptian gods could not kill a defenseless baby. That's fairly inept, isn't it! Only one reasonable answer exists. That baby received protection from another God, a more powerful God, and the only true God.

That baby was Moses. The three gods that couldn't kill the defenseless infant were:
1. The Nile river.
2. Crocodiles in the Nile.
3. Pharaoh himself whose daughter drew him out of the Nile.

Moses's parents hid him and when that became impossible, they did the unthinkable. They put him in a basket, which is the same word (tay-baw) for Noah's ark! God keeps telling the same stories with different people and scenarios. In these two cases, the size was adequate for its purpose, neither of the sizes were what protected its occupants. Neither time did the waters destroy who was under God's protection.

Then, a god's own family member betrayed her god in the name of something opposite of his character - tender mercy. I'm still amazed that Moses ended up being raised in a family that hated his own kind. His adopted grandfather protected him and persecuted his kin (Exodus 1:22).

Are we under the protection of our God today? Ultimately yes, despite what suffering we might endure here. That is why we should not live in fear of death in this life, but in the next life (Matthew 10:28).

That divine protection is all powerful. But as with Pharaoh who hardened his heart, and the Israelites who had to stay inside during the 10th plague to stay safe, God sets his own limits on His protection. Our free will.

And like the three gods that could not destroy Moses, there are gods (Colossians 3:5), both inanimate like the Nile, and alive like Pharaoh, that we need protection from. Are our gods money, sports, reputation, comfort, or spouse? That last one is more common than we think!

God is willing and capable to protect us. But are we going to be like Pharaoh, who ultimately protected what would prove to be the beginning of his downfall?

02/22/2022

Tuesday's Thought - The Trees of Life

Warning! This is a tedious read, but if you endure, it will deepen your appreciation that the Bible is one story from many stories ultimately about Jesus.

Did you know there is more than one Tree of Life? First, let's look at the implications of the first Tree of Life mentioned in Genesis 2-3:

1. Immortality is Not Inherent within Mankind - God created humans to be able die (Gen. 2:17: ; 3:19). Now that's a hint of what's to come!
2. Immortality is a Gift from God (Gen.2:9). Not only is physical existence God's creation, so is eternal existence ultimately grace! Are you seeing a pattern emerge?
3. Immortality is Sustained by God (Gen.3:22). If life is created and a gift from God, then connection to God is like a branch to the vine. That sounds familiar (John 15). This leads to the next point which is found outside of Genesis 2-3.
4. Immortality is Not Once for All (Gen.3:22; Rev.22:2). The way I understand Genesis 3:22 is explained by Revelation 22:2. Adam and Eve would have needed to continue to reach out and eat of the living fruit, although reaching out for the forbidden fruit caused death after one sin. If fruit is continually produced monthly as seen in Revelation 22:2, even if symbolic, that means only God has immortal life in Himself (1 Timothy 6:14).

No doubt you are seeing Jesus already and our need for life immortal from above. The Edenic narrative that leads outside of that garden away from thre Tree of Life, leads to another garden. Like the first garden, a man walked out leading to death. But this time, His death leads to our life.

The second Tree of Life is the cross, which is sometimes called a tree (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24).

What implications from the first tree to the second tree should we be seeing retold?

1. Jesus died so we don't have to (Rom.4:25).
2. Jesus is given by God to give us life (John 10:10).
3. Jesus keeps us saved (Jude 1, 24-25 ).
4. Jesus' crucifixion which leads to His resurrection, is our gift of life which can be thrown away (Heb.10:26-31).

Adam and Eve chose a tree of death and forfeited the tree of life. That is the power of man and each man.

Jesus chose a tree of death and turned it into a Tree of lLie. That is the power of God.
The Bible begins in Genesis with the Tree of Life and ends with the Tree of Life being mentioned four times (Revelation 2:7; 22:2; 22;14; 22:19). In heaven we won't lose access to the Tree of Life.

Many books, many stories, one book, one story. Jesus is that story and our Tree of Life.

02/18/2022

Is Jesus Coming Like A Thief? (A Prayer Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5:2-5)

TEXT - "For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, like labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the dark, for this day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or the darkness." (CSB'17 1 Thessalonians 5:2-5)

DEVOTIONAL - Life must be read in context. A friend of mine, Weldon Adair, who is awaiting the resurrection, was fond of reminding people just because everyone knows it, doesn't make it true. Our text also teaches, just because one verse uses a word or phrase, doesn't mean it can't be used differently by someone else (or used the same but we don't understand either). And a third lesson is, don't just read one verse and think you've got the contextual meaning. So here we go: Is Jesus's 2nd Coming going to be like a thief in the night? Every Bible student says,, "yes" and cites Matthew 24:43, 2 Peter 3:10, and Revelation 16:15. I challenge you to read those again and compare Paul's inspired commentary in 1 Thessalonians 5. Jesus is coming like a thief in the night...for those unprepared, living in the dark. But believers are not children of the dark. This coming won't surprise those who live in the day light. The context of our lives is in awareness that the Father is waiting to send Jesus, and when He comes, we don't see a thief. We are waiting on someone we know is coming. Jesus isn't a thief to us, stealing from us, because we've given ourselves to our Savior. Jesus is our long, awaited, friend.

PRAYER - Maranatha , our Lord come. Come quickly friend. We are waiting. Amen.

02/17/2022

Thursday's Thought - How to Unite a Divided Congregation

There is more trouble discussed in 1 Corinthians than in any other letter. There is more taught about the Lord's supper in 1 Corinthians than any other book (chapters 5,10,11). Not surprisingly, they messed that up too. But unexpectedly, is that a clue to unity?

Chapter 5 alludes to Christ as our Passover. The church itself becomes a type of Passover wherein churches are to not tolerate blatant sin which is synonymous with leaven. This identity with the Passover is likewise connected to the Lord's supper as Christ, the church, and the meal, are all identified under the same analogy. This will.be done again later with the analogy of the "body". In chapter 5, the backdrop for this Passover meal, the Christians were not willing to righteously judge a man living with his father's wife. God had judged Egypt. Corinth is becoming Egypt.

Chapter 10 and verse 16 is where we get the name "communuion" (KJV). This discusion includes phrases such as believers everywhere being blessed by sharing in one bread and one cup. Included in the language is calling this spiritual meal the Lord's table (10:21). A table pictures for us unity. The Christians were sharing with Corinthian idol worshippers.

Chapter 11 uses the word body in a threefold way - Jesus's physical body, symbolic body, and spiritual body. The Christians were wrongfully judging and shaming the poor among them by not.sharing.

Sadly, chapter 5 shows them wrongly not judging; while chapter 11 shows them wrongly judging. Sadly again, chapter 10 shows them sharing with idol worshippers, but not sharing with fellow believers in chapter 11. Paul sums up and connects all three discussions in the last section.

Putting this all together, may I suggest that one of the most unifying teachings and practices for a divided church is a reexamination of the deeper truths concerning the Lord's supper. Instead, we usually study abour how we are divided in this meal which is meant to unite. Are we more like the Corinthians than we want to admit? What would the Holy Spirit want Paul to write to us?

02/15/2022

Tuesday's Thought - Why Until He Comes?

It is obvious the Corinthians didn't understand the Lord's supper. Do we? The way Paul taught and corrected their abuse, Paul was sneaky in how he connected it to something much bigger than the Corinthians realized.

The Lord's supper is about the past, present, and future. Notice specifically the future emphasis: "Proclaim His death...until he comes" (11:26). This implies Jesus is not currently dead. But it also implies something more. If Jesus has a future which we are proclaiming, then we too have a future!

Jesus's body could have stayed in the tomb, until He comes, while He waited for His spirit to come resurrect His body.. That is what we will be waiting on (1 Corinthians 15:20). But concerning Jesus, that is not the Biblical teaching.

What is taught in the Lord's supper that the Corinthians had difficulty accepting and seeing that they were proclaiming?
The resurrection as seen in 1 Corinthians 15. Even their resurrection is found in their sharing the Lord's meal whether they realized it or not because Jesus was the first of many to come (15:20). Ever wonder how much we don't understand what we are doing?

Part of their sharing or communing in this memorial is the gospel being reenacted. Compare 2 Corinthians 8:9 when Paul talks about a different sharing or fellowship. Christ who was rich became poor. In 1 Corinthians 11, the rich were supposed to be sharing the elements with the poor. These culturally separated groups couldn't eat together because the rich were keeping it all to themselves which was a violation of the gospel story.

Instead of the church being in Corinth, Corinth was in the church!

Breaking the bread together in that culture was more than just an action taking place in the assembly. Communion was a reenactment of the gospel, of the "rich" providing for the "poor." That's why Paul solves their shaming one another by going back to Jesus's original supper. Jesus was providing the true bread and true blood. The rich in Corinth missed the point and opportunity to be like Jesus and settled for getting physically satiated.

This Memorial is not just about the physical bread and physical fruit of the vine. It was and is about the physical body of Christ being shared with the spiritual body of Christ through a symbol of the body of Christ.

In the Lord's supper, we proclaim Jesus's death until.He comes, so that He might destroy our death and resurrect us too! Together this is the continuation of the gospel being proclaimed and practiced when we share in the Lord's supper. Do we understand this?

02/14/2022

Monday's Message - Invitations
The old gag is, "My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail." I feel empathy for those left out. I've been there. Often still am there.. It especially hurts within congregations when you keep hearing of good times people had without you. Sometimes they can even be so oblivious as to talk around you in your presence.

I don't know what it feels like to always be included, but I feel badly for those folks too. It must be harder for them to feel empathy.. A lack of empathy is spiritually dangerous. So, how should we view invitations?

1. Don't count how many invites you received, lest you become proud.
2. Don't count how many invites you didn't receive, lest you become bitter.
3. Count how many invites you gave to those others didn't invite, so you'll be like Jesus -

"... ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame.’" (CSB'17 Luke 14:21)
"Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and make them come in, so that my house may be filled." (CSB'17 Luke 14:23)

Both then again, we aren't and can't be like Jesus. God felt mercy and extended grace. But that is not how we should process inviting the lonely, the socially awkward, the aggravating, the poorer, the uninvited. That could lend itself to pitying them as you do them a favor. Jesus asks us to be in his presence. None of us are worthy to invite people to share in our presence!

Instead, count yourself as one of them. Isn't that exactly what Jesus becoming flesh is?! He became like those he invited, except He was without sin.
1. His birth shared the excluded experience with the unclean.
2. His baptism was done with and in the presence of sin confessors.
3. His reputation got soiled by the "righteous" because he ate with the wrong crowd.
4. His death was split between two thieves.

Jesus invites people like them, which includes .you!

"“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”" (CSB'17 Matthew 11:28-30)

When you invite someone, sit next to the ostracized at school, or choose to sit with those by themselves at potlucks, or change seats at church to keep company with the unmarried, couples without children, widows, the old, the young, new Christians, visitors, and more; the point is not so much that you are like Jesus who invited. You connect with them because they are the same kind of people Jesus invited. Jesus invited you!

02/11/2022

This Bears Repeating (A Prayer Commentary - 1 Thessalonians 5:1)

TEXT: "About the times and the seasons: Brothers and sisters, you do not need anything to be written to you." (CSB'17 1 Thessalonians 5:1)

DEVOTIONAL: "It goes without saying" usually does not go without saying. "I don't need to remind you", often is followed by a reminder. Most sermons don't need preaching, except they need preaching.

This is nothing new. Paul said concerning "times and seasons", "You don't need anything written to you" (1 Thessalonians 5:1), and then he proceeds to write to them. In fact, they so misunderstood he had to write a second letter about something he didn't need to write about the first time! We humans are that confusable! We doubt so easily what we already know. It's as if we want to not know. Ignorance brings "freedom"!

What's the point? You don't need reminding of these, but...
1) We never know as much as we think, deeper truths support surface truths.
2) We always will need basic reminders, not because we don't know, but to keep us from forgetting. While "the beginning of all knowledge is fear of the Lord" (Proverbs 1:7) , the continuation of all knowledge is repetition.
3) We never remember everything we forgot, even if we forgot not remembering.

So the next time you hear an old familiar topic, don't close your ears. You just might need to hear what you don't think you need to hear. Again.

PRAYER: Oh God of the Covenant, I am reminded of times your people "reminded" You of Your promises. You are not so weak-minded as to forget, yet repetition is for us. May we stay ever humble, hungry, and reminded. Amen.

02/10/2022

Thursday's Thought - Living Trans Lives

I am against living a "trans" lifestyle. It is a false reality, because it is a facade. "Trans-living" is constantly in the news today, but it is nothing new. I portend, religious people might have started and perfected the trend of living fake "trans" lives.

"Trans" living involves the seeking attention, focusing on clothes, wanting special treatment, forcing people to call them approved terms, and more. Does any of this sound familiar?

SEEKING ATTENTION - "They do everything to be seen by others... (CSB'17 Matthew 23:5a)

FOCUS ON CLOTHES - "...They enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels." (CSB'17 Matthew 23:5b)

WANT SPECIAL TREATMENT - "They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues," (CSB'17 Matthew 23:6)

DEMAND APPROVED TERMS - "...and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people." (CSB'17 Matthew 23:7)

I'm convinced that much of what the world does wrong, the world learned it first from fake religion. In the Bible, it isn't called "trans" living. Its called hypocrisy, literally, "a false face". Hypocrite (hypokritḗs) was commonly used of Greek actors, including men pretending to be women (women were not permitted to be in plays). Very fitting, isn't it, comparing religious hypocrisy to transgenderism!

Look again at Paul's challenge to change the inside:

"Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God." (CSB'17 Romans 12:2)

To "conform" is "assuming a similar outward form (expression) by following the same pattern (model, mold)" (HELPS Word-Studies).

To "transform" is "changing form in keeping with inner reality" (HELPS Word-Studies). It is used of Jesus's transfiguration where the outside got changed by Jesus's true inward identity. That is what must happen to us!

"We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit." (CSB'17 2 Corinthians 3:18)

Instead of being transformed (Rom.12:2), too many modern "Christians" are satisfied appearing changed, living trans-lives. We change the outside, our clothes, our language, our outward identity; but inside our true identity, our real self, hasn't changed. Changing the outside without changing one's true identity sounds very much again like hypocritical living:

"“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence." (CSB'17 Matthew 23:25)

"“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity." (CSB'17 Matthew 23:27)

If we want to tell transgender folks to stop living false identities, they have a right to say, "You first. You started it".

If transgenderism is obviously a false identity, what about us "Christians"? Are we transformed or just "trans"?

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