TerryLema

At Bible Study Wednesday night we discussed what it means to be a discipline, what it means to count the cost, and what it means to pick up your cross. Those are hard things to define, let alone practice. We struggled to even put those concepts into words.

Luke tells us in chapter 14 that large crowds were following Jesus and at one point he turned to them and gave them three illustrations that define discipleship, counting the cost, and picking up your cross.  [read verses 25-33 today)

The first illustration is a doozy!  Luke 14:26:  “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-yes, even his own life-he cannot be my disciple.”

Jesus often used hyperbole to get his point across.  Hyperbole is extravagant exaggeration, such as someone advertising “mile high ice cream cones.” We know that while the cone may be bigger than most, it certainly isn’t literally a mile high.

Jesus was not advocating that we hate our parents, spouses, children or siblings–even our own lives—literally.  He used this illustration and the word “hate” to remind us that to be His disciple, He must always hold first place in our affections.  The Greek word for hate here can also be translated to mean “to love less.”

The crowds often followed Jesus to get something from Him. He reminded them that to be true disciples, we must love Him more than anything in this life, even those things that are most precious and dear to us.

Media is ablaze with our president’s battle with the National Football League. It has touched people who are not even football fans. It began when one football player last year sat during the playing of the national anthem before a game. Last Sunday every team, every owner, every player had to decide if they would stand, kneel, sit, or even be present for the anthem in their respective stadiums.

After those choices were made, social media lit up with people who supported them, and others who were abandoning football or specific teams altogether. Some took it as an affront to our country, our flag, and to those who have placed their lives on the line for our freedom.

Occasionally, someone would mention that free speech is one of the rights of citizenship in the United States. That seemed to illicit even more controversy, name calling, and harsh words.

Amid all this I came across this verse in Ephesians 4:29:  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. NIV

I wondered as I read it if it was as difficult in Paul’s day to restrain unwholesome talk and instead build others up as it seems to be in our day?  I am sure it was, after all people are people in any age and time. I just don’t think in Paul’s day it bombarded them 24-hours-a-day as it does us across radio, television, Facebook, Twitter … ad nauseum.  Which means it may be even more important for us to heed this command than it was for those who originally received it!

Father, help us to watch our talk. Help us to build others up rather than tear them down. Let our speech benefit those who hear us. Amen.

Romans 8:18: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

This verse was the beginning of the text for last Sunday’s message. Yesterday I wrote that we must consider the sufferings of this life with a biblical perspective or we will be devastated by them.  Paul considered and pondered suffering and gave us a beginning viewpoint. (Read Romans 8:18-25)

Personally, as I studied this passage I focused on one thing — that these are preset sufferings. Our future is a completely opposite view. Paul reminds us of the glory that will be revealed in us—not just the glory that will be revealed to us. Yes, we will see God in all His glory. Yes, heaven will be much more than what we can think or imagine with our finite, limited minds.

But, wonder of wonders, that glory that is seen, is also seen in us.  2 Thessalonians 2:14: He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When I look at you throughout eternity, I will see the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ in you. When you look at me, you will see His glory also. In that moment, I know that we will be able, perhaps for the first time, to know beyond all doubt that our present sufferings were not worth comparing with the glory that is revealed in us.

Father, to think that we will share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ is beyond our ability to imagine. How can I, whose sins put your Son on the cross, share in His glory? And yet, that is what you have promised. Amazing God, what amazing love you have given us! Amen.

Where I work, they have placed televisions around the lobbies and break areas. They have seating designed around each.  The televisions are tuned into an all-day news channel. (They didn’t ask my opinion or I would have told them watching all-day news is not how I want to take a “break” from work.)

Usually the news is all about politics, but recently it has been about hurricanes and earthquakes and the resulting damages. I sat for a few minutes last week and watched rescue crews in Mexico City dig through the rubble of a school. It was heartbreaking.

In last Sunday’s message, we looked at the issue of suffering in this world.  We began with Romans 8:18: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

That word “consider” means to reckon or ponder.  What it says to us is that before Paul wrote those words in his letter to the Romans, he thought a great deal about present sufferings.  He looked at it through “biblical eyes.”

The only way we can handle the heartbreaking suffering in this life is to do as Paul did, to consider our present suffering in the light of biblical perspective. How we handle that will determine whether we will grow through suffering or be destroyed by it.  More tomorrow.

Father, help us to consider our suffering through the eyes of Your Spirit. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:15:  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. [NIV]

If there is anything missing in our world now, it is kindness. I know many people blame social media for the lack of kindness. We hide behind our keyboards and think we can say anything we want to or about anyone. They call it “keyboard courage.”

Yet, we need to remember that social media is not to blame for the lack of kindness … our old sin nature is. Social media simply gave our sin a venue to express itself openly, but it was there all along, hidden deep in our hearts.

We want retribution, not kindness. If someone does us wrong, we want to wrong them right back. We are like James and John, the sons of thunder as Jesus referred to them –we want to call down fire from heaven on those who have wronged us or offended us.

Instead we are admonished to “always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.” It is not only in the church that kindness must be displayed (the each other part), but it is kindness shown through the church (the everyone else part) that is to be demonstrated.

Father, help us to be like our Master, when they shouted curses at Him on the cross, He did not retaliate but instead forgave.  Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:13-15:  And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. [NIV]

Ah, more of those commands from Paul’s pen about what we might do to be pleasing to our Father God. We are to warn, encourage, help and be patient with everyone!

Warn those who are idle. Paul admonishes those who can work and won’t work; those who tend toward laziness. (Here the emphasis is on those who are able and have opportunity to work, but just don’t want to do so.) For those he says, if you don’t work, you don’t eat. But I think also we need to warn those who are idle in their Gospel ministry. We only have so many opportunities in this life to minister the Word of the Lord to others. One day those will be gone.

Encourage the timid. We can’t be timid in sharing the Gospel. We should be wise and heed the direction of God’s Spirit when and what to speak. But timidity, perhaps prompted by fears of rejection, should not be a character trait of believers.

Help the weak. I am often reminded of the words of Isaiah that described the Messiah, “A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench.” There are many who are hanging on by a thread, and as believers we need to help them become firm in their faith.  [Isa 42:3 NKJV]

Last, we are to be patient with everyone. Patient with the idle. Patient with the timid. Patient with the weak. Perhaps also, patient with ourselves?

I find Paul’s letters amazing. They are full of grace, grace and more grace. It is quite clear when reading them that the work for salvation has already been done through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is quite clear that God had it all planned from the very beginning and now this marvelous salvation is ours by God’s wonderful grace trough faith. We can do nothing to earn it (by keeping the law), and we certainly don’t deserve it. Paul is adamant about that in his letters.

But then he goes on and admonishes us how to live … and so often those words sound like commands. “Do this. Don’t do that.” How can it be about grace, and about “do this, don’t do that?”

Paul gives us commands, yes, but the commands have nothing to do with earning salvation. Paul is giving principles to live by now that we are already saved, already God’s children. He is telling us how to live that we might bring joy to our Father God.  “Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God.”  [1 Thessalonians 4:1 NIV]

Pleasing God. What an overwhelming thought. That I, a sinner and once an enemy of the Holy God, might now be pleasing to Him. Savor that thought for a moment.

Let me close today with a prayer from Hebrews 13:20-21: “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”  [NIV]

1 Thessalonians 5:13-15:  Live in peace with each other. [NIV]

One short sentence. One tall order.  Just look at those six words.  Live in peace with each other. And if you use another translation, it can be even shorter. Be at peace among yourselves. Only five words in the NKJV.  Still a tall order.

That tall order is part of Paul’s closing words to the church at Thessalonica. That final chapter really packs a wallop. It starts with thoughts about the Second Coming of Christ and ends with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with us. And in between are all kinds of admonitions of how we are to respect leaders in the church, deal with all kinds of circumstances and treat each other. It’s a great read if you have a few moments today.

Still, among all those admonitions, the six (or five) little words above probably give us the most trouble. This is one unpeaceful world we live in. We are assaulted on every side by things that seek to disrupt our peace. Even our own inner nature works to rile us up and keep us unsettled. Our society lately is an “offended” society, giving people more excuses for anger.

The church, however, is to be different. We are given the tall order to live in peace with each other. Peace is to be the atmosphere of those who love the Lord. If we are all connected to Him, as the body is to the head, how can we be at war with each other?

Father, I pray for Your people, Your church, the Body of Christ that we might be at peace among ourselves, and that we might be a good testimony to this unpeaceful world. Amen.

The autumnal equinox or September equinox is today, September 22. That means that the amount of nighttime and daytime (sunlight) are roughly equal to each other. From here on out, the temperatures begin to drop and the days start to get shorter than the nights.

I am one of those who find autumn a season of delights. I love the vivid colors and the aromas of the leaves fallen from the trees. I love the crisp air, the cooler temperatures, wearing sweatshirts, and early sunsets. I know winter is around the corner, and with it cold weather and snow, perhaps even as difficult this year as last year. Still, I love autumn for what it is this day.

Whenever I bring up my love of autumn, someone will remind me that autumn signals winter is ahead. They don’t like winter. And some have a good reason not to like winter, they experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) without enough light. Some have a difficult time keep sidewalks and driveways shoveled. And let’s face it, it gets cold up here in Idaho in winter. Zero or below zero temperatures are not very appealing.

Still, that’s not a good enough reason for me to hate autumn. I want to live each day in this season’s delights. It’s harvest time and a time to remember to give thanks. Jesus reminded us not to borrow trouble from the future, we have enough trouble just for today.  “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” [Matt 6:34 NIV]

Today I will delight in autumn and not borrow winter’s troubles.  Today I will delight in this day that is mine (whatever it might hold) and not borrow from tomorrow’s troubles.  Today I will simply enjoy today.

In the recent weeks, we have seen much devastation. Hurricanes in Texas and Florida have left wide-spread damage, countless number of people without homes or resources. The wildfires in the northwest have also caused severe damage that will last for decades, pristine areas have been ravaged, ranchers in Montana have lost everything.  There have been earthquakes in Mexico and around other parts of our world. The talk around Idaho is whether we will have another difficult winter.

Many are looking to the federal government to bail them out with emergency funds, but the federal government is not all that flush with money either.  FEMA funds are running low, Congress is fighting over budget expenses and revenues. I think most everyone would agree, things are a mess.

Many Christians are looking at the mess and thinking it’s signs of the Lord’s return. If these truly are the signs of the Lord’s Second Coming, what should we be doing? 

In Luke chapter 2, Joseph and Mary had taken 12-year-old Jesus to Jerusalem with them. Then they lost Him. They were already heading home when they had every parent’s nightmare, they could not find their child.  They returned to Jerusalem and found the young man sitting with the elders and teachers in the temple courts. He didn’t understand why they were so upset and asked them, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”  [verse 49 NKJV]

While they were panicked, Jesus was just doing what He knew He was supposed to be doing. Yes, today things are a mess. And yes, some may even panic. Still, beloved, we need to be like our Master … going about our Father’s business.