POEM: Why don't we listen?

Some read nothing but Daniel and Revelation
Some stick to Genesis, Exodus and maybe Matthew, Mark and Luke
There are those who hod onto the Pentateuch and Paul
Myself, I like anything by John
There are those who love the Psalms and Proverbs
Many stick with the prophets, major and minor
Some are convinced that all that matters are the morsels they're rationed
by pastors or televangelists or political ideologues
It's amazing how many mistake Ben Franklin and Bill Shakespeare for something from the good book.
I can't tell you how often I've heard people quoting the code of Hammurabi, convinced they were repeating Jesus', smugly pleased that He backed up their opinions.
I wouldn't be surprised if the same is sometimes true of Machiavelli or even Ayn Rand.
Many have never read any of it at all.
Many figure if they've heard Exodus 20 or Luke 2 once, they've heard it a million times
Many have never even heard that much, and how can they know the Author, if after all, faith comes from hearing?
Some say that if you've read John 3:16, you've heard it all
But how many have seen "John 3:16" a million times, but never actually read or heard John 3:16 at all?
May I humbly recommend reading the parts in red letters?
You might be surprised and impressed, hopefully inspired
or perhaps shocked and dismayed, maybe convicted or offended.
May I further recommend the only sermon we have recorded that Jesus preached?
If enough of us listened, it may change how we think of both Jesus and His Word,
not to mention how we think of our neighbor.
But don't take my word for it,
read it for yourself.

8 Ways to be Blessed

Thursday, October 4, 2007 the Mapleton PRESS

It's been years since I taught at a Lutheran high school in L.A. I enjoy teaching in a public school too, but I really missed getting to talk directly with kids about their faith. A few weeks ago, I got the chance again. I began teaching the high school Bible Study, Sunday mornings at our church.

I really wanted kids to hear what Jesus actually taught and believed. This brought me to Matthew 5:1-12, the Beatitudes (the blessings) from His sermon on the Mount. I won't re-print them here, because I'd like to encourage you to look them up.

One of the things that we learned (that frankly, had never dawned on me before) is that in this passage, Jesus isn't DESCRIBING what He thought were good people, He was PREscribing how He'd like His followers to be. Also, just like with the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20), God offers a promise (a blessing or "beatitude") that will come to anyone who lives out each of these 8 qualities. EX: If you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you'll be filled.

I thought it was important to look a little closer at "Blessed are the Peacemakers." Let's be clear, Jesus is talking in more broad terms than that. He's not saying "blessed are the antiwar protesters."

To really understand it, it may be worth your time to take a look at 2 Corinthians 5:16-20. Basically, being a peacemaker, is being a bridge-builder, someone who reconciles rather than becoming defensive, entrenched or self-serving. A peacemaker is someone who helps heal and build relationships as opposed to holding grudges, burning bridges or hiding out on their own private island. Ultimately, a peacemaker is someone who helps others come to be at peace with God.

Jesus is the ultimate peacemakers since through His sacrifice, we who are born at war with God in our natures can become part of His family.

Try rating yourself on a scale of 1-4 (4 being the highest) on each of the 8 qualities prescribed in the Beatitudes:
* Poor in Spirit/ recognize your need for God
* Mourn/ admit your guilt, take responsibility
* Meek/ Don't always have to get your way or be in control
* Spiritual hunger/ Want to know God better, He is #1 in your life
* Merciful/ Empathetic, compassionate, concerned for others
* Pure in heart/ Open, honest, known for integrity
* Peacemaker/ Work out differences without having to get even, constructive
* Persecution/ Willing to stand alone for what is right, can take criticism without being defensive or feeling self-pity.

You can even turn Matthew 5 :3-12 into a payer,

Dear Lord,

Teach us to be poor in spirit, to always remember that we are nothing without Your grace and mercy- Thank You that because of Jesus, we can now be called Your children (1 John 3:1).

Help us to recognize that our choices and actions all have consequences, Lord. Make us responsible for our mistakes and our sins, and help us to see how our lives effect the lives of others.

Lord, help us to put the needs of others before ourselves and our own selfish desires.
Give us a hunger and thirst to know You, Your Word and Your will better, God.

Teach us to have empathy for others and to have compassion on others, and help us to learn from our pain and our struggles, so that we can bring comfort to others.

Create in me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10)

Use me as a peace maker, as a bridge builder and a fence mender, help me to forgive those who trespass against me just as you have forgiven me. Make me Your ambassador, Lord.

Give us the courage to not be afraid to stand up for what we believe in and help me to not be ashamed of the Gospel, but instead, to let our light shine in this dark world, even if it means being made fun of or being unpopular.

Amen

Matthew 5: 17-48

We finished our study of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) by going through Matthew 5: 17-48

A lot of people accuse Jesus of trying to wipe out all of the Old Testament Jewish Laws, but He makes it clear in verses 17-20 that He didn't come to get rid of any of it. As Christians, we know that what He did was to fulfill it perfectly, something that we never could no matter how hard we tried. We can't ever be perfect enough, THAT's why we need Jesus.

Jesus uses some sarcastic hyperbole to drive this point home. In verses 21-26 he lets us know that anger, hate, and even name calling are just as bad as actual killing. (hyperbole? Look it up yourself at www.m-w.com, basically He was being a smart-Aleck).

Compare Matt 5:24 with being a Peacemaker that Jesus talked about in Matt 5:9 and the reconciliation that Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21.

In the same style of sarcasm, Jesus lets us know that lust is no less a sin than full fledged adultery in verses 27-30 and that we can't just weasel out of a marriage because we're bored of it in verses 31-32 (don't wig out, He's not saying that if one spouse is cheating, or abusing the other or a total crack-head that you shouldn't get divorced) He was trying to make a point to people who thought they were better than everybody else that none of us are perfect.

In verses 33-37 He tells us to just be sincere, honest and have integrity, rather than trying to make our promises sound more serious by swearing on our mother's grave, saying "I swear to God" or "cross my heart and hope to die." We'll have a lot more credibility if we just keep our word.

As a political lefty, the rest of Matthew 5 is one of my favorite parts of the Bible. What Would Jesus Do? (WWJD?) I'll tell ya what He'd do, Matthew 5:38-42!-

Some people like to defend war, the death penalty and getting even with people by saying that "the Bible says 'An eye for an eye'," but Jesus says "I tell you, Do not resist an evil person."
Sounds a little revolutionary. Some people say it sounds weak- but Jesus is anything but weak, like the County song says, He's "tougher than nails." If it's good enough for Jesus, why isn't it good enough for us? Martin Luther King Jr used it to eliminate segregation.

Verses 38-42 is where we get the following idioms, There's from Jesus, not Ben Franklin or Bill Shakespeare-

• Turn the other cheek
• Give 'em the coat off your back
• Go the extra mile
• Don't turn anyone away

What a different world it would be if we'd all actually practice what Jesus preached!

Then there's the REALLY revolutionary stuff; verses 43-48, all that "Love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you" stuff. Anyone can love their friends, but it takes real work to love your enemies. Sound like nonsense? Remember, love is not a feeling, it's not a reaction, it's an action, a way of treating people (see 1 Corinthians 13).

It makes you wonder... what if after 9/11, instead of invading Iraq (which had nothing to do with 9/11 anyway) instead we promoted democracy in Saudi Arabia and Egypt? Gave financial aid to Palestine? Helped negotiate peace and eliminate the slave trade and genocide in Darfur? Built schools and hospitals in Jordan and Lebanon? Provided food aid to Ethiopia and Chad? Promoted women's rights in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates? Why not a Peace Corps like JFK came up with? Look how the Marshall Plan after WWII made Europe love us?

Okay, okay, too political, too liberal-Democrat. Sorry, I know I promised not to do that in the high school Bible Study part of this blog.

But think about this; What if the next time someone shoved you in line or grabbed your hat and tried to play keep-away, or called you a name, or gave you the finger, or spread a rumor about you on MySpace or FaceBook- what if every time someone did something bad to you, you exercised Matt 5:38-48? What if?

Even if they didn't feel guilty about treating you poorly, even if it didn't take the fun out of it for them, if nothing else, it would make them look bad for being such jerks and you would look like you're way more mature and self controlled.

And don't forget, part of that is PRAYING for them. God does most of His best work when people bother to pray. Even if your enemies didn't change, prayer changes you. Try it, I DARE you.

What if?


Revolutionary

Are you Salt y & Luminous?

Once again this Sunday, we looked at the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12
Rate yourself on a scale of 1-4 (4 being the highest) on each of the 8 qualities prescribed in the Beatitudes:

• Poor in Spirit/ recognize your need for God
  
• Mourn/ admit your sin, take responsibility
  
• Meek/ Don't always have to get your way or be in control
  
• Spiritual hunger/ Want to know God better, He is #1 in your life
  
• Merciful/ Empathetic, compassionate, concerned for others
  
• Pure in heart/ Open, honest, known for integrity
  
• peacemaker/ Work out differences without having to get even, constructive
  
• Persecution/ Willing to stand alone for what is right, can take criticism without being defensive or feeling self-pity.

Here are some questions to ask yourself about the beatitudes;

• Where did you rate yourself highest? What's your lowest area?
• Do you know someone, a teacher, parent, relative, or friend who you feel demonstrates one of the 8 beatitudes in his or her life? How?
• If you're honest with yourself, is there one that you've actually gone to great lengths to avoid?
• Which of the 8 would you like to improve on the most? How do you think can God help you to get batter at it?

Now let's consider the very next 3 verses (Matthew 5:13-16):

13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

What is salt good for?

"Animals including humans need salt in their diets. Salt is used to season and preserve food. It is also used in making soap and glass...

Since ancient times, salt has been used to flavor and preserve food. Early trade routes and many of the first roads were established for transporting salt. Many ancient civilizations levied taxes on salt. Salt was considered so precious that it was traded ounce for ounce for gold." (http://42explore.com/salt.htm)

• Perservative
• Flavor enhancer
• Medicine, antiseptic
  
• Provokes thirst
• Ice melt
• Allows water to get much colder without freezing (like in home made ice cream makers) and allows water to get much hotter before it boils or evaporates.
• Helps you retain water (it's in many sports drinks)
  

So ask yourself, how and why does God want you to be salt in this world? Would you be more useful to Him or less useful, depending on how many of those beatitude qualities you got '4's on?

How can you help preserve people? Bring out the best in people? Help heal wounds? Make people thirsty for Jesus, the "Living water?" Melt hardened hearts? Intensify God given talents? Help people to "keep the faith?"

Lighten Up

Think about being the light of the world. Do you ever feel like you're stumbling around in the dark? Do you know people who seem to be lost? Depressed, under a gloom of fear, doubt, anxiety, hate, guilt, or anger? Sure, we all do- heck we all feel like we are from time to time.

The light's not somehow "within you" like Gnostics, Taoists, Buddists, Hindus, or Scientologists all claim- rather Jesus is the REAL light of the world, but when God created us in His image, that means He intended us to reflect His love and His glory- sort of like how the moon reflects the sun's light.

Think about a lonely country road in the middle of the night. Way out in the middle of nowhere. When there's a "new moon" it can be pitch black. Without your headlights, you'd be blind. It would be easy to run of the road into a ditch, or to hit a deer or a tree. Ah, but on a night when there's a full-moon, you could practically drive without headlights. Once your eyes adjust, you can see deer, cows, owls, raccoons, everything out there. And if there's snow on the ground, the moon reflects the sun and the snow reflects the moon. Add a few clouds and they reflect the snow... "a luster of mid-day to the objects below."

Ever notice how the bugs flock to a light in the summer? If you are a humble, honest, caring, kind, person of character, if you have the qualities that Jesus talks about in the beatitudes, you will attract people. You will "win friends and influence people" as Dale Carnegie once said. They will be drawn to you as a leader and who will you be showing them? Who will you reflect? Duh, Jesus.

Are you a floodlight? Are you a 300 watt bulb? Just a 100 or 75 watt bulb? Just a tiny night light? How can Jesus help you to shine brighter?

Here's a great song by the Newsboys about learning to SHINE.