be different from the world

" In judgment and action those who follow Jesus will be different from the world in renouncing their property, happiness, rights, righteousness, honor, and violence. They will be offensive to the world. That is why the disciples will be persecuted for righteousness’ sake." ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer (on Matt 5:10)

Sure enough, if you live modestly, humbly, in deference to others, with empathy, compassion, altruism and respond to violence with non-violence, you are going to be viewed derisively. Even other Christians will resent your adherence to this path.

Maybe that's part of what it means to be salt and light (Matt 5:13-16) behaving like Jesus presents a contrast with the selfish, materialistic, power-accumulating, aggressive, ambitious values of this world.

Like salt brings out a food's own flavor and light exposes one's "true colors," maybe living out Micah 6:8 creates so much cognitive dissonance for some people that they (subconsciously at least) know that they're choices aren't so godly after all and it irritates them. Nobody wants to be accused of being self-serving or short-sighted. That's why I love that bumper sticker so much that says, "annoy a conservative, live like Jesus."

As 19th century social activist Mother Jones might say, the Gospel is going to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." (Garrison Keillor modified it a little and I put that one on the top of this page.)

No wonder Hitler had Bonhoeffer killed. Not only did Bonhoeffer's liberalism expose Hitler's fascism and authoritarianism for the tyrany it was, his authentic Christianity exposed Hitler's pharisaical hypocrisy for the mere political appliance that it was.

Prayer changes you

Ezekiel 36:25-27 (New International Version)


25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

What a great image of baptism, huh?

I'm not a huge follower of Christian radio in general. It tends to have plenty of gospel in the music but have a tendency to overcompensate for it by having too much law on the talk. Be that as it may, the other morning I was channel-surfing on the drive to class and happened upon this message on prayer from John MacArthur, pastor at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California.

If you follow the link, you don't have to buy anything, but I encourage you to either listen to the broadcast episode or read the transcript. The gist of his teaching is that when we as God for something, He doesn't just give us the gift, He implants the very giver- His Holy Spirit, into our hearts. This really backs up the idea that when we pray, God changes us. (Which by the way, I'm convinced he does psychologically, chemically and physiologically too -see report on NPR)

Luke 11:11-13 (New International Version)


 11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

MacArthur's lesson really reminded me of a couple of things that I think of as central to my faith walk and among the most important reasons for prayer.

One is that if we want to be more like Jesus, we want His character traits. What are they? Look at the Beatitudes in Matthew 5;  meek, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, pure hearted, peacemakers. Or the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. Or how about 1 Corinthians 13;  not envying, not rude, keeping no record of wrongs servants, Or Philippians 2; humble servants?

The other is that if we want to develop these character traits and become more Christ-like, we need to spend more time with Him.

"Come near to God and he will come near to you." -James 4:8a.

Think of God like tree. Humans exhale carbon dioxide, trees exhale oxygen. We cough our prayers to God and He offers us in return THE "Breathe of Heaven." Mystical? maybe, but it seems to me what this world could use right now (myself included, maybe me especially) is a little less material and a little more mystical.

"And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." ~Micah 6:8.

How do you come to really love mercy so that you are more likely to act justly? How about by walking humbly with God? Spend some time praying and God will spend time infusing you with His Spirit.

JohnnyPoppin' 4; You think you know Him?

³We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. ⁴The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

-1 John 2:3-6

It might be that it took me a long time to write on this passage because it had to incubate. What are His commands? The 10 Commandments? The 613 laws (same # as seeds in a pomegranate) that the Pharisees prescribed for their followers?

It might have took me a long time because I struggle so much with my own walk. I feel inadequate to write with any authority on these verses because I am such a miserable sinner myself.

Bottom line, God doesn't demand nearly that much. I don't think He really demands perfection either. But He does want to complete you. What kind of obedience is He looking for?

Matthew 22:37-39
37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

John 13:34
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Micah 6:8
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

And what does it mean to walk as Jesus did?

Luke 9:23-24
23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.

I recently learned a skill that made walking with Jesus and "as Jesus did" mean a lot more to me. My brother-in-law taught me how to haul corn. Having to drive a tractor up beside a combine and keep pace with it so that it can empty it's tank into the wagon you're pulling isn't very easy at all. Walking with, or how and where Jesus walks isn't always easy either. You have to keep up, but not move ahead. You can't be too close, or too far- other wise you could crash or you could lose corn. You have to be in sync with the driver of the combine. You have to know where he;s going and what his intentions are.

Sound too hard? Not really. The real keys to following along side a combine with a tractor and wagon is practice and experience. Hills, curves and bumps all make it more challenging. The real key to walking with and like Jesus, is to stay in touch with Him. Reading your Bible regularly, rather than leaving it on the shelf helps you stay in tune (like the graphic I used at the top of this post, the Bible is our user's manual, after all). Speaking and listening to Him in prayer helps keep you in tune. Exposing yourself to Bible study, devotions, or good teaching is a good way. Being involved in Christian fellowship is yet another way.

Above all, it's all about love, love for God and love for others. THAT's what Jesus did, what He does, and what He would do. Next time you see of hear about "WWJD." Remember, He loved, He loves, and He'd love. Let God complete His love in you, obey His commands- love Him and love others.

Also, sometimes if you're in park and can't seem to get it back into gear, it helps to pop the clutch.