Pick Up Your Bible

Sitting in my cozy chair by the fireplace, my eyes scan the room around me.  Its full of lovely things that I cherish.  Chubby Bear, my 3 yr old lab cuddles at my feet, an 80yr old Kawaii upright that suffers through my unmelodious practice sessions, a snake plant that has quickly outgrown its beginner’s pot, and four beautifully crafted photo frames that carry the pictures of the most beloved people in my life. It crosses my mind that I could change some of these things – someday I’d like to paint my piano blue, as beautiful as these picture frames are, I could create my own with a personal touch and I must get to HomeDepot to get a bigger planter. But how I marvel at and oh so love the things that God spoke into existence and that I cannot change or create on my own – my cross-eyed puppy, the stiff-leaved snake plant, and each person whose image is held by those picture frames.

You see me setting the scene to make a point, don’t you? Well, you’re not wrong. It should be distinctly clear to us what humans create and define and what God spoke into existence – the sun, the stars, every living thing, the mighty mountains, and the vast oceans all came to be just by the power of His word. You know what else was spoken into existence by God himself? Marriage. The Bible reads: “Then the Lord said. “It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helper fit for him…So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man…Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife and they shall become one flesh.” Gen 2 v 18-24

Every other relationship, though still ordained by God, transpired over time – children were born, siblings came about, friendships and neighborly relations developed, so on and so forth.  Our world is filled with all sorts of relationships.  Yet marriage is so exclusive in that God created it, defined it, and set purpose to it from the very beginning. And this is good news! We can count on marriage enduring when lived out within the parameters and purposes set by the One who created it.

So, why did God create marriage? I believe the purpose is laid out clearly in the Word.

1. For Companionship – The Lord said that it is not good for man to be alone (“It is not good that the man should be alone” – Gen2 v 18).

2. To help to the other – We are assigned the specific task of helping the other (“I will create a helper fit for him”- Gen 2 v 18).

3. To form a distinct familial unit under the authority of God (“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother” – Gen 2 v 24)

4. Establish a monogamous, intimate relationship (… “and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh”. – Gen 2 v 24)

5. To procreate – (Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth Gen 1 v 28).

6. To be the human personification of the relationship between Christ and the church. (“This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church – Ephesians 5 v 32)

No matter where you are in your marriage journey – searching for the one, newly married, or married 10, 20, or 70 years- there is a desperate need for us to return to these basics. Our issues either with the idea of marriage or in our personal marriages can be linked to our deviation from what God has established it to be.

One thing that becomes clear is that for a marriage to be God honoring, He must be holding it together.  Marriage is hard. It is very broken humans role-playing in a spiritually profound mystery. We cannot do it well on our own. Surrender your brokenness, inabilities, and weaknesses to the Holy Spirit and He will help you! We need to be reminded that marriage is created, established, sustained, and purposed by God. And for this very reason, marriage is a extremely serious, consequential, and joy-filled matter.

To think that of the billions of people on earth, you zone in on one and decide that you are going to spend your entire lives committed to them. Even as I write this, I am so acutely aware of how uncharacteristic and lofty a goal this is for the very self-centered and broken people that we are. But because we are created in His image, His will takes the form of instinct for even the ungodly. And we get to step into this profound creation. Truly there are no other earthly relationships as wonderous and spectacular as marriage simply because of its supernatural mystery.

So, next time you look at your spouse, I hope you are in awe and wonder of how amazing it is that you love them and they love you and how good our God is, who proclaims that what He has put together let no man put asunder. (Matthew 19 v 6)

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let you light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”. Matthew 5 v 14-16

These days on PUYB we are talking relationships. Today we are sharing some Biblical wisdom for our relationships at work and at school. We spend at least 8 hours of every single work day among our co-workers and/or classmates. This adds up to approximately 160 hours a month and about 2000 hours every year. I did all that math for you to realize that if you work outside your home or you’re a student, you spend most of your waking hours with your co-workers or classmates.

Yet we constantly overlook our co-workers and our classmates. It seems that we consider these relationships the least of all. We spend at least 40 hours a week with the same people and don’t take the time to connect with them yet we’ll spend hours organizing the weekend distribution of gospel tracts to total strangers cause we all know that they need Jesus. Could this be evidence of the hypocrisy that we Christians are so often accused of?

Our offices, factories, breakrooms and classrooms are the mission field that God sends us to on a daily basis because they are filled with people who need to know Him and His saving grace. One of my best friends, recently shared with me that her co-worker is in his final days of battling pancreatic cancer. She’s been sharing her faith with Him for a long time before he was diagnosed and so it wasn’t awkward for her to run to his side, as she indeed did, to sit down and pray with him and his wife in their hour of despair. God could use her to reach her co-worker because she was and continues to be intentional about loving and caring for those around her! God expects you to be His hands and feet at your workplace and in your classroom. If He cannot depend on you to shine your light on the person in the next cubicle how can He use you to reach the ends of the earth? Jesus says that you are the light of the world, and that people around you should see you and your life and give glory to your Father in heaven. That’s a pretty high calling and we can respond because of the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

So, what are some ways we can be a light to our co-workers and classmates? The first thought going through many of your heads might be things like “We’re not allowed to speak of our faith at work or in the classroom?” or  “I work for a Christian organization, most of my co-workers are Christian. What can I say to them that they don’t already know”? Isn’t it interesting that Jesus doesn’t say “let them hear of your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. He says “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”. It’s your life not your speech that matters here.

It seems to me that there are three consecutive steps occurring in that statement –

1. Let your light shine
2. Do good works
3. They (as in your coworkers or classmates) give glory to God

So, what does it mean to let your light shine? Maybe a secondary question would clarify this. What do the people who are in darkness need to see in you? Jesus. Jesus is the light that we as believers have and that we need to let shine through us. Are your co-workers or classmates seeing Jesus in you? This is not a rhetorical question. Take a moment to answer it.  Do you live peaceably with all (Romans 12 v 18) or are you forming cliques and excluding certain people? Do you count them more important than yourself (Philippians 2 v 3) or are you busy trying to stand out and above? Are you building others up in grace (Ephesians 4 v 29) or are you using your lips for gossip and slander? Be gracious, forbearing, and kind. Do not judge. Be a peacemaker. Think about it. Do your co-workers and classmates see and experience Jesus in you?

The second step is the good works that our coworkers or classmates should be seeing us do. So, what do we do at work that is being witnessed by others? The Bible says we must do our best work with a sincere heart, be that in school or our workplace, as if we are working for the Lord and not for men (Colossians 3 v 23). They should see our diligence that the Lord meets with rich supply (Proverbs 13 v4). Mind your business, and work hard so that you can walk with your head held high (1Thessalonians 4v12). Be modest in your dressing, your attitude, and your choices (Galatians 5 v 16,17). People find it hard to ignore someone they consider worthy of respect.

And when they look at one such as this, the third action follows. They will give glory to your God in heaven. This third action item is not yours to worry about. When you do the first two faithfully, God will work the third in the heart of your co-workers and classmates.

No person that interacts with a believer, especially on a daily basis, should continue on without an encounter with the one, true, and living God. Our classmates and coworkers even more so. Surrender these relationships to God. Pray for wisdom. Ask God for opportunities to share the gospel and pray with your co-workers. He will lead, guide and empower you to be the city on a hill for all to see and glorify Him.

In our PUYB series on relationships, so far we’ve talked about familial relationships as that between child and parent, and that of siblings. This week, we step outside the family and into the world of friendship.

We are created in the image of our triune God and therefore thrive in community. We live our most fruitful life in relationships. We must all have friends to do this life with – to give to and to receive from. God has intentionally chosen and established people in your life – your parents and your siblings; but saw it fit that you be responsible to pick out your friends. Have you heard the saying “Friends are family we chose for ourselves”? There is truth to that after all. But we needn’t struggle through this responsibility and make countless mistakes as we try to find good friends. Through the Bible, God guides us in wisdom on how to choose, protect and celebrate our friendships and I encourage you to be so intentional to accrue this wisdom for each of these three phases. 

When it comes to choosing friends, make use of the guidance in Proverbs 13 v 20 that says – “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm”. In Proverbs 12 v 26, we are reminded that –  we must choose our friends carefully, because in the presence of the ungodly we are led astray.

As we form relationships we must care for these friends. Friendships, as beautiful  as they are, are also very delicate and are not guaranteed to last. For example, sibling relationship could probably survive a bout of jealousy but it would kill a friendship. A parent-child relationship could possibly survive a lack of respect but a friendship would wither away in its absence. The truth is that friendships lack the robustness and the guarantees that accompany the tested familial bonds and must therefore be delicately cared for by intentional choices of love, care, and forgiveness. The Bible tells us to encourage each other and build each other up (1 Thessalonians 5v11), to bear each other and forgive one another (Colossians 3 v 13), and to be devoted to one another in love (Romans 12 v 10).

Now, some of us can fall into the trap of glorifying friendship to the extent that it becomes an idol. As followers of Christ, we find many beautiful things in friendship, but our security and identity should not be among them. Being demanding and needy in our friendships is a sure sign that we are going down this path.  All our friendships should be consistently leading us to see Christ more clearly and to seek Him out more diligently.

Within friendships we daily practice the fruit of the Spirit and we are being molded into the image of Christ. As iron sharpens iron, one sharpens the other (Proverbs 27v17) and we stir up each other to love and good works. We exhort and encourage each other (Hebrews 10 v 24, Hebrews 3 v 13). And as we celebrate each other (Romans 12 v 15) we also help the other stand firm till the end (Matthew 24 v 13).

Let the Word of God be a beautiful and useful resource to you in your friendships and may you grow closer to the very best friend whose love was so great that He laid down His life for you. What a friend we have in Jesus!!!

If the Lord of the universe were to ask you where you brother or sister were,  how would you answer? What do you think you’d tell Him other than what He already knows? When we read the story of Cain and Abel, it’s clear God is not asking Cain for Abel’s literal whereabouts, but to give an account of his action and attitude toward his brother. Ultimately, we will all have to give an answer to this question because the word of God says in James 5:9 “Don’t grumble, brothers, against one another, so that you won’t be judged”.

In Matthew, Jesus summarizes the law into two commandments – “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. In this series on PUYB, we are exploring this second commandment, that refers to the horizontal relationships we have in our lives. Last week we talked about how God gave us parents to train us on how to be submissive and obedient to authority – a practice ground for the vertical relationship we have with God. This week, we are talking about sibling relationships. How we learn to deal with siblings will equip us to deal other future horizontal relationships.

When you think of it, the first time we experience things like camaraderie, kindness, consideration, compassion, jealousy, anger, competitiveness, and a myriad of emotions, even hate, is within the security of our sibling relationships. Cain and Abel, the very first set of siblings, were no exception. We read in the Book of Genesis that Cain and Abel came before God with the fruit of their labor. Being a farmer, Cain “brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground”. Abel, a keeper of sheep, the Bible says, “brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions”.  God favors Abel’s honorable sacrifice and has no regard for Cain’s. Instead of rectifying his mistake of irreverent worship and careless attitude in his sacrifice to God, Cain is consumed with anger and jealousy. God in his grace, reminds Cain to watch out for the sin that is brimming in his heart against his brother, warning him that it will rule over him if he doesn’t rule over it. We know how this story ends. Cain didn’t heed to the word of God and ended up murdering his brother.

It’s easy for us to brush away the lesson in this story. After all not many of us have harbored murderous thoughts toward our siblings. I sure hope not. But all sibling relationships that God highlights in the Bible like Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, Joseph, and his brothers, and countless more, give us insight into how to use wisdom in our own sibling relationships. The word of God is clearly telling us that it matters – not just because our family is explicitly chosen for us by our very intentional God and we must therefore cherish each one; but also because our very character is refined in the fires of sibling relationships as we seek the wisdom in the Word of God to deal with the variety of emotions and feelings that arise between siblings.

Those of us who are parents to young siblings must patiently train our children to treat each other with love, kindness, forgiveness, and all other godly characteristics. Older children should learn to value their role as older siblings and see and practice the responsibility that lies in it. Part of this responsibility is showing compassion, kindness, and mercy to younger siblings. Parents have a role in training older siblings to act with such character. Esau for a lack of understanding of the value of being the first-born gave his birthright away. Joseph’s brothers, for a lack of compassion, dealt more than harshly with him. On the same token, younger siblings should be trained to respect and consider their older siblings’ example and respond to them in love and humility. Talk with children about feelings of anger, jealousy and even hatred toward their siblings. When you do this with your child, you as a parent can lead them to the Bible and to train them to rule over their hearts as God advised Cain. I am currently in this phase of parenting and can confidently say that this is no easy task. But, as parents we persevere in the wisdom of Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it”.

 As we grow older, let us take the responsibility for ourselves and seriously consider the role we play in our siblings’ lives. We have these God given relationships that we should cherish and protect. Check in with your siblings – not just superficially. As much as it’s up to you try to know the details of their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Pray with them and for them. Encourage each other to persevere in marriage, friendship, parenting and above all, faith. And when God asks you, as He did Cain, for an account of your actions toward your sibling, you will have an answer that pleases your Father in heaven.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise), that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Ephesians 6 v 1-3

It’s always intrigued me that there is no other species that has such an extended period of training under parents as humans do . But it doesn’t surprise me. As I often say, God is so intentional, in all things. It’s not just about having parents to take care of our physical and emotional needs. Parents are authority figures ordained to train us in the ways of the Lord. And as we read in the verses above, children are called to be obedient as well as honor their parents. Here, I’d like to address a few points that often come up with this topic.

1. Are their eligibility criteria for parents that are to be obeyed and honored?

Now, I realize that there is no way to know each personal family situation. However, I propose that unless personal safety is at stake or obedience to parents would mean disobedience to God, these commandments are uncompromising. There is a biblical mandate to obey parents despite their spiritual maturity, brokenness, and even sin. Remember that God put this commandment in place after the fall, which means it was given despite the fallen nature of our parents. We have come to believe, especially the older we get, that we are not required to obey our parents if we disagree with them, especially if we have the support of other spiritual friends or other Christian elders in our lives. The truth is no other person has been given the authority in your life as your parents. And despite their unreasonableness, the cultural gap, maturity you are required to live in obedience to them

2. Can I be a God honoring Christian if I do not get along with my parents?

Our ability to submit to the authority and disciplining of our parents is strong evidence of the quality of our submission to God. Those of us who struggle to obey and honor our parents will also wrestle with submission to the authority of God. The only exception to this commandment is when the parents’ instruction is in direct violation to God. For example, you are being required to bow down before other gods, or you are being asked to marry an unbeliever while you are a believer.

3. Do I ever outgrow the commandment to obey my parents?

I know almost everyone will have beef with me over my understanding of this. The popular view is that once you are out of the house, independent, and earning your own means, you are no longer required to obey your parents but rather honor them. I will be honest and say that I do not see this idea supported anywhere in the Bible. The one area where I believe the dynamics of obedience to parents shift is with the establishing of a new family unit. But till then I believe that as young people we are called to obey and as we get older we are also called to honor. It is a compounding experience as opposed to a retracting one. (Some verses from the Bible that led me to this understanding is Deuteronomy 21- 18-21, 1 Samuel 2 v 12-36, 2 Samuel 13, 1 Kings 1). Please know that I understand how nonsensical it sounds to this world to ask an adult to live in obedience to their parents. Let me remind you that it is God who requires this of us. Not me. I am simply trying to understand this commandment/promise for myself and encourage others to figure out how to live it out.

It takes a lot of humility to submit to anyone. The beautiful truth about the relationship between parent and child is that there is the protection and promise of God. God promises to honor your obedience to this commandment with a blessed life. And you know you can bank on His word.

“Blesse are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied” Matt 5 v 6

When Jesus was speaking these words to his disciples He was talking to those who understood the true experiences of hunger and thirst. This reference and the intensity of this desperation that first century Jews were all to familiar with is perhaps lost on us. The disciples indeed understood what Jesus meant by seeking Him out like one whose life depended on it. Jesus was establishing from the beginning of their relationship that this was what it took to be His disciple.

Needless to say, though we may not be able to relate to the analogy being made here, we must not let our understanding fall short. The lesson still stands. Just like the one who hungers is not satisfied by anything but food and the one who thirsts is not satisfied by anything but water, the disciple of Christ should have such a longing for Him that it is satisfied by nothing but the true experience of Christ.

He promises to reveal himself to the satisfaction of those who seek Him. There is an inference we can make here and with any of the promises in the beatitudes for that matter – If we are not fully satisfied in Christ, is it perhaps evidence of lacking in the seeking rather than in His revealing?

This season, let’s do some soul searching that leads us to a keen awareness of our need for Christ’s righteousness and saving grace. Let’s seek it with the desperation and authenticity that Jesus refers to in this verse. Christ promises we will be satisfied in the fullness of Him.

” Blessed are the meek, for shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5v 5

This is quite a well known verse and often quoted and misquoted for various purposes.

It is important that as we read this with a right understanding of the word ‘meek’. Meek does not mean weak. It does not mean deficient in courage. It does not mean lacking confidence. It does not mean the absence of power. As a matter a fact, in biblical terms, one could be meek and strong, meek and mighty, meek and confident, and meek and powerful. If anyone, Jesus could pull the “Do you know who I am?” card. But it wasn’t in his character to and it didn’t serve His purpose or the will of the Father. Jesus is our example to what being meek really means – to have a right understanding of who you are and the purpose you serve.

The meek one surrenders his strengths and powers to the control of God. It is not just about being humble but being humble in Christ. When our earthly strength or lack thereof is safely nestled in the power of our Father, when our wealth or poverty is humbly surrendered to the abundance of our Lord, and when our confidence and character is well built around our perfect Savior, we will remain meek and qualify to be co-heirs with Christ.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5 v 4

The Beatitudes is a fascinating piece of Biblical text. In it we see Jesus call a people blessed whom when we look at are anything but. This particular beatitude is no exception. It addresses those who mourn, specifically those who mourn over their sinfulness.

Jesus reminds his disciples that the kingdom of heaven is not like the kingdoms of earth. What we call blessed on earth are things that bring us happiness – health, wealth, success, self-reliance, independence, marital bliss,…the list goes on. We know these things; we long for these things. These are not what Jesus calls blessed. In this intimate conversation He has with his disciples, Jesus reveals to them the blessed in the Kingdom of Heaven as

• the poor in spirit
• the one who mourns
• the meek
• the one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness
• the merciful
• the pure in heart
• the peacemakers
• the ones persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

As his disciples draw closer to Him, they will realize how unlike Jesus they are. We all will. When we realize how sinful we are, we realize how undeserving of His love we are. Jesus promises that in this revelation of one’s sinful state and their deep grief over it, the disciple will experience the loving comfort of God.

What does this comfort look like?

First and foremost, God sent Jesus, the one who knew no sin, bore our sin, that in Him we might be righteous before God (2 Corinthians 5 v 21). He also promises that those who believe in Jesus, and are redeemed through Him are no longer condemned (Romans 8 v 1).

Our realization and grief over our sin, needn’t drive us to caves in mountains to live out the rest of our lives in penitential isolation. In the Kingdom of God the one who mourns over his sin is welcomed to comes and exchange this grief for the comfort we have in Christ, our messiah. We are no longer defined by our sin but the righteousness we have in Christ.

Amen.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5 v 3

The Beatitudes is a series of eight blessings that forms the introduction of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’ which was Jesus’ very first detailed teaching for his disciples, (at least that we are privy to). The term “Beatitude”, derived from the Latin word ‘beatus’, means “Blessing”.

The Beatitudes reflect the true gospel of the kingdom of heaven, which is contradictory to the general idea people have of success, religiosity, and prosperity. Jesus starts with addressing the spiritual condition of man – “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5 v 3

What does ‘poor in spirit’ mean? When reading the Bible we can misread terms, phrases and ideas that are not commonly used in current day culture. It’s worth the extra moments of studying it, to understand the Scriptures as its intended. Poor in spirit does not only mean being humble, it does not necessarily mean being impoverished, and it definitely does not mean a false sense of being inferior. In Biblical use, the term ‘poor’ is often used to define both a spiritual and physical need that is dealt with in the presence of God. In this context Jesus refers to the person who is aware of their wretched state of sin and their desperate need for a Savior.

This gospel that Jesus brings to humanity, the blessings that pour out from the kingdom of heaven, is indeed for the one who knows the true state of his or her soul. It seems that with this statement Jesus is making an exclusivity claim – The kingdom of heaven is intended for such a person and is only given to such a person. But beyond this it is also His promise – when a person realizes their need for God, He does not intend to hold Himself back. He is found by all who genuinely seek (Matthew 7v7).

Holy Spirit, help each one of us remain constantly aware of our lacking being that is filled only in Jesus.

It is my desire this year to read and study the New Testament of the Bible. Just a few pages in to the NT, the Bible reader encounters an early introduction to the teachings of Jesus and a brief idea of what the rest on the New Testament teachings are about. It starts with His intimate, private instruction to his first disciples, what we know as the “The Beatitudes”. But the crowds gather as Jesus continues to reveal God’s heart regarding our attitudes, sin, and our daily life decisions and actions. These teachings are referred to as the Sermon on the Mount.

Over the next few posts on PUYB I plan to share what I learn in my study of the Beatitudes as listed in Matthew 5. The Beatitudes

• are a list of 8 blessings, as proclaimed by Jesus that have an “already-here-but-not-yet” fulfilment in the life of a believer and an invitation to those who do not believe to live such a life.
• are a series of sentences that follow a similar literary pattern of “blessed are….,for theirs/they…”.
• can be easily misunderstood – They are not instructions to forgo what you have and and become something less, rather a call to realize who we truly are and to live in the truth as God says it.

I’m excited to share what I learn with you and hope you will read and study Matthew 5 along with me.