Are You Saved by Faith or Faithfulness?

I thought we would have a little more fun with words today. This one is foundational to our very existence as followers of God. The Greek word is  πίστις pronounced pistis. . Biblical scholars such as Strong, Mounce, and Wuest, to name a few, understand the word to mean: faith, assurance, believe, belief, trust, faithful, fidelity or faithfulness. It is most often translated with the English word "faith". The question for today is, "Why?" out of at least eight options that could all be accurate why is the word "faith" the most common choice? Is it because of the context of the text or the culture of the translator?

  

Webster defines faith with these possibilities.1,fidelity, allegiance to duty or a person. 2 : belief and trust in and loyalty to God or belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion 3: firm belief in something for which there is no proof. One of Strong's definitions includes, "reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, believing in such profession". Got questions.org, an evangelical Christian web site gives this addition, "Simply put, the biblical definition of faith is “trusting in something you cannot explicitly prove.” One also described faith as a nebulous trust based on a belief that something is true. The truth is, that for many of us, faith is a personal thing that is pretty hard to explain. Perhaps the reason is that we are of a western culture that flows from Greek thought. For the Greeks Life is founded in what you think. Thus faith is a sort of thing we think about and come to a cognitive rationale for what we believe and trust in. That being the case, our little word, pistis, and its derivatives are most frequently translated, "faith". A sort vague trust in the unknowable. Belief in something that is really just beyond our understanding. We may sense His presence and learn about Him but God is still a bit out of our total understanding. So we must have faith.

Even though there is an element of truth here, there is a more satisfying answer if we place things in a more Hebraic context. In Hebrew life is more about what you do rather than what you think. God has revealed Himself in His Word and given instruction and direction as to how best to live. Those who accept this, who believe, respond to the revelation God has given. It becomes less about "faith" and more about "faithfulness", which is one of the acceptable ways to translate pistis. What impact does this have? Let us consider a few passages to see what I mean. 

Luke 18:8, “I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" This translation asks the question will the Son of Man find those who believe, have made a mental decision that what was told them is true. Will there be any who believe, who think this way when the Lord return. Now the other translation of pistis. "I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faithfulness or faithful ones on the earth?" The noun pistis is now a person instead of a thing. It is personal and we are required to behave in a way that is in obedience to the Lord. It is no longer a concern about what we think but what we do that matters.

Hebrews 11:1 has long been the evangelicals go to verse to define faith, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." The substance of faith is a hope we have and faith is also evidence of something unseen. It makes this thing called faith pretty intangible and entirely personal. Faith is what I want it to be and what I think it should be. However, if piatis is translated faithfulness, now what I do is the substance of what I hope for, and what I do is the evidence of the unseen that I hold to be true. Those around me know what I believe and why I have this hope based on what I do, not just what I tell them I think is true. The writer of Hebrews then gives examples of faithfulness. Noah showed what he believed as he faithfully built the ark. Abraham put his believe on display by leaving his home, Sarah believed God, the Faithful One, and was given strength to deliver the promised child. Abraham gives evidence of His belief as he faithfully takes Isaac to the mount. Moses's parents believed, the evidence is how they faithfully hid Moses.

We know that Messiah, Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15).  That being true perhaps the writer to the Hebrews is saying, "But without faithfulness it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him," Hebrews 11:6 (emphasis mine).  A diligent seeker is doing something, not just thinking something. The Lord is a rewarder of those who walk in obedience. The other examples in Hebrews 11 are great examples of those who were faithful. We know they believed and trusted God by what they did, not just by what they thought. The substance of what they hoped for and the evidence that they believed is clear by their faithfulness to the one who called them.

There are other thing to consider, but we will save those for next week. Today's question is, "How about you and me?" Does the faithfulness of our lives give evidence of what we say we believe? If not, does what we say we think about God and His promises really matter?

   



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Can a Good God Be Involved With Evil?

How well do you have God contained? I think we all have some sort of God box. We place parameters as to how we know God is to behave. We have a firm grasp on His holiness and goodness as well as those "omni's" that make Him uniquely God. That is all fine and good until we bump into those uncomfortable scriptures that indicate God has a usefulness for evil and deception, and even satanic brutality in the lives of those who believe. We may think, "I must be reading the text incorrectly or maybe it is clearer in the Hebrew or Greek. How can it possibly be that God can be the one who orchestrates evil oppression?" We know God is good so there must be some explanation to our confusion. However, if we are honest, there are a number of Scriptures that certainly seem to indicate that our good God uses what we see as evil as one of His tools.

Perhaps the best known example is that of Job. That rather long poem just before Psalms. In brief, we are told of Job, "that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1). No indication of pride or hidden sins. Just a really good guy. One day the "sons of God" came to God to give a report and Satan was among them. Satan, accuser of the brethren, does his accusation thing and God points out that Job is not like that. God, the LORD, Yahweh, gives Satan permission to trash Job's life. Kills Job's kids, takes his flocks and herds, burns his home, and covers Job with putrid sores. So how does a good God allow that? Job is blameless and upright. How does this square with David's Psalm, " I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread" (Psalm 37:25). Job looks pretty forsaken to me. If you know the story, Job gets vindicated and his critical friends get put in their place. Job gets all his stuff back and more children. However, we are left with the feeling that Job was an object lesson to prove to Satan that someone loved and trusted God in spite of adversity. It is a comfort for us when adversity strikes, however, it may leave a lingering question as to how a good God allows such an evil one. I think we can all agree that Satan is evil to pummel Job for no apparent earthly reason. That there may be some bigger heavenly answer does not change the anguish and loss Job feels.

For me, a more troubling passage is found in 1 Samuel 16:14, "But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing [evil] spirit from the LORD troubled him." The Hebrew word is, רַע, meaning, translate as evil or wicked over five hundred time in the Old Testament. God took away His good Spirit and sent an evil spirit to terrify Saul. David was brought in to play soothing music to calm Saul. "And so it was, whenever the [evil] spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the evil spirit would depart from him" (1 Samuel 16:23). God sent an evil spirit over and over again to oppress Saul. No barter with Satan here. No, "Hey, it all works out for Saul in the end, so it's okay". What we clearly read is God sent an evil spirit to terrify Saul due to Saul's disobedience. Not a lot of comfort in this account. And it does leave us with the question, "How does a good and Holy God use an evil spirit to terrify one of His children."


The account we find in 1 Kings 22 is not much better. Here King Ahab and King Jehoshaphat are considering going to war with Syria. Jehoshaphat is looking for spiritual counsel before going into battle. Ahab calls in four hundred prophets who all affirm that Syria will be defeated. Jehoshaphat asks for one more prophet from the Lord so they send for Micaiah. Micaiah shares a vision that he has received from the Lord. "I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by, on His right hand and on His left. And the LORD said, ‘Who will persuade Ahab to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will persuade him.’The LORD said to him, ‘In what way?’ So he said, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the LORD said, ‘You shall persuade him, and also prevail. Go out and do so. 'Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these prophets of yours" (1 Kings 22:19-23). The text definitively says that the LORD, YAHWEH, put a lying, a deceiving, spirit in the mouths of four hundred prophets so that Ahab would confidently go into battle and be killed. Our holy and righteous God will bring just judgement upon the wicked Ahab through the use of a lying and deceiving spirit.

One last example from the New Testament. In this story the Apostle Paul, God's choice servant, pleads with the Lord to remove a distracting and painful "thorn" of some kind from his life. 2 Corinthians 12:7, "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure." A thorn given by God, a messenger or angel of Satan sent to buffet Paul. The word buffet means to strike with the fist, give one a blow with the fist, to maltreat, or treat with violence. It is a brutal word. No simple pat or poke, this was an intense affliction. It was sent by God by way of Satan and the Lord refused to alleviate the pain, whatever it might have been. Paul does tell us that it was to keep him humble and dependent, however, the indication is that the Lord used evil Satan to send an evil angel to "buffet" Paul. 

So, how comfortable are you with these passages? They are only a sample of what we find in God's Word. It does appear that a good God uses evil spirits and Satan-directed attacks against His own children. How can a good, holy, just, loving, kind, tenderhearted being do such things? Maybe the real issue is our God box. Maybe the God we have fashioned to fit comfortably in our box doesn't fit. Maybe our God is too small or too predictable. Maybe we impose our ideas of good and right on a God who is not so safe after all. Maybe, just maybe, He is simply more awesome in ways that press our sensibilities. Sometimes, we may just need to admit He is beyond what we thought we understood. Sometimes we just need to know that He is God and we are not and be comfortable with that.    

 

Myopic Praise

"For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods" (1 Chronicles 16:25). Praise may well be the life blood for those who believe in the Lord and trust in Messiah. It is a remarkable way to pull our attention off of ourselves and focus on the very God of creation.  As believers we are often welcomed into a worship service with a set of Worship Songs or Praise Music. I, for one, have a pretty diverse appreciation for the gift of music. I can tap my foot to contemporary compositions or bask in quiet appreciation for the subtle complexity of "Rhapsody in Blue". Drum and Bugle Corps impress me with their sound and precision. While classical music can stir my soul. God has truly blessed us with an amazing variety of music. From Blues to Beethoven, Jazz to Gregorian Chants, Rock to string quartets and don't forget those acapella groups. Harmonies that lift our hearts to another realm.

Over these past few months I have had the opportunity to begin some renovations on our "fixer upper" that the Lord allowed us to purchase last year. Spending most of the time there by myself, I have enjoyed the company of a local Christian radio station. What I have noticed is the consistent focus of the contemporary music they play. I do want it understood that I am not complaining, judging, finding fault or intending to be critical. As I said, I appreciate a broad range of musical talent and expression. However, I have found the music to be remarkably myopic. It is focused upon "me". There are songs of adoration and simple praise and most get to that, however, it seems that God is praised because of what He has done, will do or is doing for the singer. Not much in the way of just praising God for who He is. There are exceptions, but they are the exceptions. I checked out the top Christian Songs for 2017 on line and these titles were among the top ten: "Even If", "I Have This Hope", "Home", "Unfinished", "I Wanna Go Back", "The Cure", "Fearless",.The number one song was "What a Beautiful Name" by Hillsong United, which is pretty much a song of praise. The others have a pretty strong message of what God can or will do for me. I do know there are different lists and they change all the time. My point here is that we are producing a great deal of music that is focused on what God does rather that just on God Himself.

Admittedly, David has lots of Psalms that speak of his journey, failures, pleas for help and feelings of abandonment. However, there are also lots of songs that just praise God for who He Is. A favorite of mine in Psalm 19. I relate to it every time I look up. The heavens really do proclaim the glory of God. One of my most powerful moments in worship was being on the Washington Mall years ago with two million other men singing, "How Great Thou Art". That time of combined voices in praise burned a lasting impression into my soul. Some of the older hymns do that for me.

We all have lives filled with stress, opportunities for anxiety, family and friends with cancer or some other life threatening illness. We have jobs, family responsibilities, bills, repairs, and the wounds that come from caring and betrayal. It can be a challenge to find time to be in God's Word and to pray. Our prayer lists just grow with the needs of others and the needs we carry ourselves. It seems almost unreasonable to "Be still and know that He is God". We relate to the contemporary songs that speak of loneliness and wondering where the Lord is in all of this.  Add to this all the turmoil of the world and we can feel those moments of desperation and confusion. We know He is there and we know we can trust Him, yet finding the words to just give Him praise and thanksgiving can escape us.

Perhaps this is a result of our western culture. To be self-focused. To see ourselves as individuals. Aware of our personal needs and personal relationships. We are centered on a personal salvation and a personal relationship with God. David saw things differently. He did indeed have his Psalms of personal needs, but take a look and see how many include the nation, the people, and Israel as God's chosen ones. Biblical prayer, praise, and petition is more often communal that not. It is about the nation's failures and sins. "We have sinned" is more common that "I have sinned". Praise also centered in the community far beyond the Holy Days. Maybe we feel alone because we isolate ourselves so well.

It is possible that I am just being a bit picky. Songs that seems self-focused are still songs intended to honor our God and Savior. They do serve a purpose and bring encouragement to our hearts. They can relieve that feeling of isolation. They are good for what they are and I do not suggest we toss them away or even stop writing them. But, perhaps a few more songs about just praising God because He is would be worthwhile. God does so much for us and provides so much for us that it is easy to see that aspect of who He is. Our redeemer, protector, provider, deliverer, friend, and confidant and so much more.

We were challenged once, as a student body at Capital Bible Seminary, to take our forty minute chapel time, find a place of solitude, and come to God with thanksgiving and adoration. However, we were not supposed to ask for anything. Not for ourselves, our families, our ministries, or friends. Just spend forty minutes in simple thanksgiving, praise, and adoration to the God who is worthy. It was way harder that you might imagine. Our self-focused lives and tendency to come to God with a list of requests makes extended time in communion with God without it most difficult.

That is my challenge to you. Start small. Let's say Twelve minutes. God seems to like the number twelve. Find a quiet place to come to Almighty God with adoration and no requests.If you find twelve too challenging, God seems to like seven and three as well. In time, perhaps we can work up to that forty number and learn to bask in His glory with nothing to ask but much to adore.

Church or No Church, That Is the Question

Have you ever wondered where words come from or how they came about? We pretty much take them all for granted. However, when you consider how many there actually are and the new ones being invented (Googling, and texting have not always been with us), it is a pretty amazing thing. Then compound that with the plethora of languages and dialects, the billions of words bouncing around is beyond amazing. In one way or another they are used to communicate things from one person, group, or generation to another. Words are pretty much my life. I teach with them, offer counsel, encouragement, and I also write them in a number of different forms. I also read them, lots of them. Every day of my life in filled with words. I sometimes even sing them in my car when the windows are rolled up. Words have been around for a long time and some have even changed a bit over the years. I like words. In my study I like finding out where they came from and what they meant at the time and in the culture they were spoken. There is likely a bit of archeologist and anthropologist woven into my DNA.

As the years have gone by I have noticed that some folks like to use long or complicated words. If you go to seminary you no longer talk about sin but rather hamartiology. Study of the Spirit is pneumatology. It does not make the study any clearer but it does sound impressive. Did you know there are common words we read in Scripture that we simply accept, which are not the words that the text holds. Translators add and delete words as they attempt to make their translations more clear or more acceptable. There are words the translators use or avoid using due to political pressure and fall-out. They may even conceal the original intent due to bias or subtle prejudice. For example, many of the names in the New Testament are Jewish. However, at the time of King James, there was a bias against the Jews, so we have James instead of Jacob, Simon instead of Simeon, and Mary instead of Miriam. We also have the word "baptize" which is a transliteration of the Greek baptismos. The simple translation is to immerse, dunk and is used of washing in Hebrews 9:10. However, as the king of England was an Anglican who believed in infant sprinkling.  The Anabaptists, who taught immersion for believers, were a group in disfavor at the time. Thus, the translators chose to make the Greek sound English rather than talk about immersing people or John the Immerser. Neither would have been appreciated by King James. It was not wise to irritate the king so they invented an acceptable word.

The word of interest for today is the very common word "church". It replaces the Greek word ekklesia, meaning "assembly". In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, ekklesia is used to translate the Hebrew word for assembly every time. But not so in the English translation of the new Testament. Here, ekklesia, magically turns into the word "Church" whenever it refers to an assembly of Messianic believers. Assembly is used whenever ekklesia refers to a political group or gathering of people (See Acts 19:32 and Acts 23:7). So why this new word "Church" to refer to the Messianic assembly? Where did it come from? The best guess and most closely related words from the time the Scriptures were translated in 1611seems to be chirche, circe,or kirk. They are Middle English or Celtic words for a circle where people gathered for some kind of worship. The Stonehenge is the remains of one example. It was originally a place of pagan worship but grew into a general term for a religious gathering. The Greek word kuriakon, meaning "of the Lord" is used twice in scripture: 1 Cor 11:20 The “ Lord’s, kuriakon, supper;” and Rev 1:10, the “ Lord’s, kuriakon" day.” or "Day of the Lord". Some attempt to find the word "church" here, however, I believe that is a stretch in an attempt to find a Biblical word to justify a translation that never occurs anywhere in Scripture. Assembly is the normal, reasonable, and accurate translation of the word ekklesia. 

This being so, why the odd use of "church" in our English translations? And, at this point, does it really matter? We all know what the church is. Well, actually, it is seen now more as a building than an assembly. We go to church, we build a church, and we meet at the church rather than being the church. Only a relative few would think of this as a gathering of Messianic followers. Followers of Jesus or Christ, perhaps, but not the Jewish Messiah. Setting that aside, the word church is now fully accepted and has come to be defined as a place where Christians gather. So when we read the New Testament we understand these are groups of Christian believers. The people who gathered at that time would never have thought that, but that is beside the point. My concern is that there has been, and continues to be a great divide between Judaism and what has become the church. The early assembly of believers were made up of Jews and Gentiles meeting at the Synagogues and in homes learning about the Scriptures (read Old Testament here, it was all they had) and how to follow the Jewish Messiah. We do not need to return to the Synagogues (though an occasional visit might be worthwhile). However, we should not forget our Jewish roots.

Whether or not we want to believe it, the "church" has been quietly guilty of a form of antisemitism in our translations. From removing Jewish names to borrowing words from pagan meetings, English translators have tried to deny and hide the Jewish reality of the New Testament times. Find this hard to believe? Look up James 2:2. Here the translators are more than willing to use the word assembly or meeting, "For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings" (KJV, NKJV, NASB, ESV, and RSV),   "Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes" (NIV). The word translated "assembly" or "meeting" is  synagōgē, synagogue. The word synagōgē, is translated as synagogue everywhere else in the New Testament, but not here. Why? Because we know that James is writing to the church and we know they would not be at the synagogue. However, in truth, Jacob did write to the assembly of Messianic followers meeting at the synagogue. The translators, and many who say they follow Jesus, find this so hard to believe they simply hide from or ignore the truth.

So do you go to church or an assembly of Messianic followers? Does it matter? I guess that is up to you to decide.  

Emotional Baggage

How do you express your emotions? How well can you write how you feel so others can understand? Emotions can be tricky things. They are a gift from our Creator and a part of His image that we bear. I was brought up in a family that was a little less than expressive when it came to emotions. I married into an Italian family that displays pretty remarkable emotions during fast food commercials. I have either learned to be a bit more emotionally expressive or it has something to do with age. I get teary eyed more than I used to, and that is probably a good thing. The challenge with emotional expressions is more strongly evident when we try to write them down or when we try to interpret what has been written down for us. Lately I have wondered how much of my personal emotional bias has found its way into my reading of God's Word. I have been reading, teaching, and listening to other teachers teach God's Word for about 45 years. After a while you can fall into what you think you know before you even read the passage. I wonder if I have missed or misread the emotions of the Biblical writers due to my preconceived understanding of the text.

In 1 Samuel 15 we have the record of King Saul's defeat of the Amalekites. Saul was to have destroyed these evil people and their livestock. He fails to do so and is rebuked by Samuel. 1 Samuel 15:22-23,  "So Samuel said: “Has the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." Pretty strong words. Seems as if the emotions were running high and that the words were said with force and perhaps a little anger. Saul responds in verse 24-25, "Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD.” I read this as Saul being both broken and repentant, even a bit fearful. He cries out to Samuel for forgiveness. Samuel, more or less, tells Saul it is too late and turns to walk away, Saul reaches out and clutches Samuel's robe and it tears. Samuel turns to Saul and says, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you." What is Samuel's tone to the broken and repentant Saul? I had just assumed it was a continued strong rebuke, but perhaps not.

How did Samuel feel about Saul? What was his relationship to this first king of Israel? Samuel had been with Saul from the very beginning. He was the one who anointed Saul and presented him to the people. God has made His judgement, but how does Samuel feel about it? 1 Samuel 15:11 God says, "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments.' And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night." Samuel is deeply moved and sorrowful at the plight of Saul. He has not taken the Lord's judgement lightly. God has to come to Samuel to encourage him to move on, 1 Samuel 16:1, "Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?" "How long will you mourn?" The pain and sorrow of Saul's demise has permeated the very soul of Samuel. He longs for things to be different. He longs for Saul's restoration.

Could it be that back in chapter 15 that Samuel's tone and emotion turns to one of sorrow and hurt as he must deliver the news that the kingdom will be torn from Saul? Can you picture Saul on his knees clutching the edge of Samuel's robe as Samuel turns with tearing eyes to say, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day." Saul has sinned. Saul has repented. Saul asks Samuel to come with him to worship. Samuel relents and goes with Saul. Samuel is grieved, and sorrowful, and mourns over the end of Saul's reign. Could it be that Samuel's anger and disappointment is turned to grief as Saul humbles himself and admits his sin? Have all the messages I have heard and the things I have read kept me from the possibility of a brokenhearted Samuel? Have I been jaded to the grief that comes to the prophet's soul as the king he anointed is now rejected? Could I have missed or misread the emotion of the moment?

I also wondered about the passage in John's Gospel account. John 20:15-16, "Jesus said to her,[Mary] “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away. Jesus said to her, “Mary” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher)."

You may be familiar with the story. Three days after the horror of the crucifixion of the Lord Mary has come to the tomb. An Angel has rolled away the stone and proclaimed that Christ is risen as He said. She has gone into the tomb where two beings in white have again given her the account of Messiah's resurrection. She has run to tell the disciples, and Peter and John have visited the tomb. Mary stays behind alone. Jesus appears, but she thinks He is the gardener. She asks, "Sir, if you carried the body away..." He replies "Mary". or "Mary!" depending on you translation. What was the tone and emotion of Jesus? Was He gentle as he quietly whispered her name? Was it sort of a normal tone and hearing Him speak her own name awaken her recognition, remembering the day he called her to Himself and cast out the demonic tormentors? Or was the Lord just a little exasperated. Was there just a little edge to His raised voice to get her attention. Just a hint of "Yo! Mary! It's Me!" There had been those times. Luke 9:41, "Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” Sounds to me like there was a little emotional edge here. Have we so stereotyped the Lord that a little sharp nudge to bring Mary to her senses seems out of character?

How openly do we read the Scriptures? Any possibility we are sanitizing the Word of God to fit our emotional grid? Could it be that we are missing the hearts and souls of these real people who interacted with the real God and with one another?  The God we worship is an emotional God. His Word simply must have emotions woven throughout the stories. How much of ourselves and our traditions get in the way of recognizing the emotions in these accounts?  Do we consider the emotions of the people and the Lord Himself? Maybe it is time to take a fresh look at the stories we know so well and ponder what emotions filled the moment. Maybe we will find the characters in the Bible are a lot more like us than we thought. 

The Death of "LY"

How important is it to be accurate? Is it better to just sort of grasp the general principles of things and move on or do the details really matter? Perhaps the answer is yes and no. You certainly want your surgeon to have a grasp on the particulars before he begins that triple bi-pass, a general understanding of anatomy is not enough. But, "it is about 2:30" may be close enough.  I have noticed that, over time, what used to be important is now not so much. I am not an English scholar. I was born void of a spelling gene so spell check is my life line, though I must admit that at times even spell check has no idea what I am trying to write. That being said, I do get a bit bugged by the growing lack of appreciation for the simple ending "ly". These little letters turn an adjective to an adverb. However, the adverbial form is losing ground quickly, or as it is now quite commonly said, losing ground quick. The defenseless little "ly" is being removed from speech, literature, even road signs. "Drive slow, school zone" for example.

Now we must get to the sale quick or all the good bargains will be gone. If we drive too slow we may get none at all. And be sure to drive safe on the way so you don't get in an accident. Alas poor "ly" I knew thee well. I am aware that many will say, "Lighten up!What is important is that we communicate. Don't get all hung up on the details." There are ongoing changes to our language. Language is a living thing, so words change and even their meanings can change over time. Most people would think that if their savings were decimated they would struggle to recover. Even Webster would tell you that the large portion was destroyed. However, the original meaning was to reduce by ten percent. Just a tithe. Misuse of the word has actually changed it's meaning. So, if something isn't done quick, errr quickly,  the little "ly" may soon find itself as extinct as the dinosaurs.

What is true with the adverb is also true in Scripture. It seems there is a growing desire to just stick with the principles that we find there. Read a passage and get the basic application and move on. I was talking to another pastor who said he appreciated my interest in the history, cultural context and details; however, he found that such things could cloud how the passage was applied to life. That kind of detail may have its place in academia but preaching needed to stick to general principles that are easy for people to apply. I guess I should assume that Paul's encouragement to Timothy to "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15) only applied to academics and not to common disciples. That certainly makes things easier. No need to really dig into the Word; just skim the surface and get the gist of the text and come up with a nice principle to supply.

There are some consequences to that approach. It leaves us with a number of diverse opinions that cannot all be true. It leaves us depending on others assumptions about the Word that, if passed on often enough, just become accepted as true, like decimated or the passing away of adverbs. As long as we communicate what do the details matter? This is why translators of Mark 7:19 can change the text, which, translated from the Greek says, "because it [meaning food]enters not into the heart but into the belly and into the drain goes out purging all foods". A simple description of the digestive process. However, we all "know" that Jesus did away with the Law and the dietary restrictions so the translators help us out with translations similar to the NIV, "For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.' (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)." The words, "In saying this Jesus declared" is not in the original text but the general application is that Jesus ended dietary laws so accuracy doesn't really matter. How the text can be applied is all that is important.

The same "help" is offered for James 2:2: "Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in.(NIV). The NASB uses the word "assembly", as does the ESV and NKJV. The word is actually "Synagogue". However, we all "know" that the "church" would not be meeting at a Jewish Synagogue so the "helpful" translators correct the text to avoid confusion. Accuracy does not matter, just so long as we get the gist of the text to apply to our lives. Church people would certainly not be at a synagogue, would they?

Who knows, maybe in time Christians can find comfort in getting a divorce from another believer "knowing" the general principle we see in Scripture is that God wants us to be happy. We can defraud our creditors by declaring bankruptcy knowing the gist of Scripture does not want us to be in debt. The details don't matter as long as we are comfortable with the general application of what we find in the text. It is a far easier and more comfortable way to look at God's Word. Much less judgemental than sticking to all those details. It seems believers are comfortably drifting further from the truth, becoming content with the traditions that we "know" and the applications that fit with our predetermined desires.

I wonder, over time, what will happen to the things we now see as true. What other areas of life will we find new, more palatable ways of applying? There may be few standards or boundaries that make believers distinct from the world unless the Lord comes quick..................................ly.

Are You a Misfit Reindeer?

Spring has come to New York. The forsythia are in bloom and I began the season of lawn mowing just a few nights ago. With all the blossoms, bursting greenery and tree pollen My thoughts turned to ......... Rudolf. You remember, that Red Nosed Reindeer from a few months ago. In my years of interaction with people, especially evangelical believers, I have found that a great many feel like Rudolf. This little song tied to the Santa tradition is an awful song. The TV animation only serves to amplify how bad the message of the song really is. What we learn is that those who are different, outside the accepted norm, are unacceptable. Be they reindeer, dentist elves or misfit toys, if you do not fit in with what society demands you are not welcome. You cannot be a part of the games, you are fair game to be insulted, bullied and ostracized. Your only hope to be accepted is to prove you have worth. You must demonstrate the  you can perform in some way to be seen as having value. If you do not you do not belong, you will never be accepted, loved, or valued. It is a devastatingly lonely place to be.

What is true of reindeer, dentist elves, and misfit toys is true for the rest of us as well.We who hold that the Scriptures are the revealed truth and will of God often have some of the greatest issues of acceptance. We hold a remarkable ability to compartmentalize truth, thus putting God's Word out of balance. When I was a new believer I took a few evangelism classes. We learned to let people know that, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). And that, “There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). Isaiah says, "But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" ( Isaiah 64:6). And, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). We are helpless, hopeless, depraved, and incapable of doing anything positive or good. That, of course, changes when we receive Christ. Though, even then, we are often reminded of how unworthy we really are.  Even the hymn Amazing Grace reminds us that we are just unacceptable worms. Many believers still see themselves as misfit reindeer longing for acceptance.

In our effort to challenge one another to live holy lives that are pleasing to God, we may leave things out of balance. Confronted regularly by our own failures we may find ourselves feeling like we are still on the outside. We are still those marked more by failure rather than one of the beloved of God. We are acutely aware that we still "fall short" and that our tainted righteousness still harbors the stench of those "filthy rags" . No one needs to remind us of our unworthiness, it haunts us with every sin that so easily besets us. We long for just twenty-four hours of purity in thought, rescued from irritation or anger. It would be such a joy to get through one day and not be reminded of how incredibly frail and fallen we are. "Victory in Jesus" is a nice hymn title but it is far from the reality we crave as we stumble along in the mire of our own creation.

In the midst of this, sometimes painful, journey, we need to be reminded of who else we are. David understood the depths of sin and the conviction that Yahweh can bring upon His wandering children, He also understood the amazing truth of who we are as those created by God. Psalm 139:14, "I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well." The Hebrew word, יָרֵא yare',translated "fearfully", carries the idea of being in awe. We have reverential fear for Yahweh, meaning we are in awe of His presence and person. David relates that the creative activity of God in forming a child in the womb is an awesome thing. Being knit together as a divine act from conception is amazing. Beyond that David also says we are "wonderfully" made. The Hebrew word here is, פָּלָה palah. It means to be to be distinct, be separated, be distinguished, to be unique. There has never been and never will be another you. From your fingerprints to your DNA you are a hand crafted creation of God. Even identical twins, who share the same DNA, have different fingerprints. In addition to our physical characteristics we have psychological, emotional, and mental uniqueness. And do not forget your personality, natural abilities, and gifts. Then, when receiving Christ as Lord and Savior, you are supernaturally empowered with a gift from the Holy Spirit. You are an essential part of the Body of Christ designed to do something in a way no one else can accomplish. You are an amazing creation of God Almighty. How marvelous is His work in you!

I do not mean to belittle sin or the ongoing struggle to be more like our Savior, however, you are amazing. It is the enemy of our soul who diminishes the awesome work of God in creating you in the womb. It is Satan who promotes the lie of "fetal tissue" that can be removed and discarded. You are not some happenstance mistake that evolved from some protein ooze over millions of years. NO! You were awesomely hand crafted as a unique and essential creation of God. So follow David's lead and rejoice, give God praise. Sit quietly in the loving arms of your heavenly Abba, Father and find rest and value for your soul. I am the father of five. I love my children dearly. They are not perfect and they occasionally fail. But, I have never stopped loving, never stopped forgiving, never ceased to be amazed at the wonder of who they are and who they are becoming. How could my Heavenly Father ever treat me with any less gentleness, acceptance, and yes, even look on me with a little wonder at what He has created?

You are fearfully, awesomely, wonderfully, uniquely, hand crafted by the God and Creator of the universe. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Not even yourself.