Get over it and move on! For all practical purposes this advice would apply to at least half of those who voted. We remain a nation divided pretty much down the middle. With that in mind I have a 50/50 chance of your approval of this blog; even less considering less than fifty read this thing. Everywhere I have gone this week people seem to be in a hurry, not to get things done but to avoid a conversation that would lead to their involvement in public discourse on any subject. I kind of agree with that, if you can’t say anything nice, say nothing. Sitting in the mall and watching people go by you see the faces of a wide spectrum of emotions. The sad part is you see uncertainty even in the faces of the little children. There are more heads down than on a glass bottom boat ride. In our society today you might be a little concerned about someone who sits in a mall watching people, if not, thank you. But I do have to say I am concerned that I have nothing else to do.  Stopped for lunch the other day which was no problem, I was hungry and tired of sitting around. First thing the place was packed, both take-out lanes were full and inside reminded me of an ant hill you just disturbed. Everyone was moving and each one seemed to know what they were doing and where they were going. Now the folks on the front were overwhelmed as the line resembling a large snake broke into four different snakes each as long and hungry as the other.  I looked around and I was amazed! People were smiling, making room for each other and I even heard laughter above the din of everyone talking at once. Then, in what seemed no time at all I was at the front of my line and I was a bit worried at this point. I had actually enjoyed my time in line! In my excitement I ordered the wrong thing. Quickly, but not quick enough, I asked the person to cancel that order. Too late, but their reply was “no problem I will place another order and cancel that one.” Thank you, thank you very much. You ready? Wait for it……..they replied, “MY PLEASURE”. Take a quick look at the definition of the phrase.

 “My pleasure” is an idiomatic response to “Thank you.” It is similar to “You’re welcome,” but politer and more emphatic. Use it in formal conversation when someone thanks you for doing a favor, and you want to respond in a way that tells them that you were very happy to help and that you enjoyed it. You can also use the longer form, “It was my pleasure,” which means the same thing.

 People have spent decades working to get God and the Bible out of schools and really remove it as a staple of our culture. They didn’t just stop there, they also removed public prayer in certain places to be infringing on others rights. I will keep this short. What they have sought to do is to secularize our society and nation. The uptown word is “SECULARIZATION”. The greatest attribute of our nation was always our faith and that the God we severed made us better people.So is it any wonder that a first class business has for decades adhered to a standard of faith and service based on the founder’s Christian faith. Christ makes everything better! If I have made your day a little brighter or helped you see that every day is a day God has made, rejoice and be glad. I don’t have to name the place I was at you know it well, thank you!   “My Pleasure!”

No blog next week, see you in December. jk

 

Well our long national nightmare is at last over and before you jump let me clarify that I mean this election cycle. It leaves us with the undeniable fact that as a nation we are terribly divided. The results were rather astonishing. The last check I made had a mind blowing .2% difference between the candidates, with Clinton getting the popular total and Trump the Electoral College and the presidency.  The nightmare of an election cycle may be over but the division and in some quarters the hate remains. There are reasons too numerous to list here but the one that stands out in my mind is the lack of God and faith in God in our nation. What do we as Christians do this day and the days to come? We move on…that’s right, it is as simple as that. How does a Christian move on? Here are some suggestions from biblereasons.com. I have added some comments and introductions but the following is from a blog post of Fritz Chery on December 19,2015.

Many times we move on by changing habits, locations, goals and even our beliefs. Why don’t we take the time to see what the Bible says about moving on?

Job 17:9 The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.

Philippians 3:14 I run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 4:18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.

We will not move on as long as we dwell on real or perceived injustices. We must work at Forgetting the past.

Forgetting the past.

Isaiah 43:18 Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell on events from long ago.

Philippians 3:13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.

We must work at understanding that the Old things are gone. We as a people cannot continue to live a life that condemns others just because they think different than we do. It’s kind of a double edged sword, we must love those that hate us.

Old things are gone.

Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

1 John 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

God can turn any bad situation into a good one.

Romans 8:28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

We, the Christian community must learn to Trust in God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Psalm 33:18 But the LORD watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.

We must seek wisdom and guidance from God.

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with My eye on you, I will give counsel.

Proverbs 24:14 In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short.

Isaiah 58:11 The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.

The Word gives us light to move forward on the right path. 

Psalm 1:2-3 Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; he meditates on his commands day and night. He is like a tree planted by flowing streams; it yields its fruit at the proper time, and its leaves never fall off. He succeeds in everything he attempts.

Psalm 119:104-105 I obtain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my pathway.

Proverbs 6:23 For this command is a lamp, this teaching is a light, and correction and instruction are the way to life,

We have to Stop worrying

Matthew 6:27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

And remember….

Exodus 14:14-15 The Lord will fight for you, and you can be still.” The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

Proverbs 17:22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

As always there should be some Advice offered

1 Corinthians 16:13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, act like a man, be strong.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.

There are many biblical Examples Mr. Chery shares this one with us.

Deuteronomy 2:13 Moses continued, “Then the LORD said to us, ‘Get moving. Cross the Zered Brook.’ So we crossed the brook.

This election has left many of us standing at a brook or in some cases a raging river. The hurts, disappointments and frustrations remain for many. I would pray that we remember while we live in this world, are grateful for this life and value that which God has created, we are not of this world. The community of believers, the Christian community knows that because of our faith in and acceptance of Christ our world will never be defeated by the problems of this world. Keep the faith and believe this:

2 Timothy 4:6-9 My life is coming to an end, and it is now time for me to be poured out as a sacrifice to God. I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith. The prize that shows I have God’s approval is now waiting for me. The Lord, who is a fair judge, will give me that prize on that day. He will give it not only to me but also to everyone who is eagerly waiting for him to come again.

(I found this article so well written and a perfect answer to the day. I could never have said what is on my heart and in my mind better. Here is the URL http://biblereasons.com/moving-on/.)

Bless our nation, praise God…….jk

 

While there were no elections in Jesus’ time, contrary to popular belief, Jesus was a person adept in the political intrigues of his day. Jesus was very much into the politics of the day. Now I will be using many different sources in this blog and any time I quote directly from some other source it will be in bold and italics. I am not presenting any new revelation here just some points through research that I found interesting. Was Jesus a politician in the context of today’s definition of a politician? No, certainty not. “Politics are at the center of the story of Jesus. His historical life ended with a political execution. Crucifixion was used by Rome for those who systematically rejected imperial authority, including chronically defiant slaves and subversives who were attracting a following. In the world of Jesus, a cross was always a Roman cross.” (Borg)

In Mark 1:14-15 Jesus spoke of the coming of “the kingdom of God.” In his world such a statement using that language would be considered political in nature. People who heard Jesus speak knew of other kingdoms. In the eastern parts of the empire it was the Roman kingdom and of course there was the kingdom of Herod. With this knowledge at hand it was plain that Jesus was saying there was another kingdom that was different than those others. Jesus could have avoided the use of “the kingdom language” by speaking of a “family” of God, the “community of God” or the “people of God”. He didn’t: he spoke of the “kingdom of God”.

Sometime after the arrest of John the Baptist (Mark 1:14) Jesus began his public ministry. Throughout the Gospels the conflict between Rome, the Rome-appointed ruler of Galilee and pressure and challenges from the ruling Jewish class, lead Jesus to his crucifixion. It is every bit the politics of power and corruption. I know it is a stretch and maybe it is just me looking at two incidents through today’s eyes. Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey, an unmistakable statement that the kingdom of God comes in peace. Then he publicly states that his father’s house has become “a den of thieves”. Like a seasoned politician he skillfully draws a portrait of the “new kingdom” versus what they now have.  Remember that the nation of Israel even under submission to other rulers or governments was always dominated by Jewish law and cultural practices, in many ways a theocracy, a system of government in which priests rule in the name of God or a god. The priests and others of the ruling class had great influence in society and were eager not to do anything that upset the Roman protectorate. Jesus did not enter a vacuum, there was a structure of society, government and religion already in place. We will start here using as reference.

Marcus J. Borg, “Jesus and Politics”, n.p. [cited 2 Nov 2016]. Judaism at the time of Jesus was a complex mixture of divergent social, political and religious ideologies. In general terms, we can speak of four distinct movements, ideologies or life-options. It is helpful to situate Jesus in terms of these social groups of his day in order that we can come to appreciate the distinctiveness of his own life and mission”. 

The Zealot movement took the revolutionary option. It advocated outward violence, even armed rebellion, to rid Israel of Roman oppression and believed it was the only way to bring final liberation to the Jewish people. One of Jesus’ followers was a Zealot, “Simon the Zealot.” One odd fact about these times was that Jesus found himself more often than not in conflict with the Jewish temple and the Roman state. While it’s not easy to explain Jesus was not a violent revolutionary but he posed a more radical threat to the established order than those who armed themselves.

The Sadducees were the great pragmatists of the day, the thinkers and compromisers. They were mostly wealthy lay-nobles, priests and aristocrats. To conserve their wealth and power they sought to compromise with Rome, which at this time was the most realistic option. Here we see the politics of the time first hand. Most of the members of the Sanhedrin were from the Sadducee group. The Sadducees were the least religious group. They did not believe in the resurrection from the dead. However, they were committed to the Jewish faith on the basis of the earlier books of the bible. They were at the top of the pecking order in the Jewish society of their time and were concerned with present-day affairs. The Sadducees were the main opponents of Jesus at the time of his trial and death. They rightly saw that Jesus’ radical brand of religion threatened their power and status.

Pharisees

Most of the Scribes (the ‘theologians’ of the day) were Pharisees. Perhaps unfairly the Pharisees are judged harshly in the gospels. Pharisees sought to live a life of spiritual purity by a meticulous following of the torah (Jewish law). They did not believe in compromise with the Romans nor in revolutionary activity. Many Pharisees were highly committed and deeply spiritual people. They believed in the resurrection of the dead.

Finally, there were the Essenes who solved the problem of Jewish identity in a Roman-occupied Israel. They completely opted out of mainstream Jewish society. The information shared here is from the URL listed at the end of this paragraph. (https://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/staffhome/gehall/XTOLOGY2.htm)

So long ago and yet it resonates so much to the situation we find ourselves in today. Here we can see how religion and politics were intertwined in a much more complex way than we might have thought they were. Today, after all this time it is still every bit   about the politics of power and corruption. Here and even I as write this the Christian Church is under attack throughout the world and here in our own country the church is marginalized every day more and more.

John 18:36

 Jesus replied, “My kingdom doesn’t originate from this world. If it did, my guards would fight so that I wouldn’t have been arrested by the Jewish leaders. My kingdom isn’t from here.”

Vote your faith and what you believe but remember, “our kingdom isn’t here”. From birth, crucifixion, resurrection, and centuries of persecution, the church stands firmly on the rock: just as Christ said it would.

Thanks for coming by the pew.

jk

References:  Marcus J. Borg, “Jesus and Politics”, n.p. [cited 2 Nov 2016]. Online: https://www.bibleodyssey.org:443/en/people/related-articles/jesus-and-politics

(https://dlibrary.acu.edu.au/staffhome/gehall/XTOLOGY2.htm)