I am re-publishing this blog from a few years back. Computer problems and I lost this weeks blog. Hope you enjoy this one. jk

I always wanted to play football but time and circumstances kept me from it until the eighth grade. We moved around quite a bit and my dads last duty station took us to Texas. Texas, where a baby’s first crib toy is a football and his first pair of outdoor shoes are cleats. Now in Texas most boys my age had been playing football since Pee-Wee league and have a good knowledge of the of the game and its language. Truth is they speak it better than the Kings English. I wanted to be a part of the game so bad and any amount of humiliation and effort was worth it. So I gave it the best I had and made the team, even after the coach said my lack of skill would get me killed. Well that is a bit overstated but I did get on the team……at the end of the bench. Now in my golden years I sometimes revisit those early days and that’s how this blog came about.I kind of believe that even in church some of us feel like we are at the end of the bench. We want to be a part of what’s going on and to actively become involved in some type of ministry within the church but if time has taught me anything, it is preparation and knowledge goes a long way.

 Psalm 25:5

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.

It occurred to me that maybe my football experience was due to my lack of knowledge as to what the game required and my lack of preparation. Admittedly, serving God is no game but it does require knowledge and preparation. I once wrote about getting out of the pew, go and serve. This is about getting off the bench, preparing yourself to serve and getting in the game.

2 Thessalonians 3:5

May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.

Here are some good points as to where you can start your preparation. These are from a sermon by Tom Shepard, Quiet Life Ministries.

John 12²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

 Develop a servant mentality.

“Possessing A Servant’s Heart. God’s Word teaches that greatness in the Kingdom is defined by serving others in the body of Messiah. Having the heart of a servant is an important component in our spiritual walk with the Lord. God shaped each one of us for service.” (Tom Shepard, Quiet Life Ministries.)

How do we define selflessly? Perhaps servanthood is a better word, or rather a clearer definition for us. Servanthood literally means serving others, putting them and their needs first. (“It means willingly giving of oneself to minister for and to others and to do whatever it takes to accomplish what is best for another.”)*Tom Shepard, Quiet Life Ministries.

Gal 6:9-10 (Phi) Let us not grow tired of doing good, for, unless we throw in our hand, the ultimate harvest is assured. Let us then do good to all men as opportunity offers, especially to those who belong to the Christian household.

Have a determination to serve.

Determination also requires endurance.

 Psalms 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

 1 Corinthians 9:24-27  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

 Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

 Thessalonians 3:13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good

We Christians will have times of doubt and fear and even worry. Allowing fear, doubt and worry to rule our lives weakens our faith. The word of God gives us strength and determination in our daily walk with God. God’s word gives us hope. Consider the following verses…

 Psalms 27:14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

 Proverbs 20:13 Love not sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will have plenty of bread.

 Luke 9:62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Commit to following God.

“Each believer is responsible to respond to God’s call by committing their heart, mind, body, and life to serve Him, to share the Gospel, and to be His ambassadors in this world.” (https://bible.org

 Acts 20:32 “And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.

 Serve where you are.

Many times people believe that in order to serve or be a part of ministry, you have to go overseas or commit to a month long mission trip. While being involved in those type of things is commendable and even worthwhile, we need to understand that we can serve right where we are. There are so many opportunities that we miss out on by thinking mission work is done some place other than where we are. When we chose to not serve and be involved where we are I think many times it is because we have conditioned ourselves to think that mission work is done some place other than where we are. Look around there are many opportunities in our neighborhoods, schools and even our own church or home.

“God has called believers to “go and make disciples” in Matthew 28:19, but we must realize that we can fulfill this command in class, with the neighbors down the hall, and even at work. Wherever you are, just go! Go, and make disciples.” (Tom Shepard, Quiet Life Ministries.)

Get off the bench, get in the game.

Life is Good

jk

• 

This week we look at a subject that you would not expect to find in a religious blog, the butterfly. I am not sure but I believe butterflies are not all that common in scripture. It has been noted that as a part of God’s creation they do provide a beautiful picture of spiritual transformation…. The butterfly in the Bible is a symbol of resurrection. It can sustain a comparison to the Christian conversion, resurrection, and transfiguration. What does the scripture say?… 

(2 Corinthians 5:17).So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 

Our God who can transform a caterpillar into a butterfly, can turn sinners into saints. Butterfly just a symbol, could be but God has many ways of speaking to us. That little voice we hear now and then, we refer to it as our conscience just might be the Holy Spirit speaking to us and maybe, just maybe the butterfly is in some simple way a message from God. Christian tradition holds the butterfly to be a symbol of resurrection. In many  spiritual, circles the butterfly represents the spirit or soul. What does a butterfly mean spiritually? Butterflies are beautiful and they have in times past been a mystery because there is attached to them a certain symbolism, a metaphor if you will that represents spiritual health, transformation, change, hope and life. The short life of the butterfly reminds us of the shortness of our own life. Butterfly colors also carry a symbolic message…The color blue representing a transformation from human life to everlasting life. The color blue also conveying the emotions of beauty, joy and hope. The old traditions means seeing a white butterfly could be a response to prayer. We are reminded that God has a plan for all of us:

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11 ESV)

Now I stress that we are dealing with mostly traditional thoughts of the meaning of the butterfly, some that have even made their way into church traditions. These two scriptures could be inspired by the butterfly.

2 Corinthians 5:17 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 3:18 

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

 I had thought that I might be done with this blog but somehow it just wasn’t enough. I am not always the brightest bulb in the box but I do believe that the Spirit answers and guides us in many of our endeavors. Such is the case with this blog today…Dean H Taylor wrote about butterflies not being in the Bible, well by name that is but what a brilliant example of enlighten writing he brings to his article. He writes that Jesus, who always used examples people could relate to in getting his point across would at seeing the beauty of this creation of the Father, most likely would have used it to illustrate some profound truth.  But butterflies aren’t in the Bible Mr. Taylor writes….but wait…

‘ The unsightly caterpillar, its range of movement restricted to a few square feet, becomes a Monarch butterfly that will spend the rest of its life as a living miracle, flying above the earth, venturing as far as Mexico on its migratory path.’    (Dean H. Taylor)

This radical change in its original state is called metamorphosis. So it is interesting how Mr. Taylor ties the butterflies journey to our own journey as Christians to become acceptable and the perfect will of God is brought about in our lives. In the two verses below the Greek word metamorphoo is translated with the word “transformed.” 

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  (Romans 12:2)

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.  (2 Corinthians 3:18)

There is the striking comparison to be made that the transformation of the butterfly is much like the transformation that takes place in us when we believe in Jesus Christ.What Mr. Taylor goes on to explain is astounding and its full impact can only be appreciated by reading his words.

So I am asking you to go to his post, the link is below…

https://deanhtaylor.com/2014/10/07/butterflies-arent-in-the-bible-wait/

It is worth the read and in these days of focus being on bad news it is a pleasant read.

Life is Good

jk

• 

I have been reading introductions to various books of the Bible, the most recent one being James. While James is not the only book to have doubts or suspicions toward it, James also had a long hard journey to make before its inclusion into the New Testament. Though it would eventually be considered to be scripture there was still a fair amount of reserve and suspicion about it. Martin Luther would have been happy to see it banished from the New Testament. This view was also shared by the early Christian fathers but in fairness to James not so much to banning it as to the fact there was strong doubt still among them as to content. At this point the journey is just beginning. It was into the fourth century that the Latin speaking church saw the emergence of  James in the writings of the fathers. The scholar Jerome included James in his Latin version of the New Testament, The Vulgate which was completed early in the fifth century. However the doubt was still present to some degree. James, who is referred to as the brother of the Lord wrote only this epistle, it was one of the seven catholic Epistles and some said it was issued by someone else in James’ name. Although Jerome had some doubt as to who the writer was he did accept it as scripture. We can add to that Augustine, who fully accepted James and had no doubt that James was the brother of our Lord. There are other points and facts that make this journey so long and arduous.  If the book was really written in Palestine and James was really the brother of our Lord, was the hesitation of the Syrian Church fostered by the wavering and swings of opinion that continued to present itself?

 We add this note here…

Peshitta, (Syriac: “simple” or “common”) Syriac version of the Bible, the accepted Bible of Syrian Christian churches from the end of the 3rd century ce. 

The name “Peshitta” was first employed by Moses bar Kepha in the 9th century to suggest (as does the name of the Latin Vulgate) that the text was in common use. (Wikipedia)

Now we could engulf ourselves in dates and times but it is much simpler to just add a few  comments here.

-The Peshitta was to the Syrian Church what the Vulgate was to the Latin Church.

-The first time it was translated into Syrian was about AD 412 by the Bishop of Edessa.

-It was not, in fact, until mid-way through the eighth century that the great authority of the Greek theologian John of Damascus did for James in the Syrian church what Augustine had done for it in the Latin church. (W Barclay)

James emerged sooner in the Greek speaking churches compared to the Latin and Syrian but still that doubt was there for some. As strange as it seems no one really questioned the value of James but in all the letter was emerging and went through a period of debate while its right to be considered a new testament book was in dispute. In our day we seldom hear James mentioned in conversation as often as John, Romans, Luke or even Galatians. There were those books that were accepted without question from the very start and then there were those that had to gradually win there way in. James found itself in that second tier that only time would heal the doubts and suspicions attached to the book. The Roman Catholic Church settled its issues with the book of James with the Edict of the Council of Trent. Things didn’t work out as well in the Protestant Church because of the attacks against it from Luther. We will take a little space and a few more words to note this interesting fact. During the printing of the German New Testament Luther kept a contents page. There was a separate small group that he considered to be secondary. That group consisted of James, Jude, Hebrews and Revelation. These were books which Luther held to be secondary. I think to sum all this up we can best simply use Luther’s famous verdict on James. It is in the concluding paragraph of his Preface to the New Testament… 

‘In sum: the gospel and the first epistle of St John, St Paul’s epistles, especially those to the Romans, Galatians and Ephesians; and St Peter’s first epistle, are the books which show Christ to you. They teach everything you need to know for your salvation, even if you were never to see or hear any other book or hear any other teaching. In comparison with these, the epistle of James is an epistle full of straw, because it contains nothing evangelical. But more about this in other prefaces.’ 

I will close with this thought. James had a long and perilous journey but one bright spot was that the Roman Catholic Church agreed  in 1546, Council of Trent, that James is canonical and is written by an apostle. So why this blog? For me it brings into focus how important scripture is. Those who wrote the words as they lived the ordeal of teaching and preaching the Gospel, the agony of Christ as he went to the cross and the faith of the believers as they took the reality of eternal life through the resurrection of Christ to the people. 

James stood the test of time because the believer’s faith stood firm…It did not waver, it did not give into doubt. How do you stand today? Do you waver and allow doubt to marginalize God’s word?

Life is Good

jk

Hebrews 8

A little history before we go on. There are 27 books in the New Testament and 21 of those books are letters. It is noted that 13 of those 21 are of the Pauline collection. The Letter to the Hebrews is included in this collection. It is due to this inclusion that we have Hebrews in the New Testament today, only because of this attachment of Paul’s name was it accepted. Here in chapter 8 we have the key thought of this letter. Barclay had the best in a few words… The Perfect Priest and the Perfect Sacrifice…well wrote and to the point. The Greeks were looking for a way from the shadows of their minds to the reality of faith. The writer to Hebrews gives them just that…Jesus Christ.

The writer to Hebrews in previous chapters has described the Priesthood of Melchizedek in all its glory and assurance of a never-ending function within the faith. It was not one of legal appointments or racial qualifications, it is a Priesthood which death cannot touch. There are other qualifiers that make it so special a relationship with God and then the writer to Hebrews makes the claim “we already have such a Priest”…‘a priest precisely like that, we have in Jesus.’  Here at the very beginning of this chapter we are told that Jesus took his seat at the right hand of God, this being the final proof of his divinity. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the minister of the sanctuary. He is both majesty and service.The point is made throughout this chapter that religion to the writer was access to God. Jesus does that, our supreme Priest opens the way to God, removes the barriers between God and his people. Jesus has become the bridge between men and women, all, who wish to be in the presence of God. Jesus is the reality that makes that possible.

 The Greeks believed this world was only copy of a real much better world. In plain language they believed the world they lived in was an imperfect copy of something much better. The writer goes on to say that the earthly Temple is an inadequate copy of the real Temple of God and the earthly priesthood an inadequate shadow of the real priesthood. Much is said about the Temple and priesthood but to cut to the chase, so to speak, only Jesus can lead people to reality and into the presence of God. Given that day and time this was an argument, that of reality, this his contemporaries used and understood. Plato among many things called it an idea, to the Jews it was a form, the way you do it…we may call it what we will but the truth is that it is beyond anything we can find here in this world. Reconciliation between God and his people lies in the reality of Jesus Christ, Jesus is the only person who can bring us from the shadows to reality, real life. Greek, Jew, Gentile, it matters not… Chapter 8 then moves on to the covenant, the reality of a new relationship with God. The simple meaning of covenant, is it is an agreement entered into by two people. It is a mutual agreement and if either party breaks that agreement then the covenant is void. There were covenants made between Jews and other nations or even people but its distinctive use is to describe the relationship between Israel and God. New Testament use is best described as a relationship between God and men and women. But things take a turn here as the Greek word translated means a will. In the translations back and forth a covenant that is made between two is done so on equal terms. God and human beings do not meet on equal terms. I am on a limb here trying to get this across and the only way I know to do it is just some down home logic. We cannot bargain with God. So at this point we move from a covenant to a will. A will is not made on equal terms. The person who makes the will sets the terms, usually one sided and the other party cannot change or alter them. What do we receive from this will? Forgiveness of our sins, eternal life as per the covenant…or will…whichever you chose to call it. The writer to Hebrews continues to make his point…The argument of the writer to the Hebrews is that that old covenant is done away with and that Jesus has brought a new relationship with God. 

 There is much we did not get into as I tried to keep it simple, on the level of a layman who just wants to share the word…the Good News. Hebrews calls out the Good News, the divinity of Jesus, the path forward from the shadows to the reality that JESUS is Lord and the only way to God is through him.

Life is Good

jk