This will be a bit unusual this week but every now and then I like to step out of the Pew. We can immerse ourselves in the Bible, structure our lives to avoid those things that we consider to be outside the faith but until the Lord’s day comes we live among the human world mortal sins and shortcomings. We have been called to challenge that and to tell the story and bring others to Jesus Christ….BUT…. 

There are so many things in our everyday lives that challenge our Christian way of life that I don’t think our minds are large enough to cipher through all of it. Now at this point I will endeavor to elaborate on that BUT, in the opening paragraph. In the news today here in the USA we learned that there will soon be a vacancy on the highest court of our nation… that would be the Supreme Court of The United States. A person will be nominated by our President, considered by our Senate and upon whose consent the vacancy will be filled. Let’s think about this for a moment. The President and the Senate will examine reason, ponder, and think and yes there is a bit of redundancy here and guess what…they will overthink the subject at hand. Why? Because of those little soundtracks running in their minds. Now to be nice here I will simply say they will overload their minds due to the increasing amount of pressure from social, cultural and agenda driven causes. Ok, where is the Christian perspective in this weeks Blog? Well, it comes from a  current sermon series at church titled Soundtracks and has as it guide thoughts from a book, Soundtracks written by Jon Acuff. 

Like the Greeks of old, our Senate the smaller upper assembly in the US Congress, must give their consent to the President’s choice and they love to debate. There is nothing unusual about this process or anything evil about it…but… the good people haven’t shown up yet and already Jon Acuff’s theory on overthinking has cast its shadow on the process. To borrow from Jerry Lee Lewis, while there might not be a “whole lotta shaken going on” there is a whole lot of thinking going on. So far it is shaping up to be an issue of race, political agendas and one other issue that has always been a hot button issue…plainly said Abortion and that friends caught my attention. The search, the vetting, the nomination and either approval or not of the US Senate of that person, follows a procedure that is in place and has a history of working well. You may have noticed up to this point…somehow the Bible got lost in all the thinking I have been doing…Could I have over thought this situation? I most likely have but  consider this. My own study and reading others comments has led me to the conclusion the bible does not say anything at all about Abortion. We find ourselves caught in a dilemma here. The last candidate  nominated to the court was thought of as a Pro-Lifer… This time the tag will be a person thought of as  Pro-Choice. Now to be fair I always try to see both sides of the debate but I have always looked at a debate as a process that only one can win…there always will be a loser or in some cases, losers. From a believers view the word of God is not debatable. The Bible does not present itself as having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone and we miss this point but I do admit that some commentaries and writers do. Example…you will not find the word gay in the Bible, Old or New Testament, except in the newer translations but you will find behaviors that today attribute to the use of that term in new world language and have assigned that word to describe those certain behaviors in our time. The point I am trying to make is that there are things that take place in the Bible, situations where what we now refer to as an Abortion occurs, but is not referred to as such. Basically speaking, the qualifications to be appointed to the Supreme Court are few, and concise. The link posted at the end of today’s blog is very informative, well worth the read. All this would work well and get this done…but in this case the overthinking will make for a decision of excessive thought due to those nasty soundtracks in the minds of all involved. I will leave you with this thought… Here is a direct quote from an opinion piece I read in preparing this blog.

October 16, 2020

By John J. Collins

“Christians can point to a long tradition of condemnation of abortion, dating back to the period just after the New Testament, and may reasonably feel that this tradition carries weight.”

“But Christians who turn to Scripture to trump a political debate with the force of biblical authority should be reminded that the Bible does not actually say anything at all on the topic. On this issue, there is no divine revelation to be had.”

(John J. Collins is Holmes Professor of Old Testament at Yale Divinity School and author of “What Are Biblical Values? What the Bible Says on Key Ethical Issues.” The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.)

The above being the tag attached to these quotes. I don’t feel like it is a waste of space as I always want you to know where I get my information… or it could be a law…I don’t know.

I would add to the Professor’s comments with respect… in today’s world there is no such thing as biblical authority and with sadness I must say very little within the church. We are a weird people. We believe God created everything, even our very person. We heard the argument “it is my body, no one can tell me what I can do with it.”

So I will go out with a big bang! You my friend were created by God, given life and a purpose and I will give you the “do what I will with it” there is such a thing as free will.  Here is that but again …your soul belongs to your creator and in the end he will determine its fate. God gives and is life, why are you so determined to take it.

Life is Good

jk

https://thelawdictionary.org/article/qualifications-to-become-a-supreme-court-justice/ 

 

These last two years and now the early days of 2022 have been ones of great stress not only for those of the way but all the people of the world. Here in the USA we have seen over the previous years a decline in church membership coupled with disdain for our faith and a lack of respect for our beliefs which have gone as far as physical violence against persons of the faith and destruction of places of worship. The church used to, so to speak, have a place at the table of social, cultural, and accepted behaviors, even going as far as to model some of them after biblical teachings. These two psalms are closely linked in vocabulary, themes and refrains. They both speak to in general terms of dangers, threats, anxiety, trust, and hope. These are common of all people all over the world for all time. Yes, these are quite common adjectives of things that occupy our minds but in today’s world I believe they have become an overwhelming state of mind for some of us. To use a phrase common these days…the new norm. People are losing hope and just the simple tasks of the day can suddenly become fraught with dangers, threats and anxiety and we have forgotten where our hope lies. 

We as a church, nation and its’ people have forgotten our God’s love and concern for his people. Look at our nation today… The church, and the people who profess faith in God, find themselves in a hostile environment that does not support the faith or affirm that our lives derive from or depend upon God. The church and its people have become resident aliens in our own country. Given the way we are now days, this self-grounded and self-directed the you can do it mind set, it’s up to you, is not enough. This cultural mantra in its cultural context ignores the Christian view that the most important thing we can do is hope in God and claim God as our help. Even Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane who was fully embodied in dependence on God, could not at that moment fully avoid a state of uneasiness or anxiety and neither shall we. The good news is that neither shall we be able to escape his steadfast love and faithfulness. Rejoice amid the uncertainty knowing that God loves you…Leave your anxiety and fears at the foot of the cross. I have posted here Psalm 42 and 43 for easy reference, Please take time to read from God’s word. Our Hope Is With God.

Life is Good

jk

Psalm 42

Longing for God and His Help in Distress

 1 

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.

2 

My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
the face of God?

3 

My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”

4 

These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng,[a]
and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
a multitude keeping festival.

5 

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help 6 and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
from Mount Mizar.

7 

Deep calls to deep
at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows
have gone over me.

8 

By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
and at night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.

9 

I say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully
because the enemy oppresses me?”

10 

As with a deadly wound in my body,
my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually,
“Where is your God?”

11 

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.

Psalm 43

Prayer to God in Time of Trouble

1 

Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust
deliver me!

2 

For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you cast me off?
Why must I walk about mournfully
because of the oppression of the enemy?

3 

O send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling.

4 

Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.

5 

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.

 

Last week we took a look at Salvation and it occurred to me what follows validates the saving grace of God through his Son Jesus Christ. Because of the kindness of God given freely we can receive the gift of eternal life…but as I wrote then, there must be repentance…that you might say is the rest of the story. Today we look at an interesting contrast between the wickedness of man and the goodness of God.  Psalm 36 is our subject this week, all 12 verses of it. This psalm is considered by many to be the best of the collection. The period in which it was written…

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Babylonian captivity or Babylonian exile is the period in Jewish history during which a large number of Judeans from the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylon, the capital city of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, following their defeat in the Jewish–Babylonian War and the destruction of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. The event is described in the Hebrew Bible, and its historicity is supported by archaeological and non-biblical evidence.

We will break it down for a closer look. In verses 1-4 this psalm notes the miserable state of the wicked and verses 5-9 speaks to the excellence of God’s mercy in itself, and to his followers. In verse 10 we encounter prayers for the upright; moving to verse 11 a prayer for himself that he may be saved from pride and violence. The last verse, 12, shows the end of the workers of iniquity. 

Transgressions reside in our hearts and speak to us, encouraging us to continue in our wicked ways. It is accepted that in many ways that what lies in a persons heart so goes their mind. The spirit of transgression lives and reigns and grows in the heart of those who have no knowledge of God. Because there is no knowledge of God, nothing hinders this natural inclination to live out the ways of wickedness and because we do not know God, we have no fear of God. The Babylonians were idolaters of the grossest kind living a life filled with sin and greed, history confirms this. When we allow sin to come into our hearts and the love of God does not dwell in the heart and mind this fosters an attitude of no fear as our mind tells us to go and do and we embrace the evil that beckons us. We can lose direction in our life, actually flattering ourselves by pleasuring ourselves and are blind to our sins and believe others are also. If we could see ourselves as we really are, we would then see how truly detestable we really are. The very words from our mouths are those of deceit and calculated to pervert others, and lead them astray. The often heard words of ‘he plots while we sleep’ is true of an evil mind that is busy in the darkness plotting  next steps and doing so with no sense of God, kindness or remorse. Such is the character of sin and evil.

All of us over time have looked at someone who in our mind, through their actions, are living a deceitful and wrong life. We may even ask ourselves why God lets them, so to speak…get away with it. You might find the answer to that question a bit confusing. The answer my friends lies there in verse 5…Psalm 36- Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens your faithfulness to the skies. God’s faithfulness binds him to fulfill the covenants and the promises made by his mercy.

Consider the mountains of God, made by his own hands, the tops of which are unreachable by mortals and from these he rains down on us his  mercy, truth, righteousness, and judgments. There is no limit on the intensity and good in the nature of God and that it is his delight to make all his creatures happy. He preserves the man, and he preserves the beast even when their natural nature might compel them to actions that would do them harm. Within the shadow of God his kindness is indescribably excellent, abundant, and freely given. It should come as no surprise that the children of Adam put their trust under the shadow of God’s wings, looking to His providence for the supply of their bodies; they trust in His mercy for the salvation of their souls. In verse 8 the psalmist refers to the joyous expectation they had of being restored to their own land, and to the ordinances of the temple. Verse 9 reminds us that no man can be a light unto his own self, all light, knowledge and understanding comes from God. In this verse we are brought to the understanding that God is light, it was God that said, “Let there be Light”…by that light the eye of man was enabled to behold the various works of God, and the beauties of creation. By this same light He can see our sins, frailties and even into our very souls. God’s words of salvation can illuminate those very things in our heart and soul that thrive in the darkness of sin. Through this, the light of God and his son Christ we might reconcile ourselves to our God and savior Jesus Christ. “In God’s light, we shall see the light” 

In the next verse it is plain that the psalmist makes known the continued need for God’s loving kindness. The need for the grace which justifies the ungodly, and sanctifies the unholy removes the cover of darkness and frees us to be reconciled to God. This is true of every genuine penitent, and of every true believer. Moving to verse 11 the prayer of the psalmist is that the treatment from the Babylonians over the last seventy years may come to an end. Lord, Restore us to our land…and let not the foot of the proud and violent remove us from it again. Verse 12 speaks to the fate of those whose pride has gone before them. Clarke’s Commentary ends it best with these words.

“The object of this Psalm is to implore God, out of his goodness, that he would deliver the upright from the pride and malice of the wicked.”

Life is Good

jk 

The Bible tells that salvation, also referred to as deliverance or redemption is the act of saving people from sin and its consequences. It has been written that there are seven deadly sins…listed as follows, lust, gluttony, greed, laziness, wrath, envy, and pride. There are many more as counted in just the Old Testament alone… Consider that the entire books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy are devoted to revealing to the Israelites God’s laws. Jewish rabbis say that there are 613 laws in the Torah (Books of Moses). Of those, 365 are in the “thou shalt not…” category. It is not my intention to do a numerical count of sins but when considering salvation delivers us from it, it would be most helpful to recognize it for what it is. I have been reading both secular and religious writings about sin and I thought there might be a simple way to put it. I have shared with you in the past that I am a simple layman, there are no letters of distinction that follow my name…here I am just a few words into this blog and I find myself buried under an avalanche of words within the written and digital world, both secular and theological. The Pew has for years had a tagline …  “A Layman’s Look At The Gospel”. So here is my view. 

It is my belief that anything that separates us from God is a sin. That covers a lot of ground. Sin is due to personal behavior and sometimes can be the result of attitudes that foster defiance and it hurts to write but also are the result of one who has a hatred of God. Yes, there are those in this world that hate God. We as Christians accept the Judaic concept of sin but look to the New Testament thought that the sinful nature of humanity is a condition that Jesus came into the world to heal. There is no way that any rational person could ever deny that sin is not destructive to those who do so and to those around them. Where there are the attributes of sin the Holy Spirit cannot abide.

Why is salvation important?

Salvation means being saved from sin, living a life here on earth that allows for a strong relationship with God, which in turn allows our relationship with Jesus Christ to strengthen our resolve and to live a good Christian life. How do we receive Salvation? Many writers and many ways have attempted to give us the answer for this question. … one source says salvation can be achieved in the following manner: “Live a holy and righteous life dedicated to Yahweh, the God of Creation. Fast, worship, and celebrate during the appropriate holidays.”  Simple OT reasoning and then there is the Theological term “atonement”. It centers on cleansing of impurity from the Temple, mind and bodies. Then there is the  New Testament notions  “Christ died for our sins” 1 Corinthians 15:3  “we were reconciled to God through his sacrifice. 

1 Corinthians 15:3

3 For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures,

My one thought here is to keep this simple. Salvation is freely given to those who seek it…but… there is that caveat. The gift is free but requires a true repentance and the spiritual maintenance of mind, body and soul, that we might be acceptable in His sight. I thought that in keeping it simple Wikipedia did it best……

“Repentance is reviewing one’s actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs, which is accompanied by commitment to and actual actions that show and prove a change for the better.”

Now sins are divided by some to be judged by their severity, and state of intent. There are those of an intentional nature, knowingly done and those of omission and lack of vigilance. Love is the balm of Christian thought and action. How do we live to serve God and Christ?

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, 13

4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends….   13 And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

Fill life with Love.

Life is Good

jk