Author Archives: John Kurt Carpenter

Daniel 3 – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

25 Sunday Jan 2015

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This is an incredible story of faith and survival. The account of these three young men is one that is told over and over again, mostly to children. Children love to act out this story and retell it to others.( PAMELA ROSE WILLIAMS)

Some thoughts about Daniel 3…..

-The informers were prejudiced against the Jews, possibly because they were jealous of the Jews’ privileged position.

-Though Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are monotheistic, most other religions throughout history have been polytheistic. The numerous gods may be dominated by a supreme god or by a small group of powerful gods, but from Nebuchadnezzar’s polytheistic perspective there was no god capable of such deliverance. Unwittingly, Nebuchadnezzar challenged the power of the God of Israel.

-3:17, 18 These verses express the central theme of the chapter. The idea is not that God will always protect His people from physical harm; He may do that and certainly is able to. The central idea is that God’s people should be obedient to Him whatever the consequences.

When we obey God and he makes his presence known to us and others can see the results of our relationship with God, great things will happen.

When the king looked into the furnace that held these three men he saw four men and was astonished. He called for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to come out of the furnace and when the king saw that God protected them he too believed on God and sent out this decree:
Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. (Daniel 3:29-30)

Exodus 20 – The Ten Commandments

18 Sunday Jan 2015

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I think this is the second most popular chapter in the Bible. It tells of how Moses stood before the Lord on the mountain and received the 10 most important commands from God. He then took it to the people that he was leading to the Promised Land. When the people heard the thunder, lightning, smoke and noise they were afraid. Then Moses said to them:
“…Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.” (Exodus 20:20)
PAMELA ROSE WILLIAMS

The first thing to be acknowledged is that these commands are the vision of the God of the exodus and are intended to provide shape and order for his people. These commands are divided into two tablets: one containing relations to God, and one concerning the neighbor. Both tablets are crucial to biblical faith. The second tablet is not just about a set of good moral ideas but contains conditions worthwhile to human life. These are the non-negotiable conditions that God sees as bringing order into this world. It is worth noting here that the way in which the people serve the God of the exodus, their acceptance of his laws, will impact and reshape human relations into a more compassionate and Godly treatment of others. We can say that the strength of our biblical faith is dependent on our obedience to our God.

Matthew 19:16-22
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

This story of Jesus’ encounter with the rich man is also found in Mark and Luke. Several writers point to the fact that as Jesus alludes to the Ten Commandments it is a selective process in which not all the commandments are listed. Perhaps to Jesus the commandments are a first level demand of God’s people which can be attained through obedience to the law. They are simply the threshold to more serious discipleship and a step on the demanding way to eternal life.

We see in Exodus 20:19-21 the awesome reality of this God we serve. The people stand before a God of majesty and awesome power, before whom extra care must be taken. We would do well to remember this.

*Some information contained here is taken from the NIB commentary and the writings of George E Mendenhall

Genesis 37 – Joseph and the Coat of Many Colours

11 Sunday Jan 2015

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This week we turn to the book of Genesis, Chapter 37 as we continue to look at some of the great chapters of the Bible. It is important to note that I have identified the authors and other varied sources used in this blog. My thoughts are included and yours are welcomed. We return this week to the writings of PAMELA ROSE WILLIAMS.

Genesis 37 – Joseph and the Coat of Many Colours
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. (Genesis 37:3)
In Genesis 37 we read the account of a man named Jacob (also known as Israel) who had more than 13 children (Genesis29; 30; 35:16-25). His favorite son was the one who was born later in his life. Because he was favored, Jacob made Joseph a “coat of many colours”.
It is recorded that because Jacob loved Joseph more than his brothers that they became jealous and sought to kill him. As the brothers conspired to kill Joseph they had second thoughts and instead threw him into a pit and left him there but before they did, they took his coat of many colours. Later one brother returned to the pit to find it empty. What they did not know is that some merchantmen had found him and sold him to some Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they took Joseph to Egypt.
To hide their dirty deed from their father the brothers took animal blood and put it on the coat of many colours and returned to Jacob with it. Jacob was very distressed over the incident and mourned for Joseph many days.
( http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com )

We are introduced to two main players here whose actions brought to light the dysfunction of this family and Gods’ use of it for a greater purpose, the first player being Jacob.

“What was there to like about Jacob? He was an opportunist, co-conspirator, shifty, untrustworthy, negligent, and a father who picked favorites. Yet God said, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Romans 9:13). God blessed him with many children, a productive lifestyle, and a long life. Jacob’s story reminds believers that God is in the business of transforming our struggles for His purposes and our good.”
Crystal McDowell

Joseph was a young man, a shepherd and an interpreter. One of his first acts as an interpreter, a role he plays in the story, was to bring criticism of his brothers back to Jacob, forging a relationship with his father that the other brothers did not have. This relationship suggests that Joseph has become the “chosen son” of the promise. Jacob does nothing to suggest otherwise and even adds to the perception by gifting Joseph publicly with the gift of a costly robe, “a coat of many colors”.

I suppose that in some way the story here is also about relationships. Our relationship with family, friends and God; Jacob made a few mistakes but God loved him, forgave him and blessed him. In Joseph we see how important it is to use the gifts given to us by God in a way that glorifies God and serves his people. We also learn that God speaks to us in many ways as with Joseph it was through his dreams. We often say that our conscience, that little voice that sometimes seeks to correct or stop us from doing something, can be responsible for stopping us from a wrong path or action. Could it be, maybe just possible that that little voice is God speaking to us? It is often said that conscience is one’s moral sensitivity or personal scruples; to the believer it just could be God’s will and direction for their life.

No one in this story emerges innocent. The primary victim of course is Joseph but he furnishes the fuel for his own troubles. Everyone in their own way contributes to the mess this family finds itself in. We could try to spread the blame about evenly but something more powerful hides within this chapter. God is the all determining power that forgives the responsible for their sins and wins out over our human weakness for sin. God is in control even when we seek to allow human will and weakness to rule our lives.

*Additional information in this blog from NIB commentary

Genesis 1 – The Creation Account From the writings of Pamela Rose Williams

31 Wednesday Dec 2014

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Genesis 1 is the first chapter in the Bible and it tells of how God created the heavens and earth. As you read this chapter you are introduced to the historical record of an Almighty Creator. The very words “In the beginning” sets the stage of how God created something from nothing and as you read on you begin to understand that there is One who is in control and who set all things in motion.
“God” is mention 32 times in these 31 verses and it is in Genesis 1 that we first read about the Holy Spirit and His power (Gen 1:2). We also see, for the first time:
• Light and darkness
• Day and night
• Water and land (Earth and Seas)
• The firmament (Heaven)
• Grass, herbs and fruit trees
• The stars that light up the skies, used for seasons, days and years
• The fowls of the air and other living creatures
And Genesis chapter 1 is where the creation of man is first mentioned and the order of living things; that God gave man dominion over all of the other living creatures.
It is the first time that we are introduced to the doctrine of the Trinity when we read:
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26)

http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/author/pam/
I very much liked the authors concise and yet in depth commentary regarding the first chapter of Genesis. One thing I take from this chapter is the only conclusion any rational person could take, even setting aside the faith factor. I would think that believers and non-believers could see plainly that there is “One who is in control and who set all things in motion.” How important is control to you in your everyday life. I believe that to the majority of us it is very important. Being a Christian is in part willing to give God control of our lives and also being accountable for our actions. We will at times fail but He who is in control will forgive and forget our failures. All of us struggle with our faith and it is good we should remember who is in control.

Two Timing Christians…..

13 Sunday Apr 2014

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Pastor spoke this morning about the pursuit of “Righteousness” and that sometimes it meant leaving religion behind. Reminded me of a church sign I saw some time back that read “Tried Religion…. Try Jesus.”   Why today’s title? It’s that time of year again…..that rare national church day, retail bonanza,  get up, dress up and show up. I believe the Easter Bunny has as many or maybe more fans than Santa Claus. I am sure the retail folks like him better in some ways. You see to open presents and such you can put on  pajamas or whatever but Easter has a parade and even a song about a ladies hat. Ah…new hat requires new shoes, dress, purse and other accessories too numerous to mention. Now it doesn’t stop here. Don’t forget with mom looking so good it would be disrespectful for dad and the kids to show up in anything less than today’s newest. Can you say “credit, debit or cash”? Having so much fun with this lost my way, better get back to the pew.

We all know Christmas and Easter are two times of the year that most of the pews are full. It is not my intent to belittle anyone. The church is full of folks that are there any time the door is open, those who never miss a Sunday and the ones I call “two-fers”. Two-fers are the ones whose Sunday always include Sunday school. For those of you who are just curious we Christians tend to believe these Sunday services and school cover our bad behavior during the next six days; at least that is what my less religious friends tell me. Every now and then someone says something different and simple that enlightens and inspires. But if it challenges us to be better, that is a pass this along please. When it comes from the pulpit it requires at least a respectful Amen! This didn’t come from the pulpit, our pastor has taken to wandering around as he preaches, stopping at the pulpit now and then to check his notes if need be but he said it.

Religion is to keep it simple, the way we worship. For many people this is very important. You might say religion is a procedure by which we as humans have deemed to be a comfortable way to worship our God. The songs we sing, the way we pray, the rules or beliefs of our particular faith.  Do we seek to be righteous, to live as Jesus would have us live? Are we a better person today than we were yesterday? Two days a year, every Sunday or any time the door is open. The question is “are you a better person who seeks to live a righteous life?” What is “to be righteous”? Pastor stopped moving around and said this to us…

 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and great commandment.And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

So pastor here is the Amen you didn’t get from the pew this morning.   AMEN

 

Aside

A Question of Image, How Do You See Jesus?

04 Saturday Jan 2014

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Megyn Kelly, Fox News commentator says Jesus and Santa Claus are both white. Before we offend anyone let’s look at this from a cultural stand point and with secular reason. The article by Max Fisher found in WorldViews contains this excerpt of a respected professor of such subjects and his view.

What, as far as we know, did Jesus look like? What do we actually know about him?

“Well, what we know about him is that he was Galilean. As a Galilean, he would have been what is referred to as a Palestinian Jew. He would look the way that the average Palestinian would look today. So that would mean dark features, hairy, probably a longer nose, black hair.”

Nothing offensive here, a reasonable statement that really does not rise to the level of insult, disrespect or wishful thinking; now let’s look at what the Bible says. Genesis 1:27 King James Version.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

One thing about the community of believers is of course their diversity, so it is only reasonable to find diversity in the acceptance and use of various translations of the bible. I have chosen the KJV because most of the recent translations are newer forms that in no way change the content of the message. The verse above leads us to ask the next question. If I am created in his image, would not God be white? Some of you reading this might ask, or black, yellow, red, whatever. Next place to go is the dictionary and see what it says about “image”.

 exact likeness/semblance” God created man in his own image Genesis 1:27(Revised Standard Version)

If you believe as I do that God, Son, and the Holy Spirit are one, maybe it is not important what Jesus looks like but what makes him what he is, his image in our mind so to speak. Now as a person sitting in the pews and not a theological student I often read a wide range of thought on different matters, then pick the one that I am most comfortable with through study and prayer. God does not have a problem, we do and it is one of image. I settled on an article by Dick Staub written in March of 2013. Here are his six points of what the “Image of God” really means.
-God is Creative –
-God is Spirit
-God communicates God is intelligent
-God is relational
-God is a moral being

One last thing from Dick Stuab…..”In his image we should reflect God’s creative, spiritual, intelligent, communicative, relational, moral and purposeful capacities”……. How do you see yourself, what image do you present to the world?

THE NEXT STEP

31 Tuesday Dec 2013

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We are just hours away from the New Year and this will be my last post this year. I share with you things I hear from other Christians, those in the Pew so to speak and from different materials I read on a regular basis. While writing this blog I have found that the biggest problem for us in the pews is the fact that we don’t read the word enough and make use of the numerous bible commentaries available to us today. Of course the best way to discernment of the word is the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Today I share with you from Matthew 14, verses 29-33. Today’s scripture comes from an article published in the Upper Room by Ciara Lilly and the commentary is from Barclay’s DBS. All sources used here other than my own comments are in “italics”.

Matthew 14:28–33
And Peter answered him: ‘Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.’ He said: ‘Come.’ Peter got down from the boat and walked on the water to come to Jesus. But, when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and, when he began to sink below the water, he cried out: ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and grasped him. ‘O man of little faith!’ he said. ‘Why did you begin to have doubts?’ And when they got into the boat, the wind sank. And those in the boat knelt in reverence before him, saying: ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’

This passage in the New Testament tells us three things about Peter.

(1) Peter was given to acting upon impulse and without thinking of what he was doing. It was his mistake that again and again he acted without fully facing the situation an without counting the cost. He was to do exactly the same when he affirmed undying and unshakable loyalty to Jesus (Matthew 26:33–5), and then denied his Lord’s name. And yet there are worse sins than that, because Peter’s whole trouble was that he was ruled by his heart; and, however he might sometimes fail, his heart was always in the right place and the instinct of his heart was always love.

(2) Because Peter acted on impulse, he often failed and came to grief. It was always Jesus’ insistence that people should look at a situation in all its bleak grimness before they acted (Luke 9:57–8; Matthew 16:24–5). Jesus was completely honest with people; he always urged them to see how difficult it was to follow him before they set out upon the Christian way. A great deal of Christian failure is due to acting upon an emotional moment without counting the cost.

(3) But Peter never finally failed, for always in the moment of his failure he clutched at Christ. The wonderful thing about him is that every time he fell, he rose again; and that it must have been true that even his failures brought him closer and closer to Jesus Christ. As has been well said, a saint is not someone who never fails; a saint is someone who after a fall gets up and goes on again every time. Peter’s failures only made him love Jesus Christ the more.

Olive Wyon, in her book Consider Him, quotes from the letters of the seventeenth-century Bishop of Geneva, a story about an unusual practice of that day but one that had a practical application. After drawing water from the well and the pail was full they always put a piece of wood into it. When asked why they replied, ‘Why? to keep the water from spilling . . . to keep it steady!’ Writing to a friend later on, the bishop told this story and added: ‘So when your heart is distressed and agitated, put the Cross into its centre to keep it steady!’ In every time of storm and stress, the presence of Jesus and the love which flows from the cross bring peace and serenity and calm.

It is my prayer that this New Year bring to you and yours the peace and serenity and clam that only the presence of Jesus can bring onto our lives.

Christmas Belongs To Christians?

14 Saturday Dec 2013

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The devil is in the details….my Pastor says we should not get hung up in details. I like that thought as experience has taught me that with details come self-appointed experts, rules and sometimes unreasonable expectations.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Christmas (Old English: Crīstesmæsse, meaning “Christ’s Mass”) is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely observed holiday, celebrated generally on December 25 by millions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it closes the Advent season and initiates the twelve days of Christmastide, which ends after the twelfth night Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world’s nations, is celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians, and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.

Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary as a fulfillment of the Old Testament’s Messianic prophecy The Bible contains two accounts which describe the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. Depending on one’s perspective, these accounts either differ from each other or tell two versions of the same story. These biblical accounts are found in the Gospel of Matthew, namely Matthew 1:18, and the Gospel of Luke, specifically Luke 1:26 and 2:40. According to these accounts, Jesus was born to Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem.

Ok, most all of the research I have done supports my following statement. Back in the day, a long way back, people celebrated what they called “Winter Festival” and as the church became more established the secular festival became Christmas, a Christian Holiday. That’s right we named it, and it belongs to us. Quit messing with my holiday! Now I am willing to be fair about this and after all this is a Democracy not Theocracy so let’s do this. Leave my Holiday alone and consider these few adjustments.

We will no longer have a Christmas shopping season, we will do away with the holidays observed by Government around Christmas and as a Christian I will observe the birth of my Lord and savior with my fellow believers in a Church or in our homes. In return you will agree to my right to believe in Jesus Christ, leave my symbols of faith alone and generally mind your own business.
In closing I leave you with this thought…. It is happening to often, it is not all right and it is MERRY CHRISTMAS, not happy holidays!

Great Chapters From The Bible

07 Saturday Dec 2013

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For those of us in the pews one of the best ways to remain strong in His will for our life is to be strong in The Word. With that thought in mind I will from time to time offer up some of the greatest chapters of the bible for your study and comment. Space and time won’t allow for a full look at what is in that chapter but I will highlight some of the more compelling sections, in my opinion. This leaves you with the task of reading the chapter and coming to your own conclusion; which was my goal all along.

This blog offers the book of Mark, Chapter 12 as one of the great chapters of the Bible. I will use as my first example “The Greatest Commandment” Mark 12: 28-34. Three points here.
-belief in one God
-whole-hearted devotion to God
-love of neighbor
See how both the scribe and Jesus have stepped away from the”us versus them”way of thinking that is so common in our dealings with each other today. The scribe recognizes Jesus as the great teacher; Jesus recognizes the scribe as a pilgrim moving toward the kingdom. Their lived out common devotion to God and neighbor silences the debate.

Next would be “The Widow’s Offering”, Mark 12: 41-44. This story poses the same challenge to readers today as it did in Jesus’ time. People usually think of giving to the church and to charities as an option. The money for charitable giving comes out of the surplus after personal expenses have been met. Those necessary expenses usually include many extras in terms of entertainment, clothes, food, and toys.

Two great stories from Mark, a must read chapter from the Bible.

Reference material / New Interpreter’s Bible / NLT

Beyond The Words

01 Sunday Dec 2013

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There are certain times of the church year when familiar Scriptures become familiar stories that we have heard over the years. We become comfortable with the words and our reactions become almost automatic. These are the stories we expect to hear at this time of year and our complacency leads to a familiarity that regulates the words to just another story told at this time. We all know the story told in Luke 1:26-45, which tells of Mary, her betrothal to Joseph, the pregnancy and her willingness to allow God’s will to be done in her life.

Come with me beyond the words to an amazing fact that is often overlooked because we find ourselves lost in the familiar words and doing the “church thing”. As we read on we come to verses 46-56 and here is an amazing fact about this thing we call Christianity. I share again with you from the commentaries of William Barclay.

HERE we have a passage which has become one of the great hymns of the Church – the Magnificat. It is steeped in the Old Testament; and is closely related to Hannah’s song of praise in I Samuel 2 : 1-10. It has been said that religion is the opiate of the people; but it has also been said that the Magnificat is the most revolutionary document in the world. It speaks of three of the revolutions of God.

(I) He scatters the proud in the plans of their hearts. That is a moral revolution. Christianity is the death of pride. Why? Because if people set their lives beside that of Christ, it tears away the last vestiges of their pride.

(2) He casts down the mighty – he exalts the humble. That is a social revolution. Christianity puts an end to the world’s labels and prestige.

(3) He has filled those who are hungry – those who are rich he has sent empty away. That is an economic revolution. A non-Christian society is an acquisitive society where people are out for as much as they can get. A Christian society is a society where no one dares to have too much while others have too little, where everyone must get only to give away. There is loveliness in the Magnificat but in that loveliness there is dynamite. Christianity brings about a revolution in individuals and revolution in the world.

Moral, Social and Economic…….or “Open Doors, Open Minds, Open Hearts”. Are you prepared to go beyond the words? Have we as the church left the door ajar, not open? Are our minds open only to those things that are comfortable for us? Does “Open Hearts” mean that I have to accept people that are different than me? I thought we were saving people, I had no idea this was a revolution!
Are you ready to go beyond the words?