random religious ruminations

Encouragers

2011-11-30T21:26:00.001-05:00

I hope that everyone has at least a few people in their lives that encourage them. For me, most of those folks are at my church. One was particularly helpful tonight and it got me thinking about some of the encouragers from my past:

My Geometry teacher, for showing me that God is orderly and beautifully complex and that understanding His creation can help in understanding Him
My freshman speech teacher, for handing me a fully graded speech immediately after finishing (it was an A) and telling me that I could do it
My first pastor, for teaching me both what God can and cannot do
My wife, for knowing that the ministry of presence is often far more encouraging than words could ever be

I hope you've got some encouragers. And if you do, let them know you noticed.

Grace and peace,

Jim

Then the disciples took him . . .

2010-09-28T19:31:00.004-04:00

by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket. (Acts 9:25)

Bible characters made some strange exits, didn't they? The two Jericho spies, David, and Saul all made great escapes by being lowered down walls. Makes for great storytelling, doesn't it? Those must have been heart-pounding escapes involving hurried prayers, quick thinking, and steady hands. Steady hands? Yes, steady hands. Sometimes--by focusing only on the person being lowered--we forget that there were faithful hands holding the ropes. Faithful hands that loved those on the other end. Faithful hands that were at risk of being caught themselves. Faithful hands that often go unnamed. Faithful hands that the spies, David, and Saul depended on. Faithful hands that stayed true to the task at hand until the job was done.

I love faithful hands. Faithful hands that prepare for those that come. Faithful hands that serve those that arrive. Faithful hands that clean up when all are gone. Faithful hands that hold the ropes so the spies, the Davids, and the Sauls can serve God in the roles to which they have been called. You've probably heard that behind every good man is a good woman. There are also people that are faithful at holding ropes. Faithful at holding the rope of daily prayer. Faithful at holding the rope of having a regular time with God. Faithful at holding the rope of regular giving. Faithful at holding the rope of Christian community. Faithful at holding the rope of love to a lost and dying world.

But rope-holding is not without pain. Rope-holding causes blisters. Rope-holding causes cramped hands. Rope-holding rarely gets noticed. Rope-holding isn't glamorous or the quick way to the top. But rope-holding is critical to accomplishing God's will in the world.

I cannot get these questions out of my head: Am I holding the rope as I should? Am I holding the wrong rope? Am I only holding the rope when it is convenient? Am I weary in well-doing?

Jesus Himself holds the rope for us and He is Faithful. May we be faithful at holding the ropes that we have been called to hold.

Return, return, O Shulamite;

2010-09-27T14:09:00.002-04:00

Return, return, that we may look upon you! (Song of Solomon 6:12-13)

I put this blog aside for over a year because I was doing too much. Between family, work, church, and tutoring, I was running ragged and earlier this year I came down with mono. I'm just now getting better and I learned a few things about life and about myself in the process:

1. God has given me just enough time to do the things I am supposed to do.
2. God has not given me enough time to do the things I am not supposed to do.
3. I have a passion for certain things and I will do them no matter how I feel.
4. I have almost no passion for many things that I was doing but did them anyway because I felt they needed to be done.
5. I speak too quickly and the answer is generally, "Yes," when I should instead think more and answer, "No."
6. My wife was already aware of all of these.

Now that I am better, I will be posting occasionally about the things that I am passionate about. Right now, that includes my Sunday school class. I love that group and am amazed at their generosity, their love, and their willingness to do the work of the Lord.

De colores!

And my tongue shall speak . . .

2009-07-04T12:45:00.003-04:00

of Your righteousness
And of Your praise all the day long. (Psalm 35:28)

In our current Sunday school series, More Than a Creed, we finished up looking at the historical creeds last week with the Apostles' Creed. Tomorrow begins a deep dive into The Baptist Faith and Message (2000). As such, I've been doing a great deal of reading for research and preparation. One book that's been of tremendous benefit so far is The Baptist Faith & Message, by Kelley, Land, and Mohler.

My desire to mention that book prompted a bigger thought, and that's, "What books should all Christians consider reading?" I think the list is rather short (only one on the list is a 'must read'--the Scriptures themselves), but I'd like to propose that all Christians should consider reading the following books:
1. The Bible (obviously the first on any list and one that should be read regularly and with extreme humilty)
2. Bible Study Methods, by Rick Warren (in my opinion, it's better than The Purpose Driven Life or The Purpose Driven Church)
3.The Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis (a beautiful illustration of devilish correspondence and the associated need for focus while living the Christian life)
4. Living by the Book, by Hendricks and Hendricks (classic work on how to study the Bible)
5. The Baptist Faith & Message, by Kelley, Land, and Mohler (a clear, concise, and coherent view of the broader themes found in the Bible)
6. The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren (good summary of why we're here)

That's enough for now, but I needed to write that down while it was on my mind--who knows, maybe I'll even use this blog as a reference for what I believe (credulus).

Grace and peace!

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers . . .

2009-05-16T08:08:00.002-04:00

knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. (James 3:1)

Today is my thirty-third birthday. A curious realization that I am now the same age as Jesus was when He was wrapping up His ministry. It is hard to imagine my life ending later this year and God being done with me on Earth. It seems like there's so much more to do.

When I woke up this morning, I was thinking about my life and how long I have spent doing various things. I've been a Christian for almost 25 years (almost 3/4 of my life) and a teacher of the Bible for 17 years (more than half of my life). That's the thought that got me this morning—I've taught the Bible for more than half of my life—both sobering and humbling.

Now, my wife knows that I fall in love easily. I'll have a 'favorite' dish for a month and then the next month it will be intolerable (and she's a saint for putting up with me). I've fallen in love with food, with books, with musicians, with authors, with artists, with gadgetry, with my children, and even with animals (long ago). But none of those compare with my love affair with the Scriptures. This particular love has morphed into many things over the past 17 years—excitement, fascination, conviction, anger, hurt, disbelief, belief, and lately a sense of awe at God's big, beautiful, arc of redemption that is woven throughout time.

I obviously don't know how long I'll live, or how long I'll be able to teach, but I hope that over the next 17 years, Lord willing, my love affair with the Scriptures continues to grow so that I become more like its Author each day.

So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights . . .

2009-04-22T17:37:00.003-04:00

he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:28)

Forty days with no break or water. Sometimes the seemingly 'smaller' miracles of God go unnoticed in the shadow of the larger events of the Bible (i.e., the giving of the Ten Commandments—even my capitalization of the Ten Commandments and not the Forty Days with No Food or Water speaks weightily).

Today is the start of our 40 Days of Purpose small group. It will mark the fifth time that I have gone through Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life. It is not a perfect book, but it does summarize and organize many of the central themes of the Christian life in succinct form. I have never been through the book with a small group of six—but that is the size of our current group.

I pray we (our small group) are able to put aside many of the distractions of life (the bread and water) and spend a refreshing and renewing period with the Lord.

I also plan on teaching a Purpose Driven Marriage series in Sunday school during this same period and will, as usual, post the results here once complete. Here’s to a great 40 days!

I have called by name . . .

2009-03-10T18:21:00.002-04:00

Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship. (Exodus 31:2-5)

A deacon in our church recently delivered a message about this passage of Scripture. He talked about how God is a personal god and how He fills us with His Spirit. Us—the ‘normal’ people of God. We can get fooled into thinking that the Spirit only fills those ‘in the ministry’—but God's Spirit filled Bezaleel—a craftsman. A craftsman, not a preacher. A craftsman, not an evangelist. A craftsman, not a prophet. A craftsman, not a priest. A craftsman, not a spiritual superhero.

Bezaleel planned, designed, cut, set, and carved. I view him as an Old Testament version of Norm Abram. He did it all and it was because God's Spirit filled Bezaleel to do His job. Bezaleel's name means, 'in the shadow/protection of God.' Bezaleel didn't want the limelight—he was content to be in the shadow of God's glory. Bezaleel was second because God was first.

What’s even more interesting is the fact that this is the first filling of the Spirit to occur in the Bible. God first fills the ‘average Joe/Bezaleel’ with His Spirit before He ever fills a preacher, evangelist, prophet or priest. The world is made up of Bezaleels—and I’m glad God’s Spirit still fills them.

Grace and peace to you.

Some trust in chariots . . .

2009-01-31T20:03:00.002-05:00

and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God. (Psalm 20:6)

I just finished watching an episode of Modern Marvels about the horse (not exactly modern and not exactly a marvel, but nonetheless an interesting episode), and my mind wandered a bit to an old Jennifer Knapp song, "In the Name." The song makes reference to various people that trust in anything but God, and the chorus says, "Some trust in chariots. But we trust in the name of the Lord our God." It is a good reminder that nothing that man builds is trustworthy--not even man himself. That means me and that means you.

Chariots were the obvious sign of strength in Bible times and if you were powerful enough, you had hundreds (Pharaoh had six hundred that perished in the Red Sea after he chased the Israelites; Sisera had nine hundred iron chariots and ended up with a headache; Solomon had twelve hundred and got sidetracked a bit as well). The chariots would be outfitted with spears that extended from the sides of the chariot and were fantastic at mowing down infantry (taking them out at the shin).

I guess if David were writing the Psalm today, he would write, "Some trust in nuclear weapons," or, "Some trust in atomic bombs," or, "Some trust in stealth bombers." If I were writing it, I would write, "Some trust in their 401Ks," or, "Some trust in their education," or, "Some trust in their religion." All equally hopeless. All equally distracting from the only thing worth trusting in--the name of the Lord. The Hebrew word for name is 'shem.' It means one's name, reputation, glory, or fame.

It is good to remember that there is a great chasm between my name, my reputation, my fame, my glory, and the Lord's. It is so good to remember the name of the Lord--the name that encourages, motivates, loves, nurtures, and saves.

How long will you slumber . . .

2009-01-27T21:01:00.002-05:00

O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? (Proverbs 6:9)

I have slept since my last post, but that's not all I have done. The last post talked about reading through the Bible in 90 days. Needless to say, that pace was too much—not because of the reading (I am a voracious reader), but because I did not have time to soak (meditate) on the substance of what I was reading. I got through Leviticus and became overwhelmed with the bloodiness of sin. Every chapter resonated louder and louder, "When I sin, something has to bleed." Brutal, but very illustrative of the deathly impact that 'missing the mark' has on life.

Check out the new lessons on the Genealogies of Jesus, Marriage and the 10 Commandments (one of my favorite series so far), and Psalm 136. Our class is currently going through a series entitled, "Observing the Ordinances" and I have been amazed at how much I did not know about communion and baptism. Neat stuff, so stay tuned.

I have chosen the way of truth . . .

2008-09-06T14:07:00.002-04:00

Your judgments I have laid before me. (Psalm 119:30)

So some churches around where I live have set a goal to read through the Bible in 90 days. I've read the Bible through several times before, but never in this short of a period. It's amazing how much more cohesive a book is when read over a short period. Relationships, patterns and people are much clearer when read on a compressed timeline. I've found that I tend to want to stop and look at the trees when this method gives a great picture of the forest. I'm an incredibly detail-oriented person by nature, but this particular assignment has given me a great opportunity to see God's larger plan and purpose--something that's hard to do on a verse-by-verse study of a book or concept. Six days down and 84 to go . . .

Disperse the rage . . .

2008-08-02T12:33:00.002-04:00

. . . of your wrath. (Job 40:11a)

In a conversation with Job in Job 40, God challenges Job to perform acts that only God can do. One of the things listed is to, "Disperse the rage of your wrath." This is apparently a characteristic of God--the ability to disperse rage. God still rages, but He can disperse His anger. Talk about a tough line to live up to--I get angry and my rage spills over. God gets angry and His rage disperses. Praise God that He is not like me . . .

In the day that I call, . . .

2008-07-22T18:35:00.003-04:00

. . . answer me speedily. Psalm 102:2b

I was reading this Psalm the other day and noticed that the Psalmist didn't ask God to answer--he told God to answer--and he told God to do it speedily. Incredible boldness and brashness. Or is it?

It got me to thinking about how often I tell God to do things (without consciously thinking that I'm ordering around the Almighty). Many of my own prayers are quite demanding from my heart while simultaneously humble from my mouth. It's a hard balance to maintain--meekness, humility and boldness all at once.

Jesus had this balance in communication figured out. He even had the relationship with the Father figured out. I guess it just goes to show that God is gracious in dealing with us--He forgives our trespasses and allows us to continue attempting to serve Him. He is indeed good.

Yet who knows . . .

2008-07-01T16:48:00.002-04:00

. . . whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14)

Sunday was the last lesson in the Jewish Holidays series. It was an interesting study and one that leaves me feeling overwhelmed with how much there is to know about God, Scripture and history. I merely scratched the surface of some of the larger holidays and still felt like I was drinking from a fire hydrant. God is so much bigger than I am.

This Sunday I'm deviating from the norm by teaching a 'one-off' lesson on the Philippian jailer. It's one I've taught before in a prior non-Sunday school series and it gives me a chance to spend more time on preparing the next series: Esther. I didn't realize how big Esther was until after I had decided to teach through it verse-by-verse. I've never taught from Esther before, so I'm looking forward to learning this story and getting others excited about it as well.

We'll see how it goes . . . and as always, I'll post the results here. Grace and peace to you.

Avoid it, do not travel on it . . .

2008-06-19T20:07:00.002-04:00

turn away from it and pass on. (Proverbs 4:15)

My children stayed with my parents this week and today we traveled from Chattanooga to Atlanta to pick them up. Then, we all drove to Mobile, AL to spend a few days with my wife's parents and sisters' families. All total, about 500 miles in a rental car.

Proverbs 4:15 is how I felt numerous times today while on the stretch of I-85 in between Atlanta and Montgomery. While Solomon was referring to the, "path of the wicked" (Proverbs 4:14), the incessantly intermittent orange barrels that we passed reminded me of man's inability to create things that last.

God, in the most prolific six-day period of creativity the universe has ever known, created not only the universe and its contents, but also the universe's inherent ability to continue on without need for repair.

The United States interstate system has over 46K miles of highway that must constantly be patched, repaved and filled in. The universe has billions and billions of stars that harmoniously glorify God and are never in need of repair (design matters).

Lest we ever forget that God's ability to design and implement far surpasses our own, even things as simple as orange barrels remind us of Him.

That I may discern . . .

2008-06-12T22:52:00.002-04:00

between good and evil. (1 Kings 3:9b)

Hopefully, this blog is a bit easier than attempting to judge an entire nation, but if you haven't figured it out, this is how it works:

Lessons are on the side and are available in both teacher and student formats. The teacher format is what I teach from and the student format is what is handed out at the beginning of a lesson. I am a big fan of engaging visual, auditory and haptic learning styles simultaneously. I have PDFd them for ease of distribution, but have them available in Word formats as well.

Over the next few months, I would like to put up many of the lessons I have taught. I find it sad that there is very little free Sunday school material available online and I pray this blog helps to alleviate that issue.

Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen. (1 Peter 5:14b)

And on the seventh day . . .

2008-06-07T20:28:00.003-04:00

God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. (Genesis 2:2)

Today was a day of rest for my family and I. I started the day by finishing up tomorrow's Sunday school lesson. I enjoy study. There's a pleasure that comes from looking, aggregating, sorting, sifting, meditating and writing. I think that's why I'm drawn to study--focusing on something other than myself allows me to see how much bigger God is and the quietness associated with study helps me to slow down enough to meditate on that fact.

Our world is losing the ability to stop doing. I find myself drifting toward busyness. Listening to the radio in the car today, I noticed that even the disc jockeys talk over the introductory music in songs--as if the world needs more voices.

Tomorrow's lesson is on the Sabbath. Not a day of rest, but rather a day of active ceasing of work. I have learned that there is a difference.

To everything there is a season . . .

2008-06-06T17:06:00.005-04:00

A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
And a time to die
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a)

I attended a funeral today--the first in several years. The somberness of the moment is only washed away by the hope of things to come. I heard someone say one time that a true friend is someone who wouldn't look at his watch during your funeral . . . from what I could tell, Mr. Crow had many true friends.

I'd never seen a military funeral before--the attention to detail magnifies the significance. There is beauty in order, awe in precision, and fascination around the focus of those involved. The thousands and thousands of perfectly aligned headstones communicate loudly without making a sound. It's as if the dead say in unity--"We were here. Remember us."

Today, I was reminded that there is a time to die.

God created the heavens and the earth . . .

2008-06-05T23:10:00.004-04:00

Obviously, I can't follow that, but I can put up what I've found out. Over time, I hope to use this blog as a resource to share what the Holy Spirit has shared with me. Freely I have received, so freely I give (Matthew 10:8).

I get to teach a Sunday school class at my church (an eclectic group, but our passions exculpate our differences). It's exciting, humbling, scary and exhausting--I love it. I've taught (in various capacities) since I was 16 (I'm now 32), and this particular class began in March. We studied Jewish weddings in March, the One Another Scriptures in April, 3 John in May, and in June we're looking at Jewish holidays (not your typical Southern Baptist Sunday school, but nobody ever said I was normal). For each lesson I teach, I try to do a handout and a set of teacher's notes.

Comments, questions, and complaints are welcome as long as they are done in the spirit of 1 Corinthians 10:31.

In the beginning . . .

2008-06-05T22:55:00.005-04:00

I figure if the Bible started off with those words, I probably couldn't go wrong. I'll try to post things I know, things I don't, and things that are somewhere along that continuum.