My last entry was from July and since then my life has been a little bit in overdrive. I can't say its one thing or another, just a lot of little things. But I hope you faithful have been praying for me and that God gives me the right things to share.
The first week of August Cheryl and I traveled with the Calvary Cruisers (Christian Club) to Vermont. We camped, made day trips, had devotions and I was able to hook up with an old friend. The last time I saw or talked to Pete was in the mid-70s, probably before I got married. Anyway ran across him on Facebook, where we exchanged a few pleasantries. When he saw my posting for the trip to Vermont he mentioned he would be there the same week. This was really cool since he is a real genuine brother in Christ. Anyway I passed onto him my cell phone so he could get a hold of me. Now here is the fun part. I am out with the group returning from church we are parked in the driveway of a house when my phone rings. I take it out but I have my helmet on so I yell "Wait a minute I have my helmet on". I then take my helmet off and say hello. Voice on the other end says "Hey, It's me". He didn't say his name but even after 34 years I knew it was Pete. We got together for a great lunch at the Bonaza resturant where we met his wife and one of his son's. What a special relationship we have with our brothers when you can pick up the relationship 34 years later as if nothing happened.
During the trip with the Cruisers we started a study in Colossians. It was kind of a whirlwind tour and we didn't quite finish. So I said I would use this blog to complete the study. The only way I can do that fairly is to start from the begining. Maybe some day when we get through Colossians we will return to Luke.
Well first of all lets just look at the first couple of verses:
Col 1: 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
As you can see from these verses that the book of Collosians in the Bible is actually a letter. It tells us who wrote it and who they were writting to. The main author is Paul, but he acknowledges that the letter is from him and Timothy together. The recipients of the letter were the saints and faithful bretheren in Christ who are in Colosse. In this letter we see that Paul was an Apostle (someone who is sent). As a formal title it is someone who Jesus directly sends.
So there were the original 12 apostles and then Judas who betrayed Jesus committed suicide. After Jesus death he appeared to Paul and asked him "...why are you persecuting me?". Because Paul (who was then called Saul) was persecuting the christians. He was having them sent to jail. Long story short, Paul becomes a christian and travels throughout the Roman empire telling other about the savior Jesus Christ.
You might have noticed the term saint in these verses. You might be thinking wow there was more than one saint at the church in Colosse. You would be right. All the people at Colosse who sought and found the savior Jesus Christ are saints. As a matter of fact if you have accepted Jesus as your savior you are a saint. You are separated from the world and consecrated to God. It was not used as a distinctive title of the apostles and evangelists and of a "spiritual nobility" till the fourth century. So as you can see it is not a scriptural title to be applied to only some Christians.
My hope is that you will see as we look at scripture that it is good news for everyone.
So I am hoping after 2 months I can pick up this relationship of sharing information with you as you search for the savior.
This is a blog for the general public to create awareness that God has sent a Savior for us. He is Jesus Christ God's Son. We no longer need to walk in darkness, desperation and depression.
Showing posts with label motorcycle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motorcycle. Show all posts
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Sinners Wanted
Took another break or should I say have another break. Or maybe I am broken. Anyway I reinjured my hand a week and a half ago. I was playing 1 on 1 basketball with my son in the driveway. I realized I was way out of my league even though he was going easy on me. Well during a ungraceful (I was wearing motorcycle boots) cut to the basket I ran smack into Ben and went flying down on the driveway landing right on my right hand again. By the time I got home it had swollen up as big as an orange. The doctor wasn't sure but I might have a hairline fracture. So back to wearing a splint for 3 weeks.
So lets pick up where we left off in Luke chapter 5.
27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, 28and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
31Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Well the Pharisees and teachers of the Law are still with us. Waiting and watching every move that Jesus makes. But now we are going to meet a new character Levi the tax collector. Maybe when you think of a tax collector you think of an IRS agent. You might think its bad enough someone poking into your finances to be sure that you are paying your taxes according to the law. However a tax collector during Jesus time represented something worse.
So it should come as no surprise to have the comment equating tax collectors and sinners.
So the question asked not directly to Jesus but to His disciples. At this point the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law are cautious about confronting Jesus directly. As you remember from the last story they were caught muttering amoung themselves.
The religious leaders wanted to have a holy club where only those who were rightous would hang out. They believed that God would like them for thier good work, thier holy practices and the group they hung around with. But Jesus has come for the sinners. He is looking for sinners. He walked right up to Levi's tax collecting table and said follow me. Jesus has come to a party where sinners are hanging out to bring them too repentence.
In a sense though he is also poking at the illusion of the religious leaders. He says has not come for the rightous. But we know thier are none rightous by thier own works. So the Pharisees are in a sense being made fun of. They would have viewed themselves as rightous and deserving of the utmost respect from anyone sent by God. Jesus leaves them to consider the paradox of thier view. If they are rightous why is thier compassion for others absent. Jesus is saying sinners need help. The Pharisees think the rightous are to avoid sinners.
In reality thier we are all sinners. The dividing line is not between the rightous and sinners. But between those who know they are sinners and need the forgiveness of God. And those who believe they are not sinners, but are rightous in thier own eyes.
If you are really searching for a savior then in order to find Him you need to recognize that you are a sinner and cannot obtain rightousness on your own. Only through faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died on the Cross can we be transformed from our old self to a new person.
So lets pick up where we left off in Luke chapter 5.
27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, 28and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.
29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
31Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Well the Pharisees and teachers of the Law are still with us. Waiting and watching every move that Jesus makes. But now we are going to meet a new character Levi the tax collector. Maybe when you think of a tax collector you think of an IRS agent. You might think its bad enough someone poking into your finances to be sure that you are paying your taxes according to the law. However a tax collector during Jesus time represented something worse.
- They were hired under contract to deliver a certian amount of money by direct collection or levies.
- They were Jews who worked for the Roman government
- Their independence allowed them to abuse and collect more tax for their own use through extortion and physical coersion. Some control of excess reported to the Roman's could lead to persecution, but if the tax collector kept it small scale thier abuses were tolerated.
- Tax collectors worked on the Sabbath
- Considered unclean by associating with gentiles (non-jews)
So it should come as no surprise to have the comment equating tax collectors and sinners.
So the question asked not directly to Jesus but to His disciples. At this point the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law are cautious about confronting Jesus directly. As you remember from the last story they were caught muttering amoung themselves.
The religious leaders wanted to have a holy club where only those who were rightous would hang out. They believed that God would like them for thier good work, thier holy practices and the group they hung around with. But Jesus has come for the sinners. He is looking for sinners. He walked right up to Levi's tax collecting table and said follow me. Jesus has come to a party where sinners are hanging out to bring them too repentence.
In a sense though he is also poking at the illusion of the religious leaders. He says has not come for the rightous. But we know thier are none rightous by thier own works. So the Pharisees are in a sense being made fun of. They would have viewed themselves as rightous and deserving of the utmost respect from anyone sent by God. Jesus leaves them to consider the paradox of thier view. If they are rightous why is thier compassion for others absent. Jesus is saying sinners need help. The Pharisees think the rightous are to avoid sinners.
In reality thier we are all sinners. The dividing line is not between the rightous and sinners. But between those who know they are sinners and need the forgiveness of God. And those who believe they are not sinners, but are rightous in thier own eyes.
If you are really searching for a savior then in order to find Him you need to recognize that you are a sinner and cannot obtain rightousness on your own. Only through faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who died on the Cross can we be transformed from our old self to a new person.
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Sunday, June 29, 2008
Waiting for Godot
This past Friday as I was leaving work a thunderstorm arrived as I went out to get on my motorcycle. I rode into the shelter of the parking garage to put on all my rain gear for the ride home. I had already ridden my motorcycle home several times in the rain so I felt prepared. However as I got about 2 miles from work and was crossing an intersection the sky opened up, thunder and lightning was raging and I was pummeled by 35 MPH cross winds which threatened to knock my motorcycle over. The road was soon inundated with about 2 - 4 inches of water. I crawled along at 20 miles an hour seeking a safe place to pull over. After about 300 yards I sought shelter near a farm, that runs a dairy store at one end. I sat on my motorcycle and waited. After the wind died down a little I drove another 3/4 of a mile to a Dunkin Donuts parked my motorcycle and went inside to wait for about another 35 minutes again for an opportunity to continue my ride home. After a while it did slow down to a steady rain and I continued home with the sky eventually clearing for the last 1/2 hour.
Many times in our life we have to wait. If we had foreknowledge and could determine what could be done to avoid it we would never wait. We are impatience, especially in our modern society. There is a very famous play by Samuel Becket called waiting for Godot. The play follows two consecutive days in the lives of a pair of men who divert themselves while they wait expectantly (and, we find, endlessly) for someone named Godot. They claim Godot to be an acquaintance but in fact hardly know him, admitting they wouldn’t recognize him if they saw him. To occupy themselves they eat, sleep, talk, argue, sing, play games, exercise, swap hats, and contemplate suicide - anything “to hold the terrible silence at bay”. There are many possible interpretations of this play, even that Godot is God, though the author denies that was his intent.
During my post this week we are just going to look at a couple of verses from someone waiting, what they are waiting for and how does that person wait.
Luke 2:25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29 “ Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33 And Joseph and His mother[h] marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
First of all who was waiting? All we know that there was a man named Simeon. He was just and devout. He was filled with the Holy Spirit. There is a sense that this man was old and holding on to life until he could see what he was waiting for. Chances are this man was long since dead by the time Luke investigated and wrote this gospel. Which means that what we know of his character was based on witnesses. It would be a testimony to any of us to be able to be known as just, devout and filled with the Holy Spirit.
What was Simeon waiting for? "The consolation of Israel". He knew that Israel needed a Messiah, and God had revealed to him that the time was near, so near that Simeon would not die before he had seen the "Lord's Christ". Who is the Christ that was revealed to Simeon?
You might find yourself even now waiting for the evening to pass, for tomorrow to arrive, for a new job, a new home, healing from hurts, for a better life to arrive and even for simple answers to questions that you might have about what God has revealed to us about a savior. My hope, prayer and desire is that this blog may be a means to help you trust in God's promises to bring comfort and patience to your waiting. Please let me know by posting a comment.
Many times in our life we have to wait. If we had foreknowledge and could determine what could be done to avoid it we would never wait. We are impatience, especially in our modern society. There is a very famous play by Samuel Becket called waiting for Godot. The play follows two consecutive days in the lives of a pair of men who divert themselves while they wait expectantly (and, we find, endlessly) for someone named Godot. They claim Godot to be an acquaintance but in fact hardly know him, admitting they wouldn’t recognize him if they saw him. To occupy themselves they eat, sleep, talk, argue, sing, play games, exercise, swap hats, and contemplate suicide - anything “to hold the terrible silence at bay”. There are many possible interpretations of this play, even that Godot is God, though the author denies that was his intent.
During my post this week we are just going to look at a couple of verses from someone waiting, what they are waiting for and how does that person wait.
Luke 2:25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:
29 “ Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”
33 And Joseph and His mother[h] marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
First of all who was waiting? All we know that there was a man named Simeon. He was just and devout. He was filled with the Holy Spirit. There is a sense that this man was old and holding on to life until he could see what he was waiting for. Chances are this man was long since dead by the time Luke investigated and wrote this gospel. Which means that what we know of his character was based on witnesses. It would be a testimony to any of us to be able to be known as just, devout and filled with the Holy Spirit.
What was Simeon waiting for? "The consolation of Israel". He knew that Israel needed a Messiah, and God had revealed to him that the time was near, so near that Simeon would not die before he had seen the "Lord's Christ". Who is the Christ that was revealed to Simeon?
- Jesus the baby born to Mary
- The Consolation of Israel
- God's salvation
- A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles (that's us)
- To bring about the fall and rise of many
- To bring about the revelation of the thoughts of our hearts
You might find yourself even now waiting for the evening to pass, for tomorrow to arrive, for a new job, a new home, healing from hurts, for a better life to arrive and even for simple answers to questions that you might have about what God has revealed to us about a savior. My hope, prayer and desire is that this blog may be a means to help you trust in God's promises to bring comfort and patience to your waiting. Please let me know by posting a comment.
Labels:
Jesus,
motorcycle,
salvation,
thunderstorm
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