Thoughts From Ephesians 5 - Part 3

 “Wake up, sleeper,

    rise from the dead,
    and Christ will shine on you.”

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Eph.5:14-20

        I see 6 W's in this passage. First of all - Wake up. Salvation is waking up. The alarm clock of conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit is going off and you have a choice - respond or turn it off. If you respond and are reborn, it's possible to get lulled back to sleep in our walk with the Lord like the guys in Matthew 25 and say, "my master isn't coming back anytime soon. Don't be so intense!" Paul says, no. We will only be here for a hiccup of time compared to eternity and we can't waste a second. Living day by day knowing that you are only a short timer here and the minutes are ticking away until we leave for our real home is living wisely.

        Second, although it's not mentioned as such is witnessing. We are to make the most of every opportunity. You don't know if you will ever get another opportunity to introduce that person to Christ so don't say, "I'll do it tomorrow." I used to in my practice write a small "w" on progress notes if I witnessed to people that day. That would keep me from repeating the same thing next time I saw them because it's hard to remember what you say from visit to visit. It would also make sure that at some point during their pregnancy I spoke about Jesus and salvation. Several times, years later I would see a picture in the obituary and race back to my records and see if there was a "w" there. What a relief to see it.

         Third we see drunkenness and wine. I'm always amazed when I go on a vacation like a cruise or all-inclusive how so many people go just to be drunk the whole time. I guess they can't do it at home because they have responsibilities? Is that really fun, to be in a stupor, to let the alcohol numb your inhibitions so you can have an excuse for sensuality. Paul says, rather, since you are on the clock, let the Holy Spirit control you in such a way that you become a fool for Jesus.

        Last, we see worshipping. Everywhere we go we should have a song in our hearts or on our Bluetooth in the car or ear buds. (although wearing ear buds may hurt your chance of witnessing) We should be in constant communication with God aware of His presence everywhere we go. If you are doing that, you probably won't miss those opportunities to witness, and you will be bubbling over with "craziness" for God. And it should be a thankful heart not a whining one. Since I was praising myself with the "w's", I must tell on myself that I used to draw wine glasses on charts of whiners to prepare myself before I went into a room. They would drain me. (I did draw a few drains too). And you thought doctors were recording your problems while writing in the chart! How can we be anything but thankful people knowing that we have eternal life in Heaven and are adopted into the king's family?

Thoughts From Ephesians 5 - Part 2

  For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them.8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. Eph. 5:5-13

       One of the verses we have our grandchildren memorize is 1Cor.15:33 which tells them that bad company corrupts good character. In other words when you hang out with sinful people, they rub off on you more than you rub off on them. Does this have to always be the case? It wasn't for Jesus. His whole life on Earth he hung out with sinners, and it didn't contaminate Him but rather, He affected them as declared by this song Company You Keep by The Waiting

Another day to be dumb, confusion mingled with bliss
A bit of revelation that I don't want to miss
I heard bad company kills and absolutely it's true
But then that doesn't explain all that I know about You
That You call me Your own
Never leave me alone I think I should warn You
You're getting in deep
With the company You keep

So while my dinner gets done I'm reading Your history
You've got a reputation and all the people You see
Are a dangerous crowd they're an unsavory sort
Though I can't say it too loud I heard an evil report
The fool and the friendless
The liar and thief
The presence of greatness
In the company of the least

      As I share the gospel, I emphasize that we are separated from a Holy God by sin - sinful man can't enter into the presence of a Holy God any more than germs can enter into a sterile operating room. In that illustration, one germ could kill the patient and that's where the symbolism falls apart because our sinfulness doesn't contaminate Heaven. No, Heaven and God's presence is so pure that it would consume us. We see illustrations of that where Moses asks to see God and God says that no one can see Him and live, so he hides Moses in a cleft of a rock and Moses glimpses His backside and glows for weeks afterward. Men touched or looked into the Ark of the Covenant and died ala Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Aaron's sons entered the tabernacle unworthily and were consumed by fire. Paul saw the glory of the Lord and suffered permanent eye damage. Isaiah saw the presence of God and pronounced judgement on himself and had his sinful tongue cauterized. Peter, when faced with the holiness of Christ cried out, "depart from me, I am a sinful man." When the Israelites saw the glory of the Lord on the mountain, they begged Moses to speak for God to them, not God speak directly to them or they would die.

        It doesn't appear at all that bad company corrupted God, but God disintegrates sinfulness. Is it possible that we could become so much like God that we could exist in bad company without it rubbing off on us but rather we rub off on them? I think that is God's goal for us in sanctification that we could do this. This is our hope and also fear as we place our kids in public school. One of our granddaughters went to 2 or 3 Christian camps last summer and in one of them she was the only one that went to a public school, and the kids were all amazed if not appalled.

     In this passage in Ephesians, Paul warns us not to partner or participate but rather expose. He also doesn't say we used to be in the darkness but rather we were darkness. He doesn't say now we are in the light but rather we are light. If you are walking in the "Sonshine" and head into a cellar, things become dark. However if you are the light, you can go anywhere and illuminate and expose all darkness. This is the goal of our sanctification, to be so full of the Holy Spirit that anywhere we go we transform our surroundings. Let's be Children of light!

Thoughts From Psalm 99

 

Psalm 99

1 The Lord reigns,
    let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
    let the earth shake.
2 Great is the Lord in Zion;
    he is exalted over all the nations.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name—
    he is holy.

4 The King is mighty, he loves justice—
    you have established equity;
in Jacob you have done
    what is just and right.
5 Exalt the Lord our God
    and worship at his footstool;
    he is holy.

6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
    Samuel was among those who called on his name;
they called on the Lord
    and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;
    they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.

8 Lord our God,
    you answered them;
you were to Israel a forgiving God,
    though you punished their misdeeds.

9 Exalt the Lord our God
    and worship at his holy mountain,
    for the Lord our God is holy.

Psalm 99 has a phrase repeated twice - “He is holy “, and ends with “The Lord our God is holy “. The holiness of God seems to be the theme here. What is holiness and what can we learn here.

       I’ve always heard that “holy “ means “other “. God is other than us. I’ve used the illustration about 2 stick figures on a chalkboard and someone from outside the board introduces a coke can with the bottom applied to the chalkboard. What do they see? They see a circle because they are living in a 2D world. They have no idea that 12oz. of delicious, preferably Diet Coke, is sitting above them because they can’t imagine a 3D world. “Above” to them is higher on the chalkboard not out from them. They ask, ”What does ‘out’ mean?” In the same way God invaded our planet and what did we see? Jesus. He made himself visible in the form of Jesus but what if we like the chalkboard people can’t even imagine a 4D, the wholeness or otherness of God. He is holy.

       So what do we do with this fact? The first few verses give us a clue - we should tremble. The stick figures have to think if there is someone out there introducing coke cans into our existence, they probably made us and can erase us and we are not in control but at the mercy of the 3D person. Likewise, we should come to the conclusion that this holy/other being out there probably created us and can do with us whatever He pleases. This should make us tremble - we are not in control. The notion or attitude of “the big guy upstairs “,” my homeboy “, or “what if God was one of us” should fly straight out the window. Rather, a reverent fear and trepidation should be the way we approach Him.

     In Mark 4, the disciples were caught in the middle of the Sea of Galilee in a storm and were afraid of dying. They woke up Jesus and Jesus made the wind and waves cease immediately. It's interesting the disciples' response; it went from being afraid to terrified. They were in the presence of "other" and they had quaking. It's said that the Old Testament scribes, on penning the name Yahweh, would bathe or at least change pens and would never utter the name but substitute Adonai or something similar. Today we use it in worship songs because it rhymes or fits into the beat. What has happened to our reverence?

      I think part of it, and probably rightly so, is that because Christ is our mediator, we can go boldly into His presence, and He has become our adopted Father whom we call "abba". Yet I think we have gone too far to the casual and drifted away from the fear or reverence. In the Lord's prayer we are instructed to start out, "Our Father, who is in Heaven, Holy is your name." Even though he is our Father, we still are to bow down to Him in reverent fear of His Holiness and be in awe of Him.

      The Psalm ends with "The Lord our God is Holy." Note the "our". Even though He is so much greater than we can possibly imagine and we should technically fear for our next breath lest He graciously allows it, this Holy/other Being is also other in love. He has unfathomable love that causes Him to love a puny 3D, finite being like us that is so infinitesimal to Him and yet adopts us as His child. If that doesn't cause you to sing "Holy, Holy, Holy", I don't know what will.

Thoughts From Ephesians 5 - Part 1

 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.   Eph. 5:3-5

        I've been watching a medieval show on TV which I don't want to mention the name because Christians probably shouldn't watch it, but it has great truths to glean from it. Recently, the queen doesn't want to be forced into an arranged marriage and doesn't want her son to marry a certain woman so in the fashion of the "Dark ages" when the crown and church were the joint powers to be reckoned with, she empowers the "church" to meet out judgement on sinners and her prospective husband and daughter-in-law are imprisoned for their sins. The problem is that the church then imprisons her because the queen is the worst of sinners. 

       The point is, if we were to be judged for our sins, we would all be found guilty. I've never done a Catholic confessional, but I've seen the dramatized versions. They always start out, "Father forgive me for I have sinned. I've had impure thoughts." That's an easy one to confess because we all do. That's sort of like when you call on someone to pray, they always start out, "Dear God, thank you for this day." It's like getting warmed up. Yet Paul says that sexual immorality and impurity which in the sermon on the mount both violate the 7th commandment, is not to be found among God's people. Fortunately, we don't have to be imprisoned for our sins, Jesus took the punishment and "there is therefore now no condemnation", however, shouldn't we be living differently now? The answer is yes. People have described our new state as not being sinless but sinning less. Our lusts, conversations, desires for more and more wealth should continually be tamed. Just like we said with anger, we shouldn't be known as angry people. Likewise, we should never be described as impure, immoral, crude, greedy people, but rather God-fearing and thankful people.

         Two guys at work are best friends so much so that they joke about being in love. The Olympics were on and I sent them this picture about their relationship

   They laughed and thought it was funny and shows them that even though I'm a Christian, I can relate and have a good time with them. However, this is what Paul is warning against. This is impurity and sexual immorality and coarse joking. I'm laughing at something God hates. I don't want to be known for this. Hey, I'm not sinless but I want to sin less. Lord help me. What about you?

Thoughts From Ephesians 4 - Part 9

 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Eph.4:30-5:2

               In this passage I see three ways to become more Christ-like or three ways to stop sinning and live a life that God would be proud of. First is to allow the Holy Spirit, who we've been given at salvation and is with us until we pass through the gates of Heaven, to transform us. The Sheep and Goats parable in Matthew is so often misunderstood especially by Catholics who claim salvation is faith plus works. When we stand before the Lord someday and He appears to judge whether we pass through the pearly gates or go to Hell, it appears from the parable that He judges what we do. My contention is that He already has separated us into two categories - sheep (saved) and goats (damned). You don't have to be head butted by a goat to know it's a goat. It's clearly a goat before it does anything. We were goats until the Holy Spirit came inside and now, we are a new creation - sheep, and sheep act like sheep. We are born again of the Holy Spirit, transformed from goats to sheep. My friend, Alex, who lived in the country said that every day as he would drive by a goat herd, he would lay on his horn. He said all the young goats would instantly fall over on their sides and play dead. The older ones didn't because they had matured out of that. I know I'm mixing metaphors with sheep and goats, but you catch my drift. We will change our behavior automatically as we mature in Christ.

          That is intrinsic growth, but what can we practically do to change? Secondly Paul says don't grieve the Holy Spirit by our actions. Growing up, I would occasionally do things that would be reported to my parents. Once I got a job to distribute flyers to doors advertising a sale at the local department store. I was given 500 and I would get 2 cents for everyone I passed out. That was an easy $10, so I thought. Have you ever trick- or- treated? 100 houses is quite a feat, and I soon realized that 500 houses would be a major undertaking. Being the sinful lad I was, I started leaving 3 or 4 flyers at each house. Someone called and reported it to the department store (who does that? God always kept me on a short leash) and called my dad who was grieved by my behavior. The last thing I wanted to do was grieve my dad. I wanted him to be proud of me. I'd like to say I was honest from then on, but this helped me to increase in honesty. We should want our Heavenly Father to be proud of us and not grieve Him with our sins.

        Lastly, just as in the parable of the unforgiving debtor, if we truly realize God's grace and mercy to us, if we really understand His forgiveness, if we grasp His love for us, to not show grace and mercy to others, to hold contempt, anger, rage against someone without offering forgiveness, to withhold love from the undeserving, shows that we just don't get it. As we understand the gospel, to not act like Christ is shameful. There is a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode where Larry holds open the door to the doctor's office out of courtesy to the person behind him, and then the ensuing fight with the person who signs in before him, so Larry has to wait. The comedy is that we deep down know that if we are shown courtesy, it is only right to return that courtesy. Likewise, after all that Christ has done for us, it is only right to return that goodness.

         Let's continue to become more like Jesus. Two steps forward, one step backward day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year.

Thoughts From Ephesians 4 - Part 8

  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  Eph. 4:29

 

           This was our family vacation trip verse. We had all the kids memorize it and quote it before we left home. We had our four kids aged 7,10,12, and 14 memorize it because 11-hour trips in the conversion van to Florida would bring out the worst in them. My kids made me a one-point Calvinist - I was convinced of the total depravity of man. We would sit at the restaurant table, which none of them could agree on which restaurant to go to, and have them take turns going around the table and say one nice thing about their siblings and they couldn't do it. It would end up being, "His breath doesn't smell as bad as it usually does", or something like that. Anyone with kids, especially boys, probably can relate. We would have them wear rubber bands around their wrists and every time they said something that cut another person down, they would have to snap their own wrists.

         Fortunately, it was just a phase, and they don't do that anymore, but it illustrates an inherent flaw in all of us that we need to learn how do delete or at least suppress if we want to be Christ-like. Our default mode or sin nature is to tear people down verbally to build ourselves up. As I've said before, repentance is turning from worshipping ourselves to worshipping God. Part of worshipping self is making sure that the king, me, is not threatened, so we put down people that threaten our superiority. Isn't it amazing that when a small group of people get together, they start cutting down the people that aren't there. Anytime we notice ourselves doing that we need to "snap ourselves" and reverse the direction of the conversation. Say something that builds that person up and then say to someone in the group, "And I see that quality in you, too." Pretty soon everyone will be crying and hugging because saying something that builds a person up is so foreign to us.

         When I came to Memphis, after a tough closing of my 37-year practice, I was pretty beat down. The Doctor in charge of the program kept complementing me on what a good doctor I was, what a role model I was, how much everyone loved me, and how much they wanted me here. Every time I got one of those calls or texts, I would nearly or more than nearly break down in tears because I needed it so badly. Frankly, once I signed the contract, the building up words are much less (was I manipulated, ha) but I still go back to those as life-giving words. How many people will you run into today that are craving life-giving words. Take this verse to heart and build someone up today.

Thoughts From Ephesians 4 - Part 7

  Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Eph. 4:28

        The second part of this verse tells us deep truths about working. First of all, we must work. Living at home in your parents' basement playing video games isn't acceptable (unless you are making money doing it) Long-term collecting unemployment isn't acceptable. Begging and stealing aren't acceptable. I helped out at a food ministry where people would come in and get free food supplies once a month. I was part of the counseling group. We would take them in another room, share the gospel and ask if they had any prayer requests and pray with them. I finally quit because half the prayer requests were that their unemployment would get extended or they would qualify for disability. As John Crist would say, "I a'int prayin' for that."

        Secondly, we work not only so we can meet our needs and our families' needs, but we also work to have enough to share with others who are in need. My financial planner says I could retire and live well off my/our retirement plan. Ignoring the fact that I still enjoy my work and feel like it is my ministry, and I'm "doing something useful with my hands" (delivered 5 babies last night) - working enables us to give over $50,000/year to Christian ministries, not to mention $60,000/year to the government to make my country run. If I quit working, both those numbers probably drop by %75. Working enables me to share in a significant way with those who need help.

        Lastly, one comment about capitalism vs. socialism or big government. I believe technically the Bible teaches capitalism or as I understand it, if you encourage and facilitate businesses and individuals to get rich, this opens up more opportunities for people to get jobs and work and not be lazy. Also, the wealthy would be generous and support the less fortunate so that the government doesn't have to. Big government teaches people are taxed proportionately to their wealth and then the government meets poor people's needs. The problem with this is that it doesn't encourage working or award hard working. It doesn't encourage selfless giving or sharing - you just let the government do it. 

      I said the Bible technically leans to capitalism, but practically big government is probably more effective because of the sinfulness of man and the allure of money. Studies show that the more one makes, the less he proportionately gives. Because of man's sin nature, the poor's needs would go unmet in pure capitalism and that's why big government fulfills the "social justice" pleas and commands in the Bible. In other words, God commanded us to take care of the poor, widows, orphans, aliens in our midst but we don't so the government has to. I know it's an unpopular view in the MAGA/ right leaning/Republican environment of the Church but nevertheless I believe it's true.