Be Content

Are you content today? Are you enjoying & appreciating what God has given you for today?
Or are you mournfully looking at what you had in the past? 
Or are you covetously looking at what you want in the future? 

In the (utterly amazing and highly recommended) book Pollyanna, the titular character goes to visit a shut-in. This shut-in gets meals delivered to her by the ladies of the church, but she is infamous for her discontentment & dissatisfaction with whatever she receives. Whatever is brought to her, she wants something else and therefore, she never is happy.

This is a bit of an absurd example, until we realize that we do this too. We are unhappy with summer because it is too hot and can't wait for fall. We are unhappy that it is fall because it is too cold and we can't wait for warmer weather. We are unhappy with the poor roads in our towns, but we are also unhappy with road construction repairing & improving the roads. We are not content because we are always complaining about something.

The Bible talks about the importance of being content. We'll highlight 3 passages here:

1. Paul writes to Timothy "So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content." (1 Timothy 6:8 NLT). If we eat 2-3 meals today and have at least 2 outfits, are we content? Or are we striving after more stuff, nicer stuff, or more comfortable stuff?

2. Paul wrote to the Church in Phillipae, 
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:11-13 NIV) Do you catch the significance here? When we look at this whole paragraph, Philippians 4:13 becomes so much more than a pithy little phrase to psych us up into doing something cool. We can be content, regardless of our situation because of the power of Christ within us. We can be content with a full fridge or an empty fridge. Whether our wants & needs are met or we are lacking necessities. We can be content, through Christ. 

3. Finally, the author of Hebrews writes, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”" (Hebrews 13:5 NIV) We are commanded to avoid loving money and to be content with what we have. We can be content, because God never leaves us. This is critical. We may not have what we want or even all we need, but contentment comes from knowing God is with us. 

As November has arrived, we talk a lot about gratitude, but when we are discontent, we aren't practicing gratitude. When we are constantly complaining about the weather, the traffic, or people, we notice the negative things more and more. 
So let's practice being content with what the day brings and expressing gratitude for what God is doing for us today.

What are you grateful for today?
How can you foster contentment?

Biblical Alignment Check-Up

What would the world look like if we Christians found out what God thought about different issues and then we aligned ourselves to His views?

Please hear me all the way out before grabbing your tar and feather kits for implying that your views aren't godly.

So often in my life and the lives of other Christians, we read the Bible for ammunition, to defend our views. We find a verse, or just part of a verse sometimes, that supports "our" view, so we slap a label of "Christian" on our opinion and declare that anyone who thinks differently is ungodly.

Yet, maybe we are going about this the wrong way. Maybe we shouldn't be reading the Bible to gain heavenly support for our arguments, but rather, maybe we should be reading the Bible to find out God's view on a matter and then align our view with His.

If we examine our beliefs, our opinions, our political views, and our national priorities by holding them up to the light of Scripture, we might be surprised to find that God hasn't been on our side in the matter after all, but rather God is waiting for us to join Him on His side.

Occasionally, when I want a big picture view of the Bible, I will do a 90-day blitz through the Bible. It requires reading about 15 chapters a day, but it has the benefit of being able to cover Genesis to Revelations in 3 months. I like to do this kind of blitz when I want to find out God's view on a matter.

It takes more time, but as we read through the whole Bible, we can note in a journal all the references the Bible makes on a certain subject. We can note when God issues a command for or against the subject matter. We can read when history records the subject matter as happening and study what happens when it occurs. We can find advice on the subject as well. Then when we are through our 3 month study, we can have a clearer picture of God's view on the subject matter. It should be a clearer picture than just a few out-of-context verses that support what we already think.

If we turn to the whole Bible for our guidance on how we should live, and then we put it into practice, it will change how we relate to the world and each other.

Instead of asking what we should believe to fit in our political party, shouldn't we be asking what does God believe about our issues in politics?

Need a place to start?
-What is God's view of widows and orphans?
-What's God's view of the poor?
-What's God's view of strangers, aliens, or foreigners?
-What's God's view on violence?

          What does He command Israel and Christians to do concerning these people?
          Am I doing this?
          What else should I be doing to obey God and love my neighbor?

God Make America into a Place You Desire to Bless

I see it all the time on social media, "God Bless America." It's a song. It's a prayer. It's a slogan. Instead of scrolling past the sentiment, I paused and considered it more fully. I had the distinct thought pop into my head as it blatantly challenged the status quo, "Why *should* God bless America? We aren't doing what He commands."

I look at our culture and ask myself why should God bless America?
Why should God bless a country where abortion has been legal for 44 years?
Why should God bless a country that idolizes the rich, the famous, and the sexy?
Why should God bless a country that over-consumes the world's resources and underpays its workers?
Why should God bless a country that preaches to "follow your heart" and "be true to yourself"?

I think about these actions that are in direct opposition to God and His commands. Perhaps like Jonah, I want to write off this country as undeserving of God's blessing. And you know what? I am right. America does not deserve God's blessing because no one does. I do not deserve God's blessing and neither do you. A blessing by its definition is a favor or gift of God, which therefore cannot be earned or bought.

So America does not deserve to have God bless it, but as the Weeping Prophet reminds me (Jeremiah 29), we are to seek the welfare of cities we have been placed in exile. Pray for the welfare of the cities & countries we are placed. May we pray, as citizens of America and citizens of the world to become a place that God desires to bless, a place that walks in obedience to His commands and seeks His kingdom before its own.

Let's zoom into a passage of the Bible that most of us have heard a thousand times: Matthew 5:3-12. This passage is commonly referred to as the Beatitudes. Let us see how America is doing with the Beatitudes and pray that God will make America into a place He desires to bless.

Verse 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Is America poor in spirit? We are rich in wealth and consumerism, pride and rationalization, but we are lonely, lost, and isolated. I guess we are poor in spirit after all. Bless us, Lord, for we are poor in spirit.

Lord, we are poor in spirit. We are a culture of instant gratification and technological marvels, but all the things in the world cannot fulfill or stifle our need for you. We may have things, but we are lonely, anxious, and depressed. We have money in our bank accounts, but we are poor in spirit. Cultivate in us a desire to seek Your kingdom first. Bless us, Lord, for we are poor in spirit.

Verse 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Is America mourning? We mourn for the ever-elusive "good, old days" when things seemed simpler and slower. We mourn for those we have lost to sickness, to murder, to the gods of our culture: Money and Consumerism. I guess we do have reason to mourn. Bless us, Lord, for we are mourning.

Lord, we are mourning. We have lost favor, as Christians, in the eyes of our culture and we mourn. We see a rapidly changing world that spurns the things You have taught us to value and we mourn. We have suffered loss and face new diseases and threats we never imagined would exist one day and we mourn. We are in need of Your comfort today. Bless us, Lord, for we are mourning.

Verse 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Is American meek? We are bold, brazen, prideful, arrogant, and proud. We trample the meek in our quest for more things, either by depriving them of adequate resources to survive & thrive or by paying them poorly in the quest for bargains. We have valued ourselves more than others as we have labeled meekness as a trait of the weak. Bless the meek, Lord, for we have dealt poorly with them.

Forgive us, Lord, for we should be meek.

Verse 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Does America hunger and thirst for righteousness? Do we eagerly seek to live rightly with You, with our fellow countryman, and with our global neighbor? Or do we thirst after the gods of this world: Fame, Fortune, Power, and Greed? We have reassured ourselves that our motives are pure and the end will justify the means, but we have forgotten that You have called us to be holy. Bless those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, Lord, who desire You more than anything else in the world.

Forgive us, Lord, for we do not hunger and thirst after righteousness. Awaken in us, Lord, the hunger and thirst for righteous living.

Verse 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Is America merciful? We have taken revenge and dressed it up as a poor farce of justice. We cry out for blood and retribution after bombings, shootings, acts of terrorism, threats, and even perceived slights. We preemptively strike our enemies before they attack us. We take a life for a life instead of turning the other cheek. We hit back twice as hard when we get struck. Bless those who show mercy, Lord, even when they are hurting from wrongs inflicted on them.

Forgive us, Lord, for we are not merciful. You have shown us mercy, but we are like the unmerciful servant in Jesus' parable. You show us mercy (that we do not deserve) and yet we exact the full payment we are due from others. Teach us to be merciful. Please.

Verse 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Does America have a pure heart? Do we avoid the sinfulness saturating our culture? Do we give up our right to watch & read what is popular, because it does not bring You glory? There is a lot of mud and slime coating the entertainment of this world. We compromise and slowly slip down a slope where we impress worldly things on our hearts. Bless those who have pure hearts, Lord, and purify our tainted hearts.

Forgive us, Lord, for we have sullied the hearts You placed in us. We have dabbled in things that create callouses and hardened hearts in us. The mud of the world clogs us ears so we do not hear Your Spirit's guidance. Create in us a pure heart, Lord, for ours have been tainted by the world and its entertainment.

Verse 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Is America a peacemaker? A peacemaker makes peace wherever they go. A peacekeeper enforces peace through the threat of violence. A soldier or military force can maintain or restore peace by the presences of weapons, but a peacemaker tries to make peace through reconciliation of quarreling groups. We have assumed that these are the same thing because they both start with peace, but You have called us to be peacemakers. Bless those who are peacekeepers, Lord, and give us courage to follow Your path to peace.

Forgive us, Lord, for striving to be peacekeepers. Grant us the courage to be peacemakers in our homes, communities, countries, and world. Help us to let go of our weapons we use to have control in a frightening world.

Verse 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Is America persecuted because of righteousness? We are challenged because we have been enforcing global peace at the end of a gun. We are challenged because we care more about good deals and low prices than human lives. We actually have become a place that persecutes the righteous as intolerant, bigoted, hate-filled, hypocritical, self-righteous, pompous fools. Bless those who face persecution, Lord, and give us the courage to stay true to You no matter the cost.

Forgive us, Lord, for crucifying those who attempt to follow Your commands. Grant us courage to obey You no matter the earthly cost. May we seek Your Kingdom and Your righteousness before all other things.

Verse 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Verse 12 Rejoice and be glad,because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Is America insulted, persecuted, and falsely & evilly slandered because of Jesus? Can you imagine the complaints? "How dare you feed our people suffering from famine!?!" "How dare you spend your defense budget on a global clean water initiative!?!" "How dare you refuse to bow to my gods!?!" "How dare you say I am a sinner, a bad person!?!" "How. Dare. You." What started off as humorous complaints, quickly grew more serious. The world will insult those who follow Jesus. The world will persecute those who follow Jesus. The world will slander, libel, and smear those who follow Jesus. Our motives will be questioned. Our routines will be turned upside down. Our very lives may be forfeit. Bless those who pay the cost of following Jesus, Lord, and may we be meek peacemakers in the face of persecution.

Sometimes, Lord, we have gone from the persecuted to the persecutor. We jump on the bandwagon of roasting leaders and the famous for failing to do things we are not doing either. Forgive us for trading insult for insult, persecution for persecution, and spoken evil for spoken evil. May we rejoice in persecution because it increases our heavenly reward, even as it burns off the impurities in our earthly lives.

This post turned out much differently than I expected. I was knocked off my high horse of scornful judgment rather forcefully. I looked in the mirror and saw Jonah staring back at me. I saw Jeremiah shake his head as I was too busy judging and condemning to apply his message. I call myself a foreigner, exile, and ambassador of Christ, but I forgot how exiles are supposed to live in the place God has placed them.

Forgive me, Lord, for I have too swiftly acted as judge and jury. I have written off an entire country as undeserving of Your blessing. I have desired Your judgment and wrath to be poured out in condemnation of a nation. I did not take the time or make an effort to reach out to these people I wrote off long ago. You long for them repent and draw near to You, but I long for their judgment, knowing full-well what the outcome should be. Thank You for Your grace, Your gift I could never earn or buy. Thank You for Your mercy, even though I fully have earned the punishment Jesus took on Himself. Forgive me, Father, for I had forgotten to be merciful. May You make America into a place You desire to bless and may You use me to be a blessing in this place. Amen.

Maybe I cannot fully pray "God bless America," but I can pray "God, make America into a place You desire to bless" and that, at least, is a step in the right direction.

It's Time to Put Down Our Stones

I saw the video going around of the news interviewee having a live interview in his home when his children burst in his office and he brushed them back without even looking at them. What surprises me most about this viral video is the reactions of Christians.

Instead of Christians walking alongside this man in the valley of his internet humiliation, we are sitting on our high horses judging him for his parenting fails. Or if we are reveling in his humiliation and mocking him. We should be extending our hands of compassion to him, maybe even giving the internet some perspective by sharing a story of our own parenting fails that just never went viral. We should be known as merciful and gracious people, because we know that we have been shown loads of mercy (not getting what we do deserve) and grace (getting what we do not deserve and could never earn).

So maybe you never face-palmed your kid while in an international live interview, but we have fallen short of the Father’s ideal of parenting. If we are not parents, we could be aunts, uncles, babysitters, or nursery workers. We have all interacted with children and we all have regrets for how we treated them at some point.

As Christians, the core question that we ask should be “How would Jesus have reacted in this situation?” or “How would Jesus have me to react in this situation?” It is not incredibly difficult to know how Jesus would react in a situation like this, because Scripture recorded a similar story. No, there were not internet and viral videos back then, but a crowd of righteous people indignantly dragged a sinful adulteress before Jesus, tossing stones in their hands, prepared to stone her for her sins. And Jesus even gave permission for her to be stoned, IF the one without sin threw the first stone. Stone after stone left the hands of the righteous, falling harmlessly to the ground, because they knew they had sinned. Jesus and the women were left alone; her accusers were gone. The Sinless One did not condemn the adulteress, but sent her away to leave her life of sin.

Christians, it is time to get off our judgmental high horses and learn to walk alongside people in the valleys of humiliation. It is time that we learn to extend mercy and grace instead of condemnation. It is time to put down our stones, and offer the hand of friendship.

Speaking of which, I will get off my high horse now. :-)

Exploring the Commandments Part 11-Specific People or Region

For the backstory of what this blog series is on and why it has been written, check out part 1 and part 2 of the series. The original list of all 613 commandments in their textual order that I used came from the site Hebrew4Christians. <http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Taryag/taryag.html> 

 
Some commandments apply to specific people. If you are interesting in completing a Nazarite vow, check out the commandments describing it. Priests had their own specific rules (and a commandment to respect them). The Jews were commanded to sacrifice at the Temple. Since the temple was destroyed, no one can sacrifice any more). While many Christians view many of the dietary restrictions to be outdated, they still have merit. Such as the commandment to not be a drunk or a glutton. 

  # 18 Commandments Concerning Specific People or Region: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 186 about Specific People or Region. I further divided them into the following categories: Nazarite Vow, Priests, Temple, Offerings/Sacrifices, Dietary Concerns.
 
1.    # 18.1 Commandments Concerning the Nazarite Vow: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 10 about the Nazarite Vow.
       A)    If doing the Nazarite vow, follow these guidelines (Num. 6)
 
2.    # 18.2 Commandments Concerning Priests: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 82 about Priests.        A)    Respect and honor priests (Lev. 21:8)       B)    If a priest, follow these guidelines (Exo. 25-30, Lev. 6-7, 10, 16, 21-22, etc)
 
3.    # 18.3 Commandments Concerning the Temple: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 8 about the Temple.        A)    Sacrifice only at the Temple. Don’t sacrifice elsewhere (Deut .12:26, Lev. 17:4)       B)    Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice
 
4.    # 18.4 Commandments Concerning Offerings/Sacrifices: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 62 about the Offerings/Sacrifices.       A)    Don’t sacrifice anywhere you want to (see Temple) (Deut. 12:13)
 
5.    # 18.5 Commandments Concerning Dietary Concerns: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 24 about the Dietary Concerns.       A)    Don’t be a drunk, glutton, or live-animal-eater. (Lev. 19:26)
       B)    Many of the food requirements were altered by Jesus (that which defiles) and the Holy Ghost (take Peter, Kill and eat)

And somewhere, I lost 4 commandments. 609 total were counted.

Parsons, John J.. "Taryag Mitzvot 613 Commandments of Torah." Hebrew4Christians. Web. 2004. <http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Taryag/taryag.html>.

This sums up my exploration of the commandments. This was an very interesting study. I am very grateful for Mr. Parsons letting me use his list of all 613 commandments.

Exploring the Commandments Part 10: Misc. Categories

For the backstory of what this blog series is on and why it has been written, check out part 1 and part 2 of the series. The original list of all 613 commandments in their textual order that I used came from the site Hebrew4Christians. <http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Taryag/taryag.html> 

 

God gave instructions on punishing rebellious cities.

 # 13 Commandments Concerning Rebellious Cities: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 3 about Rebellious Cities.
 
1.    Destroy rebellious cities and don’t profit from them (Deut .13: 17-18)

Strangers are to be treated well, as are converts. We don't need to be afraid of our enemies.

# 14 Commandments Concerning Other Nations: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 17 about Other Nations.
 
1.    Treat strangers nicely (Deut. 10:19)
 
2.    Don’t be afraid of enemies during wars (Deut. 20:3)
 
3.    Don’t wrong/oppress converts (Exo. 22:20)

God gave instructions to provide sanitation measures and for treating lepers/uncleanness. 
# 15.1 Commandments Concerning Sanitation: When I sorted the commandments, I came up wit 3 about Sanitation.

1.    Have an outside-of-the-city sewage plant and bury your poop (Deut. 23:13-14)

2.    # 15. 2 Commandments Concerning Lepers/Unclean (subcategory sanitation): When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 22 about Lepers/Unclean.
       a)    In a nutshell, isolate unclean people until they are cleaned and purified (Lev. 11-15)

The Israelites were given specific instructions in how to dress. They would have differed from those around them, at a glance.

# 16 Commandments Concerning Clothing: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 11 about Clothing.
 
1.    Jews were given guides on clothing and this helped to set them apart at a glance from other peoples.
 
2.    Don’t cross-dress (Deut. 22:5)
 
3.    Wear reminders of the Torah (Numbers 15:38, Deut. 6:8)
 

My typical Bible translation says "don't sacrifice your child to Molek" for this Leviticus passage.

# 17 Commandments Concerning Things I Couldn’t Find a Category For: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 14 about the Things I Couldn’t Find a Category For.

1.    Don’t abort babies or kill children (Lev.18:21)

Parsons, John J.. "Taryag Mitzvot 613 Commandments of Torah." Hebrew4Christians. Web. 2004. <http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Taryag/taryag.html>.

Exploring the Commandments Part 9.2-Relationships

For the backstory of what this blog series is on and why it has been written, check out part 1 and part 2 of the series. The original list of all 613 commandments in their textual order that I used came from the site Hebrew4Christians. <http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Taryag/taryag.html>
 

# 10 Commandments Concerning False Prophets: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 9 about False Prophets.
 
1.    In a word…don’t…tolerate it. (Deut. 18:20)



# 11 Commandments Concerning Witchcraft: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 11 about Witchcraft.

1.    In a word…don’t…practice or allow it. (Lev. 19, Deut. 18)

There are many commandments regarding parents and their children, as well as husbands/wives.
Children are to respect their parents and obey them. Rebelling against parents was punishable by death. Cursing or kidnapping a parent was also punishable by death. Hitting parents was also a no-no. Spouses aren't supposed to commit adultery, indulge in adultery thoughts, or have premarital sex. Husbands are to care for their wives.

# 12 Commandments Concerning Family: When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 36 about Family. I further divided them into Parent-Child and Marriage categories.

# 12.1 Commandments Concerning Parent-Child (subcategory family): When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 6 about Parent-Child.

1.    Respect/honor/obey parents (Exo. 20:12, Lev. 19:3)

2.    Don’t hit parents or curse them (Exo. 21:15, Lev. 20:9)

3.    Rebellion, kidnapping, cursing against parents was punishable by death (Exo. 20:12, 21:16-17)

# 12.2 Commandments Concerning Marriage (subcategory family): When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 30 about Marriage.
 
1.    Treat wives kindly (feed, cloth, and “have relations with”) (Exo. 21:10)
 
# 12.3 Commandments Concerning Adultery (subcategory marriage, subcategory family): When I sorted the commandments, I came up with 25 about Adultery.
 
1.    In a nutshell, don’t do adultery. The rest of these commandments deal with specifying who you shouldn’t do adultery with. (Ex. 20:14, see Lev. 18)
 
2.    Don’t think on things that’ll lead to adultery or abandoning the faith (Num. 15:39)
 
3.    Don’t have premarital sex (Deut. 23:18)

Parsons, John J.. "Taryag Mitzvot 613 Commandments of Torah." Hebrew4Christians. Web. 2004. <http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/Taryag/taryag.html>.