We are not
to judge one another’s salvation; however, the actions of rioters and looters make
it clear they are not Christian. It’s not unusual to run into one, two, or a
handful of unbelievers in one place and at any one time, but it’s startling to
see a mob of people with no belief in Jesus Christ. Paul said “Therefore, as
God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each
other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive
as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on
love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the
peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were
called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and
as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to
God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it
all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”
(Col 3:12-17 NIV).
The Christian Ear is a forum for discussing and listening to the voice of today's church. The Lord spoke to churches,“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Rev 2&3
June 30, 2020
June 29, 2020
News of the Day
I commented
on recent news events to some family members and they said, “We turned the news
off, we don’t watch it anymore. It’s all too negative.” As a news junkie I was
taken aback. I put myself on the road to Emmaus where two disciples encountered
the resurrected Jesus, but they did not recognize him. “He asked them, “What
are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces
downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you
only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there
in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of
Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before
God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers
handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem
Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb
early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and
told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the
women had said, but him they did not see” (Luke 24:17-24 NIV). The news of the
day is always, “He is alive!”
June 26, 2020
For Everyone
Jesus taught
on watchfulness using parables, “Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this
parable to us, or to everyone” (Luke 12:41 NIV)? I can understand Peter’s
dilemma. Many of us mentally skip over portions of Scripture for a variety of
reasons, i.e. it doesn’t feel applicable, we don’t want to obey it, or we think
we’ve already mastered the teaching. However, we need to be reminded that even a
confusing parable is meant for all of us. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is
useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good
work” (2 Tim 3:16-17 NIV).
June 25, 2020
Sons of Thunder
Jesus re-named
three of the Apostles. To James son of Zebedee and his brother John he gave the
name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder. According to the NIV Study Bible
foot note the name is, “Probably descriptive of their dispositions.” I can’t
help but think that these two nuts didn’t fall far from maternal tree. The brashness
of their mother and her sons to ask Jesus for positions of authority and
respect cannot be understated. “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus
with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. “What is
it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may
sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” “You
don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the
cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to
them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left
is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been
prepared by my Father” (Matt 20:20-23 NIV).
June 24, 2020
Temporal
The feeling
of sadness I have as I watch rebellious Americans destroy statues and monuments
(Columbus, Washington, Confederate leaders, etc.) is similar to what I felt as I
watched the Taliban destroy ancient artifacts which were no longer revered, but part
of history. However, my eyes are opened to another perspective when I read
about the signs of the End of the Age. “Jesus left the temple and was walking
away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the
truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown
down” (Matt 24:2 NIV).
June 23, 2020
Lead a Quiet Life
Most mature
believers have spent a lifetime serving and working for the Lord and working in
the church. The locked down is especially hard on us because our areas of
service have been, at least temporarily, taken from us. We miss the spiritual busyness
in our lives and I suspect that none of us thought Paul was talking directly to
us when he said, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own
business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so
that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not
be dependent on anybody” (1 Thess 4:11-12 NIV).
June 22, 2020
June 19, 2020
Woe on Unrepentant Cities
It is
disturbing to see riots and looting in New York City and the anti-government takeover
of six city blocks in Seattle. Many believers are praying Jesus will intervene
and save these cities. However, we have to understand and accept that fact that
some cities, even though Jesus has been preached in their streets, remain unrepentant.
“Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been
performed, because they did not repent. “Woe to you,
Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had
been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in
sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable
for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And
you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the
depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom,
it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it
will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you” (Matt
11:20-24 NIV).
June 18, 2020
The Yoke of Slavery
I do not
pretend to understand slavery and all the ramifications. However, in light of
recent racial tensions in America, I wonder if those who were set free physically
remain a slave in their minds and if they have passed that victimization on to
future generations. In the early church believers obtained freedom in Christ,
but they had to consciously resist their previous life of being under the law.
Paul said, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then,
and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1 NIV).
June 17, 2020
Little Faith
In the midst
of the media fanning the flames of COVID, the lock down and riots I feel like we
are in the same boat as the disciples. The disciples followed Jesus and got
into the boat, “Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that
the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went
and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You
of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds
and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What
kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him” (Matt 8:24-27 NIV)!
June 16, 2020
Call on His Name
It is
reported that some of George Floyd’s last words were to call out for his mama.
From a mother’s perspective it pulls at my heartstrings. However, from the
spiritual perspective my heart would have been more comforted had he called out
for Jesus. When Jesus was informed that his mother and brothers were standing
outside wanting to see him, he said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he
asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and
said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is
my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:33-34 NIV).
June 15, 2020
Lasting Possessions
Recently many
businesses have suffered loss of property, inventory and possessions because of
looters and rioters. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to see not only your
life’s work destroyed, but also your means of making a living go up in flames. However,
the writer of Hebrews does not want us to focus on what is lost, “Remember those
earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a
great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were
publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by
side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with
those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property,
because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions” (Hebrews
10:32-35 NIV).
June 12, 2020
Pre-Forgivingness
The racial
divide in America caused a former missionary to lose her internal battle to be
silent. An excerpt from her lengthy Facebook post said, “Several years ago my
father-in-law spoke with Elijah, a black man from South Africa. He asked Elijah
how he kept himself from hating white people for the crimes committed during
apartheid. Elijah said, “I forgive in advance. Whatever is done against me, I
have already forgiven the wrong before it was ever done to me.”” Jesus said, “Therefore
I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it,
and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything
against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your
sins” (Mark 11:24-25 NIV).
June 11, 2020
The Will of Your Father
Hearing a
thump, ninety-six-year-old Betty discovered a hummingbird lying on the sidewalk
below her living room window. The bird’s beak twitched, but the body lay
lifeless. Betty’s heart ached for the small creature and she spent the next 15 minutes
praying and walking back and forth to the window to check on him. She said, “I
didn’t pray about the virus, the lock down, or all the rioting, I just wept for
the hummingbird.” The stunned bird finally took flight and Betty rejoiced. Jesus
said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to
the ground apart from the will of your Father” (Matt 10:29 NIV).
June 10, 2020
For Men to See
On Facebook
people have started posting screen shots of pages of their Bibles and passage
of texts they are studying, or have studied in the past. One post showed a
Bible opened in Proverbs where the owner added underlines, parentheses, exclamation
points, and side notes. For me, the Scripture itself was lost and the emphasis was
placed on the religious person. Warning us against being like the Pharisees,
Jesus said, “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries
wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the
place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the
synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men
call them ‘Rabbi’” (Matt 23:5-7 NIV).
June 09, 2020
I Am the Vine
Since the lock-down many people of faith are distraught because they can’t go to
church. Certainly, we need to worship together and have fellowship when we can,
but it’s almost like people feel totally disconnected if they can’t go to
church. We need to be reminded that as important as the church is, she is not
the Vine. Believers can bear fruit apart
from the church, we cannot bear fruit apart from the Vine. Jesus said, “I am
the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will
bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does
not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such
branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in
me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given
you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing
yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:5-8 NIV).
June 08, 2020
Groups of Fifty Each
With attendance
for church worship limited to 50 people at a time, our leadership decided we
would have to make reservations. I have to tell you; I have reservations about
reservations. If you don’t have a reservation you are sent away. Better
accommodations for members would be to have the church open all day on Sunday
with various worship times listed, i.e. services at 9:30, 11:00 a.m. and 1:00,
2:30 p.m. I understand the pastor’s reluctance to have four worship services
and preach four times, but we have an associate pastor, elders and teachers who
are qualified to preach. The needs of congregational worship should come before
the desires of leadership to have only one service. I see something similar
with the feeding of the Five Thousand. The Twelve wanted to send the crowd away
so they could buy their own food, but Jesus said, “You give them something to
eat.” The disciples focused on the available food, five loaves of bread and two
fish, rather than the needs of the crowd. Jesus said to his
disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” The
disciples did so, and everybody sat down. Taking the five
loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke
them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve
basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over” (Luke 9:14b-17 NIV).
June 05, 2020
Wake Up O Sleeper
I understand
those who want to protest the death of George Floyd, but I find it suspicious that
their protests are scheduled to take place in darkness. Unlike Dr. Martin
Luther King, who protested unmasked and in broad daylight, today’s purported
protesters are cloaked in darkness. Paul said, “For you were once darkness, but
now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of
the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out
what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of
darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what
the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the
light becomes visible, for it is light that makes
everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the
dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Eph 5:8-14 NIV).
June 04, 2020
The Lamb Heals
In light of
the protests and riots surrounding George Floyd’s death, prominent pastors across
the nation are calling for racial equality, reconciliation, and prayers for
healing the nation. Unfortunately, these pastors are relying on their own wisdom,
their own words and their own human understanding. I have yet to hear one of
them tell people they need to come to Jesus Christ. John shared a glimpse of
heaven, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as
crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down
the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the
tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.
And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Rev 22:1-2 NIV).
June 03, 2020
God’s Mercy
Fox News
interviewed a black couple whose soon-to-open Sports Bar was ransacked and
destroyed by looters. The owner, a former firefighter, had invested everything
he had in his new business. As the interview began, he acknowledged that
earlier in the evening he had taken his children out so they could see and be a
part of the “peaceful protest”. However, the protest turned into mob violence and
his business was destroyed even as he stood in the building asking looters to
stop. I’m having a hard time mustering up any compassion since the previous night
the city protests were also violent. I can’t understand why, even for the sake
of giving his children an experience, he would take them to the next potentially
violent protest. Paul said, “What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at
all! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I
have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It
does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Ro
9:14-16 NIV).
June 02, 2020
Bringing Good News
Because of
social distancing many preachers continue to struggle with the loss of their church
platform. It’s as though they don’t know how to preach without having the
trappings of the organized religion. Much of their dilemma comes from the fact
that they have taken it upon themselves to orchestrate and direct every aspect
of the worship service, which means they wear multiple hats. It’s unfortunate
that men who are sent to preach let themselves become distracted by becoming
the administrator, music coordinator, sound-man, table server, etc. Paul knew the
importance of doing what you are called to do, “How, then, can they call on the
one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they
have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written,
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news” (Ro 10:14-15 NIV)!
June 01, 2020
Unsolicited Advice
A post on
Facebook from a pastor said, “May I have a moment of your time to talk about
when and how your church resumes gathering? This is not advice to pastors. (I’m
sure they’re getting plenty of unsolicited advice.) I want to share my perspective
for those of you who are waiting for information from your pastors.” The pastor
went on to offer a few do’s and don’ts for the coming months and first on the
list was, “Give your advice and opinion only when it is requested…” I’m now trying
to imagine the look on a pastor’s face if we in the congregation told him, “Give
your advice and opinion only when it is requested.” Pastors and leaders sometimes
fail to recognize that what they deem as “unsolicited advice”, may in fact may
be a message from the Lord. The disciples were first called Christians at
Antioch, “During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to
Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit
predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This
happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, each according to
his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This
they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 11:27-30
NIV). Thank goodness the message from Agabus, a fore-teller, was not perceived as
unsolicited advice.
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