Who would you include among the Old Testament ‘Saints’? Who would make your list? Abraham? Isaac? Jacob? Certainly! What about Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Samuel and Melchizedek? And then, of course, there’s Noah, Daniel, Job (among God’s favorites- Ezekiel 14:14), Nebuchadnezzer, David and—Wha.....?– Nebuchadnezzer???!–The king of Babylon?--a saint? What’s a foreign pagan king doing among Old Testament people of God? And how could anyone seriously place him among such an exceptional grouping of people?

Perhaps he just doesn’t belong there, but listen to his words at the beginning and closing of Daniel 4:

    

I don’t know about you, but from my perspective, I just can’t imagine this kind of language coming from the lips of one of the most powerful monarchs of that day. Certainly not the Babylonian king who had sacked Judah’s royal city of Jerusalem along with its holy temple and majestic palaces. He was the leader of what Yahweh called the most brutal army of all the nations (Ezekiel 30:11). And yet these words could have come from the inspired pen of David, the writer of most of the Psalms. It just doesn’t sound like the words of a typical hard-nosed pagan ruler bent upon conquest and domination.

How did Nebuchanezzar get here? [Read the entire 4^th chapter of Daniel].

           Image by; zoethustra   http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.enand

human contact to live as an animal for seven years until he learned "that the High God rules over human kingdoms and...arranges all kingdom affairs" (4:25).

For a year, all went well for Nebuchadnezzar and then he hit the wall! He had all but forgotten Daniel’s warning advice that he abandon his wickedness and arrogance. As he walked along the terrace of his palace in Babylon, viewing all the splendors of his rule, he carelessly remarked; "Look at this, Babylon the great! And I built it all by myself, a royal palace adequate to display my honor and glory. The words were no sooner out of his mouth...[and] it happened....Nebuchadnezzar was driven out of human company, ate grass like an ox, and was soaked in heaven’s dew. His hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a hawk" (4:30-33). 

There you have it—Yahweh God turned the great pagan king of Babylon into a saint–a believer! And guess what? He can and does the same with each one of us. It is only when we ‘hit the wall’ and we finally recognize with our whole being that ‘God truly is God’, that we can indeed begin to be what God has intended for us all along!

                                                                                                                        LAW

The Beattitudes

What are the Beattitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)? Are they commands to be obeyed? Are they promises to be granted to people who somehow conform to the descriptions contained within them? Are they some sort of fanciful idealized high sounding figments of the creative imagination of a half crazed teacher/philosopher? Just what are they?

Actually, they are a job description! The Beattitudes reveal the character qualities of those who dare to be Christ's followers–His disciples. These qualities (what He wants people to be, and not so much what He wants them to do) are reflected in distinct ways of behaving and living. And what did Jesus want His disciples to be?—He wanted them to be like Him.

  
 
                                                                                                                               LAW

The Lord is Near– He’s Here!!

        I’ve always been a little jittery about explaining what Paul meant when he said to the Philippian Christians; "The Lord is near" (Phil.4:5b).   I’ve always assumed he was speaking of the 2^nd coming of Christ, and how in the world does one explain that after 2000 years, Paul, the Apostle is still  right in saying Jesus’ 2^nd coming is still near?  I’ve always tended to skip over that phrase if I could.  But not anymore, not after our last Summer Study Series on the book of Philippians!!  I was bold enough (stupid?) to actually ask the question: "So, what was Paul saying here when he said ‘The Lord is near?’" 

        I mean, I don’t think it was 3 seconds and Jonathan was on it like a ‘chicken on a June bug’ (his answer has changed my whole perspective of the entire last chapter of Philippians).  Jonathan trounced on it: "Paul meant that the Lord is near at hand- He is here!"  YES!! -That’s it!  That little phrase has transformed   for me what Paul is attempting to tell the two arguing women (and the other Philippian Christians) in 4:2 and following!

       Paul was saying: "Look, you two women (Euodia and Syntyche) need to settle your differences (v.2).  The Lord is near at hand helping you in this whole matter (v.5b).  Now with this in mind, please do the following for me:" (vs.4-9)

"Rejoice, and again I say, rejoice!" ----Why? The Lord is near– He’s Here!!

          (If one knows the Lord’s hand is already at work in a difficult relational problem, how difficult can it be to rejoice in the Lord?)

"Be gentle!"  ----Why? The Lord is near– He’s Here!!

          (If one is aware of the Lord’s intimate involvement, will he/she tend to avoid stupid, crass & insensitive remarks & actions toward the other?)

"Do not be anxious!" –Don’t worry -----Why? The Lord is near- He’s Here!!

          (Again, can confidence that the Lord is working in such a situation, bring rest to one’s heart?)

"Pray, Petition, Give Thanks, Request!"  ---Why? The Lord is near-He’s Here!!

          (Can awareness of the Lord’s presence, encourage one to ask for wisdom and help in the midst of  that difficulty?)

"Think...what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable & excellent!"  -----Why? The Lord is near-He’s Here!!

          (Knowing the Lord’s intimate involvement in a hardship permits a positive/productive focus on issues of importance instead of replaying all the nasty details of that relational difficulty.)

"Follow my instructions & example!"  ------Why? The Lord is near–He’s Here!!

          (Did the Philippians see the wisdom & power of God emerging from the difficulties playing out in Paul’s life as he lived the instructions he was giving them? Surely doing what Paul did would have similar results!)

       The anticipated results?  "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances..." (Philippians 4:10-13).  No matter what the difficulty or conflict, contentment comes when one is absolutely convinced the Lord is near at hand–He’s here!  There is no need for frantic or harried superhuman maneuvering, manipulation or heavy handed pressure to insure a desired outcome (which probably won’t occur anyway).  Instead there is rest, peace and the assurance that "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (4:19).

       How may the attitude; The Lord is near–He’s Here!  effect how you live in the midst of the relational problems that you surely are experiencing in your home or neighborhood or place of work or a friendship?

                                                                                                                                                                                           LAW

  [My daughter (oldest) asked the following question;  "Is this what some would call 'practicing the presence of God'?"  Precisely!!]

 [Continued from post below-- Wednesday,  August 20, 08]......

     

Throughout his letter to the Philippians, Paul had prepared the believers for what was to come
in chapter 4:. In light of the above quote, I think it reasonable to assume that there had been numerous attempts from the Christian community to encourage a reconciliation between these two feuding women (see Philippians 4:2), but without success. Because Paul knew his letter would be read to all of the believers at Philippi collectively, it was time to approach these two stubborn women directly in a public forum. And so he did: "I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord."

Imagine yourself in their place. What sort of effect would this have had on you? A person for which you have a deep love, respect and admiration had just earnestly pleaded, in the presence of your friends and neighbors; your Christian brothers and sisters, to resolve an ongoing conflict with someone else. It has become the source of a great deal of pain, frustration and sorrow for you and a great many others. You are embarrassed, even infuriated, but deep down you also realize what an awful mess everything has become. The whole situation has spun completely out of control–it has gone far beyond what anyone had ever intended and now everyone is involved. What to do?!

It may appear that Paul quite suddenly dropped a bombshell on two scuffling individuals and then just as abruptly, dumped the whole mess with not so much as an accusation, pointed finger or the placing of blame toward either side. There are no details given. We know about as much before as we do after he addressed that situation. He gave no obvious advice or recommendations concerning this specific instance.

Image by; Travelin' Librarian   http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en
The next post will consider this list from Paul to the Philippians & why they are so effective in dealing  with any relational conflict that we might encounter.
 LAW
[To be continued.....]

 [Continued from the post below--Thurs. August 14, 2008]

     Ok, now on to chapter two—this is the core of the letter as Paul spells out what the "mind of Christ" (KJV) is about:

  "If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you.  If you have a heart, if you really care--then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep spirited friends.  

    Don't push yourself way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top.  Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.  

    Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage.  Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand."                                Philippians 2:1-4 [MSG]      

                   "Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus."  v. 5 [KJV]

     "Jesus though God, took on the nature of a servant, becoming a man, humbled  himself as a man and became obedient  to death on the cross.  Therefore he has been exalted to the highest place and given a name above every name so that every knee will bow and every tongue confess he is Lord."

                                                                               Vs.6-ll  [a paraphrase]

     This mindset–the attitude that was clearly evident in Jesus’ life, was not optional fare for the genuine follower of Christ and the key element here was humility. The divine Son of God, Jesus refused to use who He was to muscle in on the rights/the needs of those who rubbed shoulders with Him. Rather, He very consciously and deliberately chose to consistently serve each person He met. As their Lord and Master (and He was), Jesus fully expected the Philippian disciples to unselfishly do the same—no excuses! Paul pointed out (and the Philippians were very much aware of this) that both Timothy and Epaphroditus, one of their very own, had clearly exemplified these qualities of humility and selflessness. What could people in the middle of a ‘church fight’ like Euodia and Syntyche were experiencing, learn from this part of Paul’s letter?

     In the third chapter, Paul used himself to illustrate what God wanted from them. The Apostle had had an illustrious career in the Jewish religion, but none of what he had gained even as a member of the Sanhedrin (the ruling party of the Jews) had any lasting value to him. All of the honors, powers and privileges–all the kudos that had been his, he now considered rubbish that he might gain all that Christ had in mind for him. Even though the people at Philippi may have considered him to be the epitome of what it meant to be a Christian, the one on top of the heap, Paul confessed:

     The great Apostle Paul admitted that he had not yet ‘arrived’. He was not yet what he ought to be, what he wanted to be. In fact in the very next breath he affirmed; "All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained" (Phil.3:15-16 [NIV]).

     All who are mature  believers must  agree with  this  truth: NO ONE HAS A PERFECT UNDER-STANDING OF ALL GOD HAS AND WANTS FOR HIM/HER.  Paul was saying that even if there is disagreement on other matters, there must be unanimous agreement on this one point. Since it is certain I am not going to see eye-to-eye on some things with you, it is essential that I continue to learn and grow, but live as consistently as I can with what knowledge I now have. And, likewise, it is vital that I allow you who disagree with me to do the very same. As our Lord lives and works with each of us, He will allow us to see and learn in due time what we have not yet attained. Let Him have the time and space to do His work in us. He will! As Euodia and Syntyche came to understand this reality, it would enable both of them to quit pressuring the other to make changes that could not yet be made. Being convinced (believing) that the Lord had the power and the ability to finish the work He had begun in the other would make all the difference in the world!

     [To be continued....]                                                                            LAW      

   Last night our study/discussion group (of about 10) closed out our five week study of Paul's letter to the Philippian Christians. I am still convinced the book needs renaming.  I has been called the PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) book of the Bible---The Joy  Book.  It has been referred to as Paul's friendly letter to the Philippian Church.  And yes, there is a lot of joy and expressions of love and appreciation by Paul to these Christians and it is obvious that in turn, they thought extremely high of him.  But that's not good enough, I tell you!! 

    Image by Travlin' Librarian http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en

    Let me suggest that the whole  book of Philippians revolves around that one little verse: "I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord" (Philippians 4:2). Why did he have to plead with them? The situation between these two ladies was apparently bleak; so serious and volatile, in fact, that Paul asks another dear brother there("loyal yokefellow"- Syzygus (?) to step in for the purpose of intervening and mediating a very difficult and treacherous situation. For though these two ladies seem to have been among those originally working side by side with Paul in establishing and building up the congregation in Philippi, and had come to exert tremendous influence among the disciples there, they were now at each other’s throat–Do you now get the picture? This two party feud between two highly respected members of the Philippian church was effecting everyone and the whole congregation was in danger of being literally ripped apart.

    As a result, everything before 4:2 points forward to it while everything after, points back to this verse.

    Now, place yourself among the believers at Philippi as they come together for a very special event. It should have been a time of exuberance and excitement. Their beloved Epaphroditus has just recently arrived with a letter from the Roman prison where their dear friend, Paul is still confined. They have met together to praise God and hear Paul’s message read publically at this gathering. Eurodia has taken her seat toward the front far right side of the place of meeting (possibly a spacious room in the home of one of the wealthier members-Perhaps that of Lydia, a merchant of expensive textiles?) and Syntyche is in the far left and back corner of the room. Sprinkled throughout the remaining area of the room are the loyal supporters of either of these two women. Icy stares slice through the indiscernible mutterings that hang like a dark cloud, threatening to smother any possible glimmer of lightheartedness that should have welcomed this letter from their mentor, the Apostle Paul.

    Clement stood to read Paul’s opening remarks in this environment of tension and hostility. . . . There was a pause and then he spoke the words of Paul— "Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. . . ."  Peace? What peace?!

    Do you suppose an ‘edgy’ silence descended on the assembly of the Philippians as this first part of Paul’s letter was read to them? Who could tell whether the uncomfortable calm in their midst signaled the onset of an emerging perfect storm or finally, the beginning of the end of a tempest that had been raging among them for weeks and months on end? The public reading of his epistle continued; ". . . I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (1:3-6).

    As Paul wrote, surely his mind (not to mention, his heart) was never far from the critical problem confronting these Christians. However, he still managed to refocus their mutual attention not upon the circumstances of that conflict, but upon the only person who could ever deal with the messy and jumbled intricacies of sin and– the human conflicts that came with it. Jesus was quite capable of finishing everything He had begun in the lives of every single one of these disciples despite any wrong turns they may have taken along the way. How might this remark effect the attitude these two feuding people had had toward each other? Near the close of chapter one, Paul insisted that they contend ". . . as one [person] for the faith of the-gospel . . .-" (1:27). This call to solidarity against a common foe was designed to help them begin the process of sorting through the twists and turns and snags of their turbulent relationships.

           [To be continued....]                                                                         LAW

The term Paradox (my friend, Blake defines it as two physicians) is not mentioned in Scripture, but it abounds in paradox or paradoxical concepts. One of my better friends (than Blake) says paradox is "a reality containing essential elements that seem or appear to contradict each other." A neat quote from an online dictionary states; "‘I always lie’ is a paradox because if it is true it must be false."

Jesus’ essential nature is a paradox because the Scripture states clearly that he is both human and divine at the same time. Another paradox of Scripture is the teaching of God’s sovereignty (supreme power or authority–the absolute right to exercise power over others) and humanity’s free will (How is it possible for these two realities to exist side by side?). A particularly troubling paradox is the fact that there is one God, but 3 beings or entities who share in that same nature.

Scripture abounds in statements of paradox. Consider a few in the following quotes:
    = "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant." (Matthew 20:26)
    = "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save
         it." (Luke 9:24)
    = "But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." 
         (Matthew 19:30)
    = "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the
         righteousness of God."   (II Corinthians 5:21)
    = "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be
         exalted" (Matthew 23:12).
    = "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me"
        (Galatians 2:20)

"Truth is almost always paradoxical in nature; like two sides of the same coin. They are parts of a single substance, but each side has its own unique markings; distinct from each other.[The paradoxes cited above are] genuine realities stretching our ability to comprehend or adequately explain, but well supported by Scripture....It is therefore not unwise to be cautious about swallowing hook, line and sinker a reality that seems single faceted, one-sided or ‘cut and dried’. We may discover less obvious aspects of a particular truth which give a fuller and more complete picture as we step back and take another look." (from If Our Hearts Condemn Us, Will God?   By L.A.Williams
 http://www.turniphdpubs.byethost32.com/page38.html).

"Reality, for that is what truth is, is not always an issue of what is ‘black or white’ or ‘right or wrong’. It is hardly ever a simple matter of assembling all of the pertinent facts involved and then quickly coming to an appropriate conclusion. Although some truth seems obvious, much of it is not. It [may] require many years of experience and learning- even intense soul-searching, to grasp and understand. Often there is a very fine line between truth and falsehood- they can look deceptively alike." (This quote is from the same essay above).

[I want to consider this last thought in my next post]                                                                 LAW

This is the intro to Rich Mullin's song, Higher Education and the Book of Love in his Never Picture Perfect album:

 http://www.amazon.com/Never-Picture-Perfect-Rich-Mullins/dp/B0000004RS
Image Deep Space by pierre pouliquin  / http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en  

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