Weekly Devotional - The Teacher Speaks

"Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

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

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." - (Matthew 5:1-4, ESV)

Picture it. Set the scene in your head.

Jesus has just started his ministry. People are just starting to listen. He's gained the ear of the Jews. And the crowds have started to amass, to come and hear this new, courageous teacher of Scriptures. He climbs a hill, followed by his disciples. He sits. His disciples sit around him, waiting. The people gathered around fall silent, waiting as well. The teacher speaks...

And so begins the Sermon on the mount - an epic collection of Jesus' teachings in which he shows us what it means to live in the Kingdom of Heaven.

He begins with a seemingly contradictory statement.

"'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

How is it the poor end up inheriting a kingdom? What does it mean to be poor in spirit? Do I have to be poor in spirit to gain the kingdom of heaven? It sounds like being poor in spirit means I can't own a flat screen TV or a swimming pool.

Here are five short devotional thoughts from these two verses.

This Is An Invitation
Jesus isn't writing pithy one-liners to put on bumper stickers or hallmark cards. He's giving us an invitation. He's asking us to become poor in spirit. He wants us to inherit the kingdom of God.

Being Poor In Spirit Has To Do With How We See Ourselves
It's that beautiful moment when we're relieved of the burden of self-reliance. It's understanding we're broken. It's realizing our own inability. It's knowing we're powerless, and unworthy of the love and affection of a God who is the opposite of all that. Poor in spirit means we see how deeply we're screwed - which is something that's easy to see when we look at humanity as a whole, but it's a hard thing to own up to personally.

God Cares For Those Who Turn To Him
Some might say it's unhealthy to look at ourselves as fundamentally flawed creatures. But I would simply ask which is more unhealthy, being sick and refusing to acknowledge it, or being sick and calling a doctor? Jesus says those who mourn shall be comforted. The only comfort which has any meaning is the Gospel. The only comfort which lasts is the love of Christ - that tangible, self-sacrificial, never-ending love which was the impetus of Christ's death on the cross. It's the only kind of love which comforts those who mourn.

We Must Live In A Contradictory Manner
Just like Jesus' first statement, we who seek to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth must live in a contradictory manner. This goes beyond not using swear words, smoking, or watching R-Rated movies. It means loving people in a radical (and tangible) way. It's understanding the self-sacrificial and never-ending love of Christ which drives us to love others with that same kind of tangible love. If you want to read a practical book about learning to love people in our day and age, go pick up Bob Goff's book "Love Does." It's a short and easy read packed with awesomeness based on the idea that love is a verb. These are the kind of people who inherit the kingdom of heaven - the ones who love like Jesus loved.

Being Poor In Spirit Ultimately Looks Like Humility
All of this combines to give us an attitude of humility - the poor in spirit are humble. They know they need help. They know it's not all about them, it's about Christ. And they want to help others in any and every way possible.

How can you seek to be poor in spirit this week? How can you show others a tangible and self-sacrificing love?

Weekly Devotional - Remaining Faithful, Even Through Hard Times

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.  

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (Colossians 4:2-6, ESV)

Paul, the author of the book of Colossians, was a man well acquainted with suffering. He was beaten, whipped, betrayed, and was even shipwrecked. The book of Colossians was written from a prison cell. Paul was imprisoned for spreading the Gospel.

And yet Paul's main concern was still spreading the Gospel! He asks the Colossians to pray for him, that he would be able to leverage his current imprisonment to share the Gospel.

Often, when we face hard times, our first instinct can be to blame God. Maybe not directly, but we ask questions like, "God, why would you let this happen to me?" But to Paul, the answer to that question is clear. God let him be put in prison so he could share the Gospel. 

Paul goes on to ask for prayer, that he would be able to make the Gospel clear. And then he exhorts the Colossians to do as he does. To leverage their current situations to share the Gospel clearly.

Our circumstances, good or bad, are opportunities to speak of Christ's saving work on the cross. Your ability to remain faithful to Christ through hard times may be the strongest testimony of all.

What Would Kanye Do?

photo © 2009 editrixie, Flickr

Today I watched an interview in which Kanye was wearing one of those old WWJD bracelets popular when I was in 3rd grade. Kanye West has listed Jesus Christ as one of his biggest inspirations on more than one occasion. And it got me thinking. It's not like I can fault the rap artist for finding inspiration in the historical Jesus. Christ was an inspirational person with a radical message who changed the world. But it's telling when Kanye West is more inspired by Jesus Christ than many Christians I know.

Reading the gospels, the stories of Christ, it's captivating. The way he spoke, the way he taught, the stories and parables - I can't tear my eyes from the page. The way he loved people, the poor and the rich, the marginalized and those in power, it makes me nervous. It makes me think maybe the world doesn't revolve around me, and that's scary (I guess Kanye missed that part). It's like I become torn between wanting to keep reading and this desire to go out and BE like Jesus.

I mean, it's not always like that. There are a million distractions just waiting to stifle inspiration. I'm a nerd, so I'm always catching myself reading the Bible from an academic point of view rather than an awe-inspired point of view. Or I get busy with life, and simply fail to pay attention to who and Jesus actually is, and what he did and is doing.

So maybe we Christians need more a little more inspiration. Maybe we could spend a little less time discussing doctrine, political parties, and gay rights. Maybe instead of slinging verses at our opponents like fiery darts we could take a new look at Christ. A good look. One which moves us.

I think sometimes its easy to say we "Love Jesus." But isn't the lover of someone a person which has been deeply inspired by another? Kanye's bracelet was a reminder to me, today, to find inspiration in Jesus again.

This Week In The News - February 28, 2014

photo © 2011 Jon S, Flickr

"This Week In The News" is just a bunch of interesting, entertaining, or otherwise awesome stuff we've found around the internet. Most of the time it will have something to do with the Church, but not necessarily. Also, just because we posted it here doesn't mean we always agree with or endorse everything posted below. We hope you enjoy!

5 Things Christians Should Know About Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety tend to be some of those touchy subjects that are tough to tackle from a Christian perspective. It's not complicated just because the illnesses themselves are so complex, manifesting themselves in myriad ways, but also because perspectives about mental disorders vary greatly throughout the Church.

4 Reasons To Ban Solitary Confinement

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) touched on a controversial topic at its annual annual meeting this month — solitary confinement. University of Pittsburgh law professor Jules Lobel spoke at the conference about his role as lead counsel in a proposed class action lawsuit against Pelican Bay State Prison in California. Lobel is seeking to represent more than 1,000 prisoners there who spent at least a decade in solitary confinement.

Kerry slams N. Korea as 'an evil, evil place'

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday called for global attention on North Korea, denouncing the isolated Asian nation as "an evil, evil place." "North Korea is one of the most closed and cruel places on earth. There's no question about it. There's evil that is taking place there that all of us ought to be deeply and are deeply concerned about," the top US diplomat said.

I'm In It To End It: #EndItMovement

Around the world, there are presently almost 30 million people in slavery—a truly staggering number, quite possibly the largest number of slaves the world has ever known. You can see where they are held right at this Washington Post article.

Egypt’s Miracle AIDS Cure is Probably A Hoax

By hoax, we mean it looks like a complete sham. We don’t know what the Egyptian military is thinking with their latest attempt at making the people of the country, pro-armed forces. According to the military’s leader, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, engineers have created the perfect cure for AIDS and hepatitis C.

Lip Sync Battle With Paul Rudd

Weekly Devotional - Seek The Things That Are Above

If then, you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above not on things that are on earth. - Colossians 3:1-2

Chapter 3 of Colossians begins a section of encouragements, though not the type of encouragements you see on Hallmark cards. These are encouragements to live in a more Christlike way - an exhortation. Paul is showing us how to become better Christians. He has a big list. But don't miss the first thing he says, "IF THEN, you have been raised with Christ." If you are a Christian, then seek to do these things.

See, it's not that do's and don'ts are necessarily bad. It's that do's and don'ts aren't the starting point of the Christian Faith. We can't hold non-Christians to these standards we can't keep ourselves.

Because here's the thing, I've never once gone an entire day without falling short of those lists. This list includes things like anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk and lying. That's why Paul uses the word, "seek" in verse 1. It's a journey of persistence. One in which we, as Christ-followers, daily seek to put to death those things in the first list while simultaneously trying to emulate the things in the following list. Things like compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. A list which sounds an awful lot like characteristics of Christ.

So be persistent and take heart. This whole "seeking" thing is a process. We're going to mess up. They'll be days where we make more progress, and days where we make less. But it's not like God loves us any less because we haven't gotten very far yet.

Set your minds on Christ. He is the goal. 

This Week In The News... February 20th, 2014

photo © 2011 Jon S, Flickr

Here are some of the more interesting articles around the internet which have caught my eye. Most of them have to do with religion and the church, but won't always.

'Sports Chaplains' Bring The Gospel To Olympic Village

There are probably fewer American fans in Sochi than at previous Winter Games, partly because of concerns about security, and partly because of the time and expense it takes to get to the Russian resort town on the Black Sea. But Americans are represented there, with gusto, by a group of evangelical Christians who call themselves the International Sports Chaplains. Members of the group have been going to the Olympic Games since 1988.

Australian missionary reportedly detained in North Korea

 A 75-year-old Australian missionary who traveled to North Korea as part of a tour group has been detained there, his wife said. John Short had with him some Gospel tracts in Korean "which seem to be at the core of the detention," his wife said in a statement Wednesday.

84-Year-Old Nun Jailed For Breaking Into High-Security Nuclear Facility

An elderly nun who broke into what was supposed to be one of the most carefully guarded nuclear facilities in the United States was sentenced to nearly three years in prison, local media reported.

A faithful death: Why a snake handler refused treatment

The trouble at Full Gospel Tabernacle began on Saturday night, when Pastor Jamie Coots, whose serpent-handling religious rituals made him a reality TV star, died after a rattlesnake sunk its fangs into his right hand.

I Don’t Worship God by Singing. I Connect With Him Elsewhere.

I’ve a confession. I don’t connect with God by singing to Him. Not at all. I know I’m nearly alone in this but it’s true. I was finally able to admit this recently when I attended a church service that had, perhaps, the most talented worship team I’ve ever heard. I loved the music. But I loved it more for the music than the worship. As far as connecting with God goes, I wasn’t feeling much of anything.

Weekly Devotional - This Is Disicipleship

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. - Col 2:6-7

Jesus was a unique man. Besides the obvious, the whole equally God and equally man hypostatic union... thing... we see a man who was fearless but humble, fierce but gentle, and a man who turned every expectation upside down. He cut through the insincere practices of religion, getting to the heart of God. He healed sickness and disease, fed thousands, and preached mercy and forgiveness. He loved with a radical and overwhelming love and was killed for it.

And we are told to walk in him. 

What does that even mean?

Everyone has a different answer to that question. Super-Conservatives will tell you exactly what it means. They have endless lists with subpoints, charts and graphs. Super-Liberals will give you a wishy-washy answer that has something to do with feelings and fair trade coffee.

But it simply comes down to imitating the life of Jesus. I don't mean wearing a tunic and sandals and walking all over the desert preaching against the religious and political leaders. I mean being the type of person that Jesus was.

But to do that, you have to build a solid foundation - a solid root. You need to know who he was before you can imitate him. And the only reliable way to do that is to constantly be reading the gospels, asking yourself, "Who is this Jesus?"

This is discipleship.

As you continue to do this, you will find yourself being built up. You'll start to see your life change. You'll start acting like Jesus.

So do you know what Jesus was like? How can you start acting more like him?