Tuesday, July 31, 2012

TELESCOPE MOMENTS
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:21

We made it – the end of July. If you remember back from the devotional on July 1, you may recall me stating I was doing an experiment for this month, and you were welcome to join me. Encouraged by Charles Sheldon’s book, I wanted to ask daily what Jesus would do. Did you take the challenge with me? If so, how did you do? If not, it’s alright. Either way, let us keep in mind that this is what we are called to daily. Daily we are to seek out God’s ways, walk in His steps, and imitate Him. But maybe like me, after taking this month to focus purposefully on what Jesus would do, you find that there are areas where you struggle. Giving up our desires for His can be a challenge. Let me offer this thought as we close the month of July.
Have you ever looked through a telescope before? My son got one a couple years back. I remember on that first night how we were both anxious for the sun to go down so we could see the moon and stars. We had been practicing during the day, looking at trees far off, birds that managed to stop long enough for us to find, a water tower, and whatever else looked distant. But as the sun finally set, we were getting a little discouraged. On this first night it was looking to be cloudy. We waited, and waited, and attempted, but still the sky was filled with clouds. After some time, though, we finally got our chance. The clouds were moving out and we saw our payday...the moon.
At first it looked like a big blurry blob, no different than someone shining a flashlight in your eye. But as we had learned during the day, we had to focus. We had to twist the knobs and line up the view to rid the blur. When we finally had it set, though, we were able to see the details clearly. It was a moment I will not forget, sharing time with my son and seeing the etched craters and shadows cast on the moon itself.
So here is what I have learned from questioning what Jesus would do and from that moment with my son and his telescope. I have learned I need to pray more. My desire is to know what God is telling me personally, and then obey. Sometimes the obeying and mirroring is harder than the hearing. But I want to be in a place where no matter the situation, the end result is still the reflection of Him. As I pray about how, I hear the word FOCUS. As I pray and consider this word, I am reminded of my son's telescope. We used it to view things far off, bringing them close so we could focus on their detail. How can I focus on the moon if the knobs are not adjusted right? But then how can I focus on God if I am not adjusted to His settings.
In Matthew 6:21, Jesus tells us that our treasure is where our heart is. For so long I have been more often than not doing things my way. My heart has not been focused fully on Him. My treasure has pivoted between doing my thing and doing God’s. So hearing the word FOCUS is right on target for me. It is time I focus on God, who is in the end the image I want to reflect, who I want to mirror, and in whose steps I should be stepping in. It is time I adjust my knobs in my relationship with God and see the awe and wonder in His detail, forsaking pride and comfort for His glory. I know from experience that I will not be let down when I look at His awesomeness.
I cannot say that the word FOCUS is the word for you as well, but I can tell you that you will not be disappointed if you resolve to focus on God. Steven Curtis Chapman sings one of my all time favorite songs, Magnificent Obsession. I have always loved the tune. But as I was thinking about the song today, and reflecting on the words, it became more of my prayer than just a song. So I close this devotional, and this month, with what has become my prayer.

This is everything I want
This is everything I need
I want this to be my one consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus
Be my magnificent obsession

Friday, July 27, 2012

FEED HIS SHEEP
“The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’
“Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’
“Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep.’”
John 21:17

We are nearing the end of the month of July and our focused look at answering the question “What Would Jesus Do?” While the examples as to what He would do can continue to be found, there is another piece I want us to look at in depth. We have studied Ephesians 5, looked at servanthood, parenting, and even love. Today, however, I want to look at the life of Peter, or at least a few specific parts of his life. According to the Gospel of Mark, which many believe was penned by Mark through the narration of Peter, the brothers Andrew and Peter were casting a net into the lake since they were fishermen (Mk 1:16). From the bank of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus saw the two and called out, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed after Jesus. This embracing of the call to follow Jesus was the defining moment that made the difference in the life of Peter. We would be wise to follow Peter’s example as well, and leave behind us the nets and fish to follow the One who is calling us.
Yet not all Peter’s lessons were so rewarding. In Matthew 14:22-33 we read the story of Jesus walking on the water. Thinking that Jesus may be a ghost, which was a valid sort as tails were told even back then of the ghosts of dead fisherman walking the waves, the disciples began to fear. When Jesus called to them that it was He, Peter replied back, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water” (Mt 14:28). At the bid to come, Peter stepped out of the boat and on to the water. The first few steps were solid, but then the waves came. Seeing the waves Peter began to sink and was saved by an outstretched hand of Jesus. But with the hand came the rebuke for his little faith.
Another rebuke, yet not so easily seen, came following Christ’s resurrection. On the night that Jesus was on trial before crucifixion, Peter boldly announced that he would follow Christ anywhere. Knowing what was to come, however, Jesus told Peter that he would soon deny his allegiance to Him. Before the rooster voiced its third alarm, Peter had indeed rejected Christ three times. I can’t fully imagine the guilt and shame Peter may have felt following these actions, but I can state the guilt and shame I have felt in the times when I personally have rejected Christ. I can also relate to the next part of the lesson, found in John 21:15-19. Peter was asked three times by Jesus of his love for Him, and three times answered that he did love Jesus. But why three times? It is thought that since Peter rejected Christ three times that Peter was being rebuked by Jesus three times. The final time was the key, the point where Peter broke down and saw the lesson that I hope we also see. Peter was forgiven. Peter’s mess up’s are no different than ours, and yet he was forgiven. So we are too when we turn back to Jesus.
Peter’s forward steps tell the story of how I want to be…bold, on fire, and not held back. I want to walk in the Spirit and take a stand that says I will follow the commands of God rather than men (Acts 5:29). I want to be passionate about God no matter the end result, which for Peter was also crucifixion for his faith. But how does this relate to us, and the challenge to walk in Jesus’ steps? Perhaps in Peter I see myself. I see the desire to be on fire, but I see also the times in which my faith has been low and my body sinking. I see also the times when I have had the desire but then turned back when believing in Him got a little too hard or testing. I see myself still, however, in the blessing that comes in His forgiveness of these times. These times make me want to live out the remainder of my days like Peter, feeding His sheep. So how does all this relate? Easy. Do I love Jesus? Yes. Then to do what Jesus would do requires me to step up to the plate and embrace His command. It is time I feed His sheep.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

FATHERS, TRAIN
“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
Ephesians 6:4

In Ephesians 6:1-3 we see the charge given to children, to honor and obey their parents as this act brings about the blessing of long life within the land. However, as we move on in Ephesians still further, we see in Ephesians 6:4 a challenge given to fathers. I will be honest and admit that although I had heard the word ‘exasperate’ a few times growing up, I never had any real understanding of its meaning. The few times I heard it were normally when spoken by my mom after she found dad pushing the boundary in his teasing us children. But is that all it means? Should fathers be careful not to tease their children too much? And if so, how does that fit into the question we have been seeking to answer this month concerning doing what Jesus would do? It looks like we may have a few questions to answer today.
Let us first define a few words, as I like to do in order to make sure I understand correctly. The charge is to fathers, PATER in the Greek. This term is used to define a male ancestor, but is also used to define both the mother and father in some cases where a parental unit is determined. Based on Hebrew culture, however, where the father is to lead his children in the way of God and the instruction of the Torah, I personally feel this use in Ephesians 6:4 is specific to the male. The next term I feel we should define is the word that stumps me, exasperate. In the King James Version the word is ‘provoke’. In Greek it is the term PARORGIZO, meaning to rouse to wrath or anger. Already we can see in these two terms that the father is not to anger his child, but perhaps more understanding is still needed. In working to dig deeper I found the following from Matthew Henry’s Commentary.

“The duty of parents – be not impatient; use no unreasonable severities. Deal prudently and wisely with children; convince their judgments and work upon their reason. Bring them up well; under proper and compassionate correction; and in the knowledge of the duty God requires.”


This detail moves us into the next piece, then. If the father is not to raise wrath and anger within his children, but rather is to deal prudently and wisely with his children, then how is this done? The father is to train his children in the instruction of the Lord. As a parent I find myself having to grasp what I am seeing here as well. It is one thing for me to constantly harp on my children about how wrong it is to tell a lie, but it is the right thing for me to not raise their anger. Instead, I should take them to God’s Word and show them His thoughts about telling lies. It is my job to relate all lessons, good and bad, back to God’s Word. The Bible is the standard. The standard is not a parenting book or Dr. Phil. The Word of God trumps all other resources.
So now let us answer the final question, what would Jesus do concerning the upbringing of my child? For that I turn to Luke 2:52, reading, “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Jesus grew in SOPHIA and HELIKIA. This is the example we as fathers need to set for our children as we encourage them in their learning. The Greek word SOPHIA means wisdom or intelligence, but it also refers to the use of wisdom in diverse matters. It is not enough to be wise if we do not know how to use the wisdom we are obtaining. And HELIKIA means maturity. Jesus grew in His wisdom and how to apply His learning just as He grew in maturity. This is the instruction we are given as fathers to pass on to our children.
The ball is in our court fathers. Will we continue to exasperate our children, or will we help them to grow as Jesus did, in wisdom and stature? It may take some changes in the way we function as fathers, but it is our duty as a father. If I want my children to do as Jesus did, then the change starts with me. I too have to be a student, growing in wisdom and stature. For as Jesus had so I also want – the favor of God and man.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

ZEAL IN THE CAMP
“’Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has deflected my anger from the people of Israel by being as zealous as I am, so that I didn’t destroy them in my own zeal.’”
Numbers 25:11

My children enjoy watching the Disney cartoons of Phinehas and Ferb these days. When I had mentioned to them that the name Phinehas was in the Bible, the first question my son asked was if Phinehas had a triangle head like the boy on the cartoon. After I shared a laugh with him about this, I explained to him the account of Phinehas from Numbers 25. To give you a little background on this account, it was soon after the details of Balak and Balaam that Israel began whoring with the women of Moab. They joined in with the worship of Baal, and God’s anger festered. Moses commanded the death of those who had joined themselves to Baal-Por, and the curse was ended at 24,000 people dead when the spear of Phinehas struck the stomach of an Israelite and Midian couple (Num 25:1-9).
If we continue from this account we read in Numbers 25:10-19 the blessing of God on Phinehas for this action. In fact, in verse 11 we read of God commending him for being as zealous as He was and how this action saved the nation from God’s own wrath. The reward to Phinehas was a covenant of peace within the office of the priest, covering him as well as his descendants.
But here is the point I want us to consider in this devotional today – ZEAL. Phinehas was rewarded for his zeal concerning the sin taking place. What does this mean exactly? The word in Hebrew is QANA’. Qana means to excite to a jealous anger. Think back with me to the listing of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. The second commandment states, “You are to have no other gods before me” (Ex 20:3). The command is broken down stating that no carved image is to be made or bowed down to and then God states why. “…for I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God…” (Ex 20:5). The word used in Exodus 20:5 is QANNA’, from the root QANA’. God is a jealous God. In the moment when Phinehas took the spear and struck the stomachs of the couple, he was acting in the same jealousy that God would have acted in.
So here’s the kicker. Are we a jealous about our God as God is of Himself? Remember, we are still answering the question of what would Jesus do. In this example we have an inside look as to the jealousy that God comes to concerning obedience. We know that Christ obeyed His Father on every account. So then shouldn’t we? What are the things God has told us not to intermarry with, to worship, or to join with? Maybe more accurately asked, are we worship and bowing down to something other than God? I remember back in the late 1990’s singing a song in church by Scott Faircloth. The words were, “I want to love what you love / I want to hate what you hate / teach me the fear of the Lord.” These words cannot just be words. These words must be our prayer and decree as they were for Phinehas. It is time that we rise up also, take the stand that God commands, and no longer let sin in the camp.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

SUBMISSION

“As for husbands, love your wives, just as the Messiah loved the Messianic Community, indeed, gave himself up on its behalf, in order to set it apart for God, making it clean through immersion in the mikveh, so to speak, in order to present the Messianic Community to himself us a bride to be proud of, without a spot, wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and without defect.”
Ephesians 5:25-27 CJB

Before I begin today, as I know this can be a touchy subject, I want to remind you that our topic for July has been the question of “What Would Jesus Do?” When I started writing these devotionals it was because I was reading Charles Sheldon’s book in which the characters were asking the same question. Each character in their own respective field found themselves beginning to make decisions for the course of their life based on seeking God’s answers as opposed to doing what they felt. Yet while I was reading this book, and now since as I have finished it, I find myself still wondering as the characters did what Jesus would do in many of my situations. In the parts of Ephesians 5 we have looked at, I think it is safe to say we have begun to answer this question to some degree. But today I want to move forward in Ephesians 5 to the verses maybe more so quoted at weddings and in marriage counseling. I want us to consider what Jesus would do as we look at the subject of submission.
Now before we go further, let us define from the Greek the word ‘submission’. The Greek word for submit here is HUPOTASSO, which means to obey, to be subject to, or to yield to the advice of. I think in many circles this word has become negative. Wives tend to feel controlled by their husbands when they submit, just as men tend to feel less in command when they submit. But think of this, the same Greek word used here in Ephesians 5 is the same word found in James 4:7 where we are encouraged to submit to God in order to resist the devil. Submission is not a bad thing by any means. If the true meaning has to do with obedience and receiving help, then who doesn’t need these things? While I am not saying at all that wives are weak and cannot think for themselves, I am saying that God has given you a husband to join up with and find a right and joint mindset with. And husbands, while I am not saying that you are unable to think for yourself, I am saying that leading the family is not always easy, and God is willing to give you some pointers.
With ‘submission’ defined, let us look now at our scripture. Again, we know that Jesus did only as He saw His Father doing. It is with this understanding that we see His order. Jesus saw His Father love the world, regardless of its state. So then, Jesus mirrored His Father’s love for the body. As Jesus is married to the church, so the man is to love his bride. As Jesus gave Himself up for His bride, so the man is to forsake himself for his bride. In this act, Jesus set us apart, washing us in His blood for purity. In the Jewish culture, there is a term known as ‘mikveh’. A mikveh is a pool or bath of clear water. If a ritually clean person had contact with an unclean person, dead person, or any defiling object, including menstrual cycles, the person would bathe in these waters for cleanliness. Notice in Ephesians 5:26 that this is the water, or the flow, that we have been washed in. Notice also that this is the idea that we are to follow. The husband is to mirror the washing of his bride in the waters of the Word as we have been washed in the waters of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Within marriage, should we not also do what Jesus would do? Husbands, should we not love our wives as Jesus loved His bride. Wives, should submission be forsaken when we see that Jesus also submitted to the ways of His Father? If we want to do what Jesus would do then we have to do it in every area, not just in the areas we want to surrender in. It isn’t always easy to surrender to Him our relationships, our wallets, or our habits, but to be His bride, free of spot and wrinkle, we have to come under His submission. The word ‘submission’ shouldn’t be feared, but rather should be full of freedom.


*I thank you for reading these devotionals. It is my desire that through my words and thoughts, God speaks masses to you. Over the next few weeks I would like to give you a small gift, a token, for taking the time to read these devotionals. If you would please, I ask that in an email response back to me, you provide for me your physical address so that I can mail you a gift of gratitude.
Dan

Monday, July 9, 2012

GET UP, SLEEPER!
“But everything exposed to the light is revealed clearly for what it is, since anything revealed is a light. This is why it says, ‘Get up, sleeper! Arise from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you!’”
Ephesians 5:13-14

A few days back I was walking from the living room to the kitchen and saw something strange down moving the hall. This being a new apartment still, I wasn’t really sure what it was. The lights were out in the house with the exception of the flickering from the TV and a nightlight in the hall for the kids. But in looking down the hall, for a brief moment, I was perplexed. The moving object looked like that of a snake. Since I couldn’t make out exactly what it was, and didn’t want to get too close in case it was something dangerous, I turned the hall light on. To my relief, sticking out from the laundry area and moving around in snake like fashion, was my cat’s tail. I feel embarrassed telling you this story, but in that moment when it was almost completely dark, her tail really had me fooled.
Isn’t it funny how in the dark things appear different than in the light? Having children, I have had to battle my share of shadows. Waking up to the calling of my name from down the hall, I have run in a few times and turned on the light in order to show the child that what they saw was nothing more than a piece of clothing or box or such. Once the light is turned on, though, the item is seen for what it really is. This is what Paul is saying in Ephesians 5:13 when he states that everything exposed to the light is seen clearly for what it really is. The ‘monster’ is not a monster at all, but rather a figment of what we perceive in the dark. When the blindness or ignorance is made known with the turning on of the light, revelation is had.
As we began to understand yesterday, the exposure of the things in the dark to the light takes the power away from the dark. Exposing the deeds of the enemy in the light of God takes the power away from the enemy, weakening the grip he had on us while in the dark. To restate what I shared yesterday, by conviction we are to bring to the light the deeds done in darkness. The darkness works to envelope and entrap the deeds of sin, but the light works to shine on the darkness and shadows and make it difficult for sin to hind any longer.
So then, it is time to get up. As long as we stay in the dark we stay under the enemy’s power. It is time to turn the light on in the hall, so to say, and see the snake-like moving item for what it really is. Awake! Awake you who are dead in sleep. Awake you who are yielding in sloth and sin. Turn on the light, expose the enemy and take back your rightful position! Hear the alarm that is blaring in your ear; hear the rooster sounding the call of the sun rising. Stand up, roll out of bed and get back to business. To say it bluntly, open your eyes!
For too long the enemy has overpowered God’s people. Oh I know, you are too smart to have been overtaken. But the enemy is sly and he comes in in inches and steals from us in miles. He comes in and little by little robs us until, hopefully, our eyes are open to see the house is empty. Before it gets to this point, GET UP! Before he has a chance to steal one more knick-knack from your shelf, GET UP! Before he can take one more coin, one more item from your fridge, or one more piece of your soul, GET UP! Arise and let God’s light flood the house and expose the devil for the junk pile he is.
Do you want to know how to walk in God’s ways and do as Jesus would do? Then turn the light on. Expose the secrets, live out loud, and seek Him in every area. Invite Him into every nook and cranny of your life to the point that you glow, and where darkness no longer can hide.

Sunday, July 8, 2012

EXPOSURE
“Have nothing to do with the deeds produced by darkness, but instead expose them, for it is shameful even to speak of the things these people do in secret.”
Ephesians 5:11-12

Back before digital cameras, the choices for people wanting to take pictures were the Polaroid and roll film. While the Polaroid promised a picture within minutes, the roll film had to be rewound and sent off for processing or taken to a one hour development place. I remember both, but most of my pictures growing up were taken with the 35mm roll film. The problem I ran into with this film was that if the camera’s film loading area was opened and the film not rewound fully, the exposure of light would affect and bleach out the photo. When pictures would come back from development there would be sometimes five or so pictures that had the effect of the light. There was nothing more depressing than being so excited to see my memories, only to find my memories ruined by the sun.
This idea reminds me in a way of what Paul is saying in Ephesians 5:11-12. It is in these two verses that Paul, who has already encouraged us to mimic God and step away from even the hint of sin, now urges us to expose sin to the light. Darkness is to not to be a part of our lives in any way, but rather is to be exposed. “Have nothing to do with the deeds produced by darkness…” Have nothing, no relationship, no SUGKOINONEO, with the deeds of darkness. To define it more so, we are not to become partners or share a fellowship with the deeds of darkness. But this command is further definable. ‘Deeds’ in the Greek is written out as AKARPOS ERGON, meaning fruitless business or empty employment. ‘Darkness’ in Greek is SKOTOS, and as we see also in verse 8, means the night, as well as a blindness or ignorance of the divine things. What Paul is saying is that we are not to become partners with the empty employment that comes as a result of joining together with a blindness to sin. That is a strong challenge, yes?
So what are we to do instead? We are to expose the deeds of darkness. We are to ELEGCHO them. Elegcho means to refute, convict, or find fault with. We are by conviction to bring to the light the deeds done in darkness. We are in essence to open the camera before the film has been fully rewound. The darkness works to envelope and entrap the deeds of sin, but the light works to shine on the darkness and shadows and make it difficult for sin to hind any longer.
But why are we to expose them? The response from Paul is because, “it is shameful even to speak of the things these people do in secret.” The things these people do are dishonorable unto God and do not deserve our wasted words. In the secret, KRUPHE, they live a lifestyle detestable before God and they need to be stopped. They need to be exposed because the grip of sin will only continue to keep them down. I am reminded once more of my days of addiction. Sin kept me bound. However, as soon as the sin was exposed and brought into light, the healing was able to begin. Why? It was because sin lost its grip. The secret was no longer a secret; the camera had been opened before I had had a chance to rewind the film. Although the road to recovery was hard, the blunt fact was that the devil no longer had his dark clutches on me.
Maybe it is time, in our effort to do as Jesus would do, that we expose the sin in our own lives so that the enemy’s grip is no longer on us. And maybe it is time we expose in love the sin of others. I John 1:5 tells us that in God there is no darkness at all. None! John continues in the next verse by saying that if we claim we are sinless but really walking in agreement with darkness, we are only lying. Let the lies stop; let the darkness be exposed. Let us walk as He walked, mimic the Father, and live in the light.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

PARTNERSHIP
“Let no one deceive you with empty talk; for it is because of these things that God’s judgment is coming on those who disobey Him. So don’t become partners with them!”
Ephesians 5:6-7

Have you ever stopped to think of how many partnerships you are involved in at one time? As I walk through my duties of the day I am reminded that I am a partner with my children, with my apartment community, with my employer, and with my cat. To each of them I have made a commitment. To my children the partnership reads that I will love and protect them, help them grow in God, and meet their needs. To my apartment community the partnership includes paying my rent on time and not being a loud or obnoxious neighbor. To my employer I have agreed to show up to work on time, do a job far exceeding that of my pay, and represent the company name well. And to my cat, the partnership includes me feeding her and being there to pet her when needed. Granted in all these there is more to the partnership than what is on the surface, but I am sure you can relate with what I am saying.
Of course there are other partnerships one enters, including marriage, home buying, car buying, and even going to school to name a few more. As such, sometimes we enter into a partnership with reasoning and deliberation, and other times in haste. But despite how we enter into it, the question is if we are entering into the right relationship. In our quest of questioning what Jesus would do, I find a warning given by Paul concerning partnerships. We have already seen over the past few days the danger of partnering with sexually immorality, impurity, greed, filth, and stupid talk. Today, though, we see another area where we are cautioned to partner, that being in empty talk.
As we have looked at the Greek in all the other warnings found in Ephesians 5 so far, we look here as well. Empty talk is KENOS in the Greek. Further defined, ‘kenos’ is anything that is devoid of truth. Paul used this same word in I Corinthians 15:14 when he spoke that if Christ had not truly risen from the dead, then all the preaching he had done so far would have been just empty of truth. But the truth was Jesus did rise from the grave. Paul’s speech then was founded on truth and not lies. So here also Paul is saying that every word that proceeds from our mouth should be founded on truth. We are not to be cheated and beguiled with these empty words, which lead to God’s judgment, but rather are to be built up with true words.
Paul’s final warning as found in verse 7 is not to be partners with those who fit the description of the terms found in verses 3 thru 6. We are not to join in with the sin of sexual immorality. We are not to sign a contract with the sin of impurity. We are not to shake hands with greed. We are not to collaborate with filth and stupid talk. And we are not to associate with empty, truth-lacking words. Being in agreement with these things only brings about God’s ORGE, His temper, for these things are sin. These things steal us away from Him, the Truth, and connect us with sin, which is disobedience.
We are to be imitators of God if we want to do what Jesus would do. We are to connect and partner with truth instead of lies. Far too many of us for far too long have forsaken what Jesus would do for what we want to do. How can we call ourselves Christ followers if we are not following His example? Nowhere in the Bible does it say “Be an imitator of yourself,” because left to yourself you fall into sin. Let us draw the line in the sand, divorcing our partnership with sin and re-entering into a partnership with God. Let us imitate Him only.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

THE LIST CONTINUES
“Also out of place are obscenity and stupid talk or coarse language; instead, you should be giving thanks. For of this you can be sure: every sexually immoral, impure or greedy person – that is, every idol worshipper – has no share in the Kingdom of the Messiah and of God.”
Ephesians 5:4-5

Yesterday we spent time defining the terms of sexual immorality, impurity, and greed. I think these were well needed definitions as we have tended to conform our personal definitions to that of our rational. But if we are going to do as Jesus did and walk in His steps, we must understand the terms and boundaries according to Him. We must stop trying to fit God in our box and instead place ourselves within His freedoms. I understand it may sound strange to equate His ways with freedom, but only in Him do we have all we need. Only in walking in His steps will we find the fullness of life that we search for. And so, Ephesians 5:4-5 continues from where we left off yesterday in helping us to see what traits we need to delete from our current lifestyle.
The passage continues on with next telling us that obscenity is out of place. Obscenity in the Greek is AISCHROTES and means filth. Filth is out of place in the Kingdom. As one who has recently moved from one apartment complex to another, I can attest to the fact that my unit had filth. Now when the furniture was in its place, the unit looked clean. But as I moved the furniture from the unit into the truck, I began to find the trash and overall junk that was tucked in hidden in between the furniture and walls. I was amazed at how much filth there was. And I am just as amazed at how much filth I find when I begin to ask Jesus what He would do in my situations. For so long I have been trained in thinking that my ways were right. While they didn’t hurt anyone, they also weren’t the true version of what God commands. The filth I find needs to be removed, and fast.
Stupid talk and course joking are named next. MOROLOGIA, or foolish talking, and EUTRAPELIA, which is facetious humor and the trying to be funny, are also characteristics that God warns us against. These are not the behaviors that He is involved in and should not be the behaviors that we too are involved in. Instead He urges us to live in a place of giving thanks. This word in the Greek is EUCHARISTIA, which we derive the word Eucharist from. The Eucharist is also commonly known as the Communion, which in and of itself is the giving of thanks for the sacrifice of Christ. So instead of all this pointless and degrading talk, we are to fill our words with thanks.
In putting it all together starting from the beginning of Ephesians 5, we see we are to mimic God as children who love their parents do. We are to live a life of love and let this be our trademark. We are to do away with the sexually immoral behavior, the impurities, the greed, and the inappropriate talk that comes from our mouths. Instead we are to speak thanksgiving to our Father. All these other sins and behaviors lead only to one thing – idol worship. Too many already worship the body, worship the profligate living of impure motives, and worship what they feel they need. But Paul writes that in the Kingdom of God this bowing down unto idols of any sort has no place.
So again I challenge myself, and perhaps you as well. What would Jesus do? If He would not do these behaviors, then why should we as His followers? Maybe like me, you are seeing more clearly just what it means to walk in the ways of God and mirror His example.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

NO RELATION TO MY NAME
“Among you there should not even be mentioned sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or greed; these are utterly inappropriate for God’s holy people.”
Ephesians 5:3

I remember during my junior year of college one of the guys in my class came up to me and told me that he had a word for me. I was a little hesitant as to what he may say, but I listened. His words were simple. “God wants you to read and live Ephesians 5.” A little perplexed, I went back to the dorm that night and skimmed through it. Of all the verses that I saw on the page, my eyes landed on the part concerning a husband and wife and right away I thought he had missed it. How could it apply to me since I was not married, or even dating anyone at that time. Over the course of my life since then, my eyes have read the words of Ephesians 5 so many times that I probably could quote it. And following my divorce I have read it even more. There are so many truths within just this chapter beyond that of marriage, and so many lessons we should learn when deciding to do what Jesus would do.
To be honest with you, one of the greatest challenges for me in this season of doing what only Jesus would do is based on Ephesians 5:3-5. The challenge is for there not to be even a mention of. The NIV states a hint of. The word in the Greek is ONOMAZO, meaning the naming of or to be given name to. As ones who follow in the steps of God, as His imitators, we are not to let there be the name of sexual immorality, impurity, or greed of any amount in our lives. Additionally, as we will see tomorrow, there is to not be obscenity, stupid talk, or course language flowing from us as these habits too are not the way of God.
But what exactly do these traits encompass? Let us work to define the three traits in Ephesians 5:3. Sexual immorality is the Greek word PORNEIA. Guess what word we get today from this Greek root. Pornography. Defined more directly, this word includes illicit sexual intercourse, adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, and any act of sex done unto a pagan god or idol. This seems pretty cut and dry, yes? Yet how many churches have opened their doors to ministers and staff who publically admit this as their lifestyle? No offense, but I do not want to attend a church where my pastor is gay. I have a strong feeling that God’s hand of blessing is not on that church. Now I am not saying that church should not welcome these people in, as we all need Jesus, but I am saying I would not want this hint leading me in my walk with Christ and encouraging me to be like God.
Additionally, we are not to let there be any kind of impurity. In the Greek this is the word AKATHARSIA, meaning uncleanness of body, but also impurity of lustful, luxurious, or profligate living of impure motives. In Romans 1:24 this same word is used when Paul writes that God gave the unclean over to their impurities of lust within their hearts. If we fail to get the impurity out now, as Jesus would do, then our fate too can be sealed in our being given over to our flesh.
Greed is the third named character that there should not be a hint of in our lives as people who imitate God and do as Jesus would do. Greed is the Greek word PLEONEXIA, and is more rightly defined as covetousness or the deep desire to have more. Greed is what got David in trouble with Bathsheba as his desire was for her. Greed birthed the actions of taking what was not his and killing her husband to make it right. Greed is what gets so many of us in trouble still as it paves the way for us to reason why we should have what others have. Looking at Romans 1:29-32, greed is one of the named evil traits that is worthy of death.
I want to do as Jesus would do. I want to be an imitator of God. I want to be a fragrant offering unto Him. But I cannot be this if I allow the name of such sins to spot my life. I cannot be fully walking in His ways if my name is still on the party list with sexual immorality, impurity, and greed. These things must be banished from our lives. If they were no part of Jesus’ life, then why should we allow them to be part of ours? Let us divorce these traits, once and for all! I am pretty sure that is what Jesus would do.

Monday, July 2, 2012

A LIFE OF LOVE
“…and live a life of love, just as also the Messiah loved us, indeed, on our behalf gave himself up as an offering, as a slaughtered sacrifice to God with a pleasing fragrance.”
Ephesians 5:2

I woke up this morning and looked at my living room. I just recently moved, and while a great deal of the boxes had been unpacked already, a few are still laying around the apartment. In addition to the empty boxes are pictures not yet hung, shelves not yet placed on the walls, and cluttered masses of trinkets and such taking up space on the dining room table. The reason for all this is based on the fact that I have a couple of friends coming over today to give me decorating advice. It isn’t that I don’t know how to hang a picture or such, but that my friends and I have both agreed I would like my place to look more like a home verses another bachelor pad. So the question for them today is simply, how would you decorate this place?
This question posed to my friends is in essence the same question I wrote about yesterday. I want my life to be decorated the way God sees fit. In order for that to happen, I have to question of Him what He would do. I can take a stab in the dark and perform the way I feel He would, just as easily as I can hang a picture. But what I do, just as where I put the picture, may not be the best. It is for this reason I want to know what Jesus would do. I want to know how He would act and react in situations. If I want my life to mirror His, then I need to question and study the One I am working to mirror.
Yesterday we looked at Ephesians 5:1 where we read that we should work to imitate God. Today in looking at the next verse to follow, we see that one of the ways we can imitate Him and do what He would do is in love. We are to live a life of love and imitate His actions. This one can be hard because as a human I do not always want to love people. Truth be told, I am in a constant battle against my lack of desire to be an extrovert. Having been hurt and rejected by people who I trusted, it is easier for me to put up walls and live my hermit lifestyle. But this is one area specifically where I find myself asking, “What would Jesus do?” Yes there are scriptures that point to Jesus secluding Himself, but in each of those instances it was to get away for times of refreshing and prayer. His reason for being alone is not the same reason I do it. And if I want to follow His example, I feel I must work to step outside of my fears.
I must give myself as an offering to Him. I must be willing to invest myself in the pattern of what He would do. I am reminded of the banner that stands on the wall over the exit door of the church I attend. It reads, “Invest, Invite, Include.” It is a simple message. It is a message stating exactly what Jesus did. And it is a message that challenges me if I want to walk in His ways. I must love others enough to invest myself in them and Christ did, giving of Himself constantly. I must love others enough to invite them into my home, to my church, to my friendship, just as Christ did. And I must love them enough to include them in the patterns and steps of the Father, again as Christ did.
So concerning the way I act, in asking “What would Jesus do,” I am confident that He would love others. And Does not I John 4:18 remind us that there is no fear in love, for perfect love drives out fear? Jesus would, and did, live a life of love. This is the lifestyle I want to mimic. This is what I am certain that Jesus would do. And this is what I am challenging myself to do over the next month. I can hang a picture and I can love my friends, but if I want to mirror Christ I have to seek His will and open myself to loving all people.

Sunday, July 1, 2012

W.W.J.D.
“So imitate God, as his dear children…”
Ephesians 5:1

It was in 1897 that Charles M. Sheldon wrote the book, In His Steps. At its time, the book began to change the world of its readers, forcing them to question with the characters, what would Jesus do? One hundred years later the book made its second run and the phenomenon of W.W.J.D., complete with bracelets, songs, and chats, was birthed. Now while I in no way am able to force you to read this book, I do hope that in the next few days I can encourage you to live according to the ways Jesus would.
In John 5:19, Jesus spoke that He did only as He saw His Father doing. “…Whatever the Father does, the Son does too.” In Ephesians 5:1, Paul then encourages us to do likewise and follow in the ways that we see the Father doing as well. So then in order for us to do what Jesus would do, we need to seek Him and ask Him what He would do. I know this principle goes a little off course in some circles, but this is the path to blessing. Consider this, Jesus is the standard, not the exception. Therefore His ways are the ways we should follow instead of avoid.
And consider also the fact that our previous timeline in God’s kingdom doesn’t prove we know what we are doing. What I mean by this is that just because we may have been raised in the church doesn’t mean that every action we do is right. Look at Isaiah 56:1-2 as an example. The passage starts out stating to observe justice and do what is right. Then in verse 2 it tells us one of the things that is right according to God, which is the keeping of the Sabbath. When was the last time you kept the Sabbath? Guess what, I’m Jewish and I still struggle with keeping the Sabbath correctly. The Sabbath is supposed to be a day of rest and recollection of the awesomeness of God, yet I find myself struggling to keep from using it to get my week’s grocery shopping done. So then if I ask myself the question of what would Jesus do on the Sabbath, I am pretty sure I would not hear Him answer, “Go shopping.” I would hear Him answer to reflect on Him, study His Word, and bathe in His presence. That is what Jesus did.
To imitate God in a world and time that seems to be so far from knowing God’s true will takes us asking Him exactly what it is He wants us to do. We are to measure ourselves based on His Word, get back to His statutes, and perform according to His morals. But in a time when even “Christians” are giving over to premarital sex, affairs, drunkenness, pride, and idol worship, I venture to say we have no idea what it means to be a God-follower. Quite honestly, I am sick of this being the way my life goes. I am sick of saying one thing and living another. Jesus did what He saw the Father do. Jesus lived out love, lived out obedience, and lived out the morals and standards that His Father put in place. That is the life I want to live going forward. And that is the life we are all encouraged to live based on Ephesians 5:10. It is time to return to what pleases Him.
I am doing an experiment for the next month, and you are welcome to join me. I have already decided, not based on Sheldon’s book, but re-encouraged by his book, to ask daily and situationally what Jesus would do. Doing what Jesus would do will not make me popular, nor will it make me even liked in many cases. I am prepared for this. But it will make me think and change my ways if I allow it. Should you come along, I cannot tell you what Jesus would counsel you in your position, nor can you in mine. Yet be sure that we each will have a cross to bear in this decision. Many will take this challenge and soon give up. Some will last a week; a few of you maybe the month. Jesus lived this as a lifestyle, not a fad. I pray that you will be one who embraces the question of what would Jesus do.

GOD OUR FATHER

If one were to move away from the misconception that God is so distant in His status and truly understand, as Christ so often pointed ou...