christianity

Superheroes

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

 

Superheros are all the rage lately. Movies are being made and the gear is everywhere. I think one of the reasons people love superheroes so much is for the most part they represent the best in us. They are typically noble, brave, strong, and almost flawless. It is not that they do not have flaws, but we usually overlook their flaws because we either like them so much, or because by and large their powers are more valuable than their flaws.

For example while Batman has no powers to speak of he is an amazing superhero but he obsessive and has never been able to move on from the death of his parents. The Hulk is ridiculously strong but to say he has anger issues would be an understatement. Superman, the man of steel, well his power is just insane but yet he has this constant need to be accepted and changes himself to fit in. Captain America is one of my favorites but he is stubborn and feels that his moral high-ground always makes him right. The amazing Spiderman has an amazingly low self worth and has a hard time balancing priorities. While Ironman’s suit may be iron his personality is Swiss cheese. I think you get the picture. These guys are great but they are not perfect.

There is another list of people that we sometimes idolize and make superheroes. They are found in Hebrews chapter 11. Your Bible might even call them the “Heroes of the Faith.” We can read Hebrews 11 and come away with an unhealthy view of ourselves because we are no Abraham, Moses, or Rehab. We can read about their greatness and think we are worthless when that is the opposite of what we should come away with. The point is not that they were great and mighty but that they trusted the Almighty. They are remembered for their faith in God not their shortcomings.

Let’s look at some of them real quick. Abraham who is considered one of the greatest men in the Bible did not trust God to give the promise and took his wife’s maid to bed. David who slew the mighty Goliath also slept with a married woman, got her husband drunk, and then had him killed. Rehab who saved the Israelite spies was a prostitute. Samson who was a Philistine slaying machine was also selfish and vain. Moses was stubborn and made God give him someone to speak for him. Samuel who was the greatest judge in Israel did a poor job raising his kids.

However, they are not remembered for these things. They are remembered because they served God. God works in people like you and me. James 5:17 says that Elijah was a man with a nature like ours but he prayed for rain and God listened. We can get sidetracked and forget that God works through ordinary to confuse the mighty. You are not useless if you are in His hands. If you serve God and have placed your faith in Him then you are something special. God is able to do great and mighty things if you will just let Him.

Like I said superheroes and heroes of the faith are great but not perfect. There is one who is perfect though. Jesus lived a sinless life and lived in perfect obedience to the Father. He is worthy to be looked at in adoration and place our faith in. There is no better one to look at and think “wow isn’t He amazing.” When we put our faith in the right things then everything else changes. God made you and God wants to use you.

 

Just a thought,

Mike

Spiritual Growth

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In Hebrews 5:11-14 the writer scolds the people he was addressing by calling them lazy, unskilled and telling them they they should be teachers by now but instead they still require milk. He was calling them out because they had plenty of time to become teachers but instead they were still like babies. We can read something like that and look down on them or we can look at ourselves and ask am I growing?

We should be growing in Christ. Peter says in 2 Peter 3:18 that we should be growing in grace. Paul says in Philippians 1:9 that we should love more and abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight. The Bible over and over again says that we should be growing spiritually and if we are not then we should figure out why and do something about it. But what does it mean to grow spiritually?

Spiritual growth is just like any other growth. We have to remember when we came to Christ we were born again meaning that we had all sorts of new things to learn and grow in. I have two analogies that might help.

If you go to the gym and you are just starting out then you are probably picking up everything you can in any way you can. You are trying out every machine they have and curling in the squat rack. You don’t know any better you are just figuring it out. Your routine might be jog for a few minutes, then curl, maybe do some bench press then go home. Now you are going to see some results because you are using muscles you don’t normally use. They are getting use so they grow even if just a little. Now if you have been going to the gym for a few months or years and still do this you not have additional growth because what worked for your muscles when you were starting out does not work once you get going. You need to mature in your workout in order to continue to produce results.

How about an instrument. I have tried to play everything except a wind instrument (sans the harmonica which may not count) and I can give you a little something on most of them, and by a little a mean a little. Really just enough for you to think I know what I am doing but I cannot really play. I know enough to pretend. I have never put in the work to develop that skill. If I had then maybe I could play but as it stands after all my “years of practice” I am on par with a two-week student. As someone said I don’t have 4 years of practice I have two weeks of practice 104 times (only the same two weeks over and over again).

Spiritual growth is the same way. If you do not use the new muscles beyond the initial workout they don’t get bigger. If you don’t use your spiritual gifts, don’t read your Bible, don’t worship from a joyful heart, don’t pray, and don’t fellowship then you don’t grow. God desires for us to grow spiritually. It is His desire for His children to mature and become more like Christ.

A second part to this is when you start pulling out pieces of what it takes to grow. When you start taking out individual pieces of what is required for spiritual growth you stop growing to your full potential and develop a spiritual limp. You might know all sorts of things but are not sharing it and teaching others so you limp around in a circle. You might worship with a joyful heart but have no love for those in need. There are a few combinations and I am sure you know someone with a spiritual limp. Maybe you even have one. I realized the other day I have one. The important thing again is that we notice these things and then take actions to correct them.

So if you are not growing then you need to evaluate why and fix the problem. It might be hard or uncomfortable but it is worth it.

Just a thought,

Mike

Q&A – Define a minister

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I was recently asked to detail the biblical concept of being a “minister.” This is what I came up with

As ministers of the gospel we must remember that we are forgiven servants of Christ, sent as ambassadors, working in and acting out of love, pleading with people to be reconciled to God, we are not above the people we are called to minister to but instead come along side of those who are in need. It must always be remembered then that first we are forgiven. This reminds us that we did not start off from a position of greatness but needed rescuing ourselves. Second, we are ambassadors of Christ. He is Lord and it is His message that is to be proclaimed. Third, we are to work in and out of love not lording over those who need grace. Jesus is the only one who had the right to lord over anyone and He chose not to. Instead, He died on the cross in order to free us from our sins. Fourth, and this ties back into being ambassadors we are to plead with people to be reconciled to God. God has done all the work, and He has completed the heavy lifting. It is now to those who are at odds with Him to turn and receive what He offers. Fifth and finally, we are to come alongside those who are in need and not live so far from them that they cannot hear the message. We are to be in but not of the world but all too often we instead sit hidden from the world as if the stain might get back on us. Christ came in the flesh and dwelt among us so we should not hide from the world.

Just a thought,

Mike

Confessions of the Older Brother

/ Mike Farley / 1 Comment

Confession from the older brother of the prodigal son.

I knew it. I just knew it. That little brat took his portion of the inheritance from our father and then ran off. I knew he was going to waste it too. He wastes everything. He is so ungrateful! I stay here working night and day like a slave to please our father and he gets to run off and have a party. I am so mad! Seriously who does he think he is? Was he up at dawn to feed the animals? No. Was he out in the field sweating every day? No. He was never there to do the hard things. He was never there to do the dirty work. When a guest would come who would prepare the feast? Me. Mr. Fun gets to run around and do as he pleases and I am left holding the bag and doing the work. And now this.

He just shows back up. Just comes home like a hero who was sent off to war. Well, how nice to see you again little brother. Have you come home to collect my inheritance as well? Was it not enough to blow yours? Do you need a little extra for a fix? Let me guess “oh father I have sinned against you and I am so sorry, just let me be a servant.” Boohoo. If he was my kid I would give him something alright. A boot right in the backside. See ya sucker thanks for stopping by. But no, dad just stands there hugging him and kissing him. Seriously? That’s what makes me so angry.

Don’t get me wrong I am plenty mad at my brother but what makes me so angry is I knew this was going to happen. I knew my father was going to forgive him and just love on him. I love my father and he is such a great man. He is so kind, loving, generous, patient, and giving. Not just to me and my lazy brother but to everyone. If there is ever anyone who is in need my father will help. He never says no to someone who comes to him. I love my father so much and I saw how much it hurt him when my brother ran off. I try to please my father all the time hardly asking for anything. I seek to do what he wants because I love him but my brother gets lavished with affection for being a screwup.

*******

Ok, I took some liberties but I have been thinking about the older brother. Mostly because I realized the other day that I have slipped into being the older brother. I am no saint to be sure but I try very hard (problem) and I desire to please my Father (good thing). In the midst of my laboring (problem), I know some people who have and are wasting their gifts. I have found myself becoming a little bitter (problem). What makes me upset is I am busting my but to do right (problem), act right (problem), and be good (problem) because I love God (good thing). I want to please my Father and rejoice only in Him (good thing) but I don’t understand why it has to be so hard. People I know who are wasting their gifts are able to do all sorts of things I am not because I am trying to seek His kingdom (good thing).

Here is the kicker, though – I know God is standing at the ready to receive them and give them His love. Oh, that is the frustrating part. It is frustrating because I know that I cannot just blow it off and go do what I want because that would be willingly sinning. So I get to stand and watch people get what they want knowing they will turn to God and get blessed. That is the thing about serving a loving and generous God.

Don’t get me wrong. Like I said I am no saint, and to top it off I know I am wrong. I know verses like Romans 14:4 say do not judge another man’s servant. Or Matthew 7:3 where Jesus says I should remove the plank from my eye. I know full well that I am wrong. So what do I do?

First, I need to confess my sin. Then I need to ask God to change my heart. To help me be more focused on who He wants me to be. Finally, I have to receive the goodness and love I know He has. I think a big first step is realizing that I am wrong and that God can course correct me. I don’t want to feel this way and I am getting better but I thought it would be best to share a real struggle because I know I am not alone in these types of feelings. We know we should not have them and we know we are wrong but we get stuck because as a Christian we should not be like this. Part of the problem is that as a Christian I have to be able to admit I struggle and fail. That is why I need a great Savior. 

We can go on pretending that everything is fine and we don’t have envy or jealousy or bitterness but that does not actually fix the problem that just pretends it’s not there. However, God knows the heart so if you are struggling with these things then God knows so why not just confess it and let Him heal you?

 

Just a thought,

Mike

 

The Beatitudes Part 1

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

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

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy

Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Behold the Beatitudes! First for clarification beatitudes basically means happiness. The idea is that if you do these things you will have happiness or be blessed. We should also point out real quick that blessing does not mean material wealth. This is not a get rich quick scheme by Jesus. They seem so simple but I believe that if we sought after them with more fervency than we do, we would do well because after all Jesus says “Blessed are…” Let me also clarify these eight things will not save you, but they will help you grow from babes in Christ needing only milk to mature Christians who are able to eat meat (Hebrews 5:12).

Blessed are the poor in spirit, because when we are poor in spirit and weak, Christ is strong in us. The more we are weak and do not rely on our strength but lay ourselves aside we allow Christ to move in us. How many times have you held onto something and said: “I can do this, I will show how strong I am.” We have to rely on the Lord and His strength to work in us, we have to reach the place where we say “Lord I cannot do this I need your help”.

Blessed are those who mourn because they shall be comforted by the Comforter. Mourning is not just when someone passes; I believe we should also mourn for this generation, this nation, and the people of God who have walked away from Him. We should weep and lament over what has happens to some 3,5000 unborn children a day. We should not stop weeping because we got a new TV or video game or what have you. We need to continue to mourn over the things that God Himself mourns over. Put aside your differences with your brother or sister or neighbor. Stop arguing with the Catholics or Protestants; unite in prayer against the true enemy.

Blessed are the meek, but meekness is not weakness. Too many times people do not want to be meek because they think that it is a weakness, but it is the opposite. Meekness is power under control. Christ demonstrated amazing meekness before the cross when he said that at His word there would be twelve legions of angels to rescue Him, that is somewhere in the vicinity of 60,000 angels. That is a lot of power at His disposal but He chose to not use it, instead, He chose to endure that which was placed before Him. Pride says “do it, show them what you’ve got” meekness says “hold back, show them what Christ has”. No meekness is not weakness it is a greater strength than you or I can truly comprehend because it requires us to lay aside our pride.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Have you ever been hungry? So hungry that food is all you can think about, a hunger that possesses your thoughts and takes over your rational thinking? When we get that way there is only one thing we want; to be full. God is asking us for that same feeling here. He wants us to be hungry for Him and His righteousness. The great thing is that if we are hungry for Him we will be filled with Him, it is not a maybe, it is not something that might happen if things work out that way, no it is a promise. YOU WILL BE FILLED. We know the outcome so the question begs why are we not full? I think it is because we are not hungry enough. I think we are born hungry for Him, but we were just fed the wrongs things growing up. We thirst for truth like pure milk and are given a half and half, we are hungry for righteousness and get a righteousness/selfish combination instead. It’s funny to me that it has to be done this way, the enemies of God can’t give us a straight lie because we would not accept it if it were a flat out lie. Instead, they need to sprinkle some truth in it first; let us taste that part of it then hit us with the rest. What we have to do is relearn to eat the good stuff only. Have you ever tried to stop eating junk food? Let’s use fast food as an example. When you first stop you don’t like the taste of the other food, it’s not as sweet or salty or fried but you push on and continue to eat it and after awhile it is the good, so good you don’t remember what the fast food tastes like. Then one day you eat the fast food again and it’s tasty alright but then you have a stomach ache, and you feel drained and weak. You don’t have the energy you had when you ate the good food and it was a waste of time and energy eating the garbage. Truth and lies are the same way. Eat the truth be hungry for the truth and the lies of the enemy will become bitter and turn your stomach, but first, you have to eat from the true vine.

 

To be continued…..

 

Answer the call

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image

The first time God called Jonah he ran. Then Jonah went through some stuff. God called to Jonah again and Jonah answered the call. Sometimes we don’t respond to God the way we should when He calls but God is not up in heaven mad at you. He’s not plotting against you to make you suffer. Maybe He’s waiting for the right time to call again. Waiting for a time when you will be ready to listen and answer he calls.

Just a thought,

Mike

Magic Kingdom

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I come to you today from the Magic Kingdom; well almost from the Magic Kingdom. I am down in Orlando for work and I am really close to Disney. I am not sure what all the sights are but I think I can see the giant golf ball looking thing. Like I said I am down here for work and will not be able to take in the sights but it is really cool that I am so close to everything. I mean I may not be “in” Disney but I am really close. I guess you could say I am practically in Disney because goodness if I was any closer I would be “in” Disney. Right?

No of course not! I am not in Disney anyone who has been to Disney will tell you that if I am not in the park then I might as well be in Kalamazoo. You can be close but if you are not “in” Disney then you are not “in” Disney. To be near is not the same as being in. I do not see the mouse, the duck, the dwarfs, or anyone else (save some cardboard cutouts in the lobby). Why because I am not “in” Disney. Close is not in no matter how close you are. If I was “in” Disney I would not be talking to you right now. I would be doing Disney things. Now I don’t really care that I am not in Disney because I am here for work and not with my family. But it does serve as an illustration.

God has something for you. He has a plan and a purpose for you to walk in. He has something that He wants for you. Something that has been set up for you. For starters, it is a relationship. Jesus died on a cross taking sin and shame to the grave so you could be in a relationship with Him. That is number 1 and really everything else comes from that thing. There is no getting to the other things until you get to that place. God loves you so much, and He has so much for you but you cannot get it by being close. You cannot get the relationship with Him by being near it no you need to be “in” it. You can go to church and not have. You can read the Bible and not have it. You can hang out with Christians and not have it. Like the old saying says “standing in a garage doesn’t make you a Cadillac.” If you want to have a relationship with God then you need to be “in” relationship with Him. Colossians 3:3 says “for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” When you come to Christ the old person you were is dead and you get a whole new life.This new life has its place “in” Christ. To have this new life, you just have to ask Jesus for it.

I don’t want to sound all prosperity gospel or anything but now that you have a new life in Christ you are meant to reign. This is probably the hardest part too. I know many Christians (myself included) who either sit or have sat on the sidelines and made themselves second class citizens. We believe we are forgiven and that God has accepted us but we should not receive anything more than that. But that is not what the Bible says. Actually, it says the exact opposite in Romans 5:18 when it says “how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” Before this Paul is talking about how in Adam you sin and die but now in Christ, you reign.

That’s it you were meant to reign! But if you want to do that then you have to walk in it. Like I said I am not in Disney just because I am near it. No, if I want to experience Disney then I need to go be in it. I can sit up in my room for the next 30 years and still never be in Disney, and as Christian, you can sit there so close to victory and never be in it because you won’t leave the room. So please leave the room. Get up and get out. Go to what God has for you. Go into the things He has planned because there is nothing better than what He has for you. There is so much waiting for you. So much planned for you. Whatever it is that God has for you is amazing. He has something so great for you and when you get there you are going to wonder why it took you so long to leave the room.

Last through; God loves you enough to accept you where you are but He also loves you enough to not leave you there.

Just a thought,

Mike

 

Revelation – Philadelphia

/ Mike Farley / Leave a comment

The Letter to the Church in Philadelphia in a Nutshell:

Jesus the Holy One who opens that which no one can close says to the church in Philadelphia that He knows their works. He knows that although they have limited strength they have kept His word and He has opened a door for them which no one can close. He knows they kept the command to endure and will He keep them from the hour of testing. He will write on them God’s name, the name of New Jerusalem, and His name.

As always there is a lot here. First off this is not Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. You have probably heard Philadelphia called the city of brotherly love and that is not so much a nickname but the meaning of the name. It is a two-part name that combines philos and adelphos. Philos means love, dearly loved, or friendship while adelphos means a brother or friend. Put them together and you get brotherly love or to love a brother. The church Jesus was speaking to was an ancient city but the meaning of the name is the same. The question we should be asking is what does this have to do with us and with the letter itself, and I think it has a lot to do with us and the letter.

Jesus tells the church that He knows they have little strength but that they have kept His word and not denied His name. So we should ask what was His word? Jesus spoke a lot of words but they usually had something to do with loving your neighbor, loving God, and going out to preach the Gospel. It would seem then that the church of brotherly love was doing just that even though they were weak and tired. They believed the best way to love your brother is to tell them about Jesus. That is a sure sign of love if you ask me.

If we love the world we tell them about Jesus because Jesus is the expression of the Father’s love. Remember John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever should believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. Hebrews 1:3 helps by telling us that Jesus is the exact representation of His (God) being. So if we claim to love those who do not know Jesus then we tell them about Him because we believe He is love, and He has a better plan for their life then they do.

But what about when you are weak and tired? I know I get weak and tired sometimes. I know sometimes I barely feel like I can push on and just don’t feel like telling people. That happens, and it is not a good time. However, when I get like that I think back to Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman. When asked by the disciples if He had already eaten something He told them He had food they did not know about. The food He spoke about was sharing God’s love and goodness with people. I know for me when I get focused on the thing Jesus told me to do I can go and go like the energizer bunny because I have tapped into something real and powerful.

So today I just have a little encouragement for you. If you are tired and feel like you cannot reach anyone just keep pushing. You are touching people and you might not even know it. You are making a difference just don’t give up. Jesus said He would place an open door and no one can close what God opens. If you are tired and don’t know Jesus but want to, then just ask Him to show you who He is. I am confident He will.

Just a thought,

Mike

Is Christianity too Narrow?

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Christians and or Christianity has sometimes been called, “narrow-minded” or that it is “not open to other ideas” and these charges are true. In all fairness, the charges (of those sorts) are true I have to give them that. It is not open to a lot of ideas, changes, or even modifications. While there are some things to keep in mind about changes (we’ll touch on that in a moment) we should first address why Christianity is so “narrow.”

To begin with it is narrow because that’s what Jesus said it is. In Matthew 7:13 Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.” That one is pretty self-explanatory but just in case…. Jesus is saying there is an easy way and a hard way in life. The hard way is to accept Him, His teachings, and most importantly, trust in His atoning death and subsequent resurrection. The easy way is to do nothing. It is hard to trust and follow Jesus sometimes. There are times when you want to go your own way and do you own thing but to trust in the Messiah is hard at times. It requires you to fall back and remember what you once knew or what you cannot see.

Another example of why it is hard is because there is no room for additions to the Gospel. Paul said in Galatians 1:8 “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!” Again this one is pretty harsh and straight shooting. The Galatians were dealing with some legalist coming in and trying to tell them that they first needed to become Jews then they could be saved. That is like saying you cannot go to church until you clean up your act which we all know is malarky. Paul was so mad about this he wrote a whole letter (or book) to fight against this idea. There is nothing you can do to add to your salvation and nothing you can do to improve it either. It is what it is and it is finished! Jesus did all the work you just trust in Him (see above).

Christianity is hard because there can be only one way to God and that is the way He tells you to go. Jesus is not a way but the way (pay attention to the articles “a” and ”the”).

So what the other idea of changing with the times? There are some things that need to be looked at here. Remember that the Bible and the books that make it up were written thousands of years ago so the times have changed. Right? Well yes and no. Times have changed and situations have changed, but the issues remain. Sin is still bad, love and obedience to God are still good. When you read the Bible look for the principle in the original situation and then apply that to your situation. If you cannot understand the original situation then find resources. There are thousands of them. Email me if you need to I am happy to help you find out what was going on and put things in context (mike@freedomintruth.me). The point remains, Jesus is the way to the Father because He came from the Father to speak the Father’s words. That does not change.

Remember the Bible is 66 separate books that make up a larger book.

One last word. Taking one book, story, or verse and making it the focus is like taking a section from Lord of the Rings and saying the series is about a guy named Sauron who rules middle earth. Or taking Harry Potter and making it about a mean teacher who didn’t like Harry. No, you read the whole book and put it in context. Context of when it was written, who it was originally written to, and how these people wrote. You cannot judge history by any other standard than the standard that was used at the time. That includes events and the recording of events. We should not read into the Bible our thoughts and ideas but read the Bible and get thoughts and ideas. Did you know canon (as in Biblical Canon) means reed, measuring stick, or criterion by which something is judged? As Christians we are to let the Bible judge us.

Don’t exclude what or who Jesus Included!

Ok, one more last word. Because Christianity is a narrow way does not mean you get to be a um well how about we go with meany. Jesus is the one who made it narrow (I am the way the truth and the light), but is also the one who invited everyone including a thief dying on a cross, a prostitute, a tax collector, a host of other sinners, and me to come to Him. If I could sum up the message of the Gospel in a sentence or two. You cannot earn or make your way to God. He came in the flesh died on a cross, rose again three days later, and makes you clean so you can come. You just have to accept that God loves you that much and that is a hard thing to do.

Just a thought,

Mike

The Bible Says

/ Mike Farley / 1 Comment

Bible Newspaper Letters

Did I ever tell you about my band in high school? No, well it was pretty awesome. No Longer Silent was the name and the first album was Silent Screaming. Oh, it was spectacular. All the band stuff is now gone but trust me it was amazing. I mean there were no other actual members, and I cannot really play or sing, and no one else ever heard of us (I mean me). But you have to trust me if I could play or sing and had other people who could play and sing we would have been huge. I mean like STP or Alice in Chains huge. Alas, things that never were… The Bible says a lot about a lot. I mean depending on your translation the word count, and verse, count are staggering. The New Testament quotes the Old Testament a number of times as well.

Just a few stats:

Words – 750,000 (approximate)

Chapters – 1,189 (approximate)

Verses – 31,103 (approximate)

Quotes – 247 (approximate)

With this many words, chapters, verses, and quotes I would be surprised if it was never misunderstood or misquoted. I, however, am not surprised. It is impossible to not mess it up to some degree because we are all messed up to some degree. You might be wondering at this point what paragraphs 1-2 & 3 have in common. You might think I was just bragging about my awesome band (which in part I was) but in reality, some of you just read paragraph 1 & 3 totally skipping 2 which explained that the band was less than real (OK not real) and that is the point. I did say I had a band and if you quoted me you would be correct. However, if you asked me to play a show and I said I don’t know how to play I would be correct as well. We’re both right to an extent but one of us is very wrong and here’s a hint it is not me.

I don’t want to give specific verses and stories because we all know enough of them, and I don’t want to talk about what the Bible doesn’t say because that is for a different post. Instead I just want to focus on the fact that it does say a lot. I mean really you can make a case for just about anything using Bible verses. Everyone has a verse, and every Christian cause has the “key”, every denomination has the most important verses. We do it all the time. I focus on love because I think that is the most important thing in the Bible. I think that the Bible talks about love in one way or another constantly. I see a beautiful tapestry of love and relationships throughout the Scriptures. I think the whole thing is about love.

I see love in the 10 Commandments, in the wilderness story, in everything I see it. Some would disagree and I can see why. Some would say that the whole point is that God is Sovereign and maybe they are right. We can make a cause for most anything because the Bible talks about almost everything. The key to understanding the Bible is simple, though. I mean if you really wanted to understand what a passage is talking about it’s really easy. You just have the understand the context.

When you know the conversational context, background context, language context, and relational context you can understand what is going on. Most of the issues we face when we don’t understand the Bible and others in general is because a lack of proper context. We place ourself and our understanding into the situation and remove the context leaving us with what we went into it with. You get out of the Bible what you go into it with. If you go in with bias you get bias, if you go into it with material desire you get material desire. If you go into it with a submissive heart, desiring to learn and love God, then that is what you will get. Don’t misunderstand me though. God is good and great and powerful He can easily shake you and show you something that changes everything but if you look at a lot of people who use the Bible as a weapon they got out what they put in. The Bible was written in 3 languages, by 40 authors, in a span of 2000 years, and while there is unity in the Scripture there is enough there to make it say almost what you want. You have to twist it, take it out of context, and imply a lot but it can be done. The best approach is to go to the Scriptures each time with a humble and submissive heart. If your desire is God you will find Him.

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.

Proverbs 18:2

Just a thought,

Mike

p.s. I understand this is a gross over simplification but it is supposed to be, and that is part of the point.