Yesterday we determined that because our actions flow from our beliefs, and beliefs are formed by thoughts, that thinking-biblically was of the highest priority. This does not diminish the importance of behaving biblically, however. It is through our actions that we prove what we believe. Jesus said, “You will recognize them by their fruit” (Matthew 7.16). In context, Jesus is telling the disciples how to recognize dangerous people who try to influence the people of God. The point being made is that we need to do more than listen to what people profess, we need to pay attention to what they do.
We spend a lot of time on this site talking about connecting with the God who can be known, but a sermon last Sunday reminded me that those connections can be broken. He demonstrated this truth by plugging in a lamp, which shone brightly, and unplugging it causing it to go dark. In modern language, we say that we have become distant from God. In first century parlance, we have stopped “remaining in God.” Have a look at John 15.5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit…
Yesterday we looked at how to create righteous goals for the new year by asking three key questions: How do my actions impact my relationship with God, how do my actions impact my spiritual growth, and how do my actions impact my ability to share the gospel? Through careful observation of our lives and by being honest with ourselves we can determine proper goals. But this is only part of what we need to know to develop the kinds of goals that honor God and build our connection to him. Today we examine four areas in which we ought to determine goals.
The artist known as Prince, then formerly known as Prince, then as Prince again passed away on April 21, 2016. He is known as a singer and songwriter with a flamboyant and masterful stage presence. Selling over 100 million records worldwide, few have ever or will ever reach as many people as he did through his art, as testified to by seven Grammys and both an American Music and Golden Globe award. Rolling Stone called him “the most influential artist of the rock and roll era” and ranked him 27 on their 100 Greatest Artists list.
What do we mean by “think biblically”? Or perhaps a better place to begin is, what is it we are reading when we attempt to read the Bible? No doubt most will answer, as we’ve been trained, with “words”. A Christian may even answer, “God’s words”. Neither answer is correct. Word’s on a page communicate nothing unless they adhere to rules of language, and even then the purpose may be obscured. No, what we read when we come to any literature are thoughts. In the case of the Bible, we are reading God’s thoughts. To “think biblically” then is to “think God’s thoughts”.
The Ayatollah Khomeini once said, “We know of no absolute values besides total submission of the will to the Almighty.” That sounds good on the surface and might even be something a Christian might use to find common ground with a Muslim friend. That is, until you uncover what Islam teaches about the character and will of the “Almighty”. We’ve discussed before the differences between the Muslim God Allah and a the Jewish\Christian God YHWH before, but in light of recent events I thought it useful to stress those difference once more especially since the media doesn’t seem to get it.
Just like a ship, there are times when a person’s life needs a course correction. For the last 33 years, on December 27, I take time out to evaluate the past year and make goals for the new. This is not a New Year’s resolution, my goals are not tethered to the physical (there are no weight loss or work out goals here, or vows to stop a bad habit), but rather to my connection with God. By examining the failures of the past year, I can make better choices in the year ahead. I’m sure many of you have such a ritual as well. How can we make it better?
“Your naivety demeans you… Love and justice are not the primal forces of our world, sir. Gold is the primal force of our world. You believers say that is all about ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, but there is only profit and loss. You believe in laws, but there are only ledgers. Would that it were otherwise, Inspector Reid. Would that it were.” – Mr. Sacks, Ripper Street, season 2 episode 5, BBC.
Yesterday we concluded that “fear” is behind many of our failures of faith. We mentioned some personal fears, like losing one’s job, and larger fears like government intrusion, and these are only the tip of the iceberg. How are we expected to praise the name of Jesus before a world suffering racial violence, coping with terrorist attacks and increasing confusion over sexuality and gender? The Bible does provide relevant direction for all the issues we face, yet it seems the world is less and less interested. How do we make them curious about all God and his word have to offer?
Three days until the beginning of 2017 I want to offer one final thought regarding New Year’s resolutions. What we have looked at so far, identifying areas needed for improvement and how to make righteous goals, can seem like a lot of work – and it is. Being honest with ourselves and identifying areas of weakness usually is. Even so, I offer this encouragement: becoming more like Jesus often doesn’t require hard labor but an open heart. Remember Jesus’ words: “For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry” (Matthew 11.30).
Today is Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of our savior Jesus, but how is it that December 25th came to be celebrated for this historic occasion? Many modern scholars believe that the Roman Catholic Church chose this date in an effort to “Christianize” pagan winter festivals, but this is likely not the case. There may in fact be real evidence for December 25th being the actual date of Jesus’ birth. I’d like to say this evidence is new, but it is really quite ancient, which makes it an even more compelling argument. Interested? Read on!
In September of 2011 Gaston Lacroix was hiking a summit near the town of Publier, France, located in the eastern Haute-Savoie region near Lake Geneva. A religious man, and the Mayor of Publier, Lacroix decided to mark the summit with a landmark. He commissioned a statue be made of the Virgin Mary, paying for it with funds raised by donations that came from around the world. 30,000 euros paid for the statue and the inscription beneath: “Our lady of Lake Geneva is watching over your children.”
