Revelation

This weekend I began a message series on Revelation, the most misunderstood and misused book of the Bible. It was not written to just foretell the future, it was written to encourage the Christian. If I am not encouraged in the reading, then I either am reading it wrong, don’t understand who Jesus really is, or I have yet to enter into a saving relationship with a loving savior whose full character is not complete without the picture of Him shown in Revelation. Yes Jesus is compassionate and gentle, He died for our sins, was raised from the dead, teaches us how to live, but He is also Lord and King: “In His right hand He held seven stars; and out of His mouth came a sharp two edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining its strength, and when I saw Him, I feel at His feet as a dead man. And Jesus laid His right hand on me, saying, Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and hell”! (Revelation 1:16-18)

Thoughts from a Motorcycle

On my study leave I got to take my motorcycle out to east Texas. As I was riding early one morning, enjoying the quiet, the fresh air, and the many trees that lined the road; it dawned on me how “Comfortable” I was, and then I remembered what I was like when I picked up motorcycle riding in 2003 after 25 years of not riding. When I got on the bike I consistently asked God to keep my safe, help me not kill myself, and to guide my ability. But on this East Texas morning I had not done that. Why? Because these last few years I have learned to ride well, gained competence and skill, and began to trust in my own learned ability. I was much less conscious of how much I still needed God for everything, to keep me safe, help me not kill myself, and guide my ability. I repented and and asked God to forgive and keep me safe despite my arrogance. As we serve God in the church and in all of life, as we life, work, love, try to make good choices I think the exact same thing often happens. We learn how to do the things we must do, even how to be realitively good Christians. Some of the things that once filled us with fear and trepedation no longer bring us to our knees, asking God for help. We find ourselves simply going through the motions of life without the relationship with God we used to have and without the spiritual undergirding that is so important. We become comfortable with our life habits and skills and leave God out more than we intend. Jesus had a deep peace, but I don’t think He ever became comfortable as he faced the challenges of His life. Bruce Wilkinson whe led Back to the Bible for many years, and also wrote the best seller The Prayer of Jabez spoke of a time of depression and burnout. In reponse to this season of his life he went to see a pastoral counselor in California. The advice was simple, “Bruce, you have competent in what you do and you have always been talented; you have learned to trust this competence and talent more than God, unlike when you began your ministry and asked God for help in everything, and it is killing you”.(Paraphrase) A huge part of being a spiritual person, I believe is constantly being dependent upon God, walking with Jesus, seeking the Holy Spirit, asking God for help and guidance in everything. When we substitute competence and habits for God, we are headed for a fall. We either began to seek God again, or we add greater callings and change in our lives from God that require us to ask for help. If you are feeling “Comfortable” with your competence and life, as I did on the motorcycle, its time to get a little scared again and venture into serious prayer as we share the life and death work together of following Jesus Christ, an adventure with far greater consequences and rewards that just the life and deat adventure on a motorcycle.

The statue of Liberty

The inscription on the Statue of Liberty speaks volumes of our past, and I pray our present and future. “GIVE ME YOUR TIRED, YOUR POOR, YOUR HUDDLED MASSES YEARNING TO BE FREE, THE WRETCHED REFUSE OF YOUR TEEMING SHORE. SEND ME THESE THE HOMELESS, TEMPEST TOSSED TO ME. I LIFT MY LAMP BESIDE THE GOLDEN DOOR.” The countries of the world have many images and feelings concerning the US, but whether it is Iran, Russia, Zimbabwe, counties under dictators or oppressive regimens, those nations with different religions, and parts of the world grindingly poor, many in those nations observe this nation and covet the liberty and freedom we sometimes take for granted. Daily people do anything they can to become a part of the American dream, a dream of freedom and opportunity, a dream I believe has been given to us by a providential God and funded by the blood and sacrifice of so many throughout our history. Recently, our Vice President led a Citizenship swearing in ceremony in Iraq, for who, soldiers who were already defending the dream of liberty and celebrating in personal sacrifice for the simple inscription this beautiful lady stands for, the only nation in the world with such a Jesus blessed invitation. God bless America.

Understanding the Bible

There are many ways to understand the Bible, and in a small way I am somewhat qualified to have an opinion. I grew up in the Church, have been a pastor/preacher for 31 years, have a BA in Bible with a double minor in theology and history, and have a Master of Divinity Degree. In the last few weeks God has been working on me about Biblical understanding and interpretation and how I sometimes have been reading and interpreting the Bible. There are three typical ways to understand and interpret the Bible. The first is Historical context; understanding the Bible in the context of the author, the time in history, and the people that book of the Bible was originally written to. The second is in textual context; understanding the verse in its place in the text, the verses before and after, the chapters before and after, and in the light of surrounding chapters. The third way is directly; what one verse or section of scripture says directly to me, often without regard to historical or textual context.

Now I would have one or two Bible College professors flinch at the direct interpretation of the Bible and all my Seminary professors would probably want to take back my MDIV.

Here is the revelation. Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul seemed to interpret the Bible with the direct interpretation, without regard to either history or context. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John interpreted it the same way. So did John Wesley, Martin Luther, and more often than not Billy Graham. They did not approach the Bible as course work; they approached it as the inspired Word of God that speaks directly to the reader with the breath of the Holy Spirit making application from what is a living word, not a word stuck in the mud and glue of history and context. When Jesus faced the Devil at the temptation He used the scripture very directly; when Matthew used the Old Testament to prove Jesus was the Christ, he used it directly. When Paul preached the Gospel using the Scripture, He used verses directly and often out of context. Now this does not mean that God does not speak and it is not of value to understand the bible in History and context, this is a great way to study and rightly divide the Scripture. But those who want to experience a living God in a living word must read it in the light of a more direct voice of God. It is too easy to allow ourselves to be insulated from a word that God intends to pierce the heart and soul.

The so called, Biblically educated elite have often used the “out of Context” argument to debunk the great preachers and even the great movements of Christian history, both the preacher and the movement where God is working, saving souls and lives and changing the world. The Bible is not just a historical book speaking of events and ideas that unfold in history, it is a Book that is the living, breathing word of God than is God’s way of directly interceding in whatever circumstance, culture, or time in any of our lives, Churches, and world; a word that is both inspired by the Holy Spirit but equally interpreted in a living way by that same Holy Spirit. Often it’s the ears of faith that best understand the Bible over the ears of the Biblically educated. The open heart understands far more of the bible than the closed mind.

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