Golden Rule

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. (Luke 6:31 KJV)

The Golden Rule, or ethic of reciprocity, is found in many ancient philosophies. What makes it different here in Luke is found after following verses telling us how to treat others, including the standard we need to use to measure – the one we set:

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. (Luke 6:38 KJV)

Yep – we each set the measure of what we receive based on what we give.  If we give harshness, sarcasm, corruption, that’s what we’ll get back in good measure! Most of us (I know I do) seldom think about what we’re giving out, we’re just trying to get a job done.  Even with the family we love, we can speak sharply – then be hurt when we get jabbed back.

So, along with the standard we set with measurement, we can also set the standard for what we give – and can expect in return.  Of course, it’s another Bible verse:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8 KJV)

Yep again – we each set the standards for what is given to us. Wait!  What was that you whispered?  You tried that and what was returned was hurtful to the point you never want to see that person again.  Obviously they are not familiar with either one of these Bible verses.

Have they seen them in you?  That might make a difference, right?  If they observe both of these verses in your life, might their reaction be different?  Have you tried that?

Try a small experiment.  Think of someone, connected to you through family or work, that has not responded to kindness.  Are you willing to spend a bit of time with them?  Not to see what you can get in return, but just to exchange a bit of chitchat, moving toward a place where sharing is possible.  Didn’t work in the past, and there’s no sign it will in the future?  Isn’t it worth the effort?  Not to change them – that won’t work.  Not even to change yourself.  Just keep the subject matter within Philippians 4:8.

Then watch for the return – what is given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over.  It’s worth it!!

God Is Faithful – Are We?

“Great acts of faith flow from our past interactions with the Lord. By neglecting His simple commands, we miss priceless opportunities to witness His faithfulness.” From an ‘In Touch’ devotional forwarded to me, this thought caused me to do some searching in my Bible – what does it say about God’s faithfulness?  Here are just a few:

Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; [Deuteronomy 7:9 KJV]

Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee. [Isaiah 49:7 KJV]

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. [1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 KJV]

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [1 John 1:9 KJV]

Hebrews 11 gives a list of those who proved to be faithful to God:  Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and the last in that list, the harlot Rahab.

Wow, we can’t display the faith of a harlot?  She explains her faith by what she had heard:

And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. [Joshua 2:9-11 KJV]

She read no scriptures, heard no priest, did not see the miracles she heard described in rumors of war – but she recognized the hand of God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.  And we cannot do as well? 

What would it take for us?  A theophany, a physical manifestation?  Christ gave Israel just that, and only a few believed.  Is His story truly explained away as a death covered up by excellent fiction writers?  What a conspiracy theory!  A few fishermen, a tax collector, a Greek physcian, add a young Pharisee priest and they create, through letters and preaching, a religion that spreads in spite of persecution to the point of death?

An atheist commented as to how surprised Christians are going to be when they die and find there is no God.  To me, that shows he hasn’t thought through his own argument.  If death is the end, no eternity beyond, Christians will not be surprised, nor will anyone else.  However, if Christians are correct, eternity does exist as explained by them, I would not want to be an atheist.  Of course, that’s Pascal’s Wager.

My concept of the “play it safe rather than risk being sorry” is to study what is offered about God.  Others have done so and chosen different religious views.  I will not demonize theirs, but simply state my own beliefs and their source.

Will you?

Jesus Prayed For Us

"Christ in Gethsemane" by Heinrich Ferdinand Hofmann (original at Riverside Church, New York City)

I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. [John 17:14-17 KJV]

Before dawn Judas would betray, He would be tried, Peter would deny and within hours He would die – yet He prayed for me, and for you.  He had given us two words – Himself:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [John 1:1 KJV]

And the word that David wrote of:

BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. [Psalms 119:9-11 KJV]

David also told us God’s word is true:

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. [Psalms 119:160 KJV]

So, God’s word is true, by His word we are cleansed, through Jesus’ prayer we remain in this world sanctified by His truth.  Paul followed up on that:

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. [1 Corinthians 6:9-11 KJV]

What we need to realize is that we all fell into the And such were some of you category before we came to Christ and were both sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Or, we aren’t sanctified nor justified.  Peter explains that if we are, we will strive to be holy:

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.  [1 Peter 1:14-16 KJV]

I’m not the one to judge, neither are my Christian friends, my non-Christian friends or anyone else.  Peter is specific about that:

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: [1 Peter 1:17-19 KJV]

How much of what we do will face judgment?

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. [Matthew 12:36 KJV]

According to Christ’s words, we decide what judgment we receive.  Because I know my own faults and errors, I give thanks constantly for God’s grace and salvation.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [Ephesians 2:8 KJV]

Nothing

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. [Hebrews 11:5-6 KJV]

I’ve written quite a bit about faith.  That’s part of the Christian view that God requires faith, it is the foundation of our belief regarding salvation:

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [Ephesians 2:8 KJV]

Sunday morning I was reminded that while God’s grace is all sufficient, our faith is not.  Oh, I’ve known this and I’ve written of it, but it’s always a good thing to be reminded.  Paul did an excellent job in his first letter to the church at Corinth:

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. [1 Corinthians 13:2-3 KJV]

Enough faith to move mountains, and it would be just like today’s graphic – nothing.  Oh, that faith would comply with scripture, but would bear no fruit.  Charity is important.  That English word was translated in 1611 from the Greek word agape.  In some places it was translated as love and in other places as charity.

I know people today who would frown if charity was offered to them, for the word has come to mean giving something to people in great physical need, and they don’t want to be seen as needy.  Well, we are.  I need the charity God has to offer, but I also need to have charity for others.  That’s the point of James’ verse:

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. [James 2:17-18 KJV]

I could stay right here at home and tell God in prayer each and every day that I love Him, but if I do nothing with that love, I am simply confirming Paul’s conclusion:  I am nothing.

It is up to us to do the works that accompany our faith, not because they will buy our way into heaven or even create friends for us here on earth.  We do the works because we truly have the charity, the agape, the love of God showing through our lives.  Each of those are only words, without the works.  What’s your something?

Gravity

Screen capture of an interactive graphic on BBC

We think of the earth beneath our feet as solid, fluctuating between mountains and valleys, oceans and land, but pretty much a ball turning in space among the dancing galaxies.  The view above casts a different shadow.

This graphic is an exaggerated view displayed by those working on Europe’s Goce satellite, according to the BBC article. Here the strength of gravity is shown in different colors – yellow is strongest, blue weakest.  When we speak of ‘sea level,’ even that fluctuates.  The graphic does not display physical reality, of course, but the gravitational differences are real.

BBC says:

“Even so, a boat off the coast of Europe (bright yellow) can sit 180m "higher" than a boat in the middle of the Indian Ocean (deep blue) and still be on the same level plane.

“This is the trick gravity plays on Earth because the space rock on which we live is not a perfect sphere and its interior mass is not evenly distributed.”

Let’s extrapolate a bit and apply that to a Christian’s life.  “The life we live is not perfectly Christian and the commandments are not evenly applied,” although we’re told to strive for that.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1-2 KJV)

We are a work in progress and are to bear fruit:

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8 KJV)

We will find Christians all along that fruitful path, having faith but still learning virtue; having gained knowledge but still working on temperance; some with patience, others with brotherly kindness and still others attaining charity to all.

Achieving that begins with faith, which comes from the word of God.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17 KJV)

And, it is an absolute necessity.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.  (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)

So, we work at becoming a well-rounded Christian, without the lumpy vision of the exaggerated earth displayed Goce satellite.  I know where some of my failures need work.  Where do you need adjustments?

Faithful

Therefore Sarah laughed within herself (Genesis 18:12 KJV)

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. (Hebrews 11:8 KJV)

Before scriptures.  All Abraham had were the stories from the creation, and his own conversations with God.  We hear of him in Genesis, first begotten of Terah, living in Ur. 

And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. (Genesis 11:31 KJV)

Abraham was seventy-five when God gave him the first promise of the covenant.

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. (Genesis 12:1-4 KJV)

Another twenty years pass before God restates the promise that caused Sarah to laugh:

And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? (Genesis 17:16-17 KJV)

Could you wait those twenty years?  Sarah didn’t.  She selected and gave Hagar to her husband to provide the promised child.  She made a similar mistake to that of Eve – surely God had made an error and what she believed would work was better than what God had planned. Wasn’t it taking Him too long, anyway?

How often do we do exactly the same thing?  We’ve waited long past what we thought would be God’s timing.  Didn’t we ask, as He said we should?  Didn’t we wait, for what seemed to be a long, long time?
Learn, as Abraham did, so that when we are faced with situations that test our faith, we will be faithful.

Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. (Matthew 24:44-46 KJV)

I have found Him!

There was more to the "Satisfied" hymn I mentioned yesterday – here’s the chorus, repeated after each verse:

Hallelujah! I have found Him
Whom my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies my longings;
Through His life I now am saved.

Lyrics by Clara T. Williams, music by Ralph E. Hudson.

I believe each one of those lines -- I have found Him to be available to those seeking Him; He has filled the empty spots in my life that left me wondering about the value and reason for existence; and, He provided the salvation I enjoy to day.

I like the photo above where He is speaking in the synagogue. According to Luke 4:16-17, it was His custom in Nazareth to not only be in the synagogue on the sabbath, but to read.  He was handed the book of the prophet Esaias/Isaiah, opened it and began reading:

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; (Isaiah 61:1-2 KJV)

From the Greek, the New Testament reads:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19 KJV)

When He closed the book, handed it to the minister, He sat down.  Apparently the attendees wanted more, for Luke tells us their eyes were upon Him.

And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (Luke 4:21 KJV)

He just told them that God had appointed him to all of those things in Isaiah 61:1.  The Spirit of the Lord was in Him, had descended upon Him at his baptism where the voice of God told the world:

And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. (Luke 3:22 KJV)

After reading, questioning, researching, studying, I do believe that the prophecies of the Old Testament have been, as Jesus said, fulfilled -- in Him.  There is more to come.  There will be a completion of remaining prophecy.  In the meantime, I'll follow the words of those who knew Him:

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31 KJV)