Breath of Fresh Air

Christadelphians rejoice!

I have observed in my lifetime a few Christadelphians who possess the "I'm the only one left" mentality.  I'll call them the Exclusive Christadelphians.

We're the only Christians who reject the contrived doctrine of the Trinity.
We're the only Christians who reject the strange mythological burning hell.
We're the only ones who recognize the role of Israel in history and prophecy.

Well, on the first two, I remain as befuddled as those Exclusive Christadelphians.  Despite the complete lack of Scriptural evidence for the first two above doctrines (contrived before there was such broad access to the Scriptures), the third requires a second look by Christadelphians.

Authors such as Joel Rosenburg, websites such as WorldNetDaily, Jnewswire, etc. all indicate the importance of Israel in the end times.  There are many Christian non-Christadelphians today who are constantly evaluating the state of world politics and Israel's place in it.  Many of these evaluations are spot-on and Scriptural.  Some are not.  How are Christadelphians to react?

The Exclusive Christadelphian has built a wall around himself which will accept no outsiders.  This "if I didn't think of it myself, it's no good" mentality is destructive to that person.  It is a depressing mindset not unlike that of Elijah -

1Ki 19:14 He answered, "I have been very zealous for Adonai the God of armies; because the people of Isra'el have abandoned your covenant, broken down your altars and killed your prophets with the sword. Now I'm the only one left, and they're after me to kill me too."

To which Yahweh replies -

1Ki 19:18 Still, I will spare seven thousand in Isra'el, every knee that hasn't bent down before Ba`al and every mouth that has not kissed him."

Rejoice, you Christadelphians!  The way the political world is turning is bringing to the light many folks who before were content in their comfortable Christian existence.  Because more Christians are seeing the deception of our nation's leaders and this world's religious leaders, they are taking their faith into their own hands - praying, seeking guidance from God, reading their Bibles.  As this happens, many are finding there is Truth that they were not aware of before!  Many are questioning their long-held beliefs in the contrived doctrines passed down by the Catholic Church.  What is our reaction?

The Exclusive Christadelphian likes to be a Big Fish in a Small Pond.  As these new fish enter the pond, the Exclusive Christadelphian begins to flex his muscles and try to edge these new members out, for no reason other than to maintain his own status.  The Real Christadelphian has always ONLY rejoiced over the truth.  Let's rejoice now that the pond is growing - surely a sign that the harvest is ripening!  Let's conform our wishes to those of our Father in Heaven - that all may come to know the Truth!

Adverbial living

Humbly Gratefully Meekly Boldly Confidently

What is an adverb?

It is any word that modifies any other part of language: verbs, adjectives (including numbers), clauses, sentences and other adverbs, except for nouns; modifiers of nouns are primarily determiners and adjectives.  Adverbs typically answer questions such as how?" (or "in what way?), when?, where?, why? and to what extent?. They often end in -ly.  When they answer “how?” their usage is usually “in what way?”.  When they answer “when?” they are usually a date or a word such as “yesterday” or “today.”  When they answer “why?” they are usually an explanation of a problem, issue, or situation, usually ending after “because.”  When they answer “where?” they usually state a place.

So I considered the adverbs of the Bible, but in a single sense:  to answer the question, “how do you live?”

Here are a few adverbs, easily recognized by their ending in “–ly.”

• Humbly


• Humanly


• Meekly


• Passionately


• Mercifully


• Single-Mindedly


• Peaceably


• Confidently

How do you live? 

You may or may not have noticed that those adverbs come from thoughts in the Beatitudes.  Turn over to Matthew 5, and follow along while I read them again. 

• Humbly


• Humanly


• Meekly


• Passionately


• Mercifully


• Single-Mindedly


• Peaceably


• Confidently

Other adverbs used in the Bible in regards to the question “how do you live,” or “how do humans live,” include:

• Shamefully


• Harshly


• Quickly


• Seriously (not seriously)


• Immediately


• Easily


• Peacefully


• Uncontrollably


• Deceitfully


• Faithfully


• Mightily


• Slowly


• Strongly

So many options…so, “how do you live?”

I wanted to entitle this “Humbly Gratefully Meekly Boldly Confidently,” because I thought those adverbs captured a sense of the ideal way to live.  When I compared this list against the Beatitudes, I think all of those adverbial concepts are captured as well – answering fairly the “how do you live” question. 

So how am I doing?  How are you doing?  Are we living well?  Are there areas for improvement?  Let’s tackle these adverbs one at a time.

1. Humbly

To live humbly is to recognize your place in this world.

Psa 8:3-4  When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars that you set in place -  (4)  what are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them; humans, that you watch over them with such care?

Job 14:1-2  "A human being, born from a woman, lives a short, trouble-filled life.  (2)  He comes up like a flower and withers away, flees like a shadow, doesn't last.

2. Gratefully

To live gratefully is to realize that, given your place in this world, it is a MIRACLE that God cares for you as much as He does! 

Php 2:1-4  Therefore, if you have any encouragement for me from your being in union with the Messiah, any comfort flowing from love, any fellowship with me in the Spirit, or any compassion and sympathy,  (2)  then complete my joy by having a common purpose and a common love, by being one in heart and mind.  (3)  Do nothing out of rivalry or vanity; but, in humility, regard each other as better than yourselves — (4)  look out for each other's interests and not just for your own.
Col 3:7-17 True enough, you used to practice these things in the life you once lived; (8) but now, put them all away — anger, exasperation, meanness, slander and obscene talk. (9) Never lie to one another; because you have stripped away the old self, with its ways, (10) and have put on the new self, which is continually being renewed in fuller and fuller knowledge, closer and closer to the image of its Creator. (11) The new self allows no room for discriminating between Gentile and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, foreigner, savage, slave, free man; on the contrary, in all, the Messiah is everything. (12) Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (13) Bear with one another; if anyone has a complaint against someone else, forgive him. Indeed, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive. (14) Above all these, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together perfectly; (15) and let the shalom which comes from the Messiah be your heart's decision-maker, for this is why you were called to be part of a single Body. And be thankful — (16) let the Word of the Messiah, in all its richness, live in you, as you teach and counsel each other in all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude to God in your hearts. (17) That is, everything you do or say, do in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

3. Meekly

To live meekly is to realize that we have a lot to learn. 

Ecc 5:1-2  (4:17) Watch your step when you go to the house of God. Offering to listen is better than fools offering sacrifices, because they don't discern whether or not they are doing evil.  (2)  (5:1) Don't speak impulsively — don't be in a hurry to give voice to your words before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; so let your words be few.

Gal 6:1-4  Brothers, suppose someone is caught doing something wrong. You who have the Spirit should set him right, but in a spirit of humility, keeping an eye on yourselves so that you won't be tempted too.  (2)  Bear one another's burdens — in this way you will be fulfilling the Torah's true meaning, which the Messiah upholds.  (3)  For if anyone thinks he is something when he is really nothing, he is fooling himself.  (4)  So let each of you scrutinize his own actions. Then if you do find something to boast about, at least the boasting will be based on what you have actually done and not merely on a judgment that you are better than someone else;

4. Boldly

To live boldly is to live without fear.

Mat 10:26-33  So do not fear them; for there is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, or hidden that will not be known.  (27)  What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim on the housetops.  (28)  "Do not fear those who kill the body but are powerless to kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in Gei-Hinnom.  (29)  Aren't sparrows sold for next to nothing, two for an assarion? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's consent.  (30)  As for you, every hair on your head has been counted.  (31)  So do not be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.  (32)  "Whoever acknowledges me in the presence of others I will also acknowledge in the presence of my Father in heaven.  (33)  But whoever disowns me before others I will disown before my Father in heaven.

5. Confidently

To live confidently is to live with an unwavering trust that God is good.

Heb 11:6  And without trusting, it is impossible to be well pleasing to God, because whoever approaches him must trust that he does exist and that he becomes a Rewarder to those who seek him out.

Also from Hebrews,

Heb 12:1-2  So then, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us, too, put aside every impediment — that is, the sin which easily hampers our forward movement — and keep running with endurance in the contest set before us,  (2)  looking away to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting, Yeshua — who, in exchange for obtaining the joy set before him, endured execution on a stake as a criminal, scorning the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

And

Heb 4:14-16  Therefore, since we have a great cohen gadol who has passed through to the highest heaven, Yeshua, the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we acknowledge as true.  (15)  For we do not have a cohen gadol unable to empathize with our weaknesses; since in every respect he was tempted just as we are, the only difference being that he did not sin.  (16)  Therefore, let us confidently approach the throne from which God gives grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.

In my 20s, I listened a lot.  I figured I had a lot to learn.  I rarely offered up my own opinion on things.  Opinions are like bellybuttons, I said – everyone has one.  And most of them have lint in them.

Here’s the deal.  What did I learn during those years of silence?  I learned one thing.  God is good.  The good things I saw happen were due to God.  God was also there to rely upon in bad times, when bad things happened.  God was there for people in the hard times, and He was certainly behind the good times.  

In every case, God was good.  So what other opinions could I possibly offer?  I remember thinking upon I Corinthians 2 once upon a time:  Paul says:

1Co 2:1-5  As for me, brothers, when I arrived among you, it was not with surpassing eloquence or wisdom that I came announcing to you the previously concealed truth about God;  (2)  for I had decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Yeshua the Messiah, and even him only as someone who had been executed on a stake as a criminal.  (3)  Also I myself was with you as somebody weak, nervous and shaking all over from fear;  (4)  and neither the delivery nor the content of my message relied on compelling words of "wisdom" but on a demonstration of the power of the Spirit,  (5)  so that your trust might not rest on human wisdom but on God's power.

So there was a model to follow.  I would continue to be silent on things that didn’t matter.  I would, however, speak up boldly when things did matter.  When it was a subject that had meaning.  When it was such an important subject as “how to live.”

So I’ll summarize the first part of this talk by answering this question with my own opinion, which is obviously supported by these Scriptures:

Live Humbly

Live Gratefully

Live Meekly

Live Boldly

Live Confidently

It’s hard to think about living all of these ways at once.  Jesus of course did live all of these adverbs at once.  And as we remember Him, we’ll explore just how he did this.

Jesus was the express image of His Father’s character.  He shared with us His Father’s will by demonstrating to us how to live. 

Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect, he said.

A new commandment I give to you – that you love one another, he said.

Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and your neighbor as yourself, he said.

I don’t know if you noticed, but each of the above ways to live leads ultimately to one way:  living to love. 

The completeness of Humbleness is love.  To put self last and others first is a good definition of humility.  It’s also love.

The completeness of Gratefulness is love.  To be utterly thankful and return thanks to God for what we have been so graciously given is love.  It is an expression of how much we love Him, for first loving us!

The completeness of Meekness is love.  We are constantly instructed by our Father, and we love to hear His teachings.  We are led to a child-like faith and a simple love towards our wise and Loving Father.

The completeness of Boldness is love.  Properly motivated, our zeal and passion for God may perfectly be expressed through our undying, impenetrable love that we cannot help but constantly pour out to Him.

The completeness of Confidence is love.  Confident trusting in our Heavenly Father is our purest indication to Him that, although we may fail to always live up to what He wants from us, we KNOW beyond the shadow of a doubt that He exists, and that He is a Rewarder of those who seek Him out.

Jesus demonstrated love, and thereby showed us “how to live.”  Live a life of love, and you can’t go wrong.

1Jn 4:9-11  Here is how God showed his love among us: God sent his only Son into the world, so that through him we might have life.  (10)  Here is what love is: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the kapparah for our sins.  (11)  Beloved friends, if this is how God loved us, we likewise ought to love one another.

Love is the pinnacle of the “how to live.”  It encompasses all of the above.  If our actions are motivated by love, then they will fall under the proper guidelines of “how to live.” 

Inspiration

Don't be inspired today - INSPIRE!  How do you go about being an 'inspiration' to those around you?  You have to inspire.  Interesting concept that formed the foundation of this blog.  To understand the word 'inspire,' it helps to put it next to it's evil twin - 'expire.'  This gives you a 'breathe in-breathe out' image.  So you breathe in the Word of God (which He has breathed out to all men - II Tim 3:16), and you can't hold it in forever (II Cor 4:13), so you breathe out (II Tim 4:2). 

Men have long appreciated that our breath is in God's hand (Job 12:10, Dan 5:23).  So sitting where you are, take a deep breath, then look up the verses above, and maybe the ones below, and see if you're left a little more inspired than when you got here.

I pray you will be.

Gen 2:7, II Sam 22:16, Job 4:9, Job 34:14-15, Job 37:9-10, Ps 18:15, Ps 33:6, Ps 104:29, Is 2:22, Is 42 (all of it!), Ez 37:1-14, Acts 17:24-28

Be a Uniter, not a Divider

I'm currently reading a book entitled Return of the Remnant.  It's about the revival of Messianic Judaism.  Aside from its poor treatment of the Trinity (it's a mystery), it's a very revealing book regarding the divisions caused by Christians and Jews alike, against each other.  It got me to thinking about how there are always people like that...

For example, John Chrysostom's divisiveness that he leveraged between Jews and Christians.  He basically wanted people to stop being Jewish.  What was wrong with the traditions of the Jews?  Were they evil of themselves?  Were they not a part of the true, historical body of believers, now responsible to embrace Yeshua, Son of the Living God?  Did that mean they had to cast off the celebration of the Passover, which Jesus Himself celebrated with His disciples? 

None of these are easy questions.  John Chrysostom came up with his answers to those hard questions.  I'm sure some of his arguments had merit.  But then, I think John Chrysostom became a control freak.  Unfortunately, it's what dedicated people often become.  They care so much about what they've learned or built or dedicated their lives to, that they forget how to do the right thing for others.  They forget to think about others before themselves. 

Why do people start divisions?  Why must it be a fact of life?  WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?  Well, the good news is, we can.  It starts with each of us.  Decide to be a Uniter, not a Divider.  You have the responsibility to not speak ill of your brothers and sisters, including those who are divisive.  You may have been hurt by someone else.  Jesus says pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you.  But don't just sit back and take the beating!  Go out and build relationships.  Decide that, for every division that you see brought into the world, you're going to bring in a reunion.  Heal some wounds, bind up the brokenhearted.  There is much good work to be done, and many good reasons to do it.  God is good, and He has a plan for this Earth.  Let's not forget that, and let's be inspired by it to do our very best each day!