It's only sizzling because its so hot outside! Yikes!! But I do like summer...
Last Sunday our discussion centered around what we learn from Joseph's time in prison in the house of Potiphar. Talk about someone unjustly accused! Joseph was a victim of some tough circumstances that certainly seem "undeserved". He was sold into slavery by his brothers, and even if he was a favored son, he did not deserve to be sold. Now in Genesis 40 we find him in prison after doing everything he could to do the right thing in the incident with Potiphar's wife. As far as I can discern, Joseph is pretty much a guy who has done pretty much nothing wrong and has had his life turned upside down. And yet, what we see here is a man who is faithful to God and more concerned with others than himself. If it's me, I am likely to sit around and tell anyone who will even come close to listening about how I did nothing wrong and yet here I am in this prison! So what we see here is a man with a remarkable attitude and a mindset that is worthy of our emulation.
So how did he do it? How do you keep from becoming bitter or angry or overwhelmed or indignant or cynical or...... the list of negative attributes goes on and on.
Well, I think we did a nice job of analyzing that on Sunday, and for those who could not be there, I will briefly recap...
To be like Joseph, there are some things that we must believe very deeply. Among them...
1. God is Present
The presence of difficulty does not equate to the absence of God. So often we feel, when difficulty comes, that God has "stepped aside" somehow. We don't go clear to the point of thinking God does not exist, but we think He is "not there anymore". We have to get over that one. Deut. 31:6, Joshua 1:5, Heb. 13:5 are jut a few of the scriptures that remind us of the constant presence of God .
2. God Delivers
The difficulty does not last forever, and it is God who moves us out of our difficulty and forward to a new place. We do not get the details and we don't have much to say about the timing, but if we pursue Godly living, He moves us on to new places. "Endurance" is often a better keyword than "escape".
3. God Provides
God provides the mindset we need. We, (at least I), marvel at how Joseph can be in prison while innocent and still say things like, "Why are your faces so sad today?" We often do not see ourselves as capable of such thinking, but the good news is, we don't have to be. This is one of those things that falls under the transforming power of the Spirit.
4. God Exceeds
... our expectations. No matter how much we may love and trust another person, they are just a person. Joseph surely thought that the cupbearer would help him out in Genesis 40- but that didn't happen for 2 years! That would have been enought to send me off the deep end. But Joseph trusted God who brought about an end to the story that was greater than anything Joseph imagined. Expectations are such dangerous things. But I do believe that we can expect a great deal from God and I don't think we will be disappointed.
5. It's God's Story
The other thing I think we can take away from chapter 40 is that Joseph was careful to tell the whole story that was revealed to him by God. He told the cupbearer the good news, but he also told the baker the bad news. He did so because he knew that the truth had come from God and that he had better not alter it or leave anything out. I think we have the challenge and responsibility to do the same as we bring the news of Jesus to the world.
Got to scoot!
Just Keep Swimming....
Jon
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Pasta for President...
In case you had to submit an Absentee Ballot last Sunday, the majority of our discussion was devoted to the doctrine of "Divine Election" - the theme we find in scripture that indicates that God does some choosing. There are many scriptures that present the concept. Here is a short list, (but a little longer than the one we used on Sunday):
Ex. 33:19
Deut. 7:6,7
Deut. 10:14,15
Ps. 65:4
Ps. 106:5
Mt. 20:15-16
Mk 13:20
Lk 18:7
Rom 8:28-30, 33
James 1:18
And then you also run into scriptures like Romans 9:18 that says "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." Yikes.
Suffice it to say, the concept of Divine Election is somewhat complex. At least I think so.
We talked Sunday about the two "schools of thought" about the idea- Conditional Election and Unconditional Election. In its purest form, conditional election holds that God chooses us based on His knowledge of what we will choose in our lifetime. Unconditional Election in its purest form holds that God chooses according to His good pleasure and nothing we do has any bearing.
As is often the case, I think that the "purest forms" tend of oversimplify, and the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. The purely conditional position kind of says, "God gets a vote, Satan gets a vote, so the deciding vote comes down to me." Like I said on Sunday, depending on how you interpret that, it leaves the pivotal point of salvation on my own decision. In one sense I guess it is- I have to respond to the gift of Christ. But, (and I think Todd Dillon said this well on Sunday), if the gift was never given in the first place, then no response of mine would be strong enough. So, I think it is safe to say that this "conditional" position can be tricky.
On the other hand, the purely unconditional position is hard to accept as well. Someone might come along and say, "God will choose whoever He wants and nothing we do makes any difference." On the surface, the previously quoted scripture from Romans 9 seems to say that. But then you have to deal with scriptures like Romans 10:13 that says, "...for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." ( actually a quote from Joel 2:32). I cannot conceive a situation where someone truly calls upon the name of the Lord and is not saved- and a purely unconditional position would leave that as a possibility.
Arg! Now my brain hurts. But not really. Here is one more conclusion I come away with- in the matter of Divine Election, I think we are going to have to live with some tension. We are never going to fully understand this one as long as we are a part of this world. And I am OK with that. I think the key is believing in a God who will never, never make a wrong judgment. No matter what or how or who God chooses, He is my hope. And He is right.
Just Keep Swimming!
Jon
Ex. 33:19
Deut. 7:6,7
Deut. 10:14,15
Ps. 65:4
Ps. 106:5
Mt. 20:15-16
Mk 13:20
Lk 18:7
Rom 8:28-30, 33
James 1:18
And then you also run into scriptures like Romans 9:18 that says "Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden." Yikes.
Suffice it to say, the concept of Divine Election is somewhat complex. At least I think so.
We talked Sunday about the two "schools of thought" about the idea- Conditional Election and Unconditional Election. In its purest form, conditional election holds that God chooses us based on His knowledge of what we will choose in our lifetime. Unconditional Election in its purest form holds that God chooses according to His good pleasure and nothing we do has any bearing.
As is often the case, I think that the "purest forms" tend of oversimplify, and the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. The purely conditional position kind of says, "God gets a vote, Satan gets a vote, so the deciding vote comes down to me." Like I said on Sunday, depending on how you interpret that, it leaves the pivotal point of salvation on my own decision. In one sense I guess it is- I have to respond to the gift of Christ. But, (and I think Todd Dillon said this well on Sunday), if the gift was never given in the first place, then no response of mine would be strong enough. So, I think it is safe to say that this "conditional" position can be tricky.
On the other hand, the purely unconditional position is hard to accept as well. Someone might come along and say, "God will choose whoever He wants and nothing we do makes any difference." On the surface, the previously quoted scripture from Romans 9 seems to say that. But then you have to deal with scriptures like Romans 10:13 that says, "...for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." ( actually a quote from Joel 2:32). I cannot conceive a situation where someone truly calls upon the name of the Lord and is not saved- and a purely unconditional position would leave that as a possibility.
Arg! Now my brain hurts. But not really. Here is one more conclusion I come away with- in the matter of Divine Election, I think we are going to have to live with some tension. We are never going to fully understand this one as long as we are a part of this world. And I am OK with that. I think the key is believing in a God who will never, never make a wrong judgment. No matter what or how or who God chooses, He is my hope. And He is right.
Just Keep Swimming!
Jon
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Not Really Pasta at All...
First I want to thank Eric Walters for filling in while I was away last week. I appreciate Eric's willingness to help out!
Like many of you, VBS kept me busy all week long, so I am just now getting to posting for the week.
This really has nothing to do with the purpose of the blog, except to prove that I really was at the air show like I said, (as if my texting Mel in the middle of class were not proof enough- couldn't resist).
Here are a few of my photos from the air show. If you want to see more click here
See you Sunday!
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
Like many of you, VBS kept me busy all week long, so I am just now getting to posting for the week.
This really has nothing to do with the purpose of the blog, except to prove that I really was at the air show like I said, (as if my texting Mel in the middle of class were not proof enough- couldn't resist).
Here are a few of my photos from the air show. If you want to see more click here
See you Sunday!
Just Keep Swimming...
Jon
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Of Abraham and Air Shows...
Not that there were Air Shows when Abraham was walking the earth- at least not the kind I go to...
There was one question that came up briefly on Sunday that we did not really discuss. Do we change God's mind? Does our persistent and passionate prayer change the course of God's action? To tell you the truth, I am not really sure. I would value your comments and thoughts and opinions. There are some things I do know-
I do know that in Luke 11 we read the story of a man and a neighbor and an unexpected visitor and a midnight request for bread... you know the one I am talking about? In that story, Jesus says that "because of the man's boldness" the neighbor will give him what he wants. In the following verses Jesus urges his disciples to ask. I think it is inherent to the command that we should ask boldly.
I do know that God is a relational God and that he does like to hear the requests of His children. If you have your own children, you are not completely unfamiliar with this. You know how it is... you don't want to give your kids everything they ask for because that is not good for them. But, boy do we love to say yes whenever we can! There is not much better than to see your kid respond when you are able to give them something they really want. I cannot help but think that it is a bit this way with God. We don't control Him. We don't manipulate Him. But when we prove that we really want something and want it for the right reason, I think that it gives Him great pleasure to grant our request.
I find the encounter in the second half of Genesis 18 interesting because of the nature of the discourse between Abraham and God. Abraham is rather bold before God in the passage. Now, one of two things is going on here. For someone to be so bold as to say the things that Abraham said, you have to be one of two kinds of people. You are either someone who is unfamiliar with who God is and you do not know any better than to open you mouth, or you are someone who is intimate enough with God that you can, in a respectful manner, be confident enough to speak your mind. I do not think there is much "in-between" here. Well, it doesn't take much reading to know which of those Abraham is. And it is here that I think we see a wonderful example for us all. Who of us would not like to feel so intimate with God that you could say things like "far be it from you to do such a thing..." (Gen. 18:25) I just think that the whole exchange between God and Abraham in Genesis 18 shows the give and take between two who have walked together and lived together and shared together on a very consistent basis. And I want to be like that.
I won't be there Sunday, but I will be hanging out with Angels!! (The Blue Angels!!)
Just Keep Swimming!
Jon
There was one question that came up briefly on Sunday that we did not really discuss. Do we change God's mind? Does our persistent and passionate prayer change the course of God's action? To tell you the truth, I am not really sure. I would value your comments and thoughts and opinions. There are some things I do know-
I do know that in Luke 11 we read the story of a man and a neighbor and an unexpected visitor and a midnight request for bread... you know the one I am talking about? In that story, Jesus says that "because of the man's boldness" the neighbor will give him what he wants. In the following verses Jesus urges his disciples to ask. I think it is inherent to the command that we should ask boldly.
I do know that God is a relational God and that he does like to hear the requests of His children. If you have your own children, you are not completely unfamiliar with this. You know how it is... you don't want to give your kids everything they ask for because that is not good for them. But, boy do we love to say yes whenever we can! There is not much better than to see your kid respond when you are able to give them something they really want. I cannot help but think that it is a bit this way with God. We don't control Him. We don't manipulate Him. But when we prove that we really want something and want it for the right reason, I think that it gives Him great pleasure to grant our request.
I find the encounter in the second half of Genesis 18 interesting because of the nature of the discourse between Abraham and God. Abraham is rather bold before God in the passage. Now, one of two things is going on here. For someone to be so bold as to say the things that Abraham said, you have to be one of two kinds of people. You are either someone who is unfamiliar with who God is and you do not know any better than to open you mouth, or you are someone who is intimate enough with God that you can, in a respectful manner, be confident enough to speak your mind. I do not think there is much "in-between" here. Well, it doesn't take much reading to know which of those Abraham is. And it is here that I think we see a wonderful example for us all. Who of us would not like to feel so intimate with God that you could say things like "far be it from you to do such a thing..." (Gen. 18:25) I just think that the whole exchange between God and Abraham in Genesis 18 shows the give and take between two who have walked together and lived together and shared together on a very consistent basis. And I want to be like that.
I won't be there Sunday, but I will be hanging out with Angels!! (The Blue Angels!!)
Just Keep Swimming!
Jon
Saturday, May 30, 2009
The Funny Thing About Making a Name for Yourself...
The funny thing is that when we try hard to make a name for ourselves it does not stick. Think about it- did you ever want to be called by a certain nickname? When we try to establish nicknames for ourselves it seems like it never works. Nicknames come from others. Nicknames come from our quirky human tendencies. Nicknames come from the observation and affection (or malice) of the people around us.
Even at your job or your business, if what you really focus on is making a name for yourself it more often than not turns out in disaster. But, if you concentrate on doing good work, putting out a quality product, or achieving some level of proficiency or excellence, then the whole "make a name" thing takes care of itself.
In Genesis 11 we see that whole process at work. These people described in the chapter decided that they wanted to make a name for themselves. As we discussed Sunday, they were actually, whether they knew it or not, going against God's intent for mankind. God had "commanded" or "instructed" that mankind should "fill the earth". These people we find in chapter 11 decided they did not want to be spread throughout the earth. So they took root and decided to "make a name for themselves". They tried to establish or find their identity in what they did and what they made and what they accomplished by the work of their hands. It became their whole goal and focus. And it worked out about as well as when we try to make our own nicknames- it didn't last.
As I have reflected on last weeks discussion and thought about that issue I have found myself reminded that my true identity is / needs to be completely wrapped up in who I belong to. My identity needs to be all about the fact that I have been redeemed by love and that I have been created by a loving God. And I need to be satisfied with that. Now don't get me wrong- I think that striving for excellence in the things we do is valuable, commendable, important, admirable... the list of positive adjectives goes on and on. But, like so many things in our walk with God, it comes down to our motivation for being excellent. If our true motivation is, indeed, to make a name for ourselves, then we will ultimately fail. We may enjoy popularity or profit for a while, but it will not last and it is not eternal. But if we strive for excellence because we feel it is our responsibility to use the talents God gave us to the fullest- if we want to show the character of God by doing all we can to do things well- if we want to show the world the goodness of God and not the goodness of self- then we move, I believe, in the right direction.
Perhaps rather than making a name for ourselves we should allow God to make our name for us.
Just Keep Swimming!
Jon
Even at your job or your business, if what you really focus on is making a name for yourself it more often than not turns out in disaster. But, if you concentrate on doing good work, putting out a quality product, or achieving some level of proficiency or excellence, then the whole "make a name" thing takes care of itself.
In Genesis 11 we see that whole process at work. These people described in the chapter decided that they wanted to make a name for themselves. As we discussed Sunday, they were actually, whether they knew it or not, going against God's intent for mankind. God had "commanded" or "instructed" that mankind should "fill the earth". These people we find in chapter 11 decided they did not want to be spread throughout the earth. So they took root and decided to "make a name for themselves". They tried to establish or find their identity in what they did and what they made and what they accomplished by the work of their hands. It became their whole goal and focus. And it worked out about as well as when we try to make our own nicknames- it didn't last.
As I have reflected on last weeks discussion and thought about that issue I have found myself reminded that my true identity is / needs to be completely wrapped up in who I belong to. My identity needs to be all about the fact that I have been redeemed by love and that I have been created by a loving God. And I need to be satisfied with that. Now don't get me wrong- I think that striving for excellence in the things we do is valuable, commendable, important, admirable... the list of positive adjectives goes on and on. But, like so many things in our walk with God, it comes down to our motivation for being excellent. If our true motivation is, indeed, to make a name for ourselves, then we will ultimately fail. We may enjoy popularity or profit for a while, but it will not last and it is not eternal. But if we strive for excellence because we feel it is our responsibility to use the talents God gave us to the fullest- if we want to show the character of God by doing all we can to do things well- if we want to show the world the goodness of God and not the goodness of self- then we move, I believe, in the right direction.
Perhaps rather than making a name for ourselves we should allow God to make our name for us.
Just Keep Swimming!
Jon
Saturday, May 23, 2009
And We All Come Tumbling Down...
It seems so unfair to me...
God set up this perfect existence- the garden, no work, no guilt, no shame, no disease... perfect. And then the whole incident with the serpent and Eve and Adam and choice and sin and... arg!!! They blew it! They had it perfect and they blew it!! And they didn't just blow it for themselves- they blew it for all of us! It just isn't fair! I have to inherit this "human sin condition" because Adam and Eve couldn't keep their hands out of the cookie jar? Come on!
What's that? What did you say? You say I would have probably done the same thing if I had been there? Um.... you're right. I most likely would have.
But it is interesting to think about. I mean, in chapter 1 and 2 of Genesis you have this perfect creation and everything is moving along just the way it was designed. Then, in chapter 4 you have murder and jealousy. So, chapter 3 becomes the "black box". What happened? Things were fine and then they weren't!
Well, we pretty much know what happened, but it is interesting to look at how it happened.
Chapter 3 brings up a lot of questions that are not answered right in that chapter- questions like "Where did Satan come from" and "Why was there any evil around anyway?" I am not really going into those questions right now. The thing I want to look at briefly is the approach of the serpent. There are three things I find especially interesting about how the serpent approached this whole thing.
The first thing is the serpents statement- it was erroneous and he knew it! He comes to Eve and says, "Did God really say you cannot eat from any tree in the garden?" That isn't at all what God said! God made a prohibition about ONE tree. The serpent misspoke God's words on purpose. When Eve heard the incorrect statement she felt obligated to straighten things out, but it also brought the one forbidden thing right to the front of her mind. We have all seen it. When you tell your kids they cannot have something, they want it. It is not because the really want it. Five minutes ago they could not have cared less about it. But as soon as they find out they "can't have it", they want it. They want it more than anything else. Sometimes to the point of distraction. The serpent (Satan), knew exactly what he was doing, and he still does today.
Another brief but important thing about how the serpent ran his scam is that he (the serpent) is certainly not an Atheist. He did not say, "Oh God is just a myth." or "God does not exist", or "God is not really in charge". The serpent did not deny anything about God's existence, presence, or even authority. He just misrepresented what God said. That tactic is alive and well today in Satan's arsenal.
The other thing that really hit me with this account when I read it this time was that the serpent managed to shift Adam and Eve's focus from God's provisions to God's denials. Let's face it- there are certain things that are prohibited. God has drawn lines. There are things that we are not to be a part of- if for no other reason than "God said so." But, in the case of Adam and Eve, (and for us as well), they had been given EVERYTHING and denied ONE thing. They had been given infinitely more than what had been denied! It would seem that would be enough! They should have been happy! But NOOOO! But I am the same way. There are far too many days when I spend time thinking about what I don't have and what I can't have and forgetting all about what I DO have. I have been given EVERYTHING. Whatever has been prohibited has been held back for my own good. I can't always get that through my head.
I welcome discussion and thoughts on these first verses in chapter 3. There is so much more that we could discuss!
Looking forward to Sunday!
Just Keep Swimming!
Jon
God set up this perfect existence- the garden, no work, no guilt, no shame, no disease... perfect. And then the whole incident with the serpent and Eve and Adam and choice and sin and... arg!!! They blew it! They had it perfect and they blew it!! And they didn't just blow it for themselves- they blew it for all of us! It just isn't fair! I have to inherit this "human sin condition" because Adam and Eve couldn't keep their hands out of the cookie jar? Come on!
What's that? What did you say? You say I would have probably done the same thing if I had been there? Um.... you're right. I most likely would have.
But it is interesting to think about. I mean, in chapter 1 and 2 of Genesis you have this perfect creation and everything is moving along just the way it was designed. Then, in chapter 4 you have murder and jealousy. So, chapter 3 becomes the "black box". What happened? Things were fine and then they weren't!
Well, we pretty much know what happened, but it is interesting to look at how it happened.
Chapter 3 brings up a lot of questions that are not answered right in that chapter- questions like "Where did Satan come from" and "Why was there any evil around anyway?" I am not really going into those questions right now. The thing I want to look at briefly is the approach of the serpent. There are three things I find especially interesting about how the serpent approached this whole thing.
The first thing is the serpents statement- it was erroneous and he knew it! He comes to Eve and says, "Did God really say you cannot eat from any tree in the garden?" That isn't at all what God said! God made a prohibition about ONE tree. The serpent misspoke God's words on purpose. When Eve heard the incorrect statement she felt obligated to straighten things out, but it also brought the one forbidden thing right to the front of her mind. We have all seen it. When you tell your kids they cannot have something, they want it. It is not because the really want it. Five minutes ago they could not have cared less about it. But as soon as they find out they "can't have it", they want it. They want it more than anything else. Sometimes to the point of distraction. The serpent (Satan), knew exactly what he was doing, and he still does today.
Another brief but important thing about how the serpent ran his scam is that he (the serpent) is certainly not an Atheist. He did not say, "Oh God is just a myth." or "God does not exist", or "God is not really in charge". The serpent did not deny anything about God's existence, presence, or even authority. He just misrepresented what God said. That tactic is alive and well today in Satan's arsenal.
The other thing that really hit me with this account when I read it this time was that the serpent managed to shift Adam and Eve's focus from God's provisions to God's denials. Let's face it- there are certain things that are prohibited. God has drawn lines. There are things that we are not to be a part of- if for no other reason than "God said so." But, in the case of Adam and Eve, (and for us as well), they had been given EVERYTHING and denied ONE thing. They had been given infinitely more than what had been denied! It would seem that would be enough! They should have been happy! But NOOOO! But I am the same way. There are far too many days when I spend time thinking about what I don't have and what I can't have and forgetting all about what I DO have. I have been given EVERYTHING. Whatever has been prohibited has been held back for my own good. I can't always get that through my head.
I welcome discussion and thoughts on these first verses in chapter 3. There is so much more that we could discuss!
Looking forward to Sunday!
Just Keep Swimming!
Jon
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Caution- Merging Traffic...
Excuses, excuses...
There has not been a post on this blog for a couple of weeks- this I know. There are reasons, but not excuses. The reasons include the final production blitz of the 8th Grade Video project - a project about which I tell myself every year that I am going to "spread the work" throughout the entire school year and never do- and, the whole Great Swelling of '09.
I am very sorry for the way last Sunday turned out. No one has any good medical explanation for why my face would wait until 4 days after a minor out-patient procedure and then balloon to Cabbage Patch proportions. I think I know why it happened though- it is related to the aforementioned video project. I think that God knew that there was no way on this green earth that I was going to finish that video if I had to go to school on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this last week. So, in His inimitable style, He arranged circumstances that allowed me to be home with good reason and to continue work on the project.
Anyway, my appearance is now just about as good as it ever is, and I am merging back into the flow of human traffic. And thus, on with Sunday School we go!
This week we will get to work on our study of Genesis. I am hoping to make this a 6-8 weeks study of some major points in the book. There are 50 chapters and that is a little much for a chapter by chapter study right now (not that it would be a bad thing- its just a little long)
This week we will look at some things to get us started. We have to have a reference point. I want to look at how the book is divided, why the book is important to us, and a little about how Genesis is interpreted by different groups of people these days. This discussion will help to set up where we are headed in the next handful of weeks.
Looking forward to getting back at it!
Just Keep Swimming!
Jon and Melanie
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