The Bible is like…

Over the years, people have often compared the Bible to a map or an instruction book, because it is something that gives you information and tells you how to get home.

While I understand that, I have two problems with those analogies. First, maps and instruction books are boring! You only use them when you are lost or in trouble and you do not use them every day. Secondly, the Bible never calls itself a “map” or an “instruction book”. It does, however, give us some other, much more useful, pictures.

1. The Bible is a Light. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). Lights are powerful. They allow us to see and understand what is around us and, strangely enough, they give us courage!

My Grandparents used to live about four blocks from our house and the quickest way to get there was to cut through a cemetery. I was never scared of the cemetery in the daytime, but nighttime was a different story. The lack of light made the journey more difficult and much scarier.

2. The Bible is a story. Stories are inspiring and they touch us in ways that other things simply cannot. If you have ever cried during a movie, you know the power of a story.

After crossing the Jordan River on dry ground, the men are commanded to pick up twelve stones from the riverbed and make a monument out of them. Then God says, “In the future, when your children ask you, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord” (Joshua 4:6-7). It was important for God’s people to know and pass on the story of how God looked after them.

My point is that the Bible is not a boring, academic book that should only be referred to in times of trouble. Rather, it is a powerful, living, life changing story that gives us light, help and understanding (1 Peter 1:22-23; Hebrews 4:12-13).

If we change the way we think about the Bible, maybe we will read it differently.

Not worth the Fight

It was supposed to be a day to remember and it was, for all the wrong reasons.

Two 10-year-old best friends convinced their dads to take them to a soccer game at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. The big attraction was soccer star David Beckham. The boys talked about the day, dreamt about it and even made a sign for Beckham.

After the game, Beckham walked over to where the two boys were sitting, removed his jersey and threw it over the fence to them. Eric Kerr’s son was holding the sign and Wilfred Ho’s son who caught the jersey. That is where the trouble started.

The Kerrs claim that Beckham saw the sign and intended their boy to have the jersey. The Hos claim that their son caught it, so it belongs to him.

On April 10, the Hos received a letter from the Kerrs’ attorney demanding the return of the shirt. In turn, the Hos attorney responded that they were the rightful owners and that they were not giving the shirt up. The case is now headed to court and the one time best friends do not speak to one another anymore.

Sadly, that story is not unusual. Too often, we let little things ruin the big, important things. We sacrifice people and relationships because of things and positions. Pride, selfishness, greed, and many other ungodly attitudes get in the way of maintaining healthy, strong relationships. Too often, we “Win the battle, but lose the war”.

No matter who wins the David Beckham jersey battle, the Kerrs and the Hos have lost the war because they have lost their friendship.

Here is a radical idea: “Why not rather just be wronged?” That was Paul’s advice to the church in Corinth. In fact, that same verse says, “The very fact that you have lawsuits (and all kinds of other fights) among you means that you have been completely defeated already” (1 Cor. 5:8). Some things are just not worth the cost of the fight.

It is important not to let “little things” become “big things”.

Time To Jump

My oldest daughter was just finishing swimming lessons when I walked up to the windows at the pool. Out on the diving board was a little boy, maybe 5 years old and he looked nervous. His instructor was in the water below the diving board encouraging him to jump. The long line of kids who were waiting for their turn on the diving board were telling him to jump. However, the little boy just stood there shaking.

Over the years, I have seen many people in the same position in regards to their faith. They have read and studied themselves into the position where they have a decision to make. They have to decide whether to “jump” or not.

Part of the problem here is that logic can only take you so far. I can argue for God’s existence from lots of different things, but I cannot prove that he exists. At least not in terms of being able to show him to you right now. At some point, the message of the gospel requires a leap of faith.

The Apostle Paul says it this way, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Note that while Paul admits that the message may sound strange to those on the outside, he also states that the same message is the power of God to those who believe! In other words, once you take the leap of faith, you find out how good it is. You find the power of God.

I am not sure what you have been thinking about lately. Maybe you are wondering if you should be following God. Maybe you are thinking that you need to start doing a specific thing, or maybe stop doing something. Whatever the case, may I encourage you to take the leap of faith and see what God can do? You may find his power and his life.

Back to the little boy on the diving board: he finally did jump in and after that they could not get him off the diving board! He found out it was fun!

Sometimes you do not know what things are like until you try them!

What Good is it?

Have you ever experienced “Jet lag”? I have, once, on a trip to Israel.

Our plane left Toronto at 6 am and, after 14 hours in the air, we landed just outside Tel Aviv at around 8 am their time. I had not slept on the plane (I did not want to miss anything) and so when we got on the tour bus that morning I was tired!

One of my most vivid memories of that first day is simply trying to force my eyes open. As the bus rocked slowly back and forth down the road, the nice, warm sun shone in the window. To make matters worse, my friend Bill was sound asleep and snoring loudly. The first day of that trip was a bit of a blur for a while. It is hard to stay awake and alert when everything around you is encouraging you to relax and sleep through the important stuff.

Unfortunately, I sometimes find myself going through life as if I am sitting on that bus. I am on the journey of a lifetime and yet I can hardly stay awake. My days go by and I really do not know where I am going or why I am here. In other words, I sometimes just float along and do what everyone else does, because that is the easy thing to do.

Recently, though, I have received a couple of “wake up calls”, one of which is a verse that I cannot stop thinking about. Jesus asked, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 9:36).

Jesus warns us that it is entirely possible for someone to be a huge success in one sense and yet be living a life that is not worth living in God’s eyes.

I think it is time for me to wake up and make sure that I am living by God’s priorities. How about you?

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33)

An Oldie but a Goodie

Old things can be valuable (no, I am not just saying that because I am starting to “get up there”). Take, for example, the old idea of “God’s grace”.

By definition, “Grace” is “unmerited favor” or “unearned kindness” and it is one of the words that the New Testament writers frequently use when describing God. John 1:16 tells us that, “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another”. A short list of those blessings would include things like forgiveness, salvation, new life, repentance, God’s love and Christ himself. In various scriptures, those concepts are tied to the word “grace”.

Recovering that old concept of “God’s grace” changes how we see him. Our God is not out to get us, or exclude us. In fact, God’s gracious disposition is one of the best blessings that we have.

Romans 8:31 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The “if” in that sentence could be translated “because”. The context of the entire Roman letter indicates that God is for us. He is on our side. He has provided everything that we need for spiritual health. Through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection he has broken down the wall of sin that kept us from him (Ephesians 2:13-15). Therefore, my spiritual life does not rest on my being perfect. It rests on a God who is gracious, kind and forgiving enough to send his son to die for me, even before I knew that I needed it (Ephesians 2:1-10). All I have to do is to respond to his offer (Romans 6:1-4).

While we should take seriously our responsibility to follow God and do what he says, never forget that our hope rests in God’s grace! In fact, it is the only hope we have.

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (Galatians 2:21)

Worth a Thousand Words

When trying to understand a concept, sometimes a comparison or a visual can be very helpful. The inspired writers of the New Testament used that technique a great deal, especially when talking about the people of God.

For example, Paul says that we are the “family” or the “household of God” (1 Timothy 3:15). A household in those days included everyone; mother, father, children, aunts, uncles, cousins and even those who worked for the family. It was a broad and inclusive idea. Everyone had a place and everyone belonged.

Continuing that idea of belonging is the concept that we are “the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12-20). Just as in our physical bodies, each part contributes to the whole and makes things better. In God’s kingdom, there are no unnecessary parts. Everyone has a place.

Other word pictures stress the closeness that we have with God and his son. Revelation 19:7-9 tells us that we are “the bride of Christ”. Now that is something! God chooses the closest human relationship that we have, that of a husband and wife, to describe his relationship with us. Think about that for a while.

Other more common pictures are that of “Sheep with their shepherd” (John 10) or a “Father with his child” (Galatians 4:4-7). Both of those pictures are images of protection, provision and care.

We are also called “God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Fields are used to grow certain things. Buildings are built with a specific purpose in mind (you build barns differently than houses because they have a different job). This reminds us that we have certain things to contribute and certain purposes to live out. As Paul said, “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

These pictures remind us that we have a good message to share. They are positive and each of them speaks about how much God loves us.

Fortunately, the pictures say it all.

Making things better

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows…Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:7-9).

This passage is often quoted to teach the importance of focusing on spiritual things, but I believe that these verses teach other lessons as well.

For example, notice that effort is often required before the reward is seen. Oddly, many people seem to think that blessings should come without requiring anything from them beforehand. In reality, it does not work that way.

In marriage counseling, couples are often told to “act as if you are in love”. Why? Well, when each person takes responsibility to “Go first” and to treat the other with love, then that attitude will likely grow in the relationship. However, if both sit back and wait for the other to treat them well, nothing good happens. This “Go first” principle applies in any relationship. You can often improve things by going first and doing the things that you wish others would do. If you wait for everyone else to treat you properly first, you may be waiting a long time.

Note, too, that we are encouraged to keep trying. Farmers in New Testament times did not sow seeds as farmers do today. Back then, the farmer would “broadcast” the seed by throwing handfuls of it everywhere. He sowed generously and expected some of it to do something good (see 1 Corinthians 9:6-11). I like that picture! Our job is not to try once and then quit if nothing happens. We are to go about doing the good we can do, day in and day out, trusting that God will give us a good result in “the proper time”. As someone once noted, “The only thing that can hinder our harvest is letting ourselves grow weary”.

While there are no guarantees, in most cases you can make things better by simply going first and living out the love of God.