His Story

No this isn't about that Michael Jackson album, but if you've read anything on this blog, this is about God, specifically seeing Him as the God of History.  In Church History, Dr. Rosell encouraged us to spend 1 hour to sit down and think, and to write so that is what I am doing.  I am reflecting on the days notes and all the questions that seem to ask themselves as I take them.

When we talk about history, we are mainly talking about that which is written down and recorded.  Apart from these records, we know next to nothing about past events apart from reconstructing a world based only off of archaeological records (fossils).  Thus, it is primarily through the written language that history and culture perseveres.  Although the Oral tradition predates the written, history teaches us that unless it is written down, much of it will be lost.  As Christians, we have all of Scripture that records the history of the Jewish people up through the events of the early church as well as the writings from the early church fathers and accounts from historians of that day (such as Philo and Josephus).  For all intents and purposes, we will need to base our account of history off of these writings for the simple reason that we need a starting point.

However, there is one caveat:  Although history never changes, the perspective does.

Because history is communicated solely through language, it inherently takes on the perspective of the one telling it as it was told to them.  For instance, the record of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima may be told differently by Japanese people than American.  And thus my first couple of questions arise: How does someone go about obtaining an "objective" view of history if it is told through subjective vantage points?  Is the Scripture biased by a Jewish perspective?  Can God communicate objective truth through subjective means?  How do we go about finding that truth?

How does someone go about obtaining an "objective" view of history if it is told through subjective vantage points?


First of all, to gain a truly objective viewpoint of history, one of two conditions must be met:
1) We must be able to see history from every single viewpoint.
2) We must be able to see history from no perspective at all.

Now the latter is impossible for humans, as each of us possess one and only one viewpoint.  We are always already interpreting all things as to give them our own perspective.  The former is improbable that any one person can see a situation from so many perspectives at once, unless of course they stood outside of time and watched it unfold.  As far as I know, God is the only one who is (and is capable of) being objective.

No one man by himself can ever be truly objective about history, however, if we take a group of men all reporting on the same situation, we approach the true objectivity of God with each added person reporting.  It's through this "Inter-subjectivity" that we can attempt objectivity, however it is a distant second from true objectivity as each man's perspective is tainted and may only report only a part of history to give a different impression by leaving certain parts out.  There is a distinct difference in saying "Abraham was going to kill his son" and "Abraham was going to kill his son because of his faith In God's provision", although both are accurate statements.

Thus, each man's account must be weighed and corroborated with each other's in order to give as accurate an account of the actual events that is possible.  This is what we would call "bearing witness" or "testifying" (in the same way we as Christians bear witness to the events that took place in our lives due to God and the atoning work of Jesus Christ).  The power of a single Christian testimony may be ignored by skeptics, but together as a body, so many testimonies to the Living God cannot be so easily ignored and dismissed as fantasy.

There more than likely, from a scientific standpoint, is a significant effect emanating from the Gospels.  There is an objective truth here that lays hidden beneath each subjective account of history.

Is the Scripture biased by a Jewish perspective?  Can God communicate objective truth through subjective means?


I want to answer these together.  If the Scripture is merely the Jewish perspective on the events of history, how then can we say it solely is the one that contains objective truth?  What about Buddhist writings or the Koran or various other writings?  Why should we only trust the Bible when there are so many other religions all with truth claims?

If we accept the proposition earlier that only God is objective, how then does an objective God transmit objective truth to people who could only see in one less dimension than he (that is in the subjective realm).  Well, He needed to start somewhere.  God chose the Jewish people and culture to reveal Himself and his nature to through the calling of Abraham and the promise of Isaac to the Tribes of Israel.  God cultivated these people, according to the scriptures, to be "His people" and in turn "he would be their God." (Ex 6:7)  Now did it have to be the Jewish people?  Why not start in China or India?  I can't pretend to know why God does as he does, but it is probably for good reason.  Perhaps if God wanted to, we'd be learning ancient Chinese instead of Hebrew, but I won't spend time entertaining thoughts of what is not.

If, in the end, the Hebrews truly are God's chosen people, then the Jewish scripture is truly God's revelation of objective truth to His chosen people.  If objective truth exists at all, it would exist in the Biblical scriptures (special revelation) as well as God's creation (or natural revelation, which Science aims to uncover).  There are no other stories like this, in which God comes down from heaven to reveal himself in this way.  If objective truth comes from God, then it will most likely also be found in the place where God is communicating directly with People.

But again, we have a problem.  We as humans are limited to recording objective truth through subjective means such as history and culture.  We each inherit a history and culture when we become Christians.  Suddenly the history of the Jewish people and the entire Christian church becomes part of our own identities despite if we feel if we identify with them or not.  We inherit new social identities when we call ourselves Christians, inheriting both the good and the bad things that have happened in the history of the Church.  Church history is important to understand in order to deal with the conceptions and misconceptions of us (the Church) by those outside of the Church.  It is because of this inherited history that we must push forward to correct what has been done in the past to reconcile them with our efforts for the future.  There is a parable I once wrote on the matter:

There was an Architect who had a grand design to build the most elaborate house anyone has ever seen, but he does not have the time to complete the task. He hires carpenters, masons, sculptors, artists, metalworkers, plumbers, electricians, painters, roofers, and landscapers to complete the task in his absence. He finances them and takes his leave to attend to other matters, but his workers in his absence do not do what he asked them too! Instead they spend his money to build their own homes. They ignore his supervisors and mistreat them, and when the Architect hears all of what is going on he is furious. "If these men whom I have chosen will not do my work, than I shall find men who will." 
The Architect sent his son to fire the old workers and bring in all sorts of unskilled men and women to work on his house with the promise that whoever helps to build the house will have a room in it to live. The son came and announced this message, "Behold! My father has committed you to work on his house, but you've spent your wages on your own! As you have robbed my father, He will now rob you of your wages. Let anyone come to build this house which you have forsaken, anyone at all, for they will surely live in it. These are the Words of my father!" 

The workers were furious with the son for firing them and they had him killed in spite as they left and buried him in the foundation. The poor, the hungry, and the meek heard the son's words before he died the word spread quickly amongst them. All sorts soon flocked to build his house for no wages except for the promise of his Father's word that they will dwell in it while those men who already built their own houses sat there in comfort saying "Look! We've already built our own homes! What need have we for his house?"

The new workers struggle to read the plans the Architect has set out, having only the words and guidance of the Architect's master apprentice. Much of what is done must be undone, much of what is gained is lost again as some do not listen to the apprentice and build the house their own way. The progress is slow, but steady amid arguments among the workers over the best way to build. 

Some think to themselves "I do not want to live along side THOSE people coming now to build" and deny them saying "The Architect does not want you here!" Others say "The less people who build, the more space I will have!" and still others say "If I can make others build alongside me, then the quicker I will get to live in this house!" Few are the people who say to themselves "I will teach those around me what I have learned in how to build this house" and still fewer who say"I will build for the Architect who has promised me this place."  

Nevertheless, despite their lack of cooperation and despite their imperfect obedience, despite their selfish intentions and despite themselves, the Architect's plan is being carried out. The house will be finished and there the Architect will dwell with his workers forever while those outside will look on with jealousy for it truly is the most magnificent house ever built.

 There is one small issue with us inheriting the Jewish scriptures as part of our own history:  We aren't Jewish. Even though we translate the words, we cannot translate thousands of years worth of culture and tradition of an entire group of people.  It is all "lost in translation".  That is the crux of the work in understanding the truth of the Bible today; trying to understand the objective truths of the Bible as God communicated them to the Jewish people.  That leaves the last question:

How do we go about finding that truth?

We must take on the Jewish perspective in order to see clearer the objective truth buried under the subjective words.  If we believe God has done a miracle in forming these scriptures for us to have today, it would be worth understanding the Truths conveyed in their original contexts.  God communicated his Truth in the way the Jewish people would best understand, so in order for us to best understand them, we must study them in light of Jewish culture.

Through proper exegesis and through much reference to other texts revealing of Jewish culture, we can shed more light on the Truth of God.  Jesus, the living Word of God, is also the very Truth that the Scriptures point to.  The goal of understanding the scriptures is ultimately to know the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Spirit.  It is ultimately our guide to entering into close relationship with God, and so much more than that.  This Truth is the light which makes sense of all things.  All things point to Him who is the Truth.  All things were created for Him, by Him, and through Him for his glory.  It is because of this Truth that we can even begin to make sense of our own lives, that we can even begin to answer the important questions of our existence and purpose without falling into the despair of meaninglessness.

This is the God of History, the one who authored the entirety of time from Creation until His Kingdom Come, the one who is sovereign over all history.  As God spoke the world into existence, it is only fitting that by words his power is made manifest to us.  There is a power to the Bible that is undeniable, that has withstood constant attacks and persecutions over millenia.  After all, if the Bible is True, it will persist even the strongest attempts to dispel or dismiss it as mere myth or cultural anecdote.  So far, so good.

My Weekend:

What my past few days looked like:
Thursday:  
7pm: @ ECIC (worship practice) Bed 


Friday: 
7 am(ish): on the road to Vermont for the weekend! Manly Bonding begins! 
9 am: Hiked into a state park in Topsfield and used a rope swing to dive into a river. 
12 pm Lunch + back on the road
3-4 pm: Afternoon at Smuggler's Notch exploring the mountainside and spelunking! 
5pm: Volley Ball @ the Chevalier's place in Vermont!
6 PM: Amazing BBQ dinner (chicken, and steak, corn on the cob, baked ziti, bread, salad, and yummy desserts!)
7 pm: Scriptural lesson involving rope and wrestling in some cases
7:30-Dark more volley ball.  Best games I have ever played, for real.
??-?? Dip in the pool!  81 degrees!
??-10:45pm Warm self by the campfire, eat s'mores, and hear more of God's word.
10:45- Whenever: Stayed up late gazing at the stars and talking to new friends.  It has always been my dream since I was a little kid to go someplace where I could a) see the Milky Way or B) See a shooting star.  I saw both that night :)


Saturday:
6:30 am:  Devotional time with God
7 am: Biggest Breakfast ever conceived by man (Denver Omelettes, breakfast potatoes, yogurt, fruit salad, frensh toast casserole (+tons of yummy VT maple syrup!) OJ and Coffee.)
8 am: Walked down to the dam and explored around the rocks there.  Went through Old Hydroelectric plant pipes!
10am-10:45:  Shot water balloons at a giant target with a giant slingshot.  Later upgraded to small fruits and rodents (J/k about the rodents)
10:45-12pm: Pack up all the tents to leave, and MORE VOLLEYBALL!
12:30pm: Stop at Al's French fries for some food.  Amazing fries indeed :)
1:30-5pm:  Hiking to the cliff face to meet a friend.  Great time Mountain Climbing and Repelling with Harnesses :) I made it to the top!
6(ish) pm: Leave to go home!  Stopped at Wendy's for Dinner.
10pm: @Ecic to pick up my car.  So tired, so sore, so worth it!
11 pm: Writing a blog post + Bed


Sunday: Back to ECIC for church and worship!

Money, Suffering, and Zen

People work because they think they need to.  Oftentimes they work terrible jobs, jobs they HATE, because of their "need".  They suffer and they do not know why.  I know why people suffer, it is because they are insatiable.  It is because their eyes invent things for them to need: money, power, fame, glory, honor, a job, a wife, a house, a tv, an iPod, a car and everything in between.  They need them because they are told they need them.  What if everything you owned was a tunic or two, a pair of sandals, and a walking stick, but God provided for your every need?  Are you poor or blessed?

I never have any money, but I am not poor.  It's because I give it all away.  I give to lots of people, I make huge meals to share with everyone because it makes me happy to share with them.  Can I afford it?  The world says, "No, you can't afford this.  Don't do it, you are being wasteful."  To me though, I don't care about having money.  I'm pretty sure everyone in the dorm where I live thinks I'm rich, but I've had to ask for money on more than a few occasions.  I feel no shame in it.  God provided me with an entire community of Christians who enjoy serving and providing for needs.  I happen to utilize that.  Someone once told me this "When you confess your needs to [other Christians], you are giving them the best gift of all: the opportunity to serve."  After all, those who are the greatest in the kingdom are the ones who serve.  So many people don't know how to be blessed by God.  Don't be so proud.

The Buddhists believe the way to get rid of all suffering is to achieve Nirvana by getting detached from all needs and wants.  A very noble truth, they go the path of emptiness.  However Christians, I've found, go the path of fulfillment.  Instead of eliminating every need, Christ becomes the one who fulfills every need.  I like that.  A filled and fulfilling life, life in abundance.  That is indeed what God has promised His People.

To put it bluntly, Christianity offers the better deal.  There is no meditation or koans to read/solve, and no reincarnation if you get it wrong (seriously who wants to live life again?).  If truly all road lead to the same place as is the mantra of today's society, Christianity wins hands down.  A lot of people ask me why I picked Christianity and if I think all the other religions are false.  BTW, word to the wise, never answer yes or no questions with a yes or a no.  No, I believe that the truth claims other religions make can be true or nearly true, and I never once claimed that other gods cannot exist.  There is just no other God I would rather follow than the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings.  Baal, Molech, Asherah, Buddha, Pikkiwoki, Vishnu, and whatever other gods the pluralistic society presents you simply do not match up to YHWH, the God who speaks and the God who sees me.

What Must I Do...

...to inherit eternal life?

This was the million dollar question posed by a rich young ruler to Jesus.  There is so much to touch upon in this story (Found in Mark 10), that I don't have time.  I want to focus solely on these four lines of the pericope (Red text and italics mine):

17 And as he was going forth into the way, there ran one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, even God.19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor thy father and mother.20 And he said unto him, Teacher, all these things have I observed from my youth.21 And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

I've been thinking about this question too.  What Jesus tells that man is not what we would answer to someone asking the question of us.  Most of us would say, pray to ask Jesus into your heart, read the Bible everyday, go to church, fellowship, worship, and so on.

Does that mean we think Jesus was not really serious when he answered "One thing you lack, go and sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me"?  Jesus says absolutely none of those things we would expect.  Jesus absolutely meant every word he said.  This isn't a specific command for one person in particular, and when taken as the answer to the question "What must I do to inherit Eternal life?", this answer seems rather important to salvation.

I remember reading this and thinking, "This is way too much to ask!  There is no way I could do this!  Jesus must have meant something else!" as if Jesus would never say such radical things.  I think we are all like this.  No one I know who is a Christian has sold everything they had and gave to the poor to follow Jesus myself included.

The thing is, even the Disciples were astonished about what Jesus said, and I'm sure had the exact some thoughts I had.  They ask the question "Who then can be saved?"  Jesus then gives the real answer to the question "What must I do to inherit eternal life":  "With man this is impossible, but not with God."  Essentially, there is nothing you WILL do.

Nothing.  Absolutely nothing you can do to inherit eternal life outside of selling everything you have and following Jesus.  I can't stress that enough.  No amount of praying to ask Jesus into your heart, bible reading, church going, worshiping, or fellowshipping could get you into heaven.  It is impossible for us to have eternal life, but the hope is this:  "With God all things are possible".

Jesus is saying there is a way into the Kingdom of God that is otherwise impossible to get into, and that's God.  God has done everything for us, everything has been done for us because nothing could be done by us. That is the miracle of grace and the mystery of Christ on the Cross and the majesty of His resurrection, if you choose to believe it.

John 6:28-29 (ASV) "28 They said therefore unto him, What must we do, that we may work the works of God?29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."

Another great example of Jesus changing the focus away from "What should we do".  Faith can be the hardest thing you do, but being a disciple requires discipline.

I am not saying things like reading the bible or worshiping are bad.  Not at all!  But these things in and of themselves are not necessary nor sufficient for salvation, but rather are results (not causes) of faith in Christ Jesus.  Believe it or not, I do not need to hold the same theology or believe the same things about the Bible as someone else to live out life as a Christian.  As long as it preaches Christ crucified, it doesn't matter the reason (whether for profit like some well-to-do televangelists or out of love from the poorest of poor walking the streets).

There is questionable theology everywhere, and even at Seminary no two people hold the same theology.  I disagree with a lot of stuff.  What is not necessary for salvation can be done in the name of ministry.  A lot of things don't matter at all: Gay marriage, abortion views, baptism views, sabbath views, etc. Only one thing absolutely cannot change and is what binds all Christians together: Belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.  I keep my theology simple in order to remain flexible in a faith that demands it.  I keep as true to the Word of God as I can.

There is nothing one should do to be a Christian because there is nothing one can do except believe the very Words Jesus taught.  There is no right way to express thankfulness for the grace God has given, only usual response that tends to mark a life touched by Christ (i.e. a love for the word of God, a renewed worldview, love for God's people, a desire to seek reconciliation, a hunger to know God (to seek His face) and speak with Him, a voluntary submission to God's will, joyful expressions of thanksgiving (dancing, singing, shouting, clapping, writing, etc.), among many other things!).

Faith without these "works" I listed is only people pretending.  If you don't find yourself genuinely wanting to do these things of your own volition (not because you are expected to do them, but because you WANT to do them), you may need to examine yourself.  This is especially directed to those of us who serve in a church/religious setting.  We do not want to slip into a place where we do things because we are required to do them.  It will only hurt us and the people we serve in the long run and we will burn out.

This is my conclusion:  I believe that the Church today has been too focused on the results of faith and not enough about Jesus.  I want to try and focus more on Jesus, what he taught and said.  I am a "Red Letter Christian" through and through.  It seems a lot of people when they give their testimonies, don't talk about Jesus and what He did for them, but rather it comes off as what they did.  I am a Christian through no fault of my own.  The last thing I wanted for my life was Christ or religion or anything like that.  JESUS found me, not the other way around.  It's not "Have you found the Lord" but rather "Has He found you?"

Alright.  I'm gonna stop.  See this always happens, I only want to write a little bit and I end up preaching.

Awaiting Judgment

There's that feeling again.  It's a feeling I know all to well for how short I've lived.  It's the feeling you get when your completely and absolutely mess up and hurt someone.  It's the position of utter helplessness in face of what you've done because you know in your heart there is nothing that can take back what was done.  It's the feeling when you stand before the judge, guilty as charged.

You want to hide but there is no escape.  You want to run but the feeling stays with you no matter how fast or how far.  Nothing you can do to remove this feeling, nothing at all.  You can put yourself down, beat yourself up over it, if it helps you feel better, but there is only one power in the whole world that can combat it.

Forgiveness.

Do you feel like I do?  My guilt rests heavy upon my head, my punishment too much to bear, but I heard somewhere there was a cure for this.

But as of now, this wretched man, no not even a man, but a boy, must accept the consequences of his actions.  That is the only thing I can do, and indeed it is the right thing to do.  So for now I'm

Awaiting Judgment.

Pray for me brothers, as I need more grace than I thought.

Shadow Am I by mewithoutYou

It's the smell of hot summertime trash.
It's the city noise of a busy street.
It's a train derailed and two car head 
on freeway crash each time we meet.
"and if it comes as some sort of surprise," 
she said "that I seem so composed, I've 
kept this moment closer to my eyes," she 
said,"than the glasses resting on the
edge of my nose."

Shadow am I! Shadow am I!
A question of a person, no said reply
Wolf am I! 
Wolf and shadow cast on the sheep as I pass by.
Shadow am I! Shadow am I!
or like a wearing-black-socks-and-white-woolen-locks
Wolf am I! 
And shadow.

She was graceful and green as a stem,
but I walk heavy on delicate ground.
Oh, there I go showing off again.
Self-impressed by how well I can put myself down...
and there I go again, to the next further removed 
level of that same exact feigned humility,and this 
for me goes on and on to the point of nausea

Shadow am I!
Like a suspicion that's never confirmed but it's never denied
Wolf am I!
No, "shadow" I think is better,
cuz I'm not something more like the absence of something
So Shadow am I!

The whole material world seems to me like a 
newspaper headline.It explicitly demands your
attention and it may even contain some truth...
but what's really going on here?

One day the water's gunna wash it away
One day the water's gunna wash it away
One day the water's gunna wash it away
and on that day...
One day the water's gunna wash it away
One day the water's gunna wash it away
Nothing clever to say. 
One day. 
Nothing else to say.

Home

Have you ever seen something so beautiful that you could cry? I have.  When you open your eyes and really look around you, you'll see it too.  That's what I see when I look at the clouds and how they are brushed with light, swirling in the sky, entranced in some sort of heavenly dance.  That's what I see when I look upon a father walking down the street with his daughter hand in hand, enjoying some banter or perhaps not even talking at all. That's what I see when I look upon my mother's face, covered in tears, (as is often what happens when one stands before the Lord open and exposed), weeping with her son in reconciliation.   For just one moment, the world is as it should be and nothing else matters.  It's a beauty no painter can paint, but to see it means to have seen death.

I've never used to think about love when I thought about home.  When I wasn't home, I never thought about going back, and when I was home I thought about being anywhere else but.  My home was a prison, not just because I wasn't allowed to come and go as I pleased (at least without some clever excuse), but also because it's been the place I kept my emotions locked up.  All the pain and hurt no one ever saw but me and my siblings huddled in a corner, crying not for forgiveness but for each other, was locked up at home. Could you blame me for wanting to get out?  Could you blame me for not wanting to go back?

Suffice it to say that home was the last place I wanted to be and I know I am not alone in this.

I remember sitting in class, watching videos on child abuse.  I remember the shock as the little boy on the screen turned into the little boy inside of me.  I remember the pain of every "How could they do that?" and "That's how not to raise a child."  I wanted to disappear.  I wanted to cry.  I wanted to scream out "Stop!  They love me! You don't understand!" until I slowly came to realize the truth:  I was abused.

Despair. Anger. Blame. the fallout of revelation.  My past would not let me forget it and my lies wouldn't cover my wounds anymore.  I wanted to run away and ditch my life.  I had just become a Christian too, the church was all the family I would need (and in fact for some of us the Church is all the family we have).  It would've been easy to run away and start a new life with Christ and mother and brothers and sisters.  Jesus would have none of it.  "Try reconciliation first," He chided me, "then we can talk."

It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do.  Willingly go home and face my demons? Knowing full well what awaited me, what I had locked up there, I was afraid. A dear friend of mine comforted me with a story he seemed to tell so well:

There was a man who guarded a closet.  Inside the closet was a horrible demonic monster so insidious that it struck fear into the hearts of any man who dare approach it, and it was breaking out.  The man stood alone, fighting to keep the door closed as the demon fought to get out.  The man’s arms, clawed and scratched by the demon's claws and fangs, dripped with blood. He was terrified, but even more afraid what would happen to him if the demon got out.  And there they stood, neither side backing down.  As soon as he was at the Brink of exhaustion, Jesus appears in the room and calls out to him, "Let go of the door and take my hand."  The guard replied, "You are too far away!  The demon will kill me before I even reach you!"  "Let go of the door and take my hand" was all Jesus said, to which the man replied "I can't! I just can't!"  Finally, beaten and completely fatigued, the man collapsed from the door and reached out for Jesus with the last of his strength.  His arm was caught by Jesus who had been standing right behind him the entire time. Looking around, now securely in the arms of Christ, he saw that the demon was not a demon, but just a pile of dirty clothes.  He had no wounds on him and was dressed instead in dazzling white.  "Why were you afraid?" replied Jesus, "I have been with you always."

And indeed that is what happened to me.  The problems which seem so big to me are dirty socks to Jesus.  Jesus saw what I could not because he was not the one holding the door.  Jesus saw the beauty in my family through the brokenness, the kind of beauty no painter could paint.  I understand now just where I have been and where I am going despite my sufferings.  What was once weakness I can call strength.  What was once suffering is now my character.  I would not trade my childhood for anything because the Lord Jesus Christ has revealed his glory in my life through them.  They are me and I am His.  By his blood I have been set free (for after all, what is freedom other than the ability to be what God has made you to be?) and by his blood I can return home.  Indeed, I am home at last.

Respectfully submitted,

John Dao

The Love reaction

Jesus taught, healed, forgave sins, walked, washed, died, and was risen. Not once have I read Jesus demanded (except when casting out demons). Not once has Jesus used his divine authority as human authority. That abuse of power never happened. He left our free will in tact. He taught us to do what is right, but never enforced, but instead let our love for him guide us to do his commandments. What was so shocking was he was not like the Pharisees who did these things. Jesus did expect the best and want the best for us, but he never forced, but loved us while we were still sinners. Jesus was patient and kind. He did not envy or boast... For indeed we live under grace and not the Law.

If I had people come out to me telling me how I should live my life and I did not have a relationship with Jesus, I would dismiss them as intrusive. Love must come first, as love lays the groundwork for all morality. Love of Jesus transforms a person because for the first time the do what is moral because they want to love Christ. So in that sense, morality can only proceed from love.

You simply don't listen to people you don't care for, but those you admire you hang on every word.

This is the love reaction.  Love is the fuel that keeps us going and functioning properly.  If you run a car without fuel or oil, are you surprised that it breaks down?  Then why be surprised that humans can be so broken?  Sometimes people need to be fixed up first before love can flow correctly through them.  God is the mechanic for our bodies, and it may be time for a tuneup. 

A passing thought

One of the most sobering images in the New Testament is when Paul publicly rebukes Peter in front of the entire church because of hypocrisy.  An account of it is reported in Galatians 2:11-21, reproduced here:

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.12 For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? 

15 “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles;16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.17 “But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!18 “For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.19 “For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.21 “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

Interesting to see the man who has undoubtedly received the holy spirit from Christ caught in his own sin.  The man who is the rock of the Church and the same St. Peter who keeps the keys of heaven!  What a sobering image of Peter, however anyone reading through the Gospels will see that Peter is the disciple who did everything wrong first, but did it boldly.  He still has to learn and grow from his mistakes, just like everyone else.  Just like us.

However, that is an aside to my main contemplation:  What Paul rebuked him about, hypocrisy.  It's that very same word that plagues churches today.  If we, who live like the world, demand that others become Christians, perhaps we too are guilty of hypocrisy?  I don't believe those inside the church are allowed to pass judgment on the lifestyles and behaviors of those outside the church.  Perhaps that is expecting the gentiles to live like Jews when we ourselves live like gentiles?

I am not saying living like a gentile is wrong, but on the contrary it is necessary so that we might become all things to all people that we might save some.  Christians still sin, as evidenced by Peter.  The only difference is that their sin doesn't even matter when met with the atoning work of Christ on the Cross, and yet Paul said Peter stood condemned, despite there being no condemnation in Christ.  I've got a few hypotheses of what could be going on here, but it would require further investigation to prove them.  Something to think about.

Getting back to the point, I don't think imposing Christian morals through law has ever been a good idea.  Prohibition failed and if abortion is ever banned, it will fail too.  Don't get me wrong, I am 100% against abortions, but I am also 100% against banning them.  I value highly freedom as one who has been set free by Christ.  God loves us enough not to interfere with our free will, even if it may end up hurting ourselves and each other.  We should love each other enough as to not impose our wills on other people.  Morality which forces itself upon others is not moral at all.

There is a really shallow brand of Christianity thats been going around which measures faith by conversion rates.  "How many people did you bring to Christ and pray the prayer with?"  Rubbish and utter nonsense.  It cares nothing for loving actual people and more about loving what those people could be: notches on a Holy bed post.  I never knew love could be packaged and sold in bite sized manageable tracts.  I've heard people tell me that they can't completely write off "turn or burn" preaching or tracts because some people do get saved by them.  More nonsense.  No one is saved like this, but only more people who think that they are and worse, may do the same thing to another.  Without love, evangelism is dead and those who preach it are murderers.  Such shallow conversions with no spiritual depth evaporate quickly in the fire.

There is also the argument that the greatest act of love you can do for somebody is to save them and tell them about Christ and "save them from their doom".  I really don't think this is true.  The greatest act of love ever done happened 2000 years ago when a man named Jesus of Nazereth was brutally nailed to a cross.  He says it best himself "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends".  If you want to love someone, for the love of God don't start trying to save them.  Be a living sacrifice, for as the Good Shepherd lays down his life for his sheep, so too must we serve our brothers and sisters in Christ AND more so non-Christians.  The romans were astounded by what Christians were doing.  They said to themselves "They take care of their poor and our own poor as well!  Who are they?"

When we as Christians accepted the call of Christ, we accepted death, that much I am certain.  Our old lives no longer existed, but as Paul says above "“For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God."  We don't control our own lives anymore.  We don't call any of the shots.  We don't get to decide a thing, not because we can't, but because we want to lay down our life for those one that we love, Christ Jesus, and the ones that He loves, us.  We are free to do whatever we wish, but we give up this freedom as our Holy offering to God!  How I wish I truly understood this that I might live it as well instead of this sad pathetic creature I am now.  Again, I know I fall short of every expectation ever asked of me, but the beauty of grace is that what I am is enough somehow.  Again, we show that grace to those who don't know it, and we say to them "What you are is enough.  Come and eat while we get you ready to meet a wondrous God who would like to meet you!"

What Love Feels like

So I am heartbroken.

Today after the soup kitchen, I was waiting for the rest of my friends from church to get to the Shelter so we could pray and go in. While I was waiting, I met a man outside the shelter who was wondering if he was in the right place. I told him to just go on inside and they would let him in. However, he soon came back out and told me ,"They said they are full."

My heart dropped. Partly because I told him that they would let him in, and partly because I was looking at a man who had no place to rest his head for the night.

"God, help me figure out what to do!"

I struck up a conversation with him, and learned his name: Rainville. He was a Vietnam Era War Vet and ex-Middle School English teacher. He didn't say much and sometimes repeated the same questions, but I couldn't help but immediately like him. He was on his way into Boston so he would live and work at the Veterans Shelter there and just needed a place to spend the night. The only thing I had on me of any use to him was my car, so I offered him a ride to the nearest Shelter, or even to Boston if I had to. One problem: I have no idea where the nearest shelter is.

When Bob and the others arrived, I asked if they knew of any place. The closest one was in Salem, so we went inside LES and had Janet call the other shelter to see if they had room. Indeed they did. So it was off to Salem.

For most of the car ride over he commented on how nice my car was, and how cars back in the day weren't so nice. I really enjoyed his company. I even got lost a bit on the way there, but I didn't mind so much. Talking with Mr. Rainville was pretty relaxing.

When we got to where the shelter was, we couldn't quite find it. We stopped into Salem House of Pizza to ask if they knew where it was. I thought, "As long as we are here, let's get some pizza!" (to be honest, the food at the soup kitchen wasn't that great today so I really didn't eat much of it). It was only $3.87 for a small cheese pizza, which was more than enough for the two of us :) I said grace, and we ate. Not much was said, but I enjoyed the company. He used the bathroom after we finished and then we were on our way across the street.

I dropped him off at the shelter, and after making sure he had enough fare for the Bus into Boston and that there was bus station nearby, I left him to the care of the Salem Shelter. They didn't have a bed for him, but they had a chair and at least he was out of the cold. I really wanted more for him, but this was all they could do. I told him that I was really bad with goodbyes, and bid him farewell. He thanked me and I went out the door.

And then it hit me. My heart sank, but this time because I really missed him! My heart didn't want to leave him! I couldn't believe it, in the short hour I spent with him, my heart grew close to him. It felt as if I was leaving a very very close friend, knowing I wouldn't see him again. In one hour, he became my special friend who I looked after.  I couldn't bear the thought of leaving him nor could I turn turn back, else I would've never left. That is why I said I am heartbroken. I really miss Mr. Rainville.

Perhaps, then, this is what love feels like. Perhaps this is what it means to love someone.

Street People and Banquets

This past weekend, I have been meditating on this parable:

1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went off–one to his field, another to his business.6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.9 Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:1-14 NIV)

The parable seems rather straightforward until it gets to verse 11. It's about the history of God's relationship with Israel and Israel's betrayal. I had a hard time comprehending what 11-14 could mean. I'm sitting with a happy picture of God who wants to throw the best party ever for Jesus, his Son and instantly confronted with the picture of a God who casts out one who did decide to come! When I read it, I asked myself in disbelief "No way... Why would God do that? What could this possibly mean?" It doesn't seem fair for God to not invite people, change his mind and invite everyone when he realizes the people he originally wanted to come ditched him, an then afford to be picky about who does show up! You'd think he'd be grateful anyone showed up at all! I prayed, "God! Of course he was dressed like that! HE WAS ON THE STREET! You told your servants to bring people in from every street corner and alleyway, and you expect them in wedding clothes? Isn't this a little unreasonable, Lord?"

I wrestled with God here (a very good practice! Ask Jacob aka Israel). I asked him to reveal to me his intent so I could reconcile my beliefs about and abundant and benevolent God with what I just read. Through meditation and prayer, this is what I've discerned:

Starting with God's question in Verse 12: Notice the word of address: Friend. Friend! How did you get in here? I get the feeling, though, that this isn't one of his "friends", rather he's using this term because he doesn't know this man's name. We do the same thing: "Watch it, pal!", "Hey buddy, could you move over?" "Listen, friend, I don't know who you think you are but..." God then asks the question, How did you get here without wedding clothes? Obviously he knows how he got there, he sent his servants to get him.

However, the man's response in verse 12 is very telling: He is speechless. Completely taken off guard and dumbfounded and at a loss for words, He had absolutely NO IDEA he was even supposed to be in wedding clothes! Perhaps he was only told that there was a great big party in heaven and all he had to do was come. It is clear he was misinformed about the nature of the banquet. He didn't know he had to be prepared.

Therefore, two things need to happen before one can attend and take part in the Kingdom of Heaven: 1) You must accept the invitation to come 2) You better get ready to go! Even in our weddings today, who just shows up to a wedding without the proper attire?

Now God sent out his servants to be his invitations for his Son's wedding. We who are called to serve God are God's invitations. We are responsible for making sure people know what they are being invited to. If we want every single person we can find singing, dancing, and celebrating before God because of his Son, we must do everything in our power to prepare them. These men and women on the street corners who have nothing. They have no wedding clothes, they are not prepared, they are not mature. When I talked of inheritance earlier and what it means to receive the kingdom like a child, it was this very meaning. To receive as a child receives inheritance is to be mature enough to handle it. You don't give estates to 5 year olds.

We are to be the Good Shepherds, laying down our lives for God's sheep. Using every single resource we have available to us, we make sure they are dressed and ready to be at that Wedding! I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (not that I memorize scripture, but that I know this was in Corinthians somewhere and has to look it up):

"his work will be shown for what it is because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built up survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames." (1 Cor 3:11-15 NIV)

Paul is talking about laying foundations for a church, and no not as in a building, but rather as in the body of Christ. If your body is a temple where God dwells, it needs to be built and renovated. Someone must come and lay the foundation!Everyone needs a mentor, and no mentor should disciple without having first his own mentor. It is of the utmost importance you do not lie to someone about the kingdom just to get them to accept the invite! I don't know, but I feel like getting into the Kingdom as one only just escaping the flames seems like a good deal to me. Not only that, but all of the work you've done on Earth was for naught as you watch it burn. And we're not talking about buildings, we're talking about PEOPLE.

As Verse 13 states, those who are unprepared, yet accept the invite have in a way the worse fate. They know what they are missing. They thought they were going to be there, but in the end, there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. It sucks to be kicked out of the party because you had no idea what the rules for attending were. Apparently the invite wasn't all too clear or the servant who brought him didn't care too much that he wasn't in wedding attire. That is not a good Shepard, that is a hired hand.

So there you have it. That's what I have discerned about Matthew 22:11-14. Jesus ends the parable with this statement in verse 14: "For many are invited, but few are chosen". This strikes fear into my heart, and should for yours. Some have used this line to argue for divine election, but that is just ridiculous. Being a Christian is not like submitting an application to a country club and hoping you'd get in. That is hope that there is hope of salvation. We have hope of salvation! We can work it out in fear and trembling, maturing as he is mature (perfect), getting ready to go to what's bound to be the best celebration in all of eternity! If we can do these things in community and with the Holy Spirit as our guide, salvation is assuredly ours! Learning to love is a lifelong goal, always with room for improvement.

This is my prayer:

Heavenly Father,

I pray that it is our vision to see those who are so broken down in poverty dressed up in the finest gowns and lavish tuxedos, dancing and praising before God. What a glorious sight that would be, Lord! To see people go from rags to riches with absolute joy because they were invited and attended your banquet! I pray that people from every corner and alley would come and dance before you, dressed in your grace and elegance! Oh, that we would go and make disciples of all nations instead of just trying to persuade them that they need to become Christians! Lord, you will expose the works of our hands. You will show if we ever really cared for those that you love so much, for your sheep! Help us to be like Good Shepherds, willing to be interrupted for our sheep, willing to sacrifice everything for them so that we may know you, O God! What a privilege and an honor it is to be called by you and to serve you! I pray that we learn to invite and prepare for the biggest event in all of eternity!

In communion with all the angels and saints,

Amen.

Prayer and response

I've been greatly blessed today. GCTS has been doing this prayer revival movement for the entire week. It's going to continue throughout the weekend, but this morning as I was taking part in prayer, I was moved to write one down. I would like to share it with you:

Christ,

If you would have me

I would like to be with you

If you would welcome me

I would like to be laid down

If you would accept me

I would like to be like you

If you would know my name

I would like to be known by yours

For wherever exactly it is you are

I wish eternally there I might be

In communion with all the angels and saints

Praise be to you forever and ever

Amen

After I wrote this down, I felt that I needed to write more. This is what was written:

I've crucified my hands for you

so that yours could do my work

I've crucified my feet

so that yours could come home

I've pierced my side

so that you may have a drink

and crowned my head

so that yours could know my Father

My back has endured whips for you

so that your burdens I could carry

and my eyes have bled tears

to light yours to seal away your darkness

Because they have seen what you have done

and still I'll die for you

Because it does not matter who you are

for I've done everything for you

I did everything for you

Suddenly, I heard a woman weep across the room. Something told me that I should share what was written here. Her name was Suzanne. As she spoke with me, she told me of how profound it was that I would come and speak to her at that moment, and with this writing no less. We talked for a good while and got to know each other's histories, as I shared with her my testimony, she did likewise.As she read the response out loud back to me, she added the final line impromptu:

And I will continue to do everything for you, my bride.

Hearing it again and read out loud, I realized that the second part that was written in response to my prayer. I believe Christ himself wrote me a response to that prayer I wrote down. It was my hand that moved the entire time, but I am afraid that is all the credit due to me. I was no more than a pencil, but I feel blessed. Blessed because of this I met so many great people who prayed over me and with me and even anointing me with oil! Blessed because I felt the Holy Spirit alive in me.

I also feel blessed because Suzanne wants to have it read by one of the speakers of this Prayer revival (apparently she is well connected). She apparently reads much poetry and has won national competitions, so it was an honor for her to call this poem "a Rembrandt". I certainly do not feel like any great artist, but I am glad to have made something so filled with the Spirit. This is why I wanted to share it with you, not for the mere sake of sharing my work for the glory of my name, but rather to share the story behind it to the glory of the Father.

I am proud of my talents as a writer because I know just where they've come from. It is a talent given so that I may use it for the One who gives so freely until the day He returns! To think, I could've spent the morning sleeping instead! I am one happy man right now, fortunate enough to be called a Son.

In communion with all the angels and saints,

Hosanna! Hosanna in the Highest!

-John

Adventures in Homelessness

I want to share a little story of something that happened today.

I often frequent My Brother's Table, a Soup kitchen catering to the poor and homeless in downtown Lynn, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is my Mentored Ministry, but it's become more than that. These are some friends of mine that I hang out with on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Today, after a rather productive day in getting around and talking to a lot of people at dinner, I didn't think it could get any better... until I met Paul.

Paul caught me on my way to the other side of the building where the Lynn Emergency Shelter (at least that's what I think LES means) is. He asked me if I could spare any change so he could get something to eat. The soup kitchen just closed, so I gave him my last 6 dollars. Now generally, it's not a good idea to give people money because of the general distrust of homeless people (they will spend it on booze or drugs, etc.), but I acted on impulse to what I felt led to do at that moment. Call me a sucker or naive, but I believed him. He thanked me and went on his way...

Or so I thought. He turns around and says to me, "I want to sing you a song." and with that came up to me and started singing Psalms 23 (The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want...). Now, keep in mind, he was incredibly close to me, face to face, so I could smell what was on his breath. He was drunk :) His handshake was calloused, but firm. He asked my name a few times and told me his twice as well. He asked me to help him sing the Psalm and finish the words, as he couldn't quite remember them all, so I did (though I wasn't much better!). Two of us standing in the middle of the sidewalk, trying to figure out the words to Psalms 23; it was quite a scene!

He asked me what church I went to, which I thought was strange because I never brought it up. I told him about ECIC and that it was right down the street. Soon, his tone became more sullen and his voice full of longing. He said to me, "I want to go Home. I want to go Home. Can I go Home with you?" I soon figured out what he meant: He wanted to come to church with me. He wanted to come home to His Father. I told him about Pastor Kurt's sermon this Easter Sunday about how God misses us, and he commented that he's been away for a while. He said he would come next Sunday at 11, which is when I said service was.

Do you think this is real? Did he mean what he said? Was all this just drunk talk? Will he even remember meeting me? Only God knows, but I am excited to see what will happen next Sunday! I'm praying that I will see him again, either on the streets or in church, although something tells me he isn't going to forget my name. At this point, I could care less even if he did use those 6 dollars I gave him to buy beer. It's his money and he can use it how he likes, but it's amazing to think that 6 dollars started a conversation and perhaps even a friendship. I am glad.

The Little Children and Jesus

It's late night on St Patrick's Day, and I'm tired. What a perfect time to do some theology!

Mark 10:13-16

These 4 lines in Mark are probably the most random 4 lines to occur. It occurs between the passage on Divorce (which coincidentally is not about divorce) and the Parable of the Rich Young Man. What are they doing here? It is not like Mark to include extraneous details in his writing. His style is very straight forward and to the point.

There of course is the obvious meaning you can take away: Jesus loves the little children. Such interpretation easily dismisses the 4 lines so the reader can get onto the good part. But not so fast! There is more here than meets the eye.

The disciples are quick to rebuke those bringing him children, quick to say "These are not worthy of the Name." The NIV translates Jesus' reaction as one of Indignation. Clearly it was not his will that any should be denied his presence, not even the smallest of society. But who are these children now? How does one exactly receive the kingdom like a child?

I've heard it said that to receive like a child is to have the characteristics of a child. When you think of children, what adjectives come to mind? Innocence, purity, curiosity, joyfulness, playfulness, etc. There are a ton of good ones, however I can think of a few on the contrary: Selfish, greedy, egocentric, temperamental, disobedient, etc. I'm not sure I buy into the idea that Children are innocent. If my experience in elementary school was true, children do some intentionally mean things to belittle and exclude others. Don't let them fool you, they no exactly how to hurt someone else. Children learn to lie at a very early age as well, and we all know that lying is a gift of the Devil, in fact his very language (John 8:44). Not my idea of innocent at all.

However, they are innocent in a certain regard: They do not know any better. They are childish because they lack maturity, blameless because they lack discipline. Can a child of 8 be punished as severely for theft as an adult of 28? How then does a child receive anything if it is not first instructed to him? Paul uses the metaphor of "spiritual children", placing himself as a "father". They are still children for they have not yet matured. And what does it mean to be mature?

Lets look at Matthew 5:48 "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (ESV) This is impossible with the understanding that man is fallen and cannot attain perfection meaning pure, spotless, and free of blemish. That which is unclean cannot make itself clean. This isn't a statement of how God is going to cleanse you (although he does indeed do that) but rather it's an exhortation. However there is another meaning of the Greek word used here and translated as Perfect: To be mature in a moral sense. In context, this makes sense. Let me outline the points of Matthew 5:43 (this could apply for the context of the whole book on what "maturity" looks like, but for brevity I'll just do the local context):

• Love your enemies
• Pray for those who persecute you
• Why? So that you may be SONS (aka children) of your father in heaven
• If you love only those who love you, how is that different than normal?
• If you only greet your brothers, how is that any different than anyone else?
• Therefore: Be "perfect" (or "Morally mature")

How does a child receive anything? In Greco-Roman and Jewish context, how does a male child (aka Son) receive anything? By inheritance. (on a side note: this does not mean women cannot receive the kingdom of God! It's not chauvinist or sexist in any regard, but is how contextually people of the culture would understand that there is inheritance involved. Son does not denote "Male only" as much as it culturally does as "the one who receives inheritance". Sadly, no matter how many languages we can translate the Bible into, there is no translation for culture.) When does a child receive his inheritance? When he is fully grown, mature and responsible, and generally after the Father dies (exception: see the Prodigal Son). God the father has "died" through the Son so that we may share in the inheritance that only rightfully belongs to Christ. That is, of course, on the basis that we mature. You do not give a child 100 Grand (unless it's the candy bar) until he is ready. So too do I believe the Kingdom of God is this way.

It is by grace alone that one can be part of the Kingdom (It's ultimately God's decision) however, if we are not ready to receive then we are not ready to receive. I could daresay, even if we believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God who died for our sins, but are not mature (as outlined before), how can we inherit salvation? Indeed we must work out our salvation as Paul writes, but it is up to the Most compassionate God to ultimately bestow (which He does freely with the death of His son Jesus). We sang a song in Chapel today that touched my heart: Before the throne of God. This line especially: "For God, the Just, is satisfied//To look on Him and pardon me"

Do you think I'm done explaining these 4 lines from Mark yet as I understand it? Actually, I'm figuring it out as I go along, so I'm glad you are here for the ride. I've only explained Verse 15!

Let's get back to the disciples and why Jesus was indignant. I said before that they were denying some the right to be in Jesus' presence, something that was not alright with Jesus. I also mentioned the Children before as being blameless on part of their lack of maturity. As I see it, the reference to child in verse 15 has nothing to do with the children in verse 14. That latter one is actually talking about someone who can be held blameless because they do not know any better. To put it bluntly, I'm talking about non-Christians.

I know it's a stretch, but hear me out on this. Why are Christians viewed as judgmental? It may be because we deem certain people acceptable to be in Jesus' presence and others not so much. In particular, I'm thinking about the GLBT community, but others as well. Like the disciples, we too control (or try to) who gets access to Jesus. We rebuke those who try to get too close when they are unworthy. Hmmm... I wonder what Jesus would have to say about this. Maybe something along the lines of verse 14?

Can you really hold a non-Christian person to Christian morality? Why be indignant that they don't follow "rules" for a God they want nothing of? If a child pokes fun at you or hits you, are you angry with them? Do you hit them back and call them names? I certainly hope not! Because they don't play by our morality, they are unrestricted in what they can or cannot do, while we on the other hand sacrifice our freedoms to do only those things which are edifying to Christ. If a non-Christian were to curse you out, why use profane language back? If one were to steal your wallet, why arrest him? Give it to him so that he may not be a thief (and be in sin), but one who has received grace as you have received it. Or be pissed off, angry, and upset that some lunatic stole your wallet. Your choice, but remember you are held to a higher morality, you must be "perfect". (note: This is not a call to find your Christian friends and do mean things to them because you know they can't do anything back. Most of us try, but if you push us to far, we'll push back and ask for forgiveness later ;) )

As I like to say nowadays: Morality that forces itself on others is not morality at all. I want him to do X because I do X is not justification that X is right. I abstain from sexual relations, so ALL people must! I am heterosexual, therefore all people must be! That way I can brag about how much I've abstained compared to others, or how moral I am before the Lord. Do you see the trap here? Morality that forces itself invites comparison, and with comparison, competition, and with competition, Pride, the ugliest of all sin (for indeed all sins stem from Pride).

All this to say that line 14 carries a lot of weight. Do not think so highly of yourself that you can say "Surely I can be in Christ's presence, but not they!" Do not block Christ's children from coming to him (for Christ died not for some but for ALL) and at the same time receive for yourselves the Kingdom of God like a child. Hold to Jesus' teachings and mature for the coming Kingdom. And all of this comes from four easily skipped lines!

I'll conclude with this:

7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:7-10 ESV)

Loving Brother In Christ,

John Dao