Off with His Head! Pt 3

In the last post I got into John's preaching, in Luke 3 we read more of John's preaching. He is stern and brash with those who come to him. He calls them a brood of vipers, a bunch of slithering snakes. Luke 3:7-20, John makes no bones about it and goes straight to convicting their hearts. He isn't there to pass out rainbows and puppies, he is giving out yellow cards like a soccer referee. He is warning them. He is making the path straight for Jesus by laying the foundation of casting away sin and doing what God has been telling them to do.

Luke 3:7-14

7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

John is very forthcoming to make sure they do not misunderstand him and then be misled by their own thoughts. Their religious affiliations weren't going to save. They had a head start, because they were children of Abraham, but that didn't automatically get them across the finish line. It was like they were saying we go to church, but that's not good enough. It is what you believe when you are at church is what counts.

John doesn't just say "be baptized" he relates to their relationships with other people and the jobs they have. It was good to be baptized and show your repentance, but even more so to go out and live a life of repentance. He tells the crowds to produce good fruit, he wants them to be the best they can be in what God has given them. The people know when John is speaking about being "thrown into the fire" it is hell. Politely, he is telling them stop being pathetic in what you believe and what God has blessed you with. Essentially, you should be doing what is right. If you have been blessed with much share what you have, as in sharing if you have 2 shirts. tax collectors are to collect fairly according to what is owed. Tax collectors were known for collecting more than a person owed. They would make up surcharges to gain a little on the side for themselves over what they were to collect. He gave the soldiers an ultimatum of being fair and just with the power they were given. To each of them John told them how to interact with those they come in contact with. It would be their witness of being baptized and repentant through not only words, but through action.

Off with His Head! Pt. 2

Mark 1

New International Version (NIV)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”—

3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.”

4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Right here is the start of Jesus' ministry. John the Baptist is like the warm up band for the main act of a concert. John is setting the mood, getting everyone hyped up on what is about to happen. He's getting everyone starting to sweat, the pit is heating up, and people are ready to get to work. John is letting everyone know Jesus the Messiah is coming and ya'll need to straighten up! It states Isaiah wrote the verse, but we actually have two verses of scripture used in verses 2 and 3. The first one is from Malachi 3:1, the second verse is from Isaiah 40:3. Malachi was the latest of the prophesies and Isaiah was the longest. Note: Before I forget to mention this, if you take a look at the verse 1 where it says good news, that means gospel. So it was prophesied John the Baptist would be "my messenger" which is God's messenger about Jesus coming to proclaim the gospel to the people.

As verse 3 says and verse 4 reiterates, John was in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. What does that mean? Well, it means baptism was the outward showing of an inward change, they were showing they were transforming themselves. Going to the back half of verse 5, "confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River." They were telling how much they screwed up (sinned) and they showed everyone they had repented of those sins by being baptized by John. Who were they confessing to? The part we skipped in verse 5 tells us; the WHOLE Judean countryside and ALL the people of Jerusalem. Everyone was going out to see John. People were going to see him like it was the Dew Tour. They wanted to see what was going on and get close to the action. There were thousands of people going out the Jordan River to hear John preach and get dunked for the repentance of sins. He was telling everyone to get right with God and to repent, which is the same thing Jesus does in his ministry.

In verse 6 we get a description of how John dressed. He was modest to say the least. He wore a garment of camel hair, which was common dress for a prophet. The prophet Elijah wore the same type of clothing. The camel hair was coarse and matted and not at all attractive. It was wore by the prophets to show self-denial. Their mission as messengers was more important than social status. John ate locusts; think big grasshoppers and honey. A lot of historians believe the honey was used to either fry the bugs or use it as a sweet dipping sauce. I think I will stick with chicken nuggets and bbq sauce! His clothing and food choices showed the people who came to see him they were to live a simple life, giving up many of the earthly comforts and focus on repentance. Not only does John submit to a life of self denial, but he preaches it too.

John lives a life of self-denial in lifestyle and preaching. Verses 7 and 8 give us a harsh look at how John denies himself and his ministry to usher in the ministry of Jesus. John says he isn't worthy to untie Jesus' sandals, and that is the lowest of low. Picture how their feet would have looked; dusty, caked with dirt, perhaps scratched up. The sandals of that day were nothing more than a piece of leather with either leather straps or a shoestring-like cord wrapped around the foot and ankle. There weren't paved roads or sidewalks, they walked on dusty sand paths. If it rained, you walked in mud. Sandals were pretty gross, and if they were clean they were still covered in sweat. John claims himself as not being worthy enough to touch Jesus' sandals and feet. (It is interesting that Jesus stoops low enough later on to wash all of his disciples' feet at the last supper.) John continues about the very thing he is doing for the people as he greets them at the Jordan River, the baptism he preforms is nothing compared to the baptism of the Holy Spirit which Jesus gives. John is like "Ok I can give you a 99 cent squirt with a dollar store water gun, but Jesus uses that awesome Supersoaker with the backpack you wanted as a kid." Baptism up until then was a new idea. It was a simple emblem of a change in someone's life to lead a God driven life. It was John who was ushering in this new idea so when it came time for Christ to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit through baptism it would be more accepted.

Thankful

To all my friends and family this is an open letter of sorts of why I'm thankful for you. This is written in no particular order.I am thankful for Tina, because she loves me beyond words and no action truly encompasses how much she loves me. Judi and my dad, thank you guys for loving me and guiding me and my family. You always answer the questions no matter how tough they are or give a perspective to a situation we didn't think about. Brad, its been forever that we have been friends, so thank you foremost for the friendship. It is wonderful to know we are both working in God's Kingdom. I know you were praying for me when I needed it most. Nick, thanks for the inspiration you give me through your art and skating. You make noseblunts look rad! Ryan, what can I say, you are a maniac whose creativity goes out of the box. Honestly, I'm not sure if it ever was in a box to start with. You just run with it, through drawing, painting, music, arts and crafts. It's always fun to get the picture messages to see what you have come up with. Evan, you are super talented with a pencil, brush, spray can, camera, and a skatebaord. I have seen you pull tricks at the park that blow my mind. I always get have that "I wouldn't have thought of that" moment when I watch you skate. You need to use your art and make a living with it. You have that kind of ability. Mike, thanks for all the rad conversations we have had over the years and the game of skate match-ups through text. Sammy Baca vs. Ben Raybourn? Adam, it is always good to have someone to skate with who is locked down with the same beliefs I have. The conversations are as good as the sessions. Jason, thanks for being inspiring to me. I see the fun you have with life and keep it all focused in Christ. I'm still waiting to go on a skate mission to Raliegh. To the people who read this from Nashville UMC, thanks for being an awesome church. Everyone is wonderful and super nice. I am thankful to call it my church home. I wanna throw out a special thanks to these people from NUMC. Ralph, Luke, Chris, Wanda, Ried, Rhonda, Shaun, Wende, Kirk, Carrie, Pat, Ms. Anne, Brad Lewis, and Carl. There is one person who I will not name, but I thank him for mocking my belief in Jesus. It makes it all the more important to me and gives me strenght. This list is nowhere near complete, but if you are reading this you can add your name to the list. I am sure there is more than one reason I am thankful for you. God bless you and may Christ be in your heart.

Off with His Head! Pt. 1

This is a look at a guy who lost his head and had it served up on a silver platter. This guy's name was John the Baptist. He is a notable character in the New Testament. He prophetically ushered Jesus into his ministry, as well as, being the one to baptize him. John and Jesus were second cousins. Their moms, Elizabeth and Mary were cousins. The Bible tells us a little bit about Elizabeth when she was pregnant with John. So I will start with what we are told in the Bible about Elizabeth's pregnancy with John.

Luke 1:5-25

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,[a] of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

18 And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.

24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”

John the Baptist's parents were faithful to the Lord and all of his commandments and statutes, which is a great thing. The Bible says they were righteous before God. Do the right thing before God and you are considered a righteous person. John's dad was a priest. Both of his parents were getting up in years, which means they were old, like your grandparents. They were folks who lived Godly lives and John's dad was in service as a priest to God, but there was still one major problem to this story. John's mom is "barren", which means she can't have kids. It might also be the fact that she is old. Not having kids in those days was something you would be scorned for in social circles. Having kids was a honor and was important to carry on the family name. A couple would want lots of kids so as they got older they would have someone to take care of them. There were no nursing homes back then. Faithfully though, God steps in and sends the angel Gabriel to Zechariah, telling Zechariah that he and Elizabeth are going to have a son.

Gabriel appears to Zechariah inside the temple while others are observing the hour of incense outside. The people outside have no idea what is going on inside, but only if they did! Zechariah was also burning incense, but after hearing the news Zechariah doesn't believe Gabriel and he becomes a mute. How awkward would it be to all of a sudden not be able to speak to anyone? Not be able to say a single word. He leaves the temple and can't say a single peep. He's doing some pantomimes and hand gestures and they reply nonchalantly "Oh you had a vision in the temple." It wasn't a vision, it was a visit by one of God's messengers!

He stayed at work till it was time to leave, just kind of hanging out until he can punch the clock and go home. Here is where it gets even more awkward. He is supposed to get it on with his wife who is old and might break a hip in the process. So he's all thrusting himself on her and things get weird since he can't say anything, but I believe the Lord gives her a little spark to light her fire. (If ya know what I mean.)In verse 24 it says "after these days" means it wasn't a one shot deal. It took some time, which for Zechariah was a good thing. He's a guy right? So he's like "Oh it didn't work? We gotta do it again? Ok!"

So in short, it took time and they had to try a good number of times before Elizabeth got pregnant. When it finally happened she kept herself hidden for 5 months. She wanted to make sure she wasn't gonna miscarry or have problems before she showed people how God had looked over her. God took away the "reproach" of her people, which means disapproval. God came through with a blessing. It was a blessing in a big way, because John would have a very important role in Jesus' ministry.

How do you read this thing?: Little details

If you look at the little details in scripture there is a bigger overall picture you can take away from what you read. There is tons of information underneath the surface. Here is a simple verse, which doesn't seem to give a lot of information beyond what you read. If you if give it a GoPro Cam approach and come at it from a different angle you see things totally different. You see it from the view of the person who wrote it and a larger dynamic look at what it says and has to offer.

Mark 1:1 - The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

It's a pretty simple verse, right? It tells us some good stuff: Jesus is the Son of God and the book of Mark is the beginning of Jesus' ministry. There are no genealogies, no birth story; it gets right into where Jesus starts his mission. Mark writes his gospel as all thriller, no filler, hence why it is the shortest gospel. If you rewrote Mark 1:1, you could write it as "the start of the good news of Jesus".

The word "gospel" translates to meaning "good news". If you think about all Jesus teaches us in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John it is definitely good news! There wasn't much good news at the time this was written. Roman rule had suppressed the Jews and Christians. The temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed a few years after Mark pens his gospel. This gospel is telling us there is good news in what Jesus does in his life.

Next it says "the Son of God." If you were a Jew in that time you would have known very well the prophesies and the writings of the Old Testament. The Son of God is a small prefacing for the Jews and Christians of who Jesus is and how he is above all. The name Jesus was a common name in that time, as common as Tom, Billy, or Steve, so Mark's telling that Jesus is the Son of God gives him distinction over all the others named Jesus. By this time as people started to read the first manuscripts of Mark's gospel Mark was making sure the readers knew Jesus Christ was the true Son of God. Twelve little words, taking into account each word and the context of the word, give you a much bigger picture to draw from and build on as you read more of Mark's gospel or any of the other three gospels.

The next "How do you read this thing?" post will be about resources to find information about all these little details.

How do you read this thing?

What is the Bible all about? If you are new to reading the Bible,you may have a question like that one. So with that in mind, I have written a quick post to give a brief brief overview of what the Bible is about.

The Bible is a collection of 66 books broken into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament has the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Jonah and the whale, Daniel and the lion's den, David and Goliath, which are the more well-known stories. There are also stories about a guy who wrestles with God, a guy so fat it takes an entire sword blade to stab him, and even a guy who rides in on a chariot of fire. The individual books are about how God created the world and what he wanted his creation to do and not do. We learn we are not good at following directions. There are books in the Old Testament about kings, judges, and prophets. There are books about wisdom and poetry. There is even a book about making out! They are all stories and instructions about how God takes care of his people and how they are rewarded by their faithfulness.

Then you have the New Testament, which is where Jesus comes in. There are four books about Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Those four books are commonly known as the gospels. Those four books include stories I have written about in the blog, which includes his ministry, stories of healing people, and how to handle different situations. Jesus especially shows how he uses the most unlikely of people to spread his love and message of salvation. The gospels are followed by letters written to people to tell them how to live for Jesus. The last book of the New Testament and of the whole Bible is Revelation. The Book of Revelation is what happens when Jesus comes back after he has made us all a place in Heaven to chill, eat, and worship him. The Book of Revelation is filled with all sorts of crazy multi-headed beasts, creatures covered in eyes, and the four horsemen. The New Testament as a whole is about who Jesus is, what he did for us, and why we are saved by him. It gives instructions of how we are to have faith in him. The Bible is rad and filled with so many amazing mind-blowing stories. So the Bible sounds like a good read, but how do you read it so it makes the most sense?

The Bible, for some reason or another, is intimidating for people to read even though it is filled with total awesomeness. There are a million and one excuses of why people don't read it daily as they should. Some of the common excuses are "I don't have time, I'm too tired, I can't pronounce the names, or I'll just wait for the movie." The Bible is easy to read, and gets easier the more you know about it. At face value, not knowing anything about it you can still get tons out of it. If you begin to study what it really has to offer there is no wonder if God exists and how he had commissioned mortal man to write the stories to tell his story of redemption and love. I would make this recommendation for starting to read it. Start in the Book of John. Go to the front of the Bible and it will list the books in order and tell you the page number. Take a week or two and read through the Book of John. This will give you a foundation to work with and a idea of who Jesus is and why his death is so important to a Christian.

This will be an ongoing series of how to study the Bible and learn more of how God loves us!

If you have any questions about reading the Bible let me know in the comments section. I will be more than happy to answer questions.

When Push Comes to Shove Pt. 3

Luke 8:47-48

47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

We don't know exactly what happened that the woman was no longer hidden, but what she did once she was out in the open was in gratitude and reverence to Jesus and perhaps a bit of fear. She hadn't asked to be healed, she took it by touching is clothes. Maybe she felt as if she was stealing his power by the statement he made. Would Jesus be mad at her? She couldn't run, there were too many people and all their attention was on her and Jesus. She began to tremble, she was scared. She threw herself at Jesus' feet and confessed to everyone why she touched him. She had led an agonizing life for the past 12 years. She had run out of options, used up all her money, lost all of her friends and family. She took every bit of hope she had and put it in meeting Jesus.

Her faith got her a face to face encounter with Jesus and he gives her a blessing on top of being healed. Jesus calls her "daughter" when he speaks to her. If you take a look in the very same chapter this story is taken from we find out something about why he calls this woman daughter. He reiterates it to the disciples who are with him as well as to the crowd. So, take a look at Luke 8:19-21.

19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

She puts faith in what she has heard by the word of God and knew Jesus could heal her. She was put in God's family through her faith. Jesus tells her, her faith made her better, and blesses her to "go in peace." She is to "go in peace," not to worry, not be scared, but to go live a life knowing God is there for her.

When Push Comes to Shove! Pt. 2

Luke 8:44-46

44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.”

This poor woman knew if she could just touch the fringe of Jesus' tunic she could be healed. She had heard of his miracles of healing. Everyone knew Jesus, not that they all liked him, but they knew him for sure. His name was on everyone's lips. The woman knew and had the faith that the slightest touch of his clothing would give her the biggest reward: healing. She reached between those who were in front of her and she got the tips of her fingers right where she needed. It was enough to do the trick, but it was no trick at all. Her bleeding stopped instantly upon touching Jesus. It was like aspirin or chemotherapy where you had to wait for it to work, but it was a snap of the fingers fast. She was healed on the spot.

Jesus knew who she was and knew she had touched him, so why did he ask? Why did he care that she had been healed? She was full of faith and a perfect example to the crowd of how strong her faith was in Jesus. She put her faith to the test and it served her well.

Now you have Peter, who is with Jesus in the crowd. God bless Peter he tried so hard to be helpful, but most of the time ended looking a bit foolish. Peter knew of Jesus' power, he had witnessed it himself. Peter didn't understand Jesus meant more than a few bumping bodies, it was a transference of power when the woman touched the edge of Jesus' garment. By our faith we can draw on Jesus' power. Her faith that just touching his clothes was enough to tap into Jesus' power. It was a simple touch, but it was enough. The smallest amount of faith can move mountains, and it can surely heal us.

When Push Comes to Shove!!! Pt. 1

Luke 8:42-48

42 As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Have you ever been to the Vans Warped Tour and weaved your way up close to the stage? Even better yet, maybe you have wanted to see someone famous in a big crowd, but had to work against the crowd to get close enough to catch a glimpse. People pushing and shoving, unintentionally groping you as everyone pushes forward. Mutterings of "Oh, sorry!" and "Excuse me!" are heard, but as the crowd gets tighter the pleasantries turn to profanities. Still you push and shove to keep from getting crushed. This should give you an idea of what is going on in the second half of verse 42, where our story starts. Luke writes "the people pressed around him", speaking of Jesus. People wanted to be healed, hear his teachings, ask him questions, debate with him, get a Facebook photo (because it didn't happen if there isn't a picture, right?). Jesus moved through the surging crowd as best as he could.

In the crowd there is a woman, a ceremonially unclean woman. Why is she unclean? She has a discharge of blood, which she has had for twelve years. We don't know if it was a uterine problem, but we do know she has had this for a very long time. Leviticus 15:19-30 explains no one was to touch her or anything she touched or they would be unclean. She had spent all of her living on physicians, it says in the back half of the verse. It well could have been that Luke, being a physician, knew of this woman, either personally or through colleagues. He did know she had spent all of her living, which means money going to doctors to help her. Each of us probably knows of someone like this, someone who has spent all of their insurance benefits, maxed their credit cards, friends and family have had benefit barbecues and poker runs to raise money. They have met the wicks end! They are broke, frustrated, and still in miserable condition. They have limited options like this woman did and their desperation pushes them to their limits. They will give anything a shot, just as the woman did fighting the crowd. No one could help her or heal her. She had nothing left to lose. She pushed through the crowd, rubbing shoulders and twisting to squeeze through to get just close enough to reach out for a corner of his clothes. A little piece of the cloth, his cloth, would be just enough.

She had been bleeding for 12 years. 12 long years of no contact. Her kids couldn't hug her, her husband couldn't be intimate with her, none of her friends could come over. Any touch for any reason made a person unclean. She had gone through twelve Hanukkahs, Yom Kippurs, and Roshashanhs celebrating alone, if she celebrated at all. She missed festivals, weddings, and special moments in her life and in the lives of those close to her. The risk of being in the crowd was great, but the potential healing touch was greater. Everyone she touched in the crowd was now unclean. She risked making a scene over her uncleanliness to get close enough to Jesus to be healed. Sanitary products in those days were limited and even less useful. As she went through the crowd, more of an opening to Jesus happened. People recognized her which began a small part in crowd. Her chance at healing was getting closer. People moved to not be made unclean, even when the crowd surged forward. Her faith told her a little touch was all she needed.