A Different Way of Thinking About Jesus

Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.

Revelations [3:20]

Today’s verse is one of my personal favorites and reveals how I feel Jesus approaches us. In this verse we see two things, first is the active action by Jesus of trying to connect with us, by knocking on our door. The second is a very clear statement about Jesus’s desire to form a mutual relationship with us, by wanting to dine with us. While they are insistent, neither of these statements are aggressive or demanding statements, but a compelling request by Jesus for us to get to know Him more closely.

When you read Bible commentaries about this verse, you will discover it is in the last of the seven letters to various churches contained in Revelations. These letters were requested by Jesus, to be written by John, the author of Revelations. Each letter contains a specific message for each church.

The seventh letter is written to the church in Laodicea. Laodicea was a wealthy town in the country now known as Turkey. Today, it is a place of ancient ruins, but in the first century was an early wealthy Christian enclave. The letter was specifically written to address the lukewarm attitude of their faith. It seems they were never fully committed to Jesus, and were still attached to and relied on their wealth. They were both in and out with their faith.

This lukewarm attitude is one of the reasons, I have always loved this verse. In many ways, it represents my personal struggle in my relationship with Jesus. A sometimes to lukewarm attitude with my own faith. At times I rely on my own possessions and human abilities, instead of using the lessons of Jesus.  At times I catch myself not thinking about the lessons of Jesus in my behavior. And in retrospect, I see my actions were not Christ-like.

And Jesus still knocks on my door. Desiring to bring me closer to having a heart filled with His lessons. A daily struggle to continue answering the knock.

This verse is an appeal to answer Jesus’s knocking on the door. A knocking at the door and invitation to eat with Jesus. All that one has to do is hear Jesus’s voice and then open the door.

Now I can imagine if this happened in the 21st century, just about everyone I know would answer the door and have dinner with Jesus, and not just my Christian friends. Who wouldn’t? Jesus has a wonderful reputation. He healed a lot of people. He walked on water. So why wouldn’t we answer his knocking at the door?

But here is the catch, Jesus doesn’t want to just have a dinner companion. Jesus wants to be part of our lives. Not just as a novelty, so that we can tell our friends that we had dinner Jesus. And who wouldn’t want to go to a party and say to everyone, guess who I had dinner with?

Jesus isn’t interested in being a novelty or part of a cocktail conversation. Jesus specifically wants us to know him. He doesn’t want to force himself on us, but to become connected with us fully. He is not demanding this dinner, but compelling us to dine with him.

Certainly, Jesus knows that a command and control management style doesn’t work. And certainly, if you want to turn people off, saying things like, believe in me or else, will accomplish that task.

No, this is a very different message of how Jesus approaches us than what we sometimes hear in modern society. And that’s the point about this message. Our relationship with Jesus is just that; our relationship. It is not someone else’s relationship, but ours. And Jesus doesn’t want a tepid relationship; Jesus wants us all in; all the time.

Now this knock is an insistent knock, and the original Greek word, kpouw doesn’t easily translate to English, but actually means a rap, as if with a knuckle. Perhaps, even a heavy blow.

And the door Jesus is knocking on is unlikely our door at home. This figure of speech refers to our heart. The inner sanctum of our being. This is where Jesus wants to get to. And make no mistake about it, Jesus wants in.

Our challenge is to be ready to dine with Jesus. To move away from our distractions, possessions and listen intently. And at the same time converse, by expressing our fears, joys, and desires. Not a one-way conversation, but an intensely mutual exchange.

Sure, Jesus is our Lord; the king of kings. But Jesus isn’t a command and control ruler. Jesus is a relational ruler, that desires the best for us. Jesus knows even more about us than we know about ourselves. Jesus just wants in. And Jesus is knocking, and the knocking is insistent. There is a polite urgency to Jesus’s knock.

I say, answer the knock. It is one of those moments in life when we really receive a great gift and all we have to do is not be lukewarm and make time for Jesus.

Listen to the Full Podcast – A Different Way of Thinking About Jesus

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

Photo by Claudio Testa on Unsplash

year with jesus

A Final and Everlasting Gift

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Acts 2:1-4

On the fiftieth day after the resurrection, that Holy Spirit descended and enlightened all that were present. The Holy Spirit is still present today in all. Residing in our hearts, pointing us to a direction that is Holy and right. We find the Spirit with us when we pray. Carefully helping us mold our prayers and opening our hearts to receive God’s response. The Sprit resides within us to help steer us away from dangerous steps in life that threaten to move us from God. Like the disciples of two thousand years ago, when we are fully with the Holy Spirit, we receive great understanding. One final Gift from the Risen Christ.

Points of Reflection

  • What dangerous things has the Spirit helped you avoid?
  • Pray each day this week with the Holy Spirit and list what changed.
  • What gifts have you received that are most important to you and why?

Listen to the full podcast

It is Not a New Normal, It’s a New Reality!

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

My Friend, Lou Strugala, and I were discussing the current state of life under the rules of stay-at-home. I asked Lou is this the new normal? Lou, quickly and with certainty stated; No, it’s not a new normal, rather it is a new reality. Explaining that the current situation of forced isolation isn’t normal for any person, but it is our current reality.

I thought about what Lou had to say and he is right. There is a danger for those suffering from isolation to call it normal. Humankind are social creatures and need human interaction. Not by Zoom or phone calls, but actually in-person contact. Our bodies need food and water, and our minds need human contact.

To call what we are going through as normal it is really a misinterpretation of the word normal. While it is a new reality, it isn’t a new normal.

Over the past week, I have had discussions with people who are working from home, and when I ask how they are doing, I am confronted with words like lonely, isolated, and depressed. You can hear it in their voices and through Zoom see the weight of this new reality.

Many spend their days on the phone or tied to their desks; doing their work. Some do it from seven to seven. There is no transition in their lives, they get up, have breakfast, and hit the phones or spreadsheets. Some stay on the phone all day. Many have lunch at their home workplace without ever moving. Then transitioning to dinner with little changes.

One person even mentioned they missed the commute. Others have said they miss office banter. Those who work from home live an unvaried existence. None of this is normal.

They miss seeing smiles or nodding heads of agreement. They can’t see the body language of support. All that is normal with non-verbal communication is missing. Leaving people isolated, depressed, and overly tired.

Well, I hope that things go back to the way they were, it is unlikely. There will be residue, even when we get to the final phases of stay-at-home. So what can we do?

One friend doesn’t start work until [8:30] and is strict about this starting time. He takes a walk and avoids work until then. He makes sure he makes lunch for his daughter. He stops all phone calls at four and spends time doing his email. After dinner, he does something different each day. At eight each night he picks something special to do, every day. And he does all this on a regular basis, no exception.

It is not that he does less work, but he has created boundaries and has given himself things to look forward to at the end of the day.

Another person has upped their exercise time and goes on long walks. They are excited because they are in better shape, which makes them happier.

In our verse today, This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. This verse applies to life’s problems, especially now. Life won’t always be perfect, but God will always be with us.

This is what my friend Lou did. His church, A Church by the Bay, he just started hasn’t met in two months. Through prayer, he discovered another ministry. And bravely with his faith marched forward with the new path of his new reality. Today, through volunteers he makes two hundred and fifty meals a week for shut-ins.

How does he do this and still comply with social distancing? The meals are made in people’s homes instead of in a communal kitchen. Then dropped off at a collection center. Another person picks up the meals and then puts them on the doorsteps of the shut-ins. All complying with social distancing, but still getting meals to those who need them.

Lou also now sends out a daily Bible verse and records a short message on his Facebook page, A Church by the Bay. Every day, four thousand people hear or read his messages.

Lou gave his worries to God and listened for a different way to live. He is busier today than a few months ago. There is joy in his voice. An unusual event occurred that gave him new income. Sure Lou, who is very social, would love to be with people, but this is his new reality.

Lou knows this isn’t normal what we are doing today, to avoid getting worn down, Lou has reoriented and reinvented his life. He gave God his worries and bravely off he went.

Today is a new reality. And we shouldn’t accept it as a new normal. By recognizing it as different and not normal means we have to act differently. It means we have to be creative and identify what makes us not only productive but gives us hope, joy and human interaction.

Being Christian doesn’t mean we won’t have problems, rather how we handle problems is different. That was God’s message to Joshua thousands of years ago, to be strong and know that whatever happens in our lives, God is with us wherever we go, even with our new reality.

Listen to the Full Podcast – It’s Not the New Normal

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

book of revelations

The Book of  Revelations isn’t Really that Scary!

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon take place.

Revelations 1:1

When I first took on the task of reading the Bible cover to cover, I started with the New Testament. My reasoning for starting there was because of Jesus and my personal belief that the books of the Old Testament point to the arrival of Jesus. As such, I would have a better understanding of the Old Testament after I read the New Testament.

However, when I got to the book or Revelations, I was very nervous and skipped over the book and proceeded to the Old Testament. I always had felt and heard that Revelations was dark and scary. So I put it off to last.

Now I am not the only one who felt this way. Even though it was one of the first books to be included in the New Testament by the early organizers of the Bible, the book was not universally accepted. Even today, there are some in the Eastern church that don’t consider the book to be worthy and don’t include the book in their version of the Bible.

Early Protestant reformers, Luther and Calvin did not think Revelations should be in the Bible. Even when you look at Calvin’s comprehensive commentary’s on the Bible you will find Revelations missing. Both believed the book was not God-inspired.

After reading the book on my first reading of the complete Bible and studying it at Theological school, I changed my views. I came to view Revelations as a wonderful story of the battle between good and evil, that Jesus ultimately wins.

The imagery of the battle between good and evil in Revelations is vivid and very colorful. In part this is what makes the book scary. When you read Revelations you discover very dark characters like Death riding on a pale horse, followed by Hades. Even the angels at one point scorch a third of the earth. Humans even retreat into caves. A cosmic battle between good and evil vividly shown.

Even near the end of the book, the reader is warned to not take anything away from this book. If they do, they will lose their share of the tree of life.

Some really harsh and vivid language. But there is a backdrop to why this type of language was used. While the letter is intended to be the revelation of Jesus to the author, John, as it states in the very first line of Revelations, it was written to give confidence to the general Christian population of the late first century, who were enduring persecution by the Roman Empire.

Specifically, in a concealed way the book is about Rome as the evil empire and Christians as being protected by Jesus. Concealed in not specifically calling out Rome, instead using scary and dark characters to represent evil. This was done to prevent the book from being banished. But as we have seen consistently throughout the New Testament, these writings about current events led to the creation of Biblical masterpieces that can be brought forward in time. Their messages just as relevant to the 21st century as they are to the 1st century. God-breathed words, through God created events that created stories and messages that are timeless.

Also, included are letters to seven churches. These letters give guidance to these churches as how to become better Christians. Instructions on how to move closer to Jesus. When you read these letters, you can identify weaknesses in these churches that are not much different than today.  Still relevant criticisms that must urgently be addressed.

The book also uses extensive numerology to tell its story of good and evil. The number seven, which for the reader means God or heavenly things, is mentioned well over one hundred times, explicitly or implicitly. The “Beast” or evil is expressed with “666.” This contrast was used for the hearers of the story in the 1st century to further draw out the battle between good and evil. In the 1st century, because so few could read, they received the Bible orally and numerology helped reinforce memory.

There is also a sense of immediacy in the book. And you get this from the first line, where it says,  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the things that must soon take place. While this call to action was spoken in the first century, it is really an eternal call to respond quickly to evil. And many have misunderstood this to only apply to the time of its writing. We are now in the 21st century and the battle between good and evil still exists, so its sense of urgency is for all time. In other words, whenever we are engaged or witness good or evil, we must quickly side with good in our actions and deeds. To do nothing is the same as siding with evil.

A final note in the book that occurs in the final chapter, Jesus declares himself to be the Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end. In all things Jesus is the Lord. And in all things Jesus will be involved. And not only that Jesus will resolve evil promptly.

This statement is reassuring for those desirous of doing good and a caution for those committing evil. In that the Alpha and Omega, Jesus, will always prevail.

So while the imagery and words of Revelation are vivid and would rival anything produced by Marvel comics, it is simply a very strong revelation by Jesus for us to always and with urgency resist evil. And when evil occurs or happens to us, to know and have a strong faith that Jesus will always win.

I am now happy to be able to say, that with this knowledge, I can venture into Revelations and not become alarmed. Revelations is a vivid message from Jesus to get our attention to resist evil urgently, for both us as individuals and the church at large.

Listen to the Full Podcast – The Book of Revelations Isn’t That Scary

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

year with jesus

Jesus’ Gifts

“Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.”

Luke [24:50]-51

On the fortieth day of Pentecost and after the resurrection, Jesus had gathered the believers. He blessed them and rose back to heaven, leaving behind an earthly legacy of great gifts for humankind. Through his birth, earthly mission and the resurrection he gave us many things. He absorbed our sins and redeemed the believers of humankind. He revealed God’s values to all that would hear and listen. Values centered on, “Loving God and our neighbor.” He taught that we follow the laws of God through our heart. He cured many and showed the importance of our faith in our own healing. His very presence was proof of a very present and loving God. A God that offers a life of hope through the risen Christ.

Points of Reflection

  • List three gifts that Jesus has given you.
  • How do you feel Jesus’ presence in your life?
  • What legacy and gifts would you like to give to humankind?

Listen to the full podcast

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

In the Bible there are three books called the Wisdom Books; Proverbs, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes. Proverbs and Psalms are certainly the most well-known. Ecclesiastes is lesser-known, but still just as important. Ecclesiastes (3:1-9) is perhaps one of the most well-known poems in the Bible, called A Time for Everything. When I was much younger, and had not had many seasons in my life, I viewed this poem as nice and well written; and never really took the time to understand what it meant. Frankly, I was more interested in the Byrds song called Turn, Turn, Turn, whose words come from this poem. You can hear the song using this link; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ga_M5Zdn4

As the seasons of my life have accumulated, this wonderful poem has taken on a far different impact. It is a poem about opposites. For instance, in verse two it says; A time to be born and a time to die. Each of the verses contains this structure. There is always a beginning and end and each of these activities are under the heavens.

Over the last few weeks I have been deeply immersed in these opposites of life. These weeks have been a constant time of opposites for my extended family and myself. My father died peacefully on April 26th. The first real-time of mourning for an extended family of forty souls.

We were grateful that he went to his Lord surrounded by his family, the gift of in-home hospice. It wasn’t that he was ill, his body just gave out. In his final week we could all see it was close and he knew as well that he was slipping away.

Over his last few days I treasured my calls to say goodnight to my dad, knowing each one might be the last. In each call I experienced the joy of the memories of having a wonderful dad and the sadness of knowing he was going.

At the same time I sensed he was nervous about the impending event. Leaving me and my brother, Jim, to provide hope that this transition was leading to paradise, a place of peace. We both helped him with his final transition while fighting the grief of knowing he was going and we would remain behind.

In my quiet moments my emotions would toss between joy, knowing he was going to be safe and the sadness of losing my earthly rock.

On his final day, when he could only hear and squeeze a hand, I took an afternoon nap and awoke compelled to write him a poem. A poem titled I hope You Know (Attached at the end); to let him know he was loved and was going to be with Jesus. At five PM, through tears I read him my poem, while my mother held his hand. Moments later, he opened his eyes one last time, looked at my mom, and was gone.

A moment for me where I had the important duty of comforting him, with sadness mixed with joy knowing he was going to Jesus.

The extended family gathered quickly and flocked to his house, the funeral home was called and another moment in the many seasons of life was revealed. As he left the house, the family lined the driveway gathered to honor and say goodbye. My daughter, Ashley, sang Amazing Grace as his flag-draped body was moved to the hearse.

A time of honor, goodbyes, reverence, and peace. A peace that his battle was over and he was safe while we all felt sad that he was gone.

I had prayed before he died that I would get a signal that he was safe and at peace. The day after he died, my answer came early in the morning. Sitting on my favorite bench,  a bird joined me, sitting unnaturally close, while singing a song. An intimate moment in the morning that gave me relief. Another moment of the opposites of life, one of joy and one of sadness.

Other moments would occur that let us know he was safe.

My oldest daughter, who lives overseas in a far distant time zone, had a dream she saw him walking on the beach. She yelled in her dream, Papa Bob! he turned and smiled, then proceeded on his way. In the morning when I told her he had died while she was sleeping; she knew what the dream meant. Another moment of joy and sadness.

In his obituary we put included a picture of him just before he was married, a young and handsome man. We also included a picture of him in his later years, the wise guiding force of our family. This reminded me of the first verse of the poem; A time to be born and a time to die.

There were so many emotions during his last few days that had the full range of this wonderful poem in Ecclesiastes. All of his children got to say goodbye and each of his thirteen grand-children did as well, many hearing for the last time; I love you. A man of few words gave us one last gift with these wonderful words.

I take comfort now in this poem. A poem I had always known, but only looked at with curiosity. It was now both a guiding force of how to think about these last few weeks and a place of comfort.

Comfort in knowing this God-breathed verse in the Bible clearly lays out that the seasons of life are God designed and not a random set of events. We all will have beginnings and endure endings. But these seasons exist for a reason. There will be for all of us a time to gather and a time to cast away. A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to build up and a time to tear down.

This is a life designed by God. And because God is involved, it is necessary and good.

Poem Read to My Dad in His Last Moments

I Hope You Know

I hope you know how much you’re loved

I hope you know how many lives you’ve touched

I hope you know how much we care

I hope you know Jesus is waiting for you

I know when you cross over the bridge you will find peace

I know Jesus has a place for you

I know you will find Chuck and Eleanor

I know you will be safe

Thank you for being you

Thank you for the times you said no

Thank you for believing in me

Thank you for being my dad.

(Author’s note: I was reluctant to post this message because of its very personal nature. When I told my mom about my concerns, she quickly replied “Your father would want you to publish it, because it might help someone.” And so I have; perhaps in some way, this will help others.)

Listen to the Full Podcast – The Seasons of Life

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

Photo by Michael Aleo on Unsplash

mired in darkness

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness but will have the Light of life.

John [8:12]

On a day when the number of new COVID-19 cases had dropped by fifteen percent for the third day in a row, all I read and saw was frightening headlines. Headlines that promoted danger and reminded us to be fearful. The major newspapers ran headlines that said deaths hit an all-time high on that day. Yet missing from the article was the erroneous inclusion of deaths on that day of missed reporting from January to March.  Simple fact-checking would have revealed the error.

Our news reporting on the national level has become so obviously biased, it is promoting division among the populace. Short of facts and long on agenda, our television has moved from unbiased reporting to opinion-based reporting. Missing are the real facts and news.

In every report, we hear about the risks without the solutions. It seems as if people are setting themselves up to say; I told you so! When we listen or read the news we only get problems, which promotes fear.

In John [8:12], Jesus tells us He is the light of the world. And that those who follow Him will no longer walk in darkness. It is not that following Jesus will make us problem-free, rather Jesus reorients us to think about how to live with hope. People that only give you problems without solutions only create fear. People who see problems and think through the solutions provide hope. They give us the light of encouragement.

In my business life, you couldn’t come to my office with a problem that didn’t contain a solution. Otherwise, we considered the act of just identifying problems as dark behavior. Almost like a hit and run.

Successful Christians, businesses, and people are solution-oriented. Not looking to make things worse by creating fear, but making things better by working the problem.

This is what Jesus is talking about when He says I am the light of the world. And this is what Jesus wants from us; to walk in the light and not in darkness. Jesus wants us to find hope through problem-solving and not fear.

Jesus doesn’t want us to report numbers in the press just to create fear. But to dig deeper and look for hope with a solution. Jesus doesn’t want us to intentionally edit remarks by others to promote our agenda, rather be balanced in our views. Jesus doesn’t want us to look at a small piece of information and make it larger, so we create more fear, rather Jesus wants us to be objective.

The media believes that this negative and fearful reporting will help their business, nothing could be further from the truth. In the all-important 25-54 age group, the combined audience of CNN, MSNBC, and Fox are all seeing drops in viewership of over twenty percent. In fact, if you add up all three, their audience doesn’t achieve one million viewers. A far cry from the lofty numbers of years gone by.

What they are missing is Americans want the truth. Americans want light and not darkness. They are missing that hope sells. They are missing that there is always a solution to every problem.

Thin thinking has led us to this point. Critical thinking will lead us out. It is way too easy to just tell the bad, but far harder to critically think about a solution.

Americans are not dumb they know this difference between thin and critical thinking. Americans are not sheep, rather they are sheepdogs. Give Americans a goal and they will achieve it. Only give Americans problems and they will tune you out. And the numbers don’t lie, Americans are tuning out.

Imagine if those reporting the problem thought first; what would Jesus want us to report? Certainly, the agenda would disappear. Certainly, a harder look at the facts would occur. Certainly, solutions would be revealed. We all know Jesus wouldn’t approve of craftily edited sound bites that don’t reveal the truth.

John Krasinski, from The Office and Jack Ryan, recently set up a YouTube channel called Some Good News. His viewership is over two million people. And he just started! There is a message here about how people want the news. Not overly optimistic, but the real facts.

I can see Jesus sitting back and saying; Well you did a great job at identifying the problem. Now what is the solution and where is there hope. We all know Jesus wouldn’t allow only the darkness to be reported. We all know Jesus would only want the facts and messages of hope.

This is true in our own lives; problems will always appear. Jesus wants us to seek the Light and not darkness.

Listen to the Full Podcast – Avoiding Being Mired by Darkness

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

Photo by Anthony Bouzalas on Unsplash

grace

We Are Who We Are Because of The Grace of God

But by the grace of God I am what I am.

1st Corinthians [15:10]

I am sure you have heard the phrases, By the grace of God or I am saved by the grace of God. So what is God’s grace? The simplest answer is; grace is God’s love towards us, which has not been earned by us but given freely by God. The multiple branches of this statement in explanation are long and if all are followed, provide more insight if carefully worked by the mind.

The amount of theological doctrine relating to grace is immense and it seems that not all can quite agree. Some parts are agreed to by some and others have other dimensions of grace to explain.

And that is part of the point about grace, each person receives and feels God’s grace differently. But its effect on the individual is universal. So universal that God’s grace is perhaps the most important aspect of the Bible. In our relationship with God, it starts with God’s desire to be in relationship with us. A compelling desire by God that is not diminished by our rejection of God.

Jesus is a prime example of grace. The cross, His life, and resurrection were all done as a result of God’s grace. The forgiveness of our sins was unearned. Simply, an innocent entity stood in for us on the cross. The lessons of Jesus become guideposts for our lives, yet they have been given freely. The resurrection of Jesus was to defeat death for us. Again, an extraordinarily powerful act, that was not deserved but given.

Creation itself is the gift of grace. We live in a vibrant world filled with colors, light, mountains, and lakes. Even in our most vivid moments, it would be impossible for any human to create what God has made.

Now some will say all humankind is totally depraved and we need God’s grace to redeem us. I do not buy into total depravity and many have tried to convince me that all of humankind is totally depraved. All well-intentioned opinions and certainly well documented in theological research. I am not there and I know I have a minority viewpoint of this issue. I will readily admit we all fall short, and I certainly have. But I believe part of grace is the innate goodness I see in people.

While I can continue the list of God’s activities to benefit humankind, it is doubtful I could ever finish. So, let’s keep this simpler and focus on how God’s grace affects the individual. In 1st Corinthians [15:10], Paul states; But by the grace of God, I am what I am. In these ten words, I find all I need to know.

For instance, I do not exist without grace. Paul is clear; he is because of God. And so it is with each of us. Sure some will say we are because of evolution. And from my viewpoint, that is true when we consider that evolution was God’s mechanism for creating us. Evolution is the medium and God is the creator. Now let’s be careful here, there are plenty who disagree with me on this point and believe God created us from dust. That very well may be the case, if you are a literalist. Being metaphorical, I tend to complicate these issues and always try to connect science with God’s activity. But either way, grace is what made us what and who we are.

Also, in this statement is another definition of who we are. Specifically, as it relates to us as individuals. Some are good with numbers, others are strong with language and we have those who are good with science. And each of us has a blending of all human traits. So when Paul says; By the grace of God I am what I am, he is also specifically talking about his uniqueness. The gifts of talents we receive were delivered to us by the grace of God.

But did God have to give us our gifts or make us wonderfully made? Well no, but God did and this is grace. Our own individuality is the gift of grace.

Another thing I love about Paul’s statement is his humble and wise recognition of where his strength comes from. By saying; by the grace of God…, he gives full credit to who he is and what he accomplishes to the grace of God. He knows the source of his power and his very existence. And at the same time humbly admits he is and what he accomplishes is through the grace of God.

So while all that we are and do is because of the grace of God, it is experienced by the individual differently from person to person. It is certainly a worthwhile effort to type into Google; quotes about the grace of God. When you do, you will find hundreds of quotes, all correct, but all different.

When I posted on twitter the following question; what is grace to you?; Likewise, I received wonderfully rich answers from many different points of view. Most were theologically correct, but all came from a different point of view.

So it seems to me that Grace is experienced differently person by person. But at the same time, it is always a free and unmerited gift of love from God. Not that we don’t deserve it, but more that we didn’t earn it.

So while I could spend many more days researching grace, I believe Paul has summed it best when he said; but by the grace of God, I am what I am. Leading to the question, who is the person that God wants us to be? In answering this question, we answer our own personal question of what does grace mean to me?

Listen to the Full Podcast – We Are Who We Are Because of the Grace of God

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

Photo by Kirill Pershin on Unsplash

 

year with jesus

The Holy Spirit

“Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

Romans 5:5

The Holy Spirit lives within our hearts. It both shows us God’s love and helps us with our lives. The Holy Spirit’s very essence is part of our being, an inheritance from God. Through our hopes and dreams, the Spirit is both part of and an advocator for their fulfillment. Understanding the Holy Spirit is a vital part of understanding Pentecost. On the fiftieth day after the resurrection, the Holy Spirit descended for all. The Spirit is our direct line to God, the single element that resides within us that is also part of God. In our lives, when our heart talks to us, we are hearing God. The Spirit within our heart knows the right and just course in our lives. Our task is to nurture and rely on this gift from God.

Points of Reflection

  • How do you feel the Holy Spirit within yourself?
  • How often do you call upon the Holy Spirit to help you with life?
  • When you pray or read the Bible, do you call upon the Holy Spirit for guidance?

Listen to the full podcast

church closed

Are Religious Freedoms Being Trampled Because of the Corona Virus?

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.

Matthew [18:20]

 

Due to the lockdowns across our country caused by Covid-19, most churches have been ordered to be closed. Ironically in most states, Liquor stores have been declared an essential business and remain opened. For many Christians, this appears to be a trampling of the first amendment, which protects religious freedom. Certainly, politically we can see this as a denial of our rights and in some state’s lawsuits have been filed.

But as Christians are we driven by politics or acting in a way God desires? In other words, how does God want us to act? After all, didn’t Jesus say; Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things are God’s. Paul in Romans wrote; Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities.

So it appears Biblically, that we should comply with the civil orders, but at the same time stay committed to Jesus. In other words, still worship, but find a different way. Instead of being confrontational, we should put our energies into thinking about alternative ways to worship. Leave the political bickering to civil authorities.

As Christians, we have a long history of figuring out how to be true to Christ and avoid civil conflict. The early Christians in Rome worshipped under the city in the catacombs to avoid upsetting the local authorities. The early Methodists in England met in homes or chapels, so as not to upset the state-sponsored Anglican church. Even in early America when the population grew faster than churches could be built, Methodists and Baptist met in homes or created camp meetings. Ingenuity in worship has always been a Christian hallmark.

Jesus defines worship as; For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. (Matthew [18:20]) A simple message that means all we have to do is gather in Jesus’s name.

While I agree, the right to practice religious freedom is a constitutional hallmark, I don’t think fighting this ban is as productive as finding other ways to worship. Our energies are better spent using alternative methods and gathering in Jesus’ name.

And many churches are live streaming their services. Some have started drive-in churches, even though some overly zealous authorities have been handing out tickets.

Zoom has become a way for Christians to gather in Jesus’ name. Zoom is a great place to hold small bible groups or even meet for prayer. It has the added advantage of being able to this with friends who are physically far away. I am sure, Jesus would approve of Zoom for small Bible groups and prayer groups.

I am also sure Jesus would not want us to get our neighbors sick, by meeting in unsafe environments. Biblically, social distancing is supported, particularly in Leviticus 13, which lays out the Biblical rules of self-quarantine. Ironically fourteen days is mentioned as the protocol, similar to today’s rules.

Some will disagree and say we should fight harder to protect our religious freedom, to which I heartedly agree. But there are bigger Christian persecution issues we should labor against. Once COVID-19 is diminished, we will be able to go back to our physical church. Instead, we should stay focused on issues that will not go away when COVID-19 disappears; like letting Bibles be okay in school. Fighting for the right to pray in schools.

Internationally, we should still fight for religious freedom in faraway places like China. Today, more than ten percent of Christians live with persecution. Frankly, this is the battle to fight and not be distracted by the obvious insanity of letting liquor stores be open when churches are closed.

Here in the United States, we have viable options for worship, in other parts of the world, many Christians not only do not have options. Their worship is banned, no matter the form. This is where our voices can have a long term impact.

Our voices should be louder with allowing prayer and Bibles to exist in schools and businesses. While atheists will proclaim that this is an invasion of their 1st Amendment rights, to not allow Christians to pray or read the Bible is also a violation of practicing Christian rights. Those who oppose will say they are being coerced and being put upon illegally. This issue isn’t about anyone being forced but providing the freedom to those who hold Jesus as their source of faith. Prayer and Bibles at work or in schools don’t have to be forced upon people, just made available for practicing Christians.

In the meantime, we will be able to worship together in person in the near future. And at the same time, we have Zoom to connect with other Christians. By the way one of the hidden advantages of virtual Christianity is that people who are geographically far away can now participate. A special blessing for Christian friends to stay connected even though thousands of miles separate them.

Maybe today, reach out to those you know who want to have a virtual Bible study and start one up. Perhaps even start a long-distance prayer group. And don’t forget on Sunday to tune into your church’s live-streamed worship service or perhaps one you find on the internet.

All Jesus asks is that we gather in His name.

Listen to the Full Podcast – Are Religious Freedoms Being Trampled Because of the Corona Virus?

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

Photo by Taylor Wilcox on Unsplash