romans

Galatians: We Are All Equal In Christ!

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Galatians: We Are All Equal In Christ!

There is neither Greek or Jew, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for you are all one in Jesus.

Galatians [3:28]

A friend of mine came to me overwhelmed by the complexity of the Book of Romans. It is certainly one of the most complex books in the Bible! I suggested she should read Galatians first. Here was my reasoning, it was written before Romans and is considered a primer to Romans. Certainly less burdensome in its length and the deeply elegantly prose written by Paul in Romans is replaced with a simpler to the point prose of Paul. So while Galatians isn’t as theologically rich, it is far more accessible. By comparison, Romans has sixteen chapters and Galatians has six. But both contain many of the same thoughts.

The letter was written to a church in Galatia, a region of present-day Turkey. The date of the letter is late 40’s AD, maybe 50 AD. This one of Paul’s first letters. What I personally love about this letter is a verse in chapter [3:28], where it says; There is neither Greek or Jew, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for you are all one in Jesus.

I would call this a foundational statement by Paul. A statement that we can use to measure other writings or verses written by Paul. Here it is a well-crafted sentence written for the Galatians that tells all about how Paul thinks. He believes that All people, and I cannot stress ALL enough! His message is that ALL are equal and worthy to Jesus. It doesn’t matter where you come from, your gender, what you believed before you were born again, we are ALL equal. And we ALL start as Christians first and everything else second.

Knowing this foundational message by Paul will not only open up Galatians but also help in the reading of Romans.

In this verse, is also the statement that while we should view others as equal, it also means; just because you are rich doesn’t mean you are better in God’s eyes. Whether you are Republican or Democrat isn’t important to God. But your personal character and values are what God cares about.

Another fundamental statement for Paul in Galatians is in Chapter [2:16], where it says; Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus. As much as any other verse in Galatians this is a critical message. We can do all the good we are capable of, but without our faith in Christ, we cannot be justified with God. In other words, we can’t work our way into heaven, and that shouldn’t be our goal. Our goal is to simply believe completely, and most importantly have faith in Jesus.

Now,  let’s be careful here, this doesn’t mean that we can intentionally live in sin and believe our faith frees us. Nope, that is not what this means. Partially, because it doesn’t make sense. If you believe fully in Christ Jesus, why would you not want to always do good? Rather if we are doing only what we want, rather than following the words of Christ than it is a good indication we have a faulty sense of faith.

Simply, we want to do good, because we fully believe and have faith in Jesus.

The difference is our attitude to faith if we say we believe only for a selfish purpose of eternal life, this isn’t true faith. If we have faith because we believe in Jesus, we exhibit this faith by our unselfish being. But faith comes first and being good is a by-product.

Now we should also remember, we will all fail and have difficult moments even with a strong faith and I excel at these moments. This gets us to Paul’s point about God’s grace and forgiveness. The grace and forgiveness of God is unmerited and is freely given for just these moments. Repeating our failures and difficult moments intentionally, however, will eventually separate us from God.

Now there is a very deep difference in how the Catholic church thinks about doing good as a testament of our faith; versus Protestants. Protestants believe they are justified with God through faith alone. While Catholics believe that our faith is shown in our works. Personally, I think Paul is telling us that both are right. Faith comes first, but it manifests itself in our good works.

In Chapter 5 Paul handles this rather well, where he says, For you were called to freedom. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve each other.

So you might also ask, why doesn’t Paul mention the law or the ten commandments as our guide. Well, he says something different, he agrees with the law but says the Jesus wants us to walk with the Spirit. That by doing this we gain freedom. For the Spirit will not lead us to sin. So trying to follow the law by ourselves is not enough, and this the point Paul is making. He states that as believers in Christ we are better off to walk with and trust the Spirit. And in turn this is a more effective way of complying with the Ten Commandments

One final point is why Paul wrote this letter to the church in Galatia because other people had visited the church and tried to change the minds of the people of the church in Galatia. Things like, you have to be circumcised to be a Christian or confusing suggestions about what faith really was. This letter, like Romans, was designed to get this church back on track.

But be careful in judging the Galatians, this was a very early church and it shouldn’t surprise us they struggled. What is important in this letter is that not only does it apply to the church in Galatia, but for churches two thousand years later. Any modern church could and perhaps even should review Galatians and test their own spiritual practices, by asking themselves; Are we following these principles?

Galatians was a well-crafted primer for Christians and churches in the 1st century, but also for us in the 21st century.

Read Galatians with these thoughts in the back of your mind and see how they apply to your life. Then read Romans, you will be prepared and ready!

And as always, remember to bring the Holy Spirit along as well.

Listen to the Full Podcast –Galatians: We Are All Equal in Christ

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

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We love giving credit to budding photographers to help them gain more exposure.

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elevator of faith

The Elevator of Faith is Boring

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The Elevator of Faith is Boring

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7

Part of my day is reading and more reading. Mostly to find how other people think about faith, and to find interesting and helpful historical Christian facts. All to pass on to other people to help them have a closer walk with God. While doing this recently, I came across an article named, My Boring Christian testimony. As I read the article I was anything but bored. Essentially, the testimony was written by a woman named Megan Hill, a married mom, and writer. The point of the article was that she didn’t feel her faith was real because she didn’t have a dramatic conversion process or an incredible faith story.

As I read the article, I discovered a very normal life. As a young person, her parents took her to church. She asked to join the church when she was twelve. As she entered college, when most young people drift away from the church, she continued going to church. After marriage and having children, she started the same cycle with her children, by taking them to church. It seems pretty normal, certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

But through the years she doubted if her faith was real. She saw other people have dramatic moments of faith. She heard wonderful testimonies of people curing their addictions through faith. Others who had led an immoral life were struck by God and saved. On and on this drumbeat went, leaving her to feel if she had done something wrong.

Her real problem was in not understanding 2nd Corinthians 5:7, where it says, For we walk by faith, not by sight. She had always walked by faith, while many of us got off course by walking by sight and then needed to have a dramatic event to turn our lives around.

She had answered life’s most important question correctly, early in life, while many of us did the opposite and answered the question wrong.

This statement in 2nd Corinthians is a fundamental statement about faith. It isn’t something you can touch, see, hear, taste or physically feel. Faith is the opposite, it’s like walking into a dark room and being sure you won’t bump into anything.

For someone, like Megan, it’s like having the option of walking into a building and walking up all the stairs to get to the top; or just hitting the button on the faith elevator and arriving on top. It doesn’t mean she took a short cut or had a boring journey on the faith elevator. It meant she answered life’s toughest question right the first time.

Some of us choose to walk up, because we don’t see how it’s possible to just believe. For some it is a lifetime of a tepid prayer life, until the overwhelming responses from God turns a person’s heart.

For others, it is a point in life where they had no place to turn. They had hit the 6 o’clock of life and were left desperate. Only then do they make the long walk back to faith.

Still, others are sometimes in and sometimes out. The glory of God’s blessings don’t fully outweigh their human desires. They are constantly pulled back by a new want in life.

For these people, they take the stairs up to the top of the faith elevator, stopping along the way to investigate the floors. Sometimes they look at every floor, other times skipping a few.

But faith is believing in something you can’t see. You can’t rationalize faith. And no one can ever adequately explain how you are supposed to feel.

C.S. Lewis explained his faith and conversion experience by saying the following; You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen [College, Oxford], night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929, I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.

Faith is no more than an intimate encounter with God when you fully realize that God exists. A realization that leaves you grateful and fulfilled. No longer desiring things you want, but to be a humble servant of God.

Faith isn’t something you can will or force. Sometimes it is a persistent knocking on the door by God. Other times it is a dramatic event. But God is always compelling us to believe. Compelling us to take one more step into the unknown and walking one step away from what we know.

But because some answer the compelling force of God on the first try, it doesn’t mean they are missing something, like Megan felt. Many people have a simple faith. I admire people with a boring journey to God. They saved themselves a lot of trouble.

But is Megan’s testimony really boring? How can it be, when you consider the power and beauty of a direct connection God? Her own personal and intimate relationship with the one who created the earth,  the universe, the stars in the sky and even knitted us in our mother’s womb.

No, Megan, your faith isn’t boring!

Listen to the Full Podcast –The Elevator of Faith is Boring

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

We love giving credit to budding photographers to help them gain more exposure.

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Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene: A Woman of Ill Repute?

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Mary Magdalene: A Woman of Ill Repute?

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

John [20:18]

In 591AD Pope Gregory 1, declared in a sermon, that Mary Magdalene was a sinful woman. Setting off a centuries-long belief that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. While this was dismissed by Pope Paul IV in 1969, it is still part of the myth that surrounds Mary Magdalene. A simple misguided and poorly researched statement by Gregory has clouded for modern Christians the real Mary Magdalene.

Discovering the real truth about Mary Magdalene is hard because there are few writings about her or from her. Much of what has been written is opinion and speculation. Sometimes wildly dramatic images, like the one from Gregory. Others have even speculated that perhaps she was Jesus’s wife! Well, none of these hold up when we carefully review the only document that contains references about her; the Holy Bible.

Perhaps the best description we get of her is in Luke 8:1-3, where is says; The Twelve were with him,2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

There are three critical statements made here about Mary. Note that the first woman mentioned is Mary Magdalene. This is very important and we should take note; that whenever, Mary is mentioned in the Gospels with other women, she is always listed first. Indicating special importance. And further note she is in all four Gospels. Even non-Biblical scholars will attest to her being a real historical figure, because of this.

The second and just as important thing to note is the statement that she supported Jesus and the twelve with her own money. Meaning she had some form of wealth to be able to provide this support. This statement alone should make us question her as being a prostitute.

The third statement is that Jesus had cured her evil spirits and diseases. This doesn’t mean she was a prostitute, as healing was a common occurrence by Jesus. Perhaps Mary had a physical ailment or a psychological impairment.

Another aspect about Mary we should all know and likely has caused a lot of confusion by later writers was that Mary was the most common name for women in Judea during the 1st century. In Hebrew or Aramaic, Mary means beloved or Wished for child. So when we read the gospels we have a lot of references to Mary, such as; The Virgin Mary, Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene. Over the centuries writers have frequently merged many of the Mary’s.

Another potential cause of this misinformation about Mary is a result of the town she was from. She was from Magdala, a town near Jerusalem, that was historically associated with ill-repute and sinful behavior. So it appears she is guilty by association.

As we continue to research in the Bible, Mary was an eyewitness to two critical events in Jesus’s life. She was at the resurrection, while none of the twelve male Apostles were there.

Mary was also part of the burial scene in the tomb and the first to visit the empty tomb in the Gospel of John.

So we can see that Mary Magdalene is a critically faithful disciple of Jesus. Perhaps we could even call her an Apostle! So while this assertion may seem radical; let me explain why.

After she visits the empty tomb and tells the others about the empty tomb, she goes back to the tomb. Sitting and weeping she is visited by two angels. They ask her why is she weeping? To which she replies, they have taken away my Lord. After saying this she lifts her head up and sees a man. It was Jesus, who she didn’t recognize. Then Jesus says; Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking? She still doesn’t recognize Jesus, until he says, Mary. Now she knows it is Jesus and says excitedly, Rabboni (Which means teacher)

She leaves and tells the others, I have seen the Lord. While at first, this might appear to be something we would all do. Her statement, I have seen the Lord, is usually associated with the Apostles. You might say, I thought there were only twelve Apostles. Perhaps, but this statement in the New Testament can also mean she is an Apostle.

Now my analysis may have stretched too far here by calling her an Apostle. But my point is; there is a more logical path to calling her an Apostle than calling her a prostitute.

And that is the point of the story about Mary Magdalene. Unfortunately many times we make observations about people that are based on our opinions, which turned out to be false. Even Pope’s! In this case, Mary, even today in some quarters is considered to be a prostitute, but she wasn’t when we look at the facts.

But it is also a story about reading the Bible. When we all enter the Bible, we sometimes enter the Bible with preconceived impressions that may or may not be right. I myself am guilty of this far too often. Instead, we should enter the Bible with the Holy Spirit as our guide. And empty ourselves to hear and read with the Holy Spirit. When we do this we make our visit to the Bible with God alone, and we hear and read what God has to say to us.

So I don’t mean to imply that Pope’s have interpreted the Bible incorrectly, but to point out, that even Pope’s can come to faulty conclusions. Our visits with the Bible are very personal and intimate explorations with God. And we should leave opinions and biases at home, even Pope’s!

Listen to the Full Podcast – Mary Magdalene: A Woman of Ill Repute?

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

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hollywood story

A Hollywood Story – Acts of the Apostles

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Acts of the Apostles: A Hollywood Story

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:3

A new phrase in modern times is called binge-watching. A new television series comes out and we watch all the episodes from beginning to end, sometimes in one sitting or perhaps two or three. It makes me think of how worthy some of the books of the Bible would be to binge-watch. Certainly, Genesis with its great stories like Noah’s ark, Joseph in the well or the intrigue between Jacob and Esau. A book filled with subplots, hero’s and villains. Certainly, The book of Acts is the same.

In Acts, we have jail cells collapsing. A missionary braving dangers and wanders for close to twenty years to spread the good news about Christ. We have the Holy Spirit teaching people to talk in tongues. And a story of the first Christian Martyr. Hollywood could easily make this book into a series. I know I would binge watch it in one sitting.

Some have asked me why does Acts exist or what is its purpose. Simply, it is the bridge between the Gospels and the great Christian Epistles in the New Testament. It is also the history of the early church and its development from 33AD to 60AD. A support system to moving from the Gospels to the letters written by Paul and other great early Christian writers. Without it we would have to rely on circumstantial evidence to get the whole story.

Acts is the second half of the letter to Theophilus written around 80AD. The first half of the letter is Luke. This entire manuscript, as the author says,  was to write an orderly account. And it certainly is, from Jesus’s birth to the resurrection, to Peter becoming the leader of the early church, to Paul’s wonderfully successful but dangerous journeys, all spanning the first 60 years of Christianity.

Let’s go to the drama scenes and intrigue. Imagine yourself in Jerusalem and Jesus is standing in front of you. Know that he has just risen from the dead to save us from all our sins, and in an instance a cloud takes him out of sight. And while he is going up two men stand by you in white robes, telling you not to worry. A few days later, you hear a rushing wind and all-around people start speaking in other tongues. Is this a Marvel comic book story or the Bible?

Later Peter organizes the church and begins converting thousands at a time. The authorities getting nervous and throw him in jail, only to be released by an Angel.

Then we have a Paul, the chief persecutor of Christians, traveling to Damascus to murder and capture early Christians, only to be dramatically struck down by Jesus. Jesus revives and  converts Paul, who goes on to become the ambassador for Christianity.

But we also have political intrigue. The early believers want new believers to comply completely with Jewish traditions. But Paul says no, knowing that it is only important that you believe and have faith in Jesus. On one side you had James the Just arguing vehemently for compliance to the Jewish traditions and on the other, the skilled orator Paul arguing against. In the middle was Peter, who has a vision that tells him that it is okay for the Gentiles not to have to comply.

Next Paul travels over ten thousand miles and preaches to all who can hear, the story of Jesus. He as well, ends up in jail. Likewise he is released through supernatural and divine intervention. On these journeys Paul is beaten and ridiculed. But he never gives up. Staying the course, he creates followers throughout the Roman Empire. Even in Rome, which would centuries later, become the center of Christianity.

Paul later returns to Jerusalem as he had promised, having firmly entrenched Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. Only to encounter more drama, and is arrested, and sent to Rome for trial.

Certainly, we have popular television series made up of less dramatic events airing every week. But they’re right in front of us, is a story even Marvel or Disney couldn’t replicate. We don’t need to watch TV or visit the local cinema. The story is there for us to read in the Bible. A wonderful historical account of our faith.

The story of our faith is written in God’s technicolor for us all to see. Maybe we can’t  binge read it one sitting, perhaps in two or more.

The Acts of the Apostles, an orderly account, is for all to believe and read.

Listen to the Full Podcast – A Hollywood Story – Acts of the Apostles

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

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1st corinthians

1St Corinthians: Is Love All We Need?

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1St Corinthians: Is Love All We Need?

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

1St Corinthians 13:4

In 1st Corinthians 13:4 it says, Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, written by the Apostle Paul. This is a familiar verse used in many marriage ceremonies. We have all heard it and perhaps used it at our weddings. But there is a deeper story and purpose behind this phrase and 1st Corinthians, not written for just weddings, but a statement of our Christian attitude to each other.

Paul wrote this letter to the church that he helped found in Corinth.

The letter is dated around 55AD, a few years after the church had started. Like many new things that arise, the church in Corinth had gotten a little off track and Paul specifically wrote this letter to help them get back on course.

The church had gotten a little confused.

We find this in one of  Paul’s early statements, where he writes; Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. The reason Paul wrote this is that he had heard that some people were following a fellow named Apollo, others followed Paul or even Peter. A few did get it right that and said they followed Christ. This was causing quarreling in the church. Threatening the unity of the church in Corinth. Paul, as usual, wanted to nip things in the bud. He makes it clear that they follow only Christ, by saying; Is Christ divided?

Beyond getting confused by who they follow,  they started ignoring obvious immoral issues and some had welcomed pagan practices in the church. And still, some even started to feel superior to other believers. And to add to all of this drinking was getting a little out of hand at the Lord’s supper. Lastly, sexual immorality had also reared its ugly head.

Things were getting out of hand!

Typical of Paul he knew that this had to be resolved and not swept under the rug. Paul, in one of the most fundamental statements of 1st Corinthians states, So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. In other words, let’s get back to working for the Lord and not turn the church into a social club. I am probably being a little harsh here, but the church certainly was headed in that direction.

Paul also noticed some gender practices were creating issues in the church. For instance, was it okay for women to pray without their head covered? Paul’s reply was; Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? In other words, what is the societal norm? Paul, in making this statement, didn’t want this issue to be disruptive to the church.  While Paul believed women to be equal with men, he didn’t want the outside world to have any reason to complain about church practices. The church did decide that woman should cover their heads, a practice that extended itself well into modern times. Today,  it is unusual for women to cover their heads, and if it does occur it is viewed as an act of piety.

Paul and Women’s Rights

Another issue that appears in 1st Corinthians, is should women be able to talk in church? It says; Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak but must be in submission, as the law says. (1st Cor [14:34].) Here is an unusual position claimed to be stated by Paul. However, we find Paul strongly supportive of women and their rights in other parts of the New Testament. Some scholars and clergy would strongly disagree with me, because of this verse. But many of Paul’s assistants were women and in Galatians [3:28] he assigns women equal status with men. Also, this is another one of those verses with parentheses in your Bible. Not only does the verse seem out of place when you read it, but the fact it has parentheses, suggests this was a later addition and is not Paul’s words. I think this is more about how husbands and wives handle themselves in church;

no bickering!

Paul’s final point in this letter is the way to resolve church disagreements and what the church’s general attitude should be to resolving all issues. His statement is found in Chapter 13, verse 4, where it says; Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. While this verse, because of its universal message is very adaptable to things like wedding vows. It’s intent in this letter state that the best way to run a church or heck resolve issues of life is with an attitude of love. That the solution to all problems is the Christian attitude of love. He further points this out later in Chapter 13 by saying; Love never fails. So here it is, love conquers and solves all issues.

So once again we have Paul addressing very localized issues, but explains it so elegantly that it emerges as a major Christian thought that transcends time, place and purpose. Even today, we can apply these thoughts to marriages, friendships, disputes and yes, even church policies.

Simply, 1st Corinthians was written to reinforce that we keep our eyes on Jesus and not place church leaders above Jesus. That churches should be run orderly. And churches should immediately address all forms of immorality. All this tied together with the compelling and universal attitude of love.

Try reading 1st Corinthians with this background and this wonderfully crafted letter will come alive. Giving you a ringside seat to Paul’s organizational skills and foresight in building the church.

And always remember LOVE!

Listen to the Full Podcast – 1St Corinthians: Is Love All We Need?

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

We love giving credit to budding photographers to help them gain more exposure.

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christian sky

Christianity is Growing Despite Worldwide Persecution

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How many times in our lives do we stand at a place where all things seem lost? These times of distress are inevitable and will visit all, both the weak and the mighty.

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Fruits of Our Efforts

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“And seeing a fig tree by the side of the road, he went to it and found nothing at all on it but leaves. Then he said to it, ‘May no fruit ever come from you again!’ And the fig tree withered at once.”

— Matthew [21:19]

DO THE FRUITS OF OUR EFFORTS PRODUCE GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE?

I was talking with the business manager of a large automobile dealership and asked him, “How many cars a month does your best salesman sell?” He replied, “Thirty a month, month in and month out.” I was stunned. That was almost one and a half each day he worked. Considering the immense amount of paperwork and government forms that had to be filled out for each car, it was even more impressive. The salesman’s name was Steve, and not only did he sell a lot of cars, but he always achieved very high customer service scores. I queried the business manager about how and why Steve was so consistent. His reply was that Steve’s steady business came almost entirely from past customers’ referrals. He had gotten to a point where he only had to provide good customer service and no longer needed to  make cold calls.

“The fruit of his efforts was a steady stream of loyal customers.”

Steve sent out birthday cards to all his customers. He advocated for them when there was a problem. He would take their cars and get gas for them. He knew everyone by first name. In short, he put his customers first. The fruit of his efforts was a steady stream of loyal customers. His fig tree bore fruit because he cared. Customer first and himself second was the only way to accomplish this amazing feat.

How many times have we felt like a salesperson just wanted to sell something to us to make his or her goals? How many times have we felt cheated because of an extra add-on charge? How many times have our interests been put last? We are left feeling used and just there for people to get our cash. Many of us walk away silently and never do business with that person or company again. The salesperson may have won that day, but lost a future customer and many referrals. For a short-term gain there is a long-term loss. 

“Do we really listen to the customer or are we only interested in the sale?”

In today’s verse Jesus condemns the fig tree because it bore no fruit. It provided only leaves. Its purpose was to produce fruit, but it bore none. Many of us are guilty of this as well. We strive for that big sale. It makes our numbers good and our bosses happy. But silently we ignore the customer and in turn choke off our future. Our withered fruits become our reputation. Do we really listen to the customer or are we only interested in the sale? Would we continue buying something from someone like that, knowing we don’t come first? Jesus knew that good business is great customer service. 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

Do we listen to our customers or do we push our goals?

How many repeat sales do we get?

How do we show value to our customers?

 

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Imago Dei

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“So God created humankind in God’s image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

— Genesis [1:27]

IMAGO DEI

George  was raised in a wealthy home and went to Harvard. Instead of studying economics or business, he pursued a path of social advocacy. He eventually graduated with a master’s in Social Work. From there, with his wife, he started an organization called Street Squash, a program that provided inner city youth with access to college. The sport of squash was used to add an advantageous credit for the young people when applying to college, but it was not the primary focus of Street Squash. The students were provided with a place to go after school and study. They had tutors and visited college campuses. The goal was to create access for a segment of our population that needed a head start. George could have been a great investment banker, but chose instead a life of helping.

From his kitchen table George built an organization that has sent thousands of youth to college. And he has helped in the establishment of fourteen other programs throughout the country.   The graduation rate of students from these programs is substantially higher than national statistics. The youth from Street Squash achieve an almost 90 percent graduation rate. Without Street Squash, their chances were 15 percent. George only sees goals. He only sees that the youth are people. He knew that squash gave the students athletic content for their college résumés, and he knew Squash would help him with fund-raising.

“George reflects the Imago Dei, and his life focus is on helping, not labeling.”

Today’s verse comes from the book of Genesis and reflects the earliest statement from God on how humankind is viewed. We are all made in the image of God. Theologians call this Imago Dei. In today’s world of labeling from all corners,  people like George gets lost in the din of noise about racism, liberalism, conservatism, misogyny, and all the other labels we use to describe one another. Our news media encourages labeling because it increases viewership, which in turn increases revenue. All at the expense of the imago Dei. I know George and wish he was better known by others. George reflects the imago Dei, and his life focus is on helping, not labeling.

“There are no differences or labels from one to another when we think of people as images of God.”

In this time of great divide between all the various factions, it is important for us to reflect on what God means with the image of God. There are no differences or labels from one to another when we think of people as images of God. When we label, we diminish the intent of God. The solution to this great divide is turning back to God’s original intent and away from the commercialization of labels.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

 

PARTING THOUGHTS

How do we see people when we first meet them?

What does the imago Dei look like?

How do we feel when we are labeled?

 

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This Christmas “What Ought We To Do?”

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“Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.”

—John [5:19]–20

 

THIS CHRISTMAS “WHAT OUGHT WE TO DO?”

Beyond the ethics of doing the right thing, we must also show faith by having the courage to do the right thing. If we truly believe and have faith in the unseen, then we will not hesitate to do those “right” things, even if doing so might put us at some personal risk. Being bold in our faith leads us to do what God would have us do. A faith that if we choose a path for the right reasons that God will give us “A future with hope.”

The principal question of ethics is “What Ought we to do?” A simple question that when married with difficult situations can lead to complicated answers. Even simple answers to this question will lead people to have different answers.

When we bring Jesus into our thought process, ethics turn into Christian ethics. We then begin to ask, “What would Jesus do?” Again this sounds simple, but it is not. Competing with what Jesus would do is our natural selves. We have our own desires and needs. We need to pay our bills. We need to earn a living in order to do that. We want our worldly needs satisfied. Sometimes these needs will conflict with what Jesus would have us do.

I know a woman named Beth, who was homeless and fighting hard to regain her footing, so she could raise her child in a home like she saw other mothers do. She worked at a local Dunkin’ Donuts in a job that sometimes had her scraping gum off the bottom of the tables. Her boss was abusive and ranted at her throughout her shift. Each day she went back to her shelter with a little more money to get her freedom. On the Christmas Eve of her one-year journey in homelessness she left work and found a woman in the parking lot who was in need. It was a dark, rainy night, and the woman had not recently eaten and was rummaging in the trash bin behind the store. With what she had earned in tips that day, Beth took the woman into Dunkin’ Donuts and bought her a meal. She sat with the woman and listened to her story. On that rainy Christmas Eve, she drove back to her shelter wondering if she had done enough for the woman. Her principal question was had she done what she ought to do?

Beth eventually got an apartment and left her job, to work at a better place. The next fall she was able to put her child on a school bus for her first day of school. She was able to go to a job where she was respected. She continued to wonder if she had done enough on that Christmas Eve.

“We should walk on our path of faith, to explore the length and breadth of our inheritance. An inheritance that will heal and free us.”

Deciding what we ought to do seems complicated, but Jesus gives us a simple blueprint when he says, “but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.” Regardless of our natural circumstances, Jesus tells us to act in a manner that we envision how God would act. He asks us to act without fear of loss, but through our hearts. We should not overly ponder the event, but to let our knowledge of God through our heart tell us what we “ought” to do. We should walk on our path of faith, to explore the length and breadth of our inheritance. An inheritance that will heal and free us.

Maybe this is the Christmas that we move our gift giving to doing what would Jesus do? Perhaps this is someone we know who needs a little extra help. Perhaps a piece of what we give, we give to a needy cause. This Christmas we will all have that moment when we have to decide, What ought we to do?

The answer is; What would Jesus do?

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

Photo by erin walker

We love giving credit to budding photographers to help them gain more exposure.

 

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Did Jesus Really Exist Historically?

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DID JESUS REALLY EXIST HISTORICALLY?

One of the questions I am frequently asked is, “Did Jesus really exist physically on earth.” Those who doubt need tangible proof that Jesus really walked on earth. Did he really walk among? Did he really say what is in the Bible? As a Doctor of Ministry, I can say with certainty that he did exist. Not because I want him to be real, but because he was real.

Historical information from the 1st century is much murkier than that of the 21st century. The internet didn’t exist. Great writings were not as prolific as they are today. As such, gleaning information about Jesus’s physical existence is much harder. Proof of his existence requires searching ancient records that are far more subtle than they are today.

This is compounded by two other facts, much of what was known was from oral history and that which was written, was only about the elite. Writings in the 1st century tended to be written about kings or emperors, the aristocracy. In fact, in the first century only five percent of the population could write. When they did write it was on material they may last only a few decades. Unless these writings were transcribed, they would disappear. So finding the truth in this quest is much harder than what we can do today with our own history.

If we discount what is written in the New Testament, can we still be sure Jesus really existed? My answer is yes! There does exist wonderful clues and writings that confirm Jesus’s existence.

We do know that Jesus existed from both Tacitus, at the beginning of the second century, a pagan historian, and Josephus at the end of the first century. Josephus referred to Jesus as a “yoke maker.” A reference to Jesus as a carpenter. Tacitus discussed the crucifixion in his writings, not only referring to Jesus, but Pontius Pilate. A non-Christian source of confirmation.

Dr. Gary Habermas wrote a book called the Historical Jesus. In this book, his research concluded that there are over sixty non-Christian references to Jesus. From writings of ancient luminaries such as; Tacitus, Josephus, Thallus, Phlegon, Pliny the Younger, Suetonius, Emperor Trajan, Emperor Hadrian, the Talmud, Lucian, Mara Bar-Serapion. Many of these I read during my formal education of obtaining a Doctorate degree.

Another clue in our detective work centers around the existence of a document now called “Q”. Q is a document that included a number of sayings by Jesus. We know this document existed as it was included in the three synoptic Gospels; Matthew, Mark and Luke, and other documents unearthed from archaeological finds over the last few centuries.

The three Synoptic Gospels were all written at different times, spanning sixty C.E to eighty C.E. Mark was written first, followed by Matthew and then Luke. We know that because of some similarities the content of Q is included in all three. The writings of Q also exist in other documents that are not in the Bible. For instance, the Gospel of Thomas includes a number of these sayings.

Christian writers who are not in the New Testament, also have writings supporting the existence of Jesus, such as; Clement of Rome, Diognetus, Aristedes, Papias, Barnabas, Polycarp, Ignatius, Melito of Sardis, Quadratus, and Justin Martyr.

While this evidence answers the question of Jesus physical existence, it is only a small part or start of our belief. When talking with those who doubt, this information is a start, but there is more. Jesus is not just seen, but felt. Feeling Jesus in our hearts extends his physical presence to that of a spiritual presence.

Just knowing Jesus existed isn’t enough for those seeking. It is from feeling Jesus. When I hear the question of did Jesus really exist, I know the person is the early stages of acceptance. Accepting that there is a higher force and a set of life values we can hang on to.

Accepting Jesus in our hearts comes from observing. Learning to discern what is coincidence and what is providence. The process starts with engaged dialogue, or prayer. Then watching and seeing the results. For some this will come quickly. For others, perhaps a lifetime. Ultimately developing a firm faith is believing in the unseen.

For some a crisis must first exist. For others, simply a prayer that is answered. But for all that seek Jesus, he will be found. Each journey is different. With different hills and valleys to wander. The eventual encounter with Jesus will be remarkable and deeply personal.

Sure Jesus walked this earth. But this knowledge is the start of our journey. Jesus is more than physical, he is spiritual. He wants not only our eyes to see, but our hearts to feel. Breaking down the barriers of doubt of his physical existence hopefully will lead us to the final answer. Jesus is God, whom we seek.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

Photo by Grant Whitty

We love giving credit to budding photographers to help them gain more exposure.

 

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