Hebrews 13

Posted on by March 20, 2015
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Hebrews 13:1-5 — Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

I had one of those Bible moments today. You know — one of those moments when you come to a passage that you’ve read a few times before that — all the same — seems completely new. I read Hebrews 13 and it just sang to me. So my devotion today has one unashamed objective — to send you off to read it too!

Peter, Paul, and the writer of Hebrews do this thing — they each have passages of really practical instructions that are the launching pad for some great theology. (I suppose I could have included James, but his letter is almost all instruction, it’s not quite the same).

The chapter starts off by laying out five key elements to Christian life — or perhaps it would be better to say one master principle, and four more that follow from it.

The master principle is brotherly love. Jesus Himself identified it as the identifying feature of His disciples — “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35). Peter and Paul both stress the importance of brotherly love.

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; (Romans 12:10)

Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. (1 Peter 2:17)

From the master principle, flow four more — hospitality, compassion, purity and compassion. And then our writer identifies the foundation  — Jesus, who has said “I will never leave you or forsake you”. 

It’s what happens next that really spoke to me today. The chapter broadens out into a treatise on leadership. It hides in a description of the duties the Hebrews owe to those who are over them … but it’s really about the leaders themselves. Those leaders spoke God’s word, they were faithful, and they were focused — on “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever“. (Hebrews 13:8)

Then there is yet another pearl hidden in this chapter. Because next it speaks directly of Jesus (and we should remember that Jesus, and His superiority to all that went before, is the focus of the letter to the Hebrews). His example of self-sacrifice is given as one for the Hebrews to follow …

I’m about half way through the chapter. I’ll leave the rest for your exploration. I hope I’ve whetted your appetite …

It’s Not The Devil

Posted on by February 14, 2015
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Exodus 37:1 — And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:

There’s a saying, a cliché really: “The devil is in the details.” I don’t think that’s right. I think God is the one who is in all the details.
Sometimes, let me be honest, the description of the building of the temples can seem wearying. “Why,” I ask myself, “did God put all these details in here?” Starting in chapter 25 of Exodus we get the record of God’s precise instructions to Moses as to how the tent of meeting was to be built. Then, here in chapter 37 of Exodus, begins the record of how exactly Bezaleel followed those instructions.
I have come to believe that there are two reasons for the records to be so detailed. The first is that the temples are pictures of heaven — and God is naturally concerned that the pictures should be accurate. The second is that they tell of the precision with which Bezaleel, and his counterparts in later constructions, followed God’s blueprints — and how God approved of their rigorous obedience.
God’s attention to, and appreciation of, detail seem obvious to me. Consider the wonders of nature … Did you never marvel at the beauty and detail of a spider’s web? Or did you see the back of a leaf. Or have you looked at a snowflake, been amazed at the detail of the crystalline structure and then recalled that each one is unique?
Of course, there is something else in nature that makes my point even more strongly:

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:13-16)

Look at yourself! You, yourself, are the most powerful evidence of God’s attention to detail!
I take comfort from these thoughts. Attention to detail can be important to me — some have even called me perfectionist — and it’s good to know that God would approve!

How Do We Protect Kids From Content?

Posted on by June 28, 2011
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Solving the problem of how to protect kids from corrupting content isn’t happening any time soon.

The Supreme Court ruled http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304447804576411571732346148.html?mod=djemalertNEWS) that California can’t block minors from buying videos with violent content. It’s a first amendment issue. It goes with the turnover of Federal legislation to  ban animal-cruelty videos. That poses a problem for constitutional literalists like me. (Actually, I’m an Originalist, of sorts … I beleieve the framers and those who supported them had a God-driven understanding of what would work for America, and trying to look at today’s questions with their mind set makes sense). I can’t be sure that James Madison, who presented the Bill of Rights, would feel like I do about the pornography of violence. So what to do?

Should I bend, and adopt a modern/instrumentalist position, and accept that the consitutional intent should be modified by a modern climate? I can’t. The risks are too great. So I guess the best I can do is hope for a children’s Bill of Rights to be added to the Constitution to fight off the tide of sexual and violent imagery sweeping over our Children.   A great evil cannot be defeated by taking away the protection of the Constitution …

After The Mission … Feed Back!

Posted on by June 28, 2011
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We were recently encouraged, at our church, to support another band of youngsters going on mission, to one of our tougher inner cities. Now we love these kids. We like to support them …but when they come back we’d really like to know what happened. How did you get on? How were you blessed? All too often, there is no feedback. So if you go on mission, feedback. If you take a group, make sure they feedback.

I place a big part of the responsibility, in fact, on the adult leaders. It might not be obvious to the kids. When Myra and I were trying to raise ministry support, we were told that failing to report back was one of the biggest reasons for declining support for established missionaries. The early church was better at it (don’t believe me? The Book of Acts is one long series of mission reports!). So why should “Report Back” be a key step in any mission’s project plan?

  1. Simple gratitude. Supporters deserve to be thanked. Paul gives a wonderful example, in Philippians 4:10-16.
  2. Encourage future supporters – 2 Corinthians 81-8
  3. Be a model for others
  4. Show how God is working
    1. In your life
    2. In the life of those you touch.

When I was little, when I received a gift, my mother tried to make sure I sent a “thank you” note. Trust me, this little courtesy goes a long way in building relationships, and those relationships will go a long way in building the Kingdom!

“Whatever Happened to Walking to School?” – indeed!

Posted on by September 17, 2010
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My thoughts on this were provoked by an article in the Wall Street Journal of September 7th that posed this question to its readers. It made me think about what I see around me.

Living and working in Florida certainly has its problems for moms and dads as there are many children that live far from their schools. In addition, we don’t always have school bus services, and that leaves the mom mobile as the only way for children to get to their schools. There are many busy roads here that pose their own difficulties when you want to cross – as I have experienced for myself!

All the same … in the community where we live, the school buses come in to the community center to collect the kids for the various area schools and what astounds me is that I never see children walking to the collection point. They are always in cars! Come on parents – what are you doing to your children? Tubby Tina and Chubby Charlie would benefit from the daily walk to the bus (and maybe you would too – it sets you up for the day!) Kids would benefit, too, by talking as they went, instead of texting from the back seat – it’s a much better way of building long-term friendships. The idea can be made to work for car-poolers too. The driver for the day might have to drive to the bus stop – but everyone else can walk.

You might wonder who I am to talk – but I’m a grandmother with 9 kids, all of whom walk to school (and of course I always did too). The benefit for children is endless, and for you working parents I can promise that this slower-paced start to the day will ensure you don’t arrive at work quite so stressed and frazzled. So how about it? Give feet a chance!

Customer Satisfaction?

Posted on by August 27, 2010
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Just a quick post, not close to our usual topics …

I like businesses that care about whether they are meeting my needs. I don’t like businesses that pretend they care! Have you, like me, noticed the increasing tendency to offer you a survey when you buy goods or services? I think they might be a good thing … but there’s one aspect that really ticks me off. It’s when the person handing me the survey “suggests” how I might care to rate their performance. It’s happened several times recently … an automotive dealership, a restaurant, a hardware store. I’m oK with giving an honest rating, but anyone who “suggests” we give a top score is going to get a nasty surprise!

Our Biggest Sin?

Posted on by August 23, 2010
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God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Genesis 1:28 (NIV)

Shame on me. I’m really not an ecofreak. In fact for most of my life I’ve been rather dismissive of “tree-huggers”. Two things have brought my attitude into sharp focus recently though, and I’m beginning to wonder of mankind’s bizarre interpretation (or complete ignorance of) the so-called “Cultural Commission” may not be God’s biggest controversy with us, come Judgment Day.

(OK, by now I should have shaken off a good number of readers…)

The text tells us that God said to Adam, “You’re in charge of this earth.” It’s the words “subdue” and “rule” that seem to have got us into trouble.

The word “subdue”, in fact, is the Hebrew “kâbash”, usually translated as something like “conquer”, or “subjugate”. It is never translated as “despoil”, “pollute” or “make toxic”.

The word “rule” is the Hebrew “mâlak”: to reign (as king). Not “exterminate”!

The first “event” to bring this into focus for me was the Gulf oil spill. No doubt we have the right to use the resources the earth provides. But it seems to me that we’ve gone too far in the way we do it … and it’s nothing new. 800 years ago, the South of England was covered in forests … all gone now. And we are still chopping down rainforests. I’m not going to exercise the arguments … just confess that they are more real to me now than they were 6 months ago. I’m going to try to be more thoughtful in my use of resources.

The second “event” was a visit this week to San Diego zoo. It’s a great zoo, as zoos go. I was worried that some habitats seemed small, and some animals not entirely happy, but what really shook me was the indicator, for each species, about its risk for extinction. Remember Noah’s ark? God was OK with wiping out most of humanity … but protected the animals, birds and bugs! How have we interpreted “rule over” to mean “wipe out”?

I’m hoping that God will let Adam stand for all of us when he asks the question on Judgment Day, “So Adam, We made you in Our image. What made you think when we told you to subdue the earth and rule the livestock we meant destroy and deplete? There are plenty of other things to talk about, but this one has us really ticked off!”

Shame on me. I’m not going to go nuts about it, but I am going to try to do a little better …

Immigration, Arizona, and the Constitution

Posted on by July 31, 2010
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The Congress shall have Power To … To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, …

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Article I, Section. 8, US Constitution

I’ve been working on a fairly long piece about the kind of America I believe in – what “One Nation Under God” means to me. My attention was caught, though; as I’m sure your attention has been caught, by the matter of the Arizona Immigration Law.

The questions that occurred to me were:

  1. Is it reasonably likely that the Arizona law is unconstitutional?
  2. How, anyway, should I feel about illegal immigration?

It looks like Arizona’s SB 1070 set out to do two things – seed the idea in the minds of illegal immigrants that they are constantly at risk from arrest by state and local police so that they leave the country of their own accord, and attack legal rulings that have, effectively, given the federal government complete control over immigration matters.

I have to admit that, at first blush, I have a lot of sympathy with the idea that as Washington has not only not controlled illegal immigration but even – perhaps – promoted it by policy, so states should be allowed to manage it in so far as it damages their interests. But what’s the constitutional position?

The fact is, the Constitution never mentions immigration, so how is it that the rules for immigrants, and quotas from countries, are set by the federal government and not by the state governments? After all, as the 10th Amendment states, are the powers not delegated to the United States held by the states, or the people? Naturalization is covered, and The Federalist Papers make it clear that the authors of the Constitution intended matters of naturalization to be solely the province of the Federal authorities, both in respect of legislation and of enforcement. The linkage between naturalization and immigration has been established judicially: The Supreme Court has ruled that the Congressional power to regulate naturalization includes the power to regulate immigration, holding that:

  • “Congress and the President have broad power over immigration and naturalization which the States do not possess.”
  • “The power to control immigration — to admit or exclude aliens — is vested solely in the Federal Government, and the States may not deprive aliens so admitted of the right to earn a livelihood, as that would be tantamount to denying their entrance and abode.”

I have to say that I can’t see the logic of allowing Congress to legislate about naturalization if Congress can’t legislate as to the legality of the process by which an immigrant arrives in the first place! Equally, I don’t see how the United States (a nation) cannot determine who may be admitted or denied. All told then it wouldn’t surprise me if, by the time this gets argued to the Supreme Court (as it surely will), that SB1070 gets ruled unconstitutional.

All the constitutional discussion aside, how should I feel about immigration? Let me offer some background. I am an immigrant, British by birth. My observation is that Britain managed immigration admirably for many years, carefully controlling the pace of immigration and ensuring the integration of immigrant populations and the protection of the British Culture. Unfortunately, since the late 1950’s successive governments have failed to control immigration and the national character has, it seems, changed radically.
My wife and I have benefited greatly by our immigration, but we went through a long and difficult process to ensure we were legally admitted.
Take these facts together, and it should be no surprise that I believe that the Federal government should, by action and policy, protect the borders of the United States.

That still leaves open the question of “what should be done about people who are in the United States illegally?” I’ve got to admit, this is where I’m “wishy-washy”. I know that there are many jobs being done that “legal” residents won’t do. On the other hand, I know that there are substantial resources being exported “home” by illegal immigrants. I know that this country has the resources to support many people, and as a Christian I find it hard to take a hard line against people who are working hard, and seeking to better themselves. And I think the hypocrisy that exploits illegal immigrants by Federal policy and yet makes it difficult for them to get necessary services stinks. So I think there should be a “triage”. Starting as soon as the borders are properly policed, illegal immigrants should be allowed an opportunity to become legal – to show they are a positive and not a negative presence. Any with criminal records get a one-way ticket “home”. Any who establish that they support the laws, constitution and way of life of the United States get a probationary period equivalent to the time legal immigration takes – and can then be naturalized.

I’m sorry for the citizens of Arizona. They have a problem shared by those in other states – Florida, California, New Mexico and Texas in particular. The Federal Government is unwilling or unable to properly manage immigration. But I don’t believe their grandstanding politicians have the answer.

If My People …

Posted on by July 24, 2010
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Genesis 2:15 (NIV)

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

2 Chronicles 7:12–16 , 19–21 (NIV)

12 the Lord appeared to him at night and said: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices. 13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. 16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there. …

… 19 “But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. 21 And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?'”

 

Like many of you, I have a daily “quiet time”. I pray, read my Bible, and meditate. As well as the many things that come up from day to day, I have a routine of topics that I cover every week. On Mondays I pray for my family, Tuesday for my church family, Wednesday for the community where I live, Thursday for the nation, Friday for missions, Saturday for the lost and helpless and Sunday for personal guidance. There’s no magic to it. I’m not recommending it particularly … it’s just what works for me. I mention it only to give context to this post.

Today, of course, is Wednesday – so I was praying for my community. As I prayed, I was led to consider the state – Florida – in which I live, and to reflect on how we have treated it. As Genesis tells us, God put man in the garden to work it, and take care of it … it was both a pleasant way to spend time and a kind of trial … how would man do. Of course, Adam and Eve blew it. They took the apple, and were expelled. But the commission to take care of the earth was never rescinded. So how are we doing in Florida? Not so well it seems to me. An oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico threatens the fish, wildlife and beaches. Insufficiently constrained development continues to erode habitats and has driven the Florida Panther to the brink of extinction. Phosphate mining is bringing depletion ever closer. Even water is scarce! Here we are, with oceans on either side of us, sitting on what should be a vast lake of water … and having to limit our use of fresh water. We have surely failed the Eden test!

What can we do? How about following the instructions in the Owner’s manual? Christians could take to heart the text from Chronicles, above, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Unfortunately, I think it’s not going to happen … I have a good friend who’s fond of quoting this particular scripture. Unkindly, I have taken to reminding him of the flipside of the promise. If we don’t turn away from false gods, there will be no healing. “What false Gods?” you might say. A false god is anything that we put ahead of God (THE God …). If we put drilling for oil, replacing wildlife habitats with developments, and depleting natural resources – all in pursuit of wealth and easy living, we’re putting material things ahead of the one true God …

I have to confess my guilt. I’ve been a little bit disdainful of environmental concerns. Shame on me. My quiet time this morning was a wakeup call. I’ll try to do better.

Beware Verbal Gymnastics: “Religion” is far more than “Worship”

Posted on by July 6, 2010
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The first amendment to The United States Constitution says “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. Careful observers have noted a worrying trend – an exercise in verbal gymnastics by the current administration – that may be seeking to dilute the force of the Constitution’s clear statement of religious freedom. The first occurrence of this verbal sleight of hand seems to have occurred when President Obama said, in his Remarks by the President at Memorial Service at Fort Hood on November 10, 2009, “We’re a nation that guarantees the freedom to worship as one chooses.  And instead of claiming God for our side, we remember Lincoln’s words, and always pray to be on the side of God.” Admirable words, but for that one semantic switch from “religion” to “worship”. The word shift was rapidly picked up on by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. In “Remarks on the Human Rights Agenda for the 21st Century” delivered at Georgetown University on December 14, 2009, she said “To fulfill their potential, people must be free to choose laws and leaders; to share and access information, to speak, criticize, and debate. They must be free to worship, associate, and to love in the way that they choose.”

It might be argued that this is just nit-picking. If it were clear that the administration intended, in using the word “worship”, to include all aspects of the practice of religion, I would agree. The facts, however, don’t support that view. Consider, for instance, Secretary of State Clinton’s endorsement of Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook to be Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. She said, “I look forward to working with Dr. Johnson Cook, if she is confirmed, to bring greater focus to international efforts to ensure that people everywhere enjoy the global standards of religious freedom enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”What are those global standards? Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.” Plainly “freedom of religion’ is much more than “freedom of worship” … by an international standard accepted by the Obama administration.

Again, it might be argued that this is just more hysteria from the religious right. But Knox Thames, the director of the Congress-controlled U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom — tasked with monitoring religious freedom abroad—said, at a February 3, 2010 public staff briefing about the future of U.S. religious freedom policy sponsored by the House Foreign Affairs Committee Subcommittee on International Operations, Human Rights and Oversight, “I have noticed a change in terminology by President Obama and Secretary Clinton over the past months. Starting during the President’s trip to Asia, he referred to ‘freedom of worship’ on several occasions, but never once mentioned ‘freedom of religion.’ This trend has continued with Secretary Clinton. In her speech at Georgetown University and her more recent Internet freedom speech, both times she only referred to ‘freedom of worship.'”. It’s not only the religious conservatives who have noticed the potential semantic erosion of constitutional freedom.

This is not just about words. But words ARE important. (If you aren’t sure why words matter, then consider yourself sentenced to a remedial reading of George Orwell’s “1984”). Consider that sentence from Secretary Clinton, “They must be free to worship, associate, and to love in the way that they choose” – note how the freedoms of worship and loving are equated. Consider, are these “freedoms” equivalent … are they based on similar immutable truths? Beware those verbal gymnastics!