Month: July 2008

Read Jn 1.29-37

It took two days for the disciples to get it. On day one, John announces “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!” The disciples don’t budge (vs29). The next day, two of them get it and begin to follow Jesus (vs35-37). As Disciplemakers, don’t be surprised when people don’t figure it out on the first go round. In fact make a plan to come back to the important things over and over again. Paul had learned this principle in his teaching, “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.” (Philippians 3:1) Remember, our Forgetories are better than our memories. FJ19

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16

We were rippin’ into the boss but good and of course he wasn’t there. Or at least that’s what we thought. Turns out our sergeant was standing right behind a half open door listening to every word we had said about him. Boy, there were some red faces in the crowd when he stepped around the corner. His half grin verified he had caught us in our half-truths. We were a little embarrassed but we should have known someone was listening. And if it wasn’t out team leader certainly God was. Every time we breathe a word of insult, gossip, or slander, God hears it all (even when we just think it).

“You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

We had a great time on our staff-ride studying the WWII battlefields of Tunisia and now it was time to head back home. As we checked out of the five-star (really two-star) hotel, I saw that the lovely Tunisian desk clerk was writing with a US Government ballpoint pen. I asked her casually if I could have “my” pen back. She was visibly shocked and replied, “I’m sorry, sir, but this is my pen.” To which I replied, “No, Ma’am; it says right on it “US Government,” I’m with the US Government, so it’s my pen.” I broke the tension by laughing and assuring her that I was just kidding with her. But then I started to think about all the US Government pens in my house. Could it be that I was more guilty of thievery than she? But it’s just a pen! Not the excuse I would accept from my son if he took one from the store.

“You shall not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14

“Chaplain, I’ve never committed adultery. Sure I look but its not like I’m cheating on my wife or anything. It’s OK to check out the menu as long as I don’t order, right?” It would seem the simple act of lust would be pretty harmless but actually according to Jesus it’s the same as committing adultery. That would put 99% of us red-blooded American men in violation of the seventh commandment (and some red-blooded American women as well). That’s a high standard of holiness and believe it or not there are folks out there that think they are just that perfect. Every time we think we have a handle on personal purity, God raises the bar and shows us we just can’t make the grade.

Read Mt 4.1-11, Mk 1.12-13, Lk 4.1-13

When Jesus is temped in the wilderness, He leans heavily on the Word of God as His defense. But quoting a verse may not be enough to shield one from the stealthy attacks of the evil one. In one of the temptations the Devil actually uses the Word of God as a weapon. Jesus rebuts the attack by saying, “on the other hand” and quotes a balancing scripture verse. In other words Jesus is so proficient with the Scriptures that He parries His enemies miss guided thrust with another verse of Scripture. He interprets Scripture with Scripture placing the verse in its proper biblical context and application. This is evidence that Jesus was completely immersed in the Word of God. There is a big difference between being familiar and being proficient. FJ18

“You shall not murder. Exodus 20:13

One of the most common questions I hear from soldiers is, “How can I be a soldier and still keep the fourth commandment?” The answer is in the forth commandment itself. You shall not murder, not you shall not kill. If killing was the real problem, then as soon as you plucked that carrot out of the ground to feed yourself… boom… you just broke a command. No, it’s murder breaks the commandment and not the use of military force to preserve freedom and protect the innocent. Now wait a sec; before we think we’re totally off the hook, consider Jesus’ words: Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that it was said…Do not murder…But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell…” It’s not my military service that puts me in the greatest danger of breaking this commandment; it’s my pride and anger making me the violator.

Read Mt 3.13-17, Mk 1.9-11, Lk 3.21-23

John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance so why did Jesus need to be baptized? Jesus was sinless and had no need to repent but He did need to live up to all the expectations of righteousness in order to be holy (2 Cor 5.21). It wasn’t merely not doing the don’ts; it was doing all the dos as well (being perfect as His Father in Heaven is perfect; Mt 5.48). So John’s baptism has more significant than just repentance, it was the right thing to do. As we are discipling men and women we need to help them understand the importance of baptism and every other positive command. It is part of Jesus’ Great Commission and it’s the right thing to do. FJ17

“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

“I want out of the Army!” “Why?” “Because the only reason I joined was to show my parents I can control my own life.” “And who’s in control of your life now?” “Well… uh… the Army.” “Boy, you showed them.” That’s a conversation I’ve had with many soldiers. The problem isn’t necessarily parents; it’s our rebellious nature. The first place that rebellion becomes evident is in our relationship with parents. But that’s just the beginning and ultimately it’s only a small glimpse of our rebellion against God. Honor, respect, and obedience should begin in the home. If it’s cultivated and nurtured properly, there’s a good chance it will reflect in our relationship with God. Some may be thinking it’s too late. If you have breath, it’s never too late. Go back, make things right, and receive the special blessing that comes with honoring your mother and father. Just a thought: the older I get, the smarter my folks get.

Read Mt 3.11-12, Mk 1.7-8, Lk 3.15-18

Jesus Christ will cause division. Right and wrong. Believing and unbelieving. Saved and lost. Eternal life and eternal damnation. This is a matter of fact that comes with relating to Jesus and straight from His words. As much as we’d like to soften the blow eventually it boils down to one question, “Will you follow, trust, embrace, Jesus?” I agree with the Universalist on this point, “All roads do lead to Heaven.” But how long one gets to stay there is where our disagreement begins. There is a final judgment. We will all stand before God to give an account. And the only delineating factor will be our relationship to Jesus. “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” (1 Jn 5:12) It is very important as disciplers of Jesus to acknowledge this fact and communicate it in love. We do not use it as a contentious weapon but as a compassionate warning. FJ16

Universalism is a religion and theology that generally holds all persons and creatures are related to God or the divine and will be reconciled to God.

Read Mt 3.7-10, Lk 3.7-14

John the Baptist’s job was to help people achieve a right attitude. He accuses the people of having false motivation disguised under spiritual pretense. When John was asked, “what should we do?” which really means “how shall we repent?” each response has something to do with relationships. The fruit of repentance is always about repairing relationships. Whether it’s our relationship with God and our relationship with other people, John’s message would needle into the true motive. He was the perfect forerunner for Jesus’ message of loving God and loving neighbor. FJ15