Playing Your Cards

“‘We would have healed Babylon,
   but she cannot be healed;
let us leave her and each go to our own land,
   for her judgment reaches to the skies,
   it rises as high as the heavens.’ – Jeremiah 51

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 51-52; Hebrews 9

Life is a lot like the game of poker at times. The best we can do is play the cards we are dealt.

We have different things that come into our lives. Sometimes these cards are good and worthy of holding on to and betting on. Other times they are ok. They have potential, and depending on the situation they may be worth holding on to, to see how they pan out. But other times what we get is garbage. The earlier we decide to fold those hands the better off we are in the long run.

Of course we cannot fold our cards in all of the situations in our lives. We cannot give back or family or our genetics. No matter what we think about where we come from, it is in fact where we come from.

But there is so much about life that we can choose to walk away from, to let die, rather than putting energy into it hoping that it will spring to life and bear fruit.

This is why we prune things. In order to grow most efficiently we must cut away that which is holding back life. We have to rid ourselves of people, places and situations that are taking more from us than they are giving.

This theme has come up time and time again in our reading and I don’t think it is an accident. I think the repetition is a necessary reminder because it is often hard to cut away those things that once gave us life.

Have you noticed that there are some things in your life that need to be cut away? 

A Sense of Urgency

“A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the LORD’s work!
   A curse on anyone who keeps their sword from bloodshed! – Jeremiah 48:10

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 48-49; Hebrews 7

When I was a little boy my only chore at my Dad’s house was to take out the trash. My Dad always said that women shouldn’t have to touch garbage if there is a man around. So once I got big enough to lift the trash bag out of the can then I became the little refuse man.

Unfortunately I was a little forgetful fellow as well.

Kung Fu Blessings

Why will your warriors be laid low? They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down. – Jeremiah 46:15

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 46-47; Hebrews 6

Ummm… so it’s pretty easy to see what happens when you go against God.

You get pushed down.

Verses like this are funny to me.

Courageous Obedience

 

He said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: ‘If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’ – Jeremiah 42:9-12

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 40-42; Hebrews 4

Sometimes obedience isn’t an easy thing. Sure, it sounds great when we think about the things that God tells us when it comes to pursuing our dreams. It is awesome to think about how our obedience can lead to us reaping rewards that we have always dreamed about.

But what if those same tasks that God has given us cause us to confront things that we don’t want to see?

Obedience is Freedom

King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have gone over to the Babylonians, for the Babylonians may hand me over to them and they will mistreat me.”

“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the LORD by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you, and your life will be spared. – Jeremiah 38: 19-20

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 37-39; Hebrews 3

Obedience is the path to freedom.

We Cannot Silence the Truth

Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. – Jeremiah 36:23-25

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 34-36; Hebrews 2

The King in Jeremiah’s time received some bad news from Jeremiah. A scroll was presented to him that predicted that his regime would be overthrown by the Babylonians and the whole nation would be taken over. He decided to ignore it and burned the scroll bit by bit as the words were read to him.

The audacity!

Write Your Own Redemption Story

“‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. – Jeremiah 33: 6-8

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 32-33; Hebrews 1

We love to see stories of redemption. Have you ever read an article about a person who, after having been down on their luck, received wonderful opportunities? There is something magical about it. I think that deep down inside we want to believe in the happy endings that redemptive stories bring into our lives.

Generational Curses

 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will plant the kingdoms of Israel and Judah with the offspring of people and of animals. Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD. “In those days people will no longer say,

   ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes,
   and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge. - Jeremiah 31:27-30

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 30-31; Philemon

I’m tired of hearing people talk about generational curses. Have you ever heard the term? Well, I hear it everyone once in a while in Christian circles.

The Potter's Wheel

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

 Then the word of the LORD came to me. He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. – Jeremiah 18:1-6

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 18-19; 2 Timothy 3

Often times when we make mistakes in life we wonder how we can possibly bounce back from them. Sometimes the road to recovery is clear. We saw quickly the error of our ways and quickly changed course to get back on track.

But what about those other times where it took us a long while to see where we were going wrong?

Redemption is for Everyone

Babylon

This is what the LORD says: “As for all my wicked neighbors who seize the inheritance I gave my people Israel, I will uproot them from their lands and I will uproot the people of Judah from among them. But after I uproot them, I will again have compassion and will bring each of them back to their own inheritance and their own country. And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people. – Jeremiah 12:14-16

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 12-14; 1 Timothy 1

I can’t imagine what it must have been like to hear this message from God. Jeremiah asked God why is it that He allows the unjust to prosper and then He responds by telling him not only that this injustice is why Judah will fall but also that if those who take over Judah follow him then he will establish them among his people!

That must have seemed unfair. Aren’t the people of Israel the chosen ones? Why would he do something so special for those who conquer his people?

The idea that God causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, has always perplexed me. How is this fair? How is it just? I don’t quite understand it. Perhaps this reveals the limits of my understanding of justice and fairness.

But what is clear to me is how loving this notion is. God loves everyone the same whether they do good or bad, no matter who they are. This may seem wrong. Why wouldn’t God have more love for those who do good and less for those who do bad? It’s because no one is perfect; but also, no one is beyond redemption. This is true with his people the Israelites just as much as it is true with all of the rest of us.

God has given all of us an inheritance. He has bestowed a purpose on the lives of each and every person who inhabits this earth. Some choose to walk along that path and some do not.

The choice is ours.

Even when we do bad God may continue to bless us. This gives us another day, another opportunity to realize the folly of our ways and to turn away from them and into the light. As long as we are still breathing we have an opportunity to make a change.

I know that I spent my fair share of time in the dark. I’m just thankful that He gave me a chance to come back into the light. 

The Ancient Paths

This is what the LORD says:

   “Stand at the crossroads and look;
   ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
   and you will find rest for your souls.
   But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ – Jeremiah 6:16

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 6-8; 1Timothy 5

Sometimes it is hard to see where you are going. In the famous Psalm 23 David talks about walking in the valley of the shadow of death. But then he said that he will fear no evil because God is with him.

God As The Jilted Groom?

During the reign of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. Jeremiah 3:6-9

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 3-5; 1 Timothy 4

Whoa whoa whoa!

God is none too pleased obviously.

Learning from Children

The word of the LORD came to me, saying,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
   before you were born I set you apart;
   I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

“Alas, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. – Jeremiah 1:4-8

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 1-2; 1 Timothy 3

When you want to learn something new how do you seek out information? Maybe you go to the library and get some books (if you’re old school like me), or perhaps you just google the topic on your phone or computer. Maybe you ask your friends and mentors? All of these seem like very logical options.

But I’d like you to consider another source of knowledge that could be more powerful than all of those combined.

Children

When I was in Brazil back in 2001 I learned so much from the kids that I met. 

A Convo with Kofi About Sex

So I wrote this post yesterday about the passages in 1 Cor 6 regarding sexual immorality. 

Shortly there after the homie Kofi hit me up on chat with some challenging questions and the following conversation ensued. I believe that one of the ways that God speaks to us is through those around us. 

My man Kof makes some good points... Enjoy

Kofi: haha...interesting, I gotta run, be back later. I just wanted to ask several Questions: Did you look at all the other verses having to do with sex before coming to the conclusion of permissibility? Have you considered 1 Cor 6:12 in the context of Matthew 5:28, 1 Cor 7:9, and Job 31:1? What do you think it means that sex is never discussed in the Bible in a positive way before marriage? Have you truly searched your spirit man for not just wisdom but 'understanding' on some 1 Cor 2 stuff (before writing this particular piece)? How explicit would the writers have to be to convince people that sex before marriage is sin, and would that be practical? Would it be spiritual? If even thinking lustfully at a woman is sin, how could actual sex not be? Is the lack of definition of sexual immorality a call for us to get away from seeing sin through adherence to ' 'law' and really seeking God's spirit rather than our human intellect to decide how we should live or who we should we?

me: haha just saw your comments. Let me read through them..

Did I look at all of the scriptures no. but I'm not even convinced that "fornication" is sex outside of marriage.

Regarding Matt: 5:28 adultery, by definition, implies that one has already entered into the marriage bond. Even so that is an impossible standard. I'm not sure if you read my entire post but I do submit to the fact that Paul is right about it being bad, assuming that he is talking about sex outside of marriage.

Regarding 1 Cor 7:9... look at verse 6 for context.. “I say this as a concession, not as a command.”

In both chapter 6 and 7 he is clear that this is not a command.

He is also clear in saying that this is wise and the best way to go... and I agree with him.

Job: 31:1: Wasn't Job married? Also this is not part of the Laws of Moses. I'm certain of that. It is a New Testament thing.

I'd argue that sex isn't discussed at all in terms of it being before marriage. I've seen sex discussed in marriage, in adultery, and with prostitutes. It may very well be the case that folk really weren't having sex with women outside of marriage (unless they were prostitutes) because it was such a taboo.

I have searched for wisdom on this. And I readily accept that I could be wrong but I felt compelled to write this because I'm not the only person thinking about it. If having a dialog about it means that I come out as being the one that is flawed then I'm ok with that. But I didn't want to shy away from writing about it just because I have problems with it (I almost punked out).

I do think it would have been practical to mention it explicitly. The old law is explicit about not having sex with animals and homosexuality... why not be explicit about this? In the New Testament verse I mentioned in the blog, Mark 10... I can see someone using that as a rationale… but still it is in the context of divorce and marriage. I don't understand why the Bible is explicit about so many other general aspects of sex and not this one.

The part about seeing God's spirit... you've got me there

Maybe this really speaks to the sickness of our society. I do not believe that it is ideal for human beings to be unmarried into their 30s... at the time folk were getting married in their teens… big cultural changes have occurred... again I'm not saying this to explain away the situation... but maybe our society is so sick that the sexual part of obedience is that much more trying.

Let's discuss further.

Kofi returned

me: well you made the point that I made in the second half of my post

 In terms of the will of God and what the spirit says on the matter, which makes the definition of "fornication" kinda a moot point

Kofi: I want to go back to a couple of points you made

me: ok

Kofi: I’m interested in the definition of adultery

me: INTERESTING

Kofi: adultery, as I interpret it in the bible does not mean marriage. From our reading of the whole book its essential meaning has to do with faithfulness to God

me: see… now that is what I have heard about fornication

  never about adultery

  

Kofi: well going back to Matthew 5

  and lustfulness

me: fornication meaning not putting anything before God

  ok

  listening

Kofi: to me Matthew 5 is really getting at God wanting us to be free of a lustful mind

  that's why he doesn't break it down into specific sex acts

  because if we could sniff each others butts to fulfill lustful mental desires

  we would do it

  like "God didn’t say we couldn’t do this"

to me marriage is part of what justifies sexual gratification in Gods eyes

me: hmmm

Kofi: because going back to adultery, and faithfulness,

  these fleshly bodies

  aren’t ours

  they're his

  bought with his blood

with his spirit inserted into those who receive it

coming together in lust, lust in itself being a sin, to me is definitely sin

me: still here listening FYI

Kofi: Rather than breaking down specifics, he focuses on lust, because it is an affliction of the spirit, that deals with all of the physical acts associated with it

me: great point

Kofi: like if you kiss a girl on the mouth, like I'm feeling you, I love you, shoot I love the God in you

  not necessarily lust

whereas if you kiss someone and you're like, "dang I just want to knock the stuffin’ out that English muffin"

  its lust

me: hahahaah

  is it possible to knock the stuffin out the english muffin in a "i love the God in you" kind of way without being married?

  j/k kinda

Kofi: hahahahaha

me: hahahahaha

Kofi: well in marriage, presuming a whole lot of other factors outside of the bounds of this convo, God's cosigned on the union

  we got justification

  its like, right now

  I'm still a sinner

  I'm just justified

  by his grace

Sex without marriage is Sex without the grace covering

  does that make it fall short of being actual sin?

  I dont think so, because sex without lusting

  dont exist

me: damn you

Kofi: I was thinking the exact same thing

  lol

  {damn me}

me: hahahahahhaa

  thank you for being a great friend

Kofi: thank you brotha, unlike Wesley Snipes in New Jack City, "I am my brothas keeper" (trying to be)

me: hahahaha thanks man

I still don't follow you on the expansive definition on adultery...

  but I do understand you taking the leap on the lustful mind

  adultery or not

  That's where the Holy Spirit comes in... cause otherwise it's impossible.

  The lustful mind part

Kofi: Got you, I got my concept about adultery from verses like Jeremiah 9:1-3 and Hosea 7:1-5

in which he calls people adulterers, for being unfaithful to him. You know how there's that verse about a married person's priority is their spouses and a single person's is God's business? He seems to be saying you're never really single. You're either in covenant with him, or him and your spouse, either way, your heart, mind, and body belong to him first.

me: I don't read these verses the same way

why isn't calling them adulterers just one extra thing they are all doing wrong?

 yeah that's 1 Cor 7

Kofi: well in Hosea 7 he says they are "all" adulterers

me: yes

  he says all in Jeremiah too

  maybe they all were just sexin’ all kinds of prostitutes and scalawags

Kofi: maybe, I think they were bad

  but as bad as we are

  we aint that bad

  and our generation is pretty terrible

me: hahaha

  yeah that's real

he makes it sound like Sodom 10.0!

  all kinds of unsavory, skullduggerous pandemonium