The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Therefore this is what the LORD Almighty says:

   “See, I will refine and test them, 
   for what else can I do 
   because of the sin of my people? 
Their tongue is a deadly arrow; 
   it speaks deceitfully. 
With their mouths they all speak cordially to their neighbors, 
   but in their hearts they set traps for them. 
Should I not punish them for this?” 
   declares the LORD. 
“Should I not avenge myself 
   on such a nation as this?” – Jeremiah 9:7-9

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 9-11; 1Timothy 6

I was talking to a buddy of mine on Google Chat the other day and he told me about this woman he met. They went on one date and it was fantastic. She was beautiful, smart and funny and had the wit and sarcasm that he enjoys. It seemed like a good fit until…

She dropped the N-Word via text the next day.

Not the best look.       

Tough Love

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. – Galatians 4:8-11

Today’s Reading: Song of Solomon 6-8; Galatians 4

Paul is going hard in the paint on the Galatians! “I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.” Good grief.

Have you ever had your parents tell you that they were disappointed in you? Man that’s like the roughest thing ever for a kid. All other forms of punishment are fleeting when you think about it. If you get grounded that ends in time. Even if you get a whoopin it ain’t so bad. Actually I always thought that was better than being grounded. It ends as quick as it begins (and I was blessed with parents that didn’t mistake spankings with abuse so it was all good after it was done).

But geez… knowing that you have disappointed your parents is not the business. Regardless of how disobedient a child becomes they don’t ever really want to confront the idea of falling short in a meaningful way.

But this is exactly what Paul said. When I first read it I thought it was mean. I thought that he was going in way too hard on them. But on second thought it was just some tough love equal to the risk they were running by chasing after flawed gospel. Sometimes the truth hurts but you still gotta tell it.

Tough love is better than kind indifference.

Paul showed them love by telling them about themselves in such clear language. That kind of honesty is a rare treasure. It reminded me of one of my favorite proverbs:

“An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” - Proverbs 24:26

Even when the kiss feels like a smack on the face, know that it is what is best for you when it comes from a place of love. Sometimes folks on the outside see what we fail to see. You are truly blessed when you have folks in your life that will risk pissing you off to tell you the truth.

I know I have several such people in my life and I thank God for them… even when I ain’t trying to hear it.

The Psalms

Today’s Reading: Psalms 1-3; Acts 17: 1-15

Psalms has always been one of those books that I have kind of taken for granted. It wasn’t until recently that I started to understand how valuable they are.

Proverbs are my bread and butter. Part of it comes from my background in philosophy and my outside studies of different books of wisdom. But also another part of it is the form that they are written in. The Proverbs are very specific and direct. They provide guidance, advice, and instruction in a way that is undeniable and unambiguous.

The psalms are quite different. I am starting to understand their importance in my life in a very specific way. They provide me with guidance but in an emotional and spiritual sense. This isn’t to say that the proverbs don’t do this, but the Psalms speak directly to my heart. Much like Job, they articulate things that I have felt but couldn’t express. They are filled with joy and sadness, pain and pleasure, fear and courage.

They are a collection of the range of human experiences and emotions. It is impossible for anyone to read them and not see themselves in at least one of them.

That’s pretty powerful for works that are thousands of years old.

It wasn’t until I started really facing my feelings and my fears in an honest way that I was able to feel what the psalms were talking about. The honesty in them requires a certain level of openness and courage within the reader to face all aspects of who they are. That is something that I am still working on.

So hopefully you will enjoy them as I am learning to and feel free to teach me what I don’t know.

Cause oh buddy is there a whole heck of a lot that I don’t know. 

The Holy Spirit Don't Play That

Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."

When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. Acts 5:3-6

Today’s Reading: Esther 1-2; Acts 5: 1-21

Whoa whoa whoa!!! Hahahaaaha

Ok… Ananias ain’t laughing but good gracious that’s severe. So if you remember in my post about how Marx would have been proud of the early church I talked about how the early church was basically like a socialist community. Everything was shared by all, and as a result, everyone’s needs were met.

Well… Ananias had another idea.

Dude and his wife sold some of their land and only gave a fraction of the money to the whole and kept the rest. And how did Peter find out? The Holy Spirit told him.

What a snitch that Holy Spirit is.

But the cold part is that when he was confronted about it and told about his error old buddy dropped dead right there!!!

So you might be wondering, what is the message here? Don’t lie? Follow through on your promise? Don’t cheat the folks who are down with the Holy Spirit?

Shoot… your guess is as good as mine.

But one thing is real clear… The Holy Spirit don’t play that. You better come correct son!

Redemption: A Letter to Peter

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. 18 John 21: 15-19

Today’s Reading: Ezra 6-8: John 21

What up Pistol Pete?

Man… You must be blown away homie. Jesus told you that you were going to deny him three times and you did it.

You were crushed.

And now only days later Jesus not only forgives you, but tells you to be the first leader of his people when he goes away for good?

What are you thinking right now?

I bet you’re thinking… ummm.. I ain’t the one. Why me? I’m not worthy? Pick the other guy? There must be someone better. I started doubting you in a nanosecond and you make me the head of the fam? Why?

I think this is pretty amazing too but it kinda makes sense. One thing that I’ve noticed is that the folks who have come from the lowest lows are the ones who are most gangsta about riding for God to the highest highs.

Sometimes we gotta fall to learn how to stand tall. And you did that. You had all kinds of pride and then you fell way way low. But in that fall you learned to appreciate the value of trust, loyalty, honesty, responsibility, and love. You learned it because in those moments of doubt you let you fear block you from expressing every one of those virtues.

But in the end it’s all good. Jesus knew your heart. He knew your love, and it is based on that zealous love that you were chosen to lead.

That’s pretty fresh.

Thanks for the lesson and the hope that when I fall, I will have a chance to get up and rise higher than I ever dreamed that I would before the fall.

Thanks man.

C3

P.S. It was kinda cold-blooded that Jesus asked you if you loved him three times… obvious irony is a rough game sometimes isn’t it?

It Wasn't Me

Today's Reading: Genesis ch 4-6; Matthew ch 2

The fall of Adam is kinda funny…

Okay… I guess it’s not funny from the whole fall of man perspective. But after we get past the obviousness of that I can’t help but to laugh at dude. Here’s what I’m talking about:

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" The man said, "The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." - Genesis 3: 8-12

How lame is that? “the woman you put here with me”…. Really dude?

Step your game up.

Come on Adam. You can do better than that. It’s funny how he clearly was guilty but he tried to take zero percent of the blame. At least in the story the serpent had to reason with Eve and convince her to take a bite. Adam on the other hand, ate what was put in his face.

We gotta be better than that.

What he did wasn’t much better than the Shaggy doctrine: It Wasn't ME!

Equally insulting to God but at least he wouldn’t have directly dimed out his boo. Nobody likes a snitch.

Nobody.

Adam… that wasn’t a good start homie…made us all look bad.