ARE WE AS CHRISTIANS LIKE THE NOBLE KNIGHTS OF OLD?

     My question for today is, “Are We As Christians Like The Noble Knights Of Old?”
     Let’s look at the word ‘noble’ in the Bible. It’s used 69 times in some form in the Christian Standard Bible: ‘Noble’, ‘Nobles’, ‘noblemen’, ‘noble brothers’, ‘noble person’, ‘men of noble character’, ‘wife of noble character’, ‘noble ones’, ‘noble women’, ‘noble words’, ‘noble theme’, ‘noble things’, ‘noble causes’, and ‘noble birth’ are some of them.
     Finally, Jesus, in Mark 14:6, addressed the religious leaders about the woman who poured ‘expensive perfume’ over his head. He said, "Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for me."
     I got on the ‘noble’ rabbit trail last week after reading Isaiah 32:8, which says, "But a noble person plans noble things; he stands up for noble causes.” After I read that, I thought of the Knights of the Round Table, where King Arthur and his valiant knights fought 'nobly' for England. But King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are widely regarded as mythological or legendary characters that weren’t real.
     But let’s talk about nobles who were real. King David had 37 ‘mighty men’ who did valiant or noble deeds. His three closest mighty men repeatedly risked their lives to save Judah, and specifically King David.
     The online definition of the adjective ‘noble’ is the following: "Having or showing qualities of high moral character, such as courage, generosity, or honor."
     The question is then, “Are we as Christians thought of by others as ‘noble’?" Do WE plan ‘noble’ things? And, do WE stand up for ‘noble’ causes?” Isaiah wasn’t just referencing physical strength and exploits in Chapter 32. He was talking about mental strength and mental exploits.
     I generally think of myself as a wimp, with little gravity to influence things. But I want to take what Isaiah said to heart. I want to learn—that’s the key—LEARN to PRACTICE and THINK of myself as a ‘CHRISTIAN’ who is becoming more and more like ‘THE NOBLE KNIGHTS OF OLD!’

 

 

 

ARE OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS LIKE A JOYFUL MUSICAL?

     The video shows “The Mennonite Hymnal,” the songbook I used growing up in the Martinscreek Mennonite Church. It also shows “Maranatha Music's 100 Greatest Hymns and Choruses.” This leads me to my question for today's post. Here it is: “Are Our Lives As Christians Like A Joyful Musical?”

     The other day, I read Ephesians 5:18-19. Here it is:

“And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord.”

     Did you get that? " 'Speaking' to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord.” I did a double-take when I read those words. I thought it strange to “speak” to others using songs.
     I’ve always enjoyed watching musicals. They are the only entities I know of, except perhaps opera, in which music and song are used to communicate with other people. Musicals are written, choreographed, and staged to bring joy to the audience.
     I don’t want to get too theological and try to dissect what Paul meant by his writing. However, I think these two verses in Ephesians prove that Paul wanted us as Christians to share joy and God’s great love with one another and others, ‘just like a joyful musical!’

730 STRAIGHT DAYS DISCUSSING JESUS!

 

     My post today is entitled “730 Straight Days Discussing Jesus!” It’s about a Bible passage I never noticed before in Acts 19:8-10. The writer of Acts wrote about Paul the following:

“Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them, taking the disciples, and conducted discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.”

     The story is that Paul came to Ephesus and spoke in the synagogue for three months, but he began to encounter opposition there. So he “took up his marbles and ran”—uh—I mean that “he took the disciples with him” and went to another part of the city. He took them to the Tyrannus Lecture Hall. I’m assuming he went there because he could speak more freely about Jesus there without religious opposition from synagogue leaders..
     I had never noticed before, however, that he had spoken every day there for TWO YEARS—730 DAYS! Can you imagine going somewhere to discuss Jesus daily for that long? Now that I’m retired, I have a lot of time on my hands, so I’m being honest with you, I, in a way, actually long for that type of experience, where a portion of each day would be devoted to going to a specific place to talk about Jesus.
     Let’s face it: We all have family and other obligations that would prohibit this type of encounter for so long, especially in today’s world. But, I think it’s fun to think and dream about what it would be like to spend—

‘730 Straight Days Discussing Jesus!’

THE ‘HERE I AM, SEND ME’ DILEMMA!

 

     I had a dilemma. I call it “The ‘Here I Am, Send Me’ Dilemma!” It’s about reticence and fear of committing fully to God’s will.
     I watched the Charlie Kirk memorial a couple of weeks ago. Erika Kirk struck me with the story of her intense concern for Charlie's comments at one Turning Point USA conference a while back. She told him backstage that she wished he had consulted with her before quoting Isaiah 6:8 to a large group of young people. In the verse, Isaiah tells God that when He asked Isaiah who would go to help save lost Israel, Isaiah said, “Here I am. Send me.”
     Charlie said that he also told God the same thing about lost America. Erika shared that God might take him up on his words and that she feared for their young family. 

     For years, I have had the same fear that Erika shared. What would it mean to give total control of my life to the God of the universe? And would He take me places I don’t want to go? What would it mean if I did what Charlie Kirk did and told God, “Here I am. Send me.”
     I realize I don’t have nearly the platform that Charlie Kirk had. The circle around me is minuscule in comparison. But the ‘giving over to God’ of any life is the same, no matter who says it.
     One member of my church said it best on a Wednesday night. He said that he had read a book in which the author said, “Be careful what you ask for, because God might take you up on it.”
     So, what was it that I was so scared of for so many years that I could never quote that verse to God for myself? I think I have the answer. It’s the fear of suffering.
     You see, I’m a wimp at heart. I hate even the smallest amount of pain. I wince when I hear of stories of intense suffering of others—in my family, in my church, and others that I know. I even think of celebrities who seemingly had the world by the tail, but they ultimately met the fate of every human being on earth—suffering and death! I equated that verse as giving over to God that which I was hesitant about—my life.
     My fear of suffering, death, and even jail has actually served me well over the years. It kept me from delving too deeply into drugs and alcohol. One awful experience with alcohol and two bad trips using drugs were what it took to steer me away from them. And that was even before I was a Christian.
     It also played a big part in my coming to Christ in the first place. I had no clue about the meaning of life—of why people had to suffer and die—and of why there were wars in various countries. God used these fears I had of suffering and dying, and others suffering and dying, to bring me to Himself.
     So, about two weeks ago, I shared my fear of quoting what Isaiah and Charlie Kirk said to God in a Wednesday night church service that I had previously referred to. That night after the service, I researched a couple of Bible passages where God sent people to help seek and save the lost. The first one was Isaiah himself.
     The second one is in Acts 26:17-18, where Paul tells King Agrippa of his salvation experience, where Jesus personally tells him the following: “I am sending you to them to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
     That night, I concluded that God calls all Christians to say the same thing to Him. And that it’s not something to be scared of. God has the entire plan for each of us in the palm of His hand, and we don’t need to fear what He has control over.
     In conclusion, I said it, and I think it’s safe for all of us to say to God who wants to send us out to save a lost and dying world—'HERE I AM. SEND ME!’

 

CHRIST'S LETTERS ON HUMAN HEARTS!

 

     I love the word picture Paul used in 2 Corinthians 3:1-3, where he called the believers in the Corinthian church, “Christ’s Letters on Human Hearts”. Paul wrote the following:

"Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are Christ’s letter, delivered by us, not written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God—not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

     Paul was contrasting written letters of recommendation, which were used extensively during that time to endorse visiting leaders, with the fact that he had such a good relationship with the Corinthian church that he didn’t need a recommendation written with ink, but one written by the Holy Spirit on the hearts of the Corinthian believers.
     So fast forward to today. Do other Christians and outsiders alike look at us, you and me, and read “Christ’s letters on human hearts?”