Category Archives: Culture

Culture, Devotions, Justice, Life

Going one step further to grace and mercy

Matthew 5:38-42 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

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    Another remarkable teaching from Jesus on the grassy hillside. I have taken my place near the front that I might not miss anything. Every phrase, every thought is filled with both mystery and conviction.

But now Jesus is suggesting that I must allow the evil in this world to triumph. Am I to assume the role of victim in any encounter with someone who would do me harm? Is all that I own subject to anyone who wants to borrow it? This teaching of Rabbi Jesus is tough.  I don’t want my cheek slapped. I don’t want to give my shirt away.  I don’t want to go the extra mile.  I don’t want to lend my favorite fishing pole to a clutz. Jesus must be telling me something more here than a radical reaction to an offense.

     The culture in which we live remains resolute in its ability to accomplish much. There are many things the secular world can do better than the church. There is a place for government to do things the individual cannot.  Industry can build a car without being Christian. But there is one thing the world cannot do.  That thing is the offer of grace. Jesus was saying we are to be different from our culture, government, or industry.  We can look beyond the requirements and go a little further and become grace and mercy to all the world.

Just Larry

Culture, Devotions, Life

Blessed are the Meek

Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

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Third on the list of attitudes of belief given in Jesus’s sermon is translated either as “meekness” or “gentleness”.

This disturbs me because occasionally I am impatient when I am trying to get something done and there is some competition distracting me.  I do not tolerate interruptions well.  For me, there is no such thing as multitasking. I must admit there are times when it is difficult to walk and chew gum. Similarly, the multitude could not walk along the paths of life and learn from Him at the same time. The time and effort to switch from walking to learning lent itself to errors due to insufficient attention.  Jesus stopped on the grassy hillside because he knew well that life often interrupts change.

Patient endurance of life is an activity of distraction.  Endurance is something that must be done. It was a “keep calm and carry on” type of thing. All the energy of putting up a good face, living life amid turmoil, and getting your just rewards prevent the attainment of something better.  This something better was simply relaxing and letting God sort it out. It is being meek.  It is being gentle.  It is stopping what I am doing and facing interruption as an opportunity for learning.  Why?  Because I already have an inheritance of focus. Blessed are they who are interrupted and relishing the moment because it is all good. I can stop in the middle of thousands of competing attention grabbers and simply listen.

# Just Larry

Church, Culture, Devotions, Peace

To protect the peace.

Ephesians 6: 14-17 “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

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I have never served in the military. I admire and pray for those who protect and serve. It is difficult to relate to the metaphor Paul was using here. Belts, breastplates, feet coverings, a shield, flaming arrows, helmets, and swords are all about war.  It seems that it is not politically correct to sing, “Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war”. Today’s church is one of inclusion, worship songs, and integration with the community. As I write this morning I wonder, is the church becoming so culturally aware, that it has lost the war makers?  Is the price for cultural awareness in the name of peace, restricted the Gospel strengthened warriors of faith? Where is the “Stand Firm”? Where is the armor?  Where is the call to prepare for the current culture war?  A war where truth, righteousness, readiness, faith, salvation, the Spirit, and the Word of God are the implements. 

I pray for the readiness that comes with the Gospel of Peace.  I pray for my fellow Christians who are ready for battle. To protect the peace.

#Just Larry

Culture

What is Wisdom?

What is wisdom? It is not academic, or philosophic, or even intellectual. Wisdom is not knowledge. A person can have a PHD and not be wise but an educated fool. We live in the most skilled, knowledgeable, technically advanced generation ever. But we also live in the most profane, violent, self-centered, and the most divided generation ever. We have knowledge and it results in nothing but chaos. We need wisdom in our government, in our marketplace, in our homes, in our churches, and in our lives. For without wisdom, we are nothing but the sound of waves bashing itself against an immovable shore all sound and fury signifying nothing.
We need to heed the words of James: If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God. The “IF” in the beginning of this phrase tells me of four kinds of people. First, there are some that have it and no one listens, second some don’t know they need wisdom, third there are some that know they need wisdom but don’t ask, and fourth there are some that need know their lack and ask of God. It is this fourth type that God will endow with wisdom.

Bible Study, Culture, Devotions, Mercy, Miracles

The new normal

John 20:30-31 “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

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I am amazed at the wonder of possibilities.  As I read of the miracles of Jesus, each were dutifully written down and stored for all eternity, they exceeded all the miracles of Elijah and Elisha in the Old Covenant.  Time after time Jesus revealed himself to the world as a miracle worker.  He was a man that cared, cried, healed, created, guided, taught, revealed, prayed, loved, challenged, sent, moved, witnessed, and comforted in the Gospels.  Yet there were thousands of other miracles, acts of mercy, not included in the accounts.  John did not include them, but they happened.  They were daily occurrences that became the norm.

We seem to classify any happenstance that is out of the ordinary as miraculous and amazing. Yet, where Jesus is concerned, they are expected and normal. Today I will look for miracles in the normal. I will look for the simple kindnesses shown when they were not expected. I will look for a smile in the pain.  I will look for a sense of purpose in turmoil.  I will look for joy when things get rough.  I will look for steadfastness in a world out of control.  Small miracles will be the new norm.

Culture, Devotions, Forgiveness, Justice

Who will remember in ten years?

2 Corinthians 2:5-8 “If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.”

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There must be some point in a broken relationship where it is enough. A place and a time where healing is more important than grief. A place and time to make amends, a place where we can be set free from the tyranny of past mistakes. To perceive a time as an opportunity to learn. No one is immune to hurts inflicted. They are a part of you, but not meant to torment you. If I have hurt you, I need your forgiveness. You may judge and pass on continual condemnation and that is your problem. I will grow from my mistakes. Those bound by the lack of forgiveness for others are not healed but are eaten by their own attitudes. I will keep on keeping on. I will take the lessons of forgiveness to heart, not the hurt. Ten years from now it will hardly matter, and few will remember it anyway.

Church, Culture, Devotions

Change is not always comfortable

Romans 12:2 “Don’t be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your very being, and that will prove the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.”

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The church has been a large part of my life for over 50 years. The perfected sameness of three hymns, an offering, and forty minutes of Bible-centered preaching all concluding with an opportunity to find peace was the formula of the Church. But that idealistic church has changed.

The change in climate in the church has slowly and almost imperceptibly shifted itself into something different. Can you feel it? Much like a grand ship not going fast enough in a headwind, the church seems to be drifting. In response to the secular, the church is no longer a place of forgiveness for sinful people, but a place of feeling good about ourselves. Instead of being a place where grace and mercy were to be found, it has slowly, imperceptibly, and almost without notice, drifted by culture.  It has changed from changing people to meet God’s expectations to “can’t we just get along.” The church I knew was a place of commitment, resilience, and sacrifice. It was a place of finding the will of God and following that will.  It has become a place of social gathering in the hope some of the holy stuff may rub off on them. Social justice is not Biblical justice.

Then again it might be my age. Yet I find myself humming the song, “Give me that old-time religion.”

Bible Study, Culture, Devotions, Renewal

Forever

I John 2:17 “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

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We live in a world of distractions.  Thousands of voices call us to change our focus from what really matters.  These voices use our feelings of inadequacy to charm, seduce and dominate our lives.  We have an idea that our lives must be lived to the fullest.  That every moment must be crammed full. Our attention span shrinks in the onslaught of these distractions. All these things that would grab us and enthrall our minds are just fleeting.  Whatever achievement, thrill, or body enhancement we accept into our sphere of life will mean little 50 years from now. Our infatuation with the now is simply tragic. Look to the unseen, the invisible realities of hope and faith in Christ for true fulfillment. Do so and live not in the moment but forever

Culture, Devotions, Motivation, Ramblings

Seeking God First

Thought for January 23– Day 23 of the new year

Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

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Our times seem to be becoming ever more difficult.  Cancel culture, perceived racism, homeless in the streets, and the destruction of past norms, all seem to point to a need for mercy and grace.  We hear from all sides this is the “new normal.”  Nevertheless, if this new way of seeing the world leaves out our dependence upon God, I want no part of it.  Instead in our times of need, my reach must be much further than my grasp and my vision must be more than what I perceive.  God is here and He is willing to hand out both lavishly and perfectly the love of mercy and grace.  Today I am in need, so please forgive, and pour out your mercy and grace, as I do so for you.  Renew in my heart the desire to seek God before any other solution.

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Culture, Devotions, Life

Today is the day to do what is expected

Hillside Thoughts for Thursday – Day 279 of the year 2022 – October 6

Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

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Imagine for a moment what our world would be like if just the Christians stopped fighting. Think for a moment where every Christian on your block would reveal themselves by caring for the less fortunate. What would be like if two billion redeemed by the blood Christians, conformed to God’s intent? Would it be a wonderful blessing to begin to do what Jesus asked us to do by showing unconditional love, unbounded kindness, and unlimited grace to all?

If we belong to God, the God of grace, there is a mandate for us to become a people of grace. That is how we can imitate God. It is being the extension of God to everyone you encounter today.  Just do it and begin a wave of Jesus to all.