Musing – What’s the Most Important thing Christians can do for the Kingdom?

Hebraic Musing – What’s the Most Important thing Christians can do for the Kingdom?

The most popular quick answer, even from ministers, would be “Evangelize and save souls”.  But what did Jesus say?    "The most important one… is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.    Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'   The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31  NIV

Was Jesus stating a new command?  No; He’s just reiterating the OT command – "'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” Lev. 19:18

Types of love mentioned in the Bible (from the original Greek):
Eros        - “Sensual” or romantic – for Self-gratification
Phileo      - “Brotherly” which unites believers and most relationships. (including many marriages!)
                   It is a relationship that benefits one’s self; and might last only as long one enjoys benefits.
Storge     - “Familial”, the special love and care within family or members of a herd; from self-protection,
Agape     - “God’s love”, unconditional love based solely on character and volition and choice of the lover,
                    rather than the one being loved.   Remember that “… he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Did you notice that the first three types of “Love” are mostly for self-benefit?  And Agape, God’s love, can only be accomplished with help from God’s Holy Spirit.  Even then, we can never get it perfected; but, that is not an excuse for not trying!

And then Jesus raises the bar with a real test in Matt 5:43-44   "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…”   And Jesus goes on to point out that even the pagans and gentiles experience the imperfect forms of self-serving love. “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 brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matt 5:46-48  

And then Jesus tells us how to pursue the perfect Agape love –"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.  If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also….”   Luke 6:27-29

Do break relationships over insults?  What does it mean to “Turn the other cheek” in Matt 5:39  “But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”    To strike someone on the right cheek using your dominant right hand, you need to be using the back of your hand.  That back of the hand blow is an insulting dismissal, not at deliberate debilitating punch. 

If you prayed “for those who mistreat you” might you someday learn to love them?  It could happen!  If you have difficulty doing that, might the Holy Spirit be willing to help?  Maybe we can start by identifying the good in each person we meet!?!?   There is no trivial talk on the deathbed!  What would happen if we eulogized people while they were still alive, instead of waiting for the funeral?

Points to ponder

How many people love Jesus because of what He does for them?

Does love just happen?  Or do you need to deliberately pursue love?  And practice at it!

Who should we add to our prayer list?

If the world sees more Agape Love, might there be more souls saved?

♫  What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of... ♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          May 28, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”

Note - Inspired by Tony Crisp message May 22, 2019

Musing – Why and How Should We Bless Our Persecutors?

Hebraic Musing – Why and How Should We Bless Our Persecutors?

In a recent musing about our “Inevitable Persecution” I signed off with…Let’s “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”  Admittedly, that is  a rather difficult admonition to accept and to apply.  A dear friend confessed candidly that he has difficulty feeling that way.  He recited OT examples of retaliation; and he didn’t go so far as to mention the examples of retaliation we witness in the world as-well-as in our own thoughts and reactions.

Why should we bless those who persecute us?  Simple answer – the Bible told us to.  “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Rom 12:14 NIV     I just love the way the Bible explains the reasoning for statements typically right after the statement itself; so let’s continue reading in Romans 12:16-19 “Live in harmony with one another…  Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.

Persecution levels range from -
 - mild versions, like those from people who might snub us for our beliefs and “unfriend us on FB”   
 - to extreme versions; those who want to utterly destroy us or kill us because our beliefs conflict with their beliefs

How might we bless those who persecute us?  The Bible tells us how; let’s continue reading in Romans 12:20-21 “On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.   In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”  Have you ever heard testimonies of guards in prisons or death camps accepting Christ based on the witness of their prisoners?

Can we accept that awesome level of the love Jesus has for us?  “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom 5:8  And He also loves and died  for those who are persecuting us!  So…WWJD – in like way we should also show love for others whether they are friends (thus easy to love) or enemies (who claim you are wrong and want to harm you).  After all, we are both God’s children, made in the image of God.  “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;…” Gen 1:27  

David understood the challenge and his responsibility when he penned “Many are the foes who persecute me, but I have not turned from your statutes.”  Ps 119:157    And I understood that challenge.  Shortly after accepting Christ I went to our priest grousing about the problems I was experiencing ministering to someone.  I still remember his response – “Who ever said ministry was going to be easy?!?!”

However, if you feel you have never been persecuted, consider Paul’s warning “… everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,…” 2 Tim 3:12

Musing - Should we be Reading, or Meditating, or Chewing on God’s Word?

Hebraic Musing - Should we be Reading, or Meditating, or Chewing on God’s Word?

Let’s chew on this verse describing a “Blessed man” – “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.”  Psalm 1:2

This is about what a “Blessed man” does.  His delight is in the “law of the LORD”, and in today’s world we think that means the entire Bible.  However, the Hebrew word is “Torah”, the first five books of our Bible.  Practically speaking, both are applicable.  On the other hand, the Torah is the foundation, and the rest of the Bible simply explains the Torah.

Why is the “Blessed man” delighted with the word of God?  What delights you?  What makes you happy?  What gets you excited?  This is a good way to see what is important to us.

·      If personal pleasure is what makes you happy, then you are a selfish, self-centered person.

·      If being with your family or friends delights you, that’s better, but it still falls short.

·      The righteous or truly blessed man finds his delight … in the law of the LORD.

If a person delights in something, you don't have to beg them to do it or to like it. They will do it all by themselves. You can measure your delight for the word of God by how much you hunger for it.

How often should we “meditate” on God’s word?  The good news – only twice a day!  The full answer – meditating both “day and night”!  That about covers it all!

We Christians are often told to read our Bible.  Why doesn’t the verse say “read” instead of “meditate”?  Might many Christians be lacking in understanding because they only read and do not meditate.  Insights from commentators:

·         The righteous man ponders the word of God. He does not just hear it and forget it, he thinks about it. Christians should meditate on God's word!

·         In eastern meditation, the goal is to empty the mind. This is dangerous, because an empty mind may present an open invitation to deception or a demonic spirit.  But in Christian meditation, the goal is to fill your mind with the word of God. This can be done by carefully thinking about each word and phrase, and applying it one's self and praying it back to the Lord.

·         Meditation chews the cud, and gets the sweetness and nutritive virtue of the Word into the heart and life: this is the way the godly bring forth much fruit. (Ashwood, cited by Spurgeon)

·         It is not only reading that does us good; but the soul inwardly feeding on it, and digesting it.  A preacher once told me that he had read the Bible through twenty times on his knees and had never found the doctrine of election there.  Very likely not.  It is a most uncomfortable position in which to read.  If he had sat in an easy chair he would have been better able to understand it. (Spurgeon)

Some Christians brag about how often they read the Bible, and they can quote verses galore.  But have they studied, meditated and chewed on God’s Word?

Points to ponder

Can you remember the last time you meditated on a verse?
(Did you notice how it stuck in your brain for quite a while?)

God wants to speak to us; are we giving God’s own Words the attention they deserve?

And the reward is in the next verse!
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
     and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.  Psalm 1:3

Have a blessed day

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          May 14, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   “insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com”

Note - Inspired by and excerpted from Blue Letter Bible commentary by David Guzik

Musing - Will We or Won’t We Take Part in Redeeming Our Culture?

Hebraic Musing - Will We or Won’t We Take Part in Redeeming Our Culture?

The answer is “we won’t” until we trade-in our low view of God’s Word, whereby we only obey it when it is convenient to our lifestyle.  We will when we begin to take a high view of it as the very word of the very God we profess to believe in.  AND until we humbly submit to His will in ALL aspects of our lifestyle.  BTW – The definition of “all” is “ALL.” (>:

The issue is not whether Christians throughout the world will win the culture war.  We have God’s guarantee that it will happen – eventually.   The real question is whether American Christians will take part in that victory?  Or will we join other civilizations that have deserted God?  Or will our thinking erode into the thought process of the contentious extremes in our political and religious communities.

Many church-goers who are concerned about Christian culture eroding and becoming worldly will latch on to a blame game.  For example, I’ve heard church leadership and pastors blamed in statements like these:

·      Where’s the leadership? When are pastors going to man-up and once again be known as a community’s intellectual leaders, instead of “nice” people who marry and bury people and deliver heart-warming “talks” on Sunday that contain three points and a joke?

·      When are they going to fear God, more than they fear their congregations?  When are they going to stop trusting more in themselves than in God and stop attempting to manipulate visitors into professing to be a Christian?  Instead, when are they going to rely exclusively upon preaching the unadulterated Word of God, faithfully depending upon it not to return void?  Or, will we continue to entertain ourselves with shallow fellowship until God moves His light from America to some other country to take the lead in bringing about “His will on earth as it is in heaven?” Matt. 6.10

Let’s not blame the pastors.  What are you and I doing to redeem the culture?  Are we giving God’s word (His Holy Scriptures, His “speakings” to us) the attention it deserves?  Are we giving God the attention He deserves?  

I’ve heard that only about one in three Christians spend as much as 15 minutes a week in Bible study. (Is reading the same as studying?)  If today’s Christians can’t clearly define and explain their “faith,” how can they be expected to contend for it?  What happened to the great Protestant maxim: “The Bible is the only infallible rule of faith and conduct?”  I’m afraid that many fellow Christians have “turned to a different gospel”, the media, as their source of inspiration and study.

Here’s what Paul advised his disciple Timothy to do – “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.  Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.  Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.  Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” 1 Tim 4:13-16  NIV

Back to the original question – “Will we or won’t we take part in redeeming our culture?”  The answer is “we won’t” until …. 

Points to ponder

Are we encouraging our Pastors to preach the Whole Word of God?

Are Christians “turning to a different gospel?  The one they learn from the media?

Are we giving God the attention He deserves?
Is that possible?!?!

When will “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”? Matt 6:10

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          May 7, 2019  

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”   “insightsbyyosef.blogspot.com”