Reading from Sunday, October 3

There's a pretty good discussion going on between me and my friend Pete from one of the previous posts. Check it out in the comments here. He brings up some really interesting point. I recommend you check it out and lend your thoughts to the debate, because I am losing to his superior intellect. Keep it civil folks, we just want to share ideas.

Reading for October 3
Jeremiah 1:1-2:30
Before I started this project, I used to claim Jeremiah 29:11 as my favorite verse in the Bible. I have it memorized. In fact, I have a picture frame on my desk that has the verse written on it. Here it is:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

For me, this was my proof that there was a God out there who loved me and cared for my well being. Well, now I get to read the rest of the book. I have heard that this is one of the most beautiful books in the Bible, so let's hit it. I'm excited.


OK. This is a really interesting distinction that's being laid out here. Check this out:

6 "As a thief is disgraced when he is caught,
       so the house of Israel is disgraced—
       they, their kings and their officials,
       their priests and their prophets.
 ²⁷ They say to wood, 'You are my father,'
       and to stone, 'You gave me birth.'
       They have turned their backs to me
       and not their faces;
       yet when they are in trouble, they say,
       'Come and save us!'

Obviously God is calling out the people who worship idols instead of him. But what distinguishes God - something that is completely unseen and unheard - over these other "gods" who are represented by physical, tangible objects? I think anyone today can look at someone else who is praying directly to a statue or a physical, inanimate object, and call that person crazy. So why should we Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc. be completely sane for praying to something that we've never even seen?

We can argue that God can be seen through the actions of his people, which is I believe how he manifests his love, but it's just funny to draw that sharp line around people who worship objects and consider them foolish, but to consider Christians "spiritual" because we pray to an invisible force in the sky.


Philippians 4:1-23
Another famous one:

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

This verse is often quoted in modern Christianity when trying to dissuade the congregants from listening to secular music or watching PG-13 movies. But I don't think the intention of this was to try to convince us not to do something - look at it, there is no negative language at all in there. Rather, I think it is meant to build us up. It is purely addressing our thoughts - "think about such things" he says. By keeping noble, right, pure, lovely thoughts in our head, we are more inclined to behave in such a way.

Now I don't mean to say that we should think about puppies and rainbows and cookies all the time. It's unrealistic and, frankly, foolish to constantly have that mindset. But - for example - when he says "whatever is noble" - well in my mind, doing something noble would be like giving up your allotted dinner money to buy dinner for someone who can't afford to. "Whatever is right" - helping those who have suffered a tragedy like the victims of the Haiti Earthquake. So it's not just keeping the idea of a loving Buddy Christ at the forefront of your mind, it's thinking about those in need, those who are suffering, and thinking about how to help them.

The first time I went to the church that inspired this blog, we went around the local town and prayed for each building and house that we passed. It was pretty awkward, but before we went out, the pastor had a very poignant prayer. He told us all to ask this of God: "God, break my heart for the things that break yours." That is, we should ask for the wisdom to see the injustices in the world and allow it to effect us enough to want to stand up and help out. And I think that's what Paul is getting at here in Philippians.

Also - this concludes Philippians.

Psalm 75:1-10
All of a sudden I'm noticing all these references to this cup of wrath that I found in Isaiah:

⁸ In the hand of the LORD is a cup
       full of foaming wine mixed with spices;
       he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
       drink it down to its very dregs.

Read that again with the lens of Jesus in mind. Go ahead. At first it sounds like the Psalmist is inferring that "wicked people" drink this punishment from God. But think about it. We are all considered wicked. We are all guilty. So when he says wicked people, I believe he means all of us. And the cup is not the cup of wrath that many would assume this is, but the cup of mercy, filled with Christ's redemptive blood.

Proverbs 24:17-20

 ¹⁷ Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
       when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
 ¹⁸ or the LORD will see and disapprove
       and turn his wrath away from him.
 ¹⁹ Do not fret because of evil men
       or be envious of the wicked,
 ²⁰ for the evil man has no future hope,
       and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

Word up, yo.

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