A reader of the blog recently asked the following question: “Jesus said, ‘It is easier for a camel to go thru the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’ What is the thrust of that statement? What would be your answer? This is a passage about which many myths circulate!” Here’s my take on that…
This passage is found in Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 18:18-30.
As a kid, I often pictured a double-humped camel trying its best to squeeze through the loop of a sewing needle. (Yeah, pretty impossible!) In recent years, I’ve heard that the “eye of the needle” was a passageway through Jerusalem that was very difficult for travelers to navigate while riding camel-back. (Very difficult, but not necessarily impossible.) My overall take is that this passage is not a condemnation of wealth, in general—although I’ve commonly heard it used to scorn those who have gained financial success.
In Jesus’ day—just as today—I believe people faced many moral and spiritual challenges, either to obtain wealth or sustain it. With wealth comes great issues. One of the greatest issues is the temptation to rely on one’s money more than God. When your finances give you access to the best doctors money can buy, for example, would you be as likely to drop to your knees and pray to God for your healing? Then there are the issues of greed, pride, and wastefulness. God has called each of us to be careful stewards of what He has given us, but if we are surrounded with plenty, how many of us have the fortitude to try to safeguard it all? Finally, immorality and sins of the flesh can become much more accessible when you have the funds to gratify them.
I simply believe it takes a more focused, deliberate kind of piety to accumulate and maintain wealth—and then continue to lead a moral, just, and righteous life. Some say that in this society, it’s downright impossible or pretty difficult, at best. However, in all three gospels, Jesus declares in the passage that what is impossible for man is possible with God. While we look at someone like Bernie Madoff and shake our heads at the shame of his fortune, in my opinion, through the grace of God there is still hope for the wealthy!
Thanks to reader Dennis Rigstad for his great question! What are your thoughts? Leave a comment!
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Christian Nightmares
It’s funny how God can use things in the secular world to bring us back to spiritual understanding. Not too long ago I discovered a show that quickly became my favorite reality-TV indulgence called “Kitchen Nightmares.” It wasn’t long before God used that show to demonstrate some of the “Christian Nightmares” in my own life.
In each episode of “Kitchen Nightmares,” world-famous chef Gordon Ramsey visits a local restaurant that’s about to go out of business. Upon arrival, he immediately turns things upside down—revealing the restaurant’s dirty little secrets and exposing the owners’ personal and professional flaws.
Once you can get past the roaches, dirty refrigerators, and disgusting-looking food at these places, you start to see some of the real problems. Usually, it boils down to the owners’ lack of passion for the business, which has pretty much been lost over the years. They’ve gotten complacent and lazy. And the people they serve have just gotten used to it. When Chef Ramsey comes in to shake things up, the owners’ eyes are opened to the crisis they are really in. By the end, they have literally cleaned up their act, remodeled, and become inspired to do things better.
God asked me, “In what areas of your life have you gotten complacent over the years?” And I had to take a good hard look. God had shaken things up within me and I realized it was time to make some changes to better serve Him.
Are you experiencing any Christian Nightmares of your own? Invite God in to shake some things up. He’ll inspire you to make the necessary changes!
In each episode of “Kitchen Nightmares,” world-famous chef Gordon Ramsey visits a local restaurant that’s about to go out of business. Upon arrival, he immediately turns things upside down—revealing the restaurant’s dirty little secrets and exposing the owners’ personal and professional flaws.
Once you can get past the roaches, dirty refrigerators, and disgusting-looking food at these places, you start to see some of the real problems. Usually, it boils down to the owners’ lack of passion for the business, which has pretty much been lost over the years. They’ve gotten complacent and lazy. And the people they serve have just gotten used to it. When Chef Ramsey comes in to shake things up, the owners’ eyes are opened to the crisis they are really in. By the end, they have literally cleaned up their act, remodeled, and become inspired to do things better.
God asked me, “In what areas of your life have you gotten complacent over the years?” And I had to take a good hard look. God had shaken things up within me and I realized it was time to make some changes to better serve Him.
Are you experiencing any Christian Nightmares of your own? Invite God in to shake some things up. He’ll inspire you to make the necessary changes!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Bible or Not?
There’s a local family radio station that plays a great game with its listeners who call in every morning. The game is called “Bible—or Not?”
The host of the morning show reads a passage to the caller to determine if the passage is from the Bible or some other source. Playing along at home, it occurs to me how often we are unsure if familiar sayings are actually from the Holy Scripture. Test your Bible knowledge and play along with me right now:
Do you know which of the following is Bible or not?
A. “A fool and his money are soon parted.”
B. “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but to he that endures to the end.”
C. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Think about it…
Ready for the answer?
The phrase in answer A. is not from the Bible. It was coined by Thomas Tusser (1524 – 1580), an English poet and farmer. If you did a search and find for “fool” and “money” in the New International Version of the bible, you would come across Proverbs 17:16 which reads, “Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?” However, the Bible doesn’t quite speak of a parting of the ways between a fool and his dough.
Answer B. turns out to be a popular hybrid of two very different verses. In Ecclesiastes 9:11 (KJV), we find, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” This seems to have been spliced together with Matthew 10:22, which reads, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” So the phrase in answer B. is not actually Biblically correct, either.
It may surprise you, but only answer C. is taken directly from the Bible. Acts 20:35 reads, “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” And upon reading Acts 20, you will notice that the context of the phrase has little to do with giving gifts or presents (as we normally use it during the Christmas season), but here Paul is speaking about giving of yourself to minister to and support the needs of others.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s time for us to be strong in the Word! Challenge some of the other popular phrases you hear repeated. Look them up yourselves and determine if they’re Biblical, and if they’re being used in the right context.
You just may be surprised to find out what’s Bible—and what’s not!
The host of the morning show reads a passage to the caller to determine if the passage is from the Bible or some other source. Playing along at home, it occurs to me how often we are unsure if familiar sayings are actually from the Holy Scripture. Test your Bible knowledge and play along with me right now:
Do you know which of the following is Bible or not?
A. “A fool and his money are soon parted.”
B. “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but to he that endures to the end.”
C. “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Think about it…
Ready for the answer?
The phrase in answer A. is not from the Bible. It was coined by Thomas Tusser (1524 – 1580), an English poet and farmer. If you did a search and find for “fool” and “money” in the New International Version of the bible, you would come across Proverbs 17:16 which reads, “Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom?” However, the Bible doesn’t quite speak of a parting of the ways between a fool and his dough.
Answer B. turns out to be a popular hybrid of two very different verses. In Ecclesiastes 9:11 (KJV), we find, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” This seems to have been spliced together with Matthew 10:22, which reads, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” So the phrase in answer B. is not actually Biblically correct, either.
It may surprise you, but only answer C. is taken directly from the Bible. Acts 20:35 reads, “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” And upon reading Acts 20, you will notice that the context of the phrase has little to do with giving gifts or presents (as we normally use it during the Christmas season), but here Paul is speaking about giving of yourself to minister to and support the needs of others.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, it’s time for us to be strong in the Word! Challenge some of the other popular phrases you hear repeated. Look them up yourselves and determine if they’re Biblical, and if they’re being used in the right context.
You just may be surprised to find out what’s Bible—and what’s not!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Praying for Our Leaders
We are about to witness one of the most important moments in the history of our country. As we prepare for the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama, many anticipate the ushering in of a new America. Hopefully, it will be an America that will remember to always pray for its leaders.
Already, I’ve heard many say that they are praying for Obama. They’re praying for his safety. They’re praying for the success of his leadership. They’re praying that those around him will be a help, not a hindrance, to his presidency. Christians, let’s keep those prayers going.
As the country swears in its first African American president, it will do so on the Holy Bible. However, as Christians, we know that the Bible is much more than a mere prop. Within the pages of that divine text are words of wisdom and instruction. And by turning to 1 Timothy 2:1–2, we find, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
Paul understood the importance of praying for “those in authority.” As we fall on bended knee to pray for our historic new president, let’s not forget to pray for the other leaders who touch our lives every day, including those in our government (governors, senators, mayors, etc.), those in our workplace (bosses, managers, supervisors, etc.), and those in our communities (organizers, pastors, parents, etc.).
I’m keeping all of our leaders in prayer.
Already, I’ve heard many say that they are praying for Obama. They’re praying for his safety. They’re praying for the success of his leadership. They’re praying that those around him will be a help, not a hindrance, to his presidency. Christians, let’s keep those prayers going.
As the country swears in its first African American president, it will do so on the Holy Bible. However, as Christians, we know that the Bible is much more than a mere prop. Within the pages of that divine text are words of wisdom and instruction. And by turning to 1 Timothy 2:1–2, we find, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
Paul understood the importance of praying for “those in authority.” As we fall on bended knee to pray for our historic new president, let’s not forget to pray for the other leaders who touch our lives every day, including those in our government (governors, senators, mayors, etc.), those in our workplace (bosses, managers, supervisors, etc.), and those in our communities (organizers, pastors, parents, etc.).
I’m keeping all of our leaders in prayer.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Discipline Yourselves, Disciples!
Today’s blog is dedicated to all those who get up every morning, leave the comfort of their homes and go out to…teach.
Whether in the come-as-you-are public school arena or the selective, elite private school setting, teachers these days have it rough. Behavioral issues, poor attendance, and general lack of understanding seem to plague the students of today. And if we, as members of society, are to be blamed for the crisis in our schools, there is a single reason for our collective guilt—a lack of discipline.
A classic joke goes, “If you follow an ugly kid home, you’re gonna see somebody ugly open the door for them.” The same could be said for an undisciplined child. Many parents today are the reason for their children’s lack of discipline. And, sorry to say, Christian households can be just as guilty. Instead of teaching patience, self-denial, and servitude, we tend to follow society’s model of instant gratification, indulgence, and putting ourselves first. With such a self-centered, undisciplined outlook, no wonder it’s so difficult for the students of today to receive instruction of any kind.
When Jesus called the first disciples, they immediately left what they were doing to go with Him (Matthew 4:18-22). With complete obedience, they followed the greatest Teacher in the universe. (Many in the teaching profession could only dream of students who would be as compliant!) As followers of Christ, or disciples (the root word of “discipline”), God expects complete obedience from us. Here are a few tips to help you get started at home:
• Set aside a specific time each day for prayer and meditation, and stick to it, no matter what. Teach your children to have a special prayer time (maybe in the morning before school or at night before bed).
• Practice denying yourself of something each day (e.g., that extra piece of cake or an impulse purchase). Help your children understand that “the best things come to those who wait.”
• Identify those things in your home that are out of control (i.e., the laundry, family finances, your eating habits), pray about them as a family, and make a plan to practice more discipline in those areas.
Who knows the impact your discipline will have on your household, and ultimately in the classroom?
Whether in the come-as-you-are public school arena or the selective, elite private school setting, teachers these days have it rough. Behavioral issues, poor attendance, and general lack of understanding seem to plague the students of today. And if we, as members of society, are to be blamed for the crisis in our schools, there is a single reason for our collective guilt—a lack of discipline.
A classic joke goes, “If you follow an ugly kid home, you’re gonna see somebody ugly open the door for them.” The same could be said for an undisciplined child. Many parents today are the reason for their children’s lack of discipline. And, sorry to say, Christian households can be just as guilty. Instead of teaching patience, self-denial, and servitude, we tend to follow society’s model of instant gratification, indulgence, and putting ourselves first. With such a self-centered, undisciplined outlook, no wonder it’s so difficult for the students of today to receive instruction of any kind.
When Jesus called the first disciples, they immediately left what they were doing to go with Him (Matthew 4:18-22). With complete obedience, they followed the greatest Teacher in the universe. (Many in the teaching profession could only dream of students who would be as compliant!) As followers of Christ, or disciples (the root word of “discipline”), God expects complete obedience from us. Here are a few tips to help you get started at home:
• Set aside a specific time each day for prayer and meditation, and stick to it, no matter what. Teach your children to have a special prayer time (maybe in the morning before school or at night before bed).
• Practice denying yourself of something each day (e.g., that extra piece of cake or an impulse purchase). Help your children understand that “the best things come to those who wait.”
• Identify those things in your home that are out of control (i.e., the laundry, family finances, your eating habits), pray about them as a family, and make a plan to practice more discipline in those areas.
Who knows the impact your discipline will have on your household, and ultimately in the classroom?
Sunday, January 4, 2009
New Beginnings
The new year brings along with it the hope of new beginnings. Many of us make resolutions and promise ourselves that with the new year, we’ll take the opportunity to do something new and different with our lives. We may pledge to get published, or to go back to school, or to start our own business. And as Christians, it is the perfect time of year to renew our commitment to God.
Some Christians I know have made the following resolutions:
• To read the Bible all the way through
• To keep a daily journal
• To join a church ministry
• To fast one day each week
• To spend more time each day in prayer
• To live a more godly life
These resolutions are a great way for any Christian to start the new year. But what happens? By mid year, do we lose the motivation behind the resolution? Do we become discouraged or disillusioned along the way? Do we lose sight of the ultimate goal? Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” This year, as we strive to keep the resolutions we’ve made, let’s remember that we are new creatures. Each and every morning we wake up, God offers us a new beginning and a new opportunity to serve Him better.
As I embark upon the journey that the Lord has set before me in 2009, I’m going to celebrate every new beginning.
Happy New Year!
Some Christians I know have made the following resolutions:
• To read the Bible all the way through
• To keep a daily journal
• To join a church ministry
• To fast one day each week
• To spend more time each day in prayer
• To live a more godly life
These resolutions are a great way for any Christian to start the new year. But what happens? By mid year, do we lose the motivation behind the resolution? Do we become discouraged or disillusioned along the way? Do we lose sight of the ultimate goal? Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” This year, as we strive to keep the resolutions we’ve made, let’s remember that we are new creatures. Each and every morning we wake up, God offers us a new beginning and a new opportunity to serve Him better.
As I embark upon the journey that the Lord has set before me in 2009, I’m going to celebrate every new beginning.
Happy New Year!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
The Power of the Written Word
Writers have incredible power. Throughout history, writers have changed the mindset of society, shaped public opinion and ignited revolutions. Authors, poets, playwrights, speechwriters and more have made a tremendous difference in the world.
Whether through passionate prose that stirred up emotions or hard-hitting journalism that instigated public response, writers have been responsible for moving people into action. When inspired, a writer’s words can completely transcend the page and become something more meaningful to the reader.
God entrusted writers to bring His holy Word to the masses. The psalms of David and the letters from Paul, for example, still stand today as testaments to the goodness of God and His promises to His people.
Today’s Christian writers have a tremendous gift. We are inspired by God and empowered with the opportunity to change lives. It’s a responsibility that we should take as seriously as those original scribes who God chose to use for His glory.
I am in awe of the power of the written word.
Whether through passionate prose that stirred up emotions or hard-hitting journalism that instigated public response, writers have been responsible for moving people into action. When inspired, a writer’s words can completely transcend the page and become something more meaningful to the reader.
God entrusted writers to bring His holy Word to the masses. The psalms of David and the letters from Paul, for example, still stand today as testaments to the goodness of God and His promises to His people.
Today’s Christian writers have a tremendous gift. We are inspired by God and empowered with the opportunity to change lives. It’s a responsibility that we should take as seriously as those original scribes who God chose to use for His glory.
I am in awe of the power of the written word.
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