THE “WE BIBLE”

It’s almost an axiom among those who think & talk about Bible interpretation: We are always prone to understand the text of Scripture thru our own lens of experience, priorities, & understanding.

Western believers (& it’s probably not limited to us) have a tendency to read, understand, & apply the Bible based on our personal, individual, immediate situation. This is assumed when we say things like “The Bible is God’s love letter to me.” Or, “What promise, command, etc. is being given to me in this passage of Scripture?”

In a very subtle way, we are buying into the idea that the Holy Book we want to know & follow is the “Me Bible.”

I’d like to rain just a little bit on that parade by suggesting a different lens thru which to read & study the Bible.

If you look at the list of books in the Bible, you will first see 5 books (Genesis-Deuteronomy) which were written to a group of people – God’s covenant people, the nation of Israel. The stories (really the whole historical redemptive process) & laws given there were to be known, remembered, understood, & obeyed by God’s people. My point is that God was speaking & revealing Himself to a people, not just to random individuals.

Then if you look at the rest of the Old Testament, it is a series of history, wisdom literature, prophetic books, etc. calling God’s people to be faithful to or to return to the Covenant He had made with them. Again, He was communicating with a nation & not just individuals.

Ditto the New Testament. The Gospels were written by individuals (Matthew was by Matthew, not for Matthew). Of course Luke was written for an individual named or nicknamed Theophilus). But Mark & John were originally written for use by congregations.

Interestingly, most of the books (with the exception of the Pastoral Letters 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, & Philemon) were written to existing congregations. We know this either by the title (1 & 2 Corinthians, etc.) or by reading the text of the books.

What I’m saying is this: when we read something like Philippians 1:6 or Romans 8:28, it might be enlightening to try understanding these promises in the context of a congregation, rather than only how they apply to Good Old Number One.

We’ve each been reading the “Me Bible” for a long time. Maybe it’s time to open up the “We Bible” to see what it says.

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS & MORAL AUTHORITY

Christians are sometimes accused of being self-righteous. Sometimes that accusation may be true. But I’m not sure if people who make this accusation really think about what they are saying.

Self-righteousness can be understood as being righteous based on what the person believes to be righteous or is able to attain as a level of righteousness. It is based on the person’s perception of himself, many times in contrast to another person or group.

So, self-righteousness really has nothing to do with God. It’s all about the self-righteous person. It has everything to do with his perception of morality, self, & how he measures up.

It seems more reasonable to tie the label of self-righteous to those who believe that man (either as an individual or a non-theistic society) has the ability to define & measure righteousness. Humanity for them is the definer of the moral compass.

Genuine followers of Christ by definition cannot be self-righteous. This is because the moral compass they seek to follow is outside of themselves. The Holy Spirit uses Scripture to shape that, & the Christian life is a process of being more & more confirmed to the image of Christ. It is only when we get off that track that we become self-righteous.

Moral authority based on a life lived in conformity to Christ is often labeled as self-righteousness, in hopes that the accusation will discredit the life or testimony of the follower of Christ. Believers must allow the Lord to reveal areas of life where they are not conformed to Christ, but must also not be intimidated by false accusations of self-righteousness.

YOU SAW WHAT?

I watched the recent Trump speech in Detroit. Not very many people today are old enough to remember what the Motor City was like in the 1950s & early 60s. It was the envy of the country & the world. A whole host of factors contributed to its decline. For many years I have referred to it as the “former Auto Capitol of the World.” But I was reminded about a vital aspect of leadership from how the President talked about Detroit in his speech:

“We’re here not simply to honor the past, but to devote ourselves to a new future of American automotive leadership. We want to be the car capitol of the world again. We will be, & it won’t be long.”

One thing that I regularly remind spiritual leaders here, & those who aspire to spiritual leadership, is that the leader must be able to see beyond what others can see. If we are limited to the level of perception that is common to those around us, we will never have anywhere to go or to help them go. In a sense, leaders like this are the blind leading the blind.

I have done that with my view of Detroit. While remembering its former greatness, it never really occurred to me that it could rise up & be great again. Too much corruption, too much hatred, too much decline. But one of the characteristics of a great leader whether secular or spiritual, is the ability to open others’ eyes to what can’t be seen with the physical eye.

I thank God for leaders who can do that, & who can inspire me to see what I might not otherwise have seen.

PROJECTION

It can be dangerous to get too much into what some call “popular psychology.” But there are aspects of it that carry some important insights about what makes people tick.

I’d like to talk about something that I believe sheds light on what is behind what people sometimes say. It’s called “projection.”

I won’t give a definition of this term. Instead, I will just describe it as our tendency to ascribe something negative to another person while at the same time, consciously or unconsciously, being or doing the same negative thing ourselves.

If we do it unconsciously, it can reflect some kind of lack of self-knowledge.

If we do it consciously, we need to ask ourselves if we are being hypocritical.

Let me give you a few examples.

Can you remember cases in the past where well-known ministers would rail against sexual immorality & alcohol or drug abuse, & they were later discovered to be leading a double life?

In a press briefing early in the Trump administration, Press Secretary Spicer was asked if he planned to tell the truth.

Advocates for various religions & philosophies which compete for influence or control over the peoples of the world have regularly complained about what they call “American imperialism.”

Someone might accuse you of something without any objective basis for that claim. When this happens, there is usually another reason. It might just be that they are projecting their own sins on you.

One thing is sure – the Lord knows.

LIVING IN A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY

I minister in a Christian country – the Philippines is often described as the only “Christian country” in Asia.

Contrary to some people’s assertions, the US is a Christian country in a demographic & cultural sense. The problem with this kind of description the word “Christian” has more than one meaning depending on how it is being used. This reality continually brings confusion to discussions about the US & ways of trying to understand it.

I totally disagree with our former President’s assertion that the US is not a Christian nation, & that members of another religion have had a profound effect on the shaping of it. At the same time, both public policy & individuals’ actions have not always been consistent with Scripture.

These shortcomings just highlight the need to continue with what Jesus commissioned the church: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

There is a huge difference between living in a “Christian country” & living as a Christian regardless of the cultural & spiritual landscape. Every generation, regardless of the setting within which it finds itself, needs a valid & realistic witness of Christ & what it means to know & serve Him.

ACTING LIKE ANIMALS

Here’s an unfortunate paradox about a lot of today’s secular education. Children are essentially taught that they are animals (they evolved from monkeys, amphibians, etc. after all, right?). But animals act on instinct. They don’t always do what is nice or considerate, or moral. Then, when children or young people behave like animals, people get upset.

It seems like when you implicitly place expectations on people, they usually fulfill those expectations.

I have heard well-meaning Christians express the idea that we should not expect people who are not Christians to act like Christians. This sounds reasonable, except for one aspect of how the Bible views humans. Genesis 1:26-28 tells us that God created man in His own image. Although that image is marred by sin & there are a lot of variables that can affect human behavior, I believe that it is possible for the average person to conduct himself in a way that is peaceful, benevolent, etc.

There is no excuse for people to act like animals. A secular, man-centered view of human nature destroys any kind of societal harmony. But a biblical view, while allowing that people are not saved by their commendable behavior, elevates & ennobles our experiences & relationships with to one another.

THE PREACHER’S JOB

Because it is a subtle temptation, the urge to take short-cuts in preparing messages can be a very insidious danger to those who are involved in preaching ministry.

There are many aspects of preparation, but the one that I want to talk about is probably considered the most mundane & challenging one. 

It is the study of Scripture.

Pastors & others involved in preaching ministry are busy people. They invest a lot of time & energy ministering to the spiritual, emotional, & social needs of others around them. This means that they tend to find ways to streamline the various other ongoing responsibilities that they carry. Which leads us to think about sermon preparation.

There are a lot of online resources available to the preacher. Some provide needed helps, especially when it’s hard to come up with a good illustration or to answer a question about how to understand a certain verse or passage.

The danger is that he might not sufficiently invest himself in studying the text for himself to hear what God is saying thru it.

One way you can help your pastor, & empower him or her to serve you, is to do your part to allow sufficient time to prepare messages that will feed the congregation. That might mean a little less social interaction or expectations about one-on-one ministry from the pastor. It might mean freeing him from some administrative responsibility. It definitely will mean doing whatever it takes to make sure he has enough time to adequately pray & study.

What can you do this week to serve your pastor & enable him sufficient time to study without distraction?

DRAIN THE SWAMP? SERIOUSLY?

You may be one of those who take offense at this phrase.  Maybe because it sounds so callous, or because it seems to stereotype certain groups of people. If those assumptions about the term & those who agree with it are correct, you might be right to dislike it.

But I’ve been considering this & have come up with some thoughts about why you may be wise to think twice about taking offense.

What if, just because the choice of words is distasteful to you, you don’t really understand what it means to others? What if it reflects, albeit crudely, a sentiment that is based on legitimate concerns about the relationship between the governed & the government?

Think about a swamp with me. What is it? What is the emotional, visceral reaction of most people at the prospect of walking thru a hot, muddy, bog that is infested with unknown poisonous insects & potentially harmful reptiles? It’s the stuff of nightmares. It’s an abundant source of subjects for horror movies.

Why?

It’s because most of us don’t really belong in the swamp. We feel threatened & even helpless there. We wish we were almost anywhere else in the world. We want someone to help us get away.

Can you see the picture? 

Many Americans have for some time felt alienated from their government, at least at the Federal level. They have sometimes felt threatened by its faceless, capricious, sometimes heavy-handed way of dealing with them. They haven’t known what to expect, how to insure their safety from something that has become huge, unfeeling, & menacing. They have felt that, rather than government serving the people, the tables have somehow been turned.

One way of describing their perception is that they are in a swamp. Or maybe the swamp has come & invaded their world. And now they desperately want to be free of it. They want nothing more than to be left alone to raise their families, do their work, worship God, & just live their lives in peace & without fear.

And they want Big Brother to mind his own business & not interfere with theirs.

Drain the swamp? Seriously?

You bet!