TILL HE COMES Blog

Most preachers and pastors use up a large portion of their sermon with story telling and illustrations. They say that doing so makes the message more memorable and enjoyable. And besides, “Jesus told stories, and so should we.”

Maybe it’s just me, but I tend to get annoyed at all the illustrations, stories, and witty jokes that pepper most sermons today. I want something solid to chew on and think over. If I want entertainment, I can watch a movie. And frankly, I can’t remember a single sermon story I’ve heard…let alone the sermons they went with. So for me, stories don’t make the sermon more enjoyable or memorable. But that’s just me. I understand that for lots of people, stories do help keep their attention and remember what is said. So I won’t argue with these reasons for using stories in sermons.

But I have to disagree with the idea that “Jesus told stories and so should we.”

Certainly, Jesus told stories. There’s not denying that. The Gospels are full of stories that Jesus told. We call them ‘parables.” But the Gospels also reveal that these parables were told, not to reveal truth, but to conceal it. He spoke in parables to keep people confused.

How do we know this is why Jesus told parables? Because He said so. His disciples didn’t understand most of what Jesus said either, and so one time they asked Him why He spoke in parables. His answer? “So that in seeing, they will not see, and in hearing, they will not understand” (Luke 8:10).

Why would Jesus do this? He goes on to explain to His disciples that He wants them to understand what He says, as well as anybody else who comes to Him for an explanation of His parables. In other words, Jesus wants to disciple people…especially those who realized they didn’t know it all. He provided a clear explanation of His parables to those who asked Him.

And just in case we get the idea that we should start preaching nonsense sermons, we must understand that most of the time, Jesus taught through books of the Bible. We’ll get into how we know this in the next post.

But for now, just realize that if you are ever confused about what you read in the Bible – especially with the teachings and parables of Jesus – you are in good company. In some ways, the Bible was meant to be confusing. This is so that it keeps us humble, and none of us can fully understand or grasp all of it. It keeps us coming back to God for insight, understanding, and wisdom. Not knowing it all keeps us coming back for more. It keeps us dependant upon God, coming daily to sit at His feet and learn.

Are you confused by a passage or concept in Scripture? Tell God. Ask Him to teach you. Come before Him in prayer and with an open Bible saying, “Teach me wonderful things from your Word.”

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Has it ever occurred to you that Satan is probably one of the greatest Bible scholars in the universe? He probably has the Bible memorized and knows all the various views on every passage of the Bible. He probably has learned all the best arguments for every theological position that exists–both orthodox and heretical. He probably invented some of the heretical ones…

Which means, of course, that the devil is an expert with the Word of God. Of course, he uses it wrongly–to glorify himself and tempt us to sin. This is what he did with Jesus in the wilderness. In Luke 4:1-13, Jesus defeated the first two temptations of the devil by quoting Scripture. So for the third temptation, the devil seems to say, “Oh yeah? Two can play that game!” and he quotes Scripture back at Jesus. Satan is a deceiver and one of his favorite ways of deceiving Christians is with Scripture. He twists it, distorts it, and perverts it, and for the unwary, his explanations and ideas sound very convincing.

So don’t trust someone just because they can quote Scripture. Don’t trust someone just because they use Scripture persuasively. And I’m saying that about myself also. Don’t trust me. I’m sure I’m wrong in my theology somewhere.

How can you learn the truth? Study Scripture and listen to others who have also studied Scripture. Weigh what you hear with what others have said and with what you yourself have learned. Pray. Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I firmly believe that as we do this, as we humbly seek God, asking Him for wisdom, He will guide us into all truth.

This post is based on the Grace Commentary for Luke 4:1-13.

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It constantly amazes me how many Christians think that serious study of Scripture is “optional.”

When challenged to read and study, many will answer, “Oh, that’s for pastors and professors. I just want to love God. And besides, the Bible says that ‘knowledge puffs up.’”

There is no other area in life where such logic would be accepted.

Can you imagine telling your wife, “I don’t really care to read the notes you have written to me, or really get to know who you are, what you like, and how you think. I just want to love you, and all the knowledge about you will just get in the way”? Since when does knowledge about your loved ones hinder your love for them?

How long would you last at your job if you told you boss, “I don’t really care about knowing how to do my job. Right now I love my job, and think that if I learn how to do it better, I might not love it any more”? You’d be out on the street before the end of the day.

Even with something like sports. Have you ever heard a sports fanatic say, “I love watching sports. I don’t know much about the teams, the players, or even the rules, but I sure do love sports! If I had to spend time reading and learning about the games and the players, it would ruin my enjoyment! So don’t bother me with all those stats and numbers”?

All this is crazy talk…except in some Christian circles. In some churches, it is considered “spiritual” to ignore serious study of Scripture. Oh sure, they may talk a lot about the Bible, and may even memorize large portions of it, but attempting actually learning what those passages mean is frowned upon.

Of course, what many don’t realize is that even Jesus studied. Even Jesus had to learn the Scriptures. In Luke 2:41-52, there are several references to the fact that Jesus learned (from His parents and from the Jewish priests, scribes, and Pharisees) what the Scriptures meant and how to live them.   

And if that’s true, how much more do we!

This post is based on the Grace Commentary for Luke 2:41-52.

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Yes, I’m still here. It’s been a month since I posted anything. I’ve been busy. Hopefully, someone is still reading…

My Bible commentary writing is going slow. I spent three hours today on “to preach the gospel to the poor” in Luke 4:18. Talk about a trap-filled verse! My conclusion shocked me a bit. If I ever finish with that section, I tremble a little just thinking about posting it! Maybe I’m wrong in my conclusions, but if so, that’s what the interactive commentary is for. I hope you all weigh in!

Regarding the posts on this blog, I think I need to get it up current with the Grace Commentary blog. I find that most of my “devotional” insights come to me as I study and think about a particular verse. If I get caught up here with what I am studying and posting over there (at gracecommentary.com) then these posts here will maybe be more relevant, thought-provoking, and fresh.

So my goal over the next 2-3 weeks is to get myself “caught up.” Enjoy the ride!

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This post is based on the Grace New Testament Commentary for Luke 1:1-4.

Science Cannot Prove History
In the movie Religulous (which I recently reviewed), Bill Maher challenged Francis Collins (the leading geneticist of the Human Genome Project) to scientifically prove that Jesus really lived, died, and rose again. This is not really an area of expertise for Francis, but he did a decent job of stating something about how the Four Gospels are historically reliable. Maher scoffed at this of course, but then moved on to some other topic.

But guess what? Maher is somewhat right. It is impossible to scientifically prove that the events of the Gospels are true. This is not because Jesus did not live, or the events recorded in the gospels did not happen, but because it is impossible to scientifically prove any historical event. By definition, historical events cannot be scientifically proven. You cannot scientifically prove that George Washington was the First President of the United States, that Michael Jackson recently died, or even what you had for breakfast this morning. Why not? Because to prove something scientifically, it needs to be observable and repeatable. Historical events, while observable by the people who happen to see it, are not repeatable.

History Can Still Be Learned
But this doesn’t mean we can’t know anything about history. We learn about and study history all the time, and for the most part, believe that what we read really happened. Generally, we come to learn about history through the accounts of the eyewitness. They saw something happen, and then they tell stories or write about it. Then others listen to what they say, or read what they wrote, and write history.

Are the Gospels Reliable History?
When we come to the Gospel of Luke, this is what he says he is doing.  He is not an eyewitness to the events he writes about, but he has carefully investigated these events, and records what he has learned.

Of course, who is to say Luke is a reliable historian? For that matter, how do we know any historian is reliable? Well, to help in this area, historians have come up with various tests to help determine the accuracy of an account. I don’t have space to get into them here.

But various historians, many of them “secular”, have stated that based on the various tests for historic reliability, the Gospels are some of the most historically reliable documents of that time period. The Gospel writers can be shown to be more reliable than such historians as Josephus, Herodotus, Plutarch, Thucidydes, and Julius Caesar. World renowned archaeologist Sir William Ramsay, after setting out to prove that the Gospels were full of errors, concluded that “Luke’s history is unsurpassed in respect of its trustworthiness.” Similar quotes from other historians and scientists could be multiplied.

But let’s be honest. Just because Ramsay and numerous other scholars say the Gospels are reliable, doesn’t mean they really are. I’m sure Gospel critics could stack up numerous quotes from many famous archaeologists, historians, and scientists who say the Gospels are full of errors. And I’m sure they have their own research and documentation to prove it.

So…Are the Gospels Reliable or Not?
So where does that leave us? Are the Gospels accounts historically reliable or not? Personally, I think they are reliable. I think that the events recorded in the Gospels actually happened. But you want to know what else? I think that the entire question is the wrong question. Debates and argues about the historical reliability of the Gospels would have surprised the Gospel writers. They would have listened to such arguments, scratched their heads, and said, “What are you doing? That’s not why I wrote at all!” The purpose of the Gospels is not to provide a historical reliable account of the life of Jesus. I think this is a by-product; but it is not their purpose.

The Purpose of the Gospels
So what is the purpose of the Gospels? If it was not to give us a historically reliable account of the life of Jesus (though I think they do provide us this), why were they written? Simply this: life change.

Take Luke, for example (since that’s the book under discussion). He is writing specifically to Theophilus. As I mentioned in the commentary, most believe that his title indicates he was a high ranking public official. As we study through the Gospel of Luke, we are going to see that it is a very political book. Luke constantly takes things that Caesar promised the people, and shows how these things can only be provided and accomplished through Jesus. For a high ranking public official in the Roman Empire, these ideas are treasonous. Imagine how the mind and heart of Theophilus must have raced as he read this volatile book by Luke! Luke was challenge the Lordship of Caesar! He was challenging the Pax Romana, the peace of Rome! As Theophilus read this book, he was faced with a choice – to accept or deny the message, to live as he had up until then, or to change and live in light of what Luke wrote.

And the challenge is the same for us today. We may not be high-ranking public officials, but the challenge of Jesus remains. You cannot read about Him and come away unscathed. Just as watching any movie or reading any book changes a person, so also, studying and reading about Jesus will change you.

So Let’s Read!
So frankly, if someone tells me they believe the Bible is full of errors, and they don’t believe in the historical accuracy of the Gospels, my typical response is, “OK.” I don’t argue. Then I say, “You want to read it anyway? We could discuss it together if you want.”

I don’t know where you stand in your view of Scripture and the reliability of the Gospels, but regardless of your view, I invite you to join with me in learning about Jesus. It’s where the only true “CHANGE” is found.

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This is my 300th Post! And with it, I have some changes to announce.

Recently, I haven’t been posting much. I used to post once a day, but now I’m lucky to post once a month. Part of this is because of some things going on in my life right now, but most of it is that I’m dissatisfied with what I write. I have 70 drafts sitting in my queue, just waiting for me to hit the “publish” button, but I just can’t do it.

In pondering why I have trouble publishing what I’ve written, I decided it is because what I’ve written in most of those 70 posts is not really worth saying. At first I thought it was because I had already said it, or somebody else said it better than me. Then I realized that the real reason was that most of my posts were for pride issues; I was trying to sound smart, edgy, and creative. The truth is that I’m none of those things. Yes, I read and think a lot, and work hard at learning, but I’m not what you would call a “wave maker.” I’m more of a “wave rider.” I ride along the waves that others create.

For a long time, I wanted to be a wave maker. As a child and teenager, I wanted to be an inventor. As a pastor, I wanted to lead the church in new directions, teach new ideas, attempt new things. But I eventually discovered that most of what I thought and taught was not original with me; I had picked it up from somewhere else. Sure, maybe I synthesized it, summarized it, or said it in a way that was new or creative, but wasn’t actually making or teaching anything revolutionary. But that’s okay, because people seemed to learn from my teaching, and I enjoyed it.

But I thought it wasn’t enough, so I set out to try to be a wave maker. Part of that attempt was this blog. Now I’ve come to realize that I am not a wave maker. I am a rider. And I’m good at it. Well, maybe I’m not so good, but I enjoy it. I love learning about the currants, and watching the wind play across the ripples of the sea. I get thrills out of trying some new approach on my board, and feeling it harness the power of the wave beneath my feet. I love the feel of the wind in my hair and the spray on my face as I hurtle toward shore.

This is me. This is who I am. This is what I love. I must embrace it.

By the way, I’ve never surfed in my life. So I am not talking about moving to California to become a “rider.”‘ Instead, I want to be a writer. Specifically, I want to study, teach, and write about Scripture. As I look over the last couple decades of my life, it is when I am studying, teaching, and writing about Scripture that I feel most content, most fulfilled, most at home, most connected with God and with who He made me to be. Remember in the movie “Chariots of Fire” when Eric Liddell said, “When I run I feel His pleasure”? Well, I feel His pleasure when I study.

So how does this effect this blog? I have decided to give up trying to write creative and witty blog posts, and just go back to what I enjoy doing – studying Scripture and writing about it. I am going to do this in two ways:

1. I am going to focus more time and energy on writing commentary. I am doing this at www.gracecommentary.com This is a free, online, interactive commentary. I am currently working on Luke. Though I try to write the text with simplicity and clarity, without getting bogged down too much in the details, it is still a commentary. As such, I am not doing much in the way of application. But I enjoy the research, the writing, and (hopefully) the interaction that is part of the site.

2. As a teacher, I feel it is never enough to just give facts and explanations. I also want to teach for life change.  Sicne a commentary doesn’t frequently contain much application, I am going to use the blog here for that purpose.

I cannot predict how frequently I will post, since, as I mentioned, there is a lot going on in my life right now, and I don’t really have too much time for writing. Also, from time to time, I may post a random entry about whatever tickles my fancy. But generally, I am going to try to stick with Scripture.

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I’ve never been one for prepackaged group Bible studies. Generally, I disdain them. To put it crudely, (in the words of a famous line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail) I fart in their general direction. I can’t tell you how many hundreds of hours I have spent yawning and eye-rolling through such studies.

However, I was recently sent a group study which I not only like, but thoroughly recommend! Yes, this group study is worth the money you spend on it! It’s called The Tangible Kingdom Primer and is based on a book which I recommended last year called The Tangible Kingdom by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay. The book itself is one of the best books I have read on how to live a life of evangelism and mission for church planting. The more I work on planting churches, and the more I read about the gospel and the kingdom, the more convinced I am that this book is a “must read,” not only for church planters, but for all who follow Jesus.

And now, the eight-week guide makes the ideas of the book even more accessible. This is a fantastic tool to help Christians become “missional” and “incarnational” according to the gospel. I highly recommend that groups of believers around the country go through this study while reading The Tangible Kingdom. The study contains stunning images, thought-provoking questions, and most importantly, missional insights into key biblical texts.

If you really want to follow Jesus, this little guide will show you what it is, how to do it, why we should, and (most often forgotten) where. (Did you know that it is hard to follow Jesus if all you do is “attend church”?) If you want to “reach out,” but don’t really know how, this primer is the place to start.

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Here is a post from the Grace Commentary website that explains some of the benefits of this approach. The original post is here.

There are so many benefits to “publishing” a commentary online rather than in print format. Below are a few (feel free to add more in the comment section of the forum):

1. It’s Expandable. As I come across new information, rather than think “I wish I had put that in the print version!”, I can simply add it!

2. It’s Editable. Almost everything on this site is “written in pencil.” If I later change my views on a particular passage (either through further study of my own, or in light of the comments that are made in the forum), I can easily go change what I have written.

3. It’s free for you! You don’t have to go buy expensive books, or use up shelf space on your bookshelves.

4. It allows feedback. Ever wish you could ask a writer for further clarification or elaboration? Now you can.

5. It allows discussion. Now you can talk about the passages with others online, for the free exchange of ideas and viewpoints. Alternately, feel free to print some pages for family devotions or small group Bible studies.

6. It is worldwide. Wherever there is internet connection, people can study and learn along with the rest of us! (In fact, when I was about 9 or 10, I dreamt of compiling a commentary on the Bible called “The World Commentary” which was written by leading biblical scholars from around the world. This Forum is not fully that, but is a step in that direction since any person from around the world can contribute to the forum.)

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Below is my big announcement I’ve been warning you about for about two weeks.

I’ve started another blog/forum over at www.gracecommentary.com. It essentially is a free, online, interactive Bible commentary. Though I originally began developing the idea two years ago, I’ve only been working on the site for a few months now. I figure that at my current rate, this project will only take the rest of my life (if I have the perseverance to see it through).

I have realized over the past decade or so that one of the things I really enjoy doing is studying Scripture. Studying, of course, needs to have more of an aim than simply gaining knowledge. And while I try to apply what I learn to my life, I think that the teacher in me needs an outlet. Since I am no longer a pastor, I decided to develop an avenue which might allow me to study Scripture interactively with anybody who might want to join. I started with the Gospel of Luke, and post commentary on about 10 verses per week. 

I am, of course, not enough of a biblical expert to write a commentary, but I figure that if I start now, by the time I’m 80 or 90 and know enough to write a commentary (although does anyone ever know enough?), I will already have a good base to work with.

Currently, I am the only contributor, but I may add more in the future. However, any registered user may interact with the commentary posts, and provide their own insights and studies on the particular passages. In this way, others (including myself) may read what you have learned in Scripture, and interact with you. Of course, as I learn new things, whether through my own reading and study, or through the interactive comments, I can always edit and/or add to my original posts to reflect this new information.

Originally (about two years ago), I wanted to have at least something posted on every chapter of the Bible before the site went live, so that anybody could contribute and/or post their insights on any passage of Scripture right away without having to wait for me to get to it. But that turned out to be too prone to spammers, so I had to shut that aspect down.

So really, the site is little more than an invitation to study Scripture along with me, and right now, we’re studying Luke. I hope to see you there, and I look forward to your input!

PS, If you come for a visit, please let me know ASAP if there are registration problems and/or glitches. I am not quite sure yet if the site works…

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A Story

I was at the park over the weekend with my three daughters and we were playing on the swings. I noticed a man watching us play, and after a while, he came up to me and said, “It sure is obvious your girls love you.”

Thinking it was an odd thing for a stranger to say, I cautiously replied, “Thanks?”

He continued, “Aside from giving them fun things to do here at the park, I bet in this economy, you work hard to give them food, clothes, and a roof over their heads.”

“Yep.” Now I was getting suspicious. “I try to provide for them the best I can.”

“Well, it’s obvious it is working. They adore you…”

I was starting to get a little upset. “I don’t give them that stuff to earn their love, but because I already love them. What are you trying to say?”

“Well, I’m just saying that I bet the only reason they love you is because you have provided so much for them. I bet they wouldn’t love you as much if you took some of that stuff away,” he said in a rather haughty tone. “I dare you to take some of that good stuff away and see if they still love you.”

Now I understood. And I was actually somewhat intrigued by the idea.”Okay,” I said. “Let’s try it. First, I’m going to not give them dinner tonight, and then tomorrow, when they wake up, all their clothes will be gone. When they come downstairs to ask my wife for clothes and food, we will be gone. When they come outside to see if we are working in the yard, I will have the house rigged so it burns to the ground. I’ll have some food sitting out there, but I’ll put something in so that when they eat it, they will get very, very sick. Then, I’ll send some neighbors over to tell them that their mommy and daddy did all this to them because they did something bad and we are angry with them. I am so sure they love me, that even through all this, I bet they will continue to love me.” 

“I bet they won’t,” he retorted.

“We’ll just have to see then, won’t we?”

Job Problems

Clearly, this story is fictional. I made it up, so don’t turn me in to CPS. Any parent who agrees to do these sorts of things to their children should have their children taken away from them. It’s monstrous, and it made me cringe just to write it. I cannot imagine doing anything so cruel to my three girls.

Which brings me to my Job problems. No, it is not problems with my job, but problems with the premise of the Book of Job in the Bible. Have you ever read the opening chapters of the Book of Job? The opening chapters have God and Satan deciding to test Job’s love for God by taking away everything Job loves and all he owns, and then have Job’s friends come and tell Job it is because God is punishing him. 

I’m not surprised that Satan suggests such a scheme. What surprises me is that God so readily agrees to it! And furthermore, God never tells Job why all this bad stuff happened to him. Job never finds out about this divine wager! God never tells Job that he was a pawn in a cosmic game of “chicken.” At the end of the book, when Job finally gets to ask God “Why?” God basically says, “I’m God and you’re not, so don’t question me.”

I understand that sometimes parents have to tell their children “Because I said so, that’s why!” or “Because I’m the parent!” but such answers are not adequate explanations when the parent is abusing the child.

People say, “Yeah, but God gave it all back!” But would any court in the country allow me to keep my daughters if I treated them as described above, and then at the end of it all, say, “Just kidding! Here’s more clothes and food and a bigger house! Now let’s get back to being a happy family!” I don’t think so.

I am not trying to be irreverent or blasphemous, but I just have problems with how God treats Job. What am I not seeing? What am I not understanding? 

(I am working on a possible solution to this Job Problem, which I will post later, but I want to see what you come up with first.)

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