Christian Questions Bible Podcast

Life has really changed.  With all of the amazing connectedness we have through social media, we are more alone than ever.  We see people via Facetime but we cannot touch them.  We “chat” without talking.  We “like” without truly feeling emotion, we “follow” without knowing where we are going and we “join” without ever going anywhere.  As a result of all of this non-active activity, when someone crosses us in any of these virtual environments we can snap back at them in so many ways with without having to actually face them.  We tweet, post, Instagram, email, text – all with anonymity.  Funny, Jesus specifically taught us to “turn the other cheek” - not to virtually smack them upside their head!  What does turning the other cheek even mean and how do we apply it in both our real and virtual worlds?  Is this teaching of Jesus still as relevant and powerful as it was centuries ago?

So much of what Jesus taught was about the practical parts of living – learning to love, forgive and encourage one another - and these are the parts of his teachings that seem to garner the most attention. Jesus did, however, spend significant time imparting prophetic teaching as well.  He came to earth as a man to ransom the human race, and in so doing, to call out "a people for his name."  Much of his prophetic teaching was focused on how that calling would work and what that calling would face by way of challenges and pitfalls.  Jesus was specific about what to expect regarding that calling regarding Christianity in terms of corruption and deceit.  It sounds odd to think about Jesus calling out some future failures of what would come to be thought of as the Christian world, but he did.  How did he do it?  What did he say?  What did he mean?  What should we be paying attention to?

When I was a kid and faced with the potential consequences ("consequences" nothing...I mean I was faced with getting punished!) for my actions, there was often that moment that every kid dreads.  I had to tell my dad or mom what I did.  Now look, they already knew what I did; they were teaching me to own what I did.  Anyway, at those fateful and fearful moments, my dad would often say “tell the truth and shame the devil!”  This was never easy to hear for it reminded me that God is pleased with truth and the devil is pleased with lies, and even though lying seemed like a “get out of jail free” card, it was really an “out of the frying pan and into the fire” card.  Guidelines are easier when you are a kid.  As adults, how well do we do when faced with the gray areas and the white lies of life?  Do we have resolve?  Is it strong?  What is it based upon?  Can God bless us when in those gray areas?

As Charles Dickens opened his classic novel, A Tale of Two Cities, he wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” He went on to explain the contradictions of his own culture. Here we are generations later, and we can easily say the same thing. Our culture is filled with wonder, technology and advancement, as well as suffering, misunderstanding and false narratives. One group of our culture that finds itself right in the middle of all of this is those who are transgender. For many, the idea of being transgender is not only foreign but perhaps even highly doubtful. For others, being transgender feels natural and needs not only recognition but respect as well. This truly poses a dilemma of understanding and acceptance for many on all sides of the matter. So, how do we, how should we as Christians approach such a sensitive and passionate part of our world? Where should we stand? Why should we stand there? How should we approach those with whom we may disagree?

The world is full of provoking and it is NOT A GOOD THING.  First, there is the provoking that takes place among children by way of demeaning and bullying those who seem weaker or different.  Then there is provoking on an adult social level as those on various sides of issues regarding personal freedoms and beliefs poke and prod one another.  And let’s not forget the provoking on a political level as those on opposite sides of the aisle name call and cast aspersions at one another.  Basically, provoking stinks!  Now that we have proclaimed that provoking is a problem, there is a verse in the Bible that tells us to provoke one another in a good way.  So, how does that work?  What are we supposed to say or do and how are we supposed to do it?  Can there be a positive place and purpose for provoking?

 Whether we think about it or not, we all leave a legacy behind us as a result of our life and experience.  Sometimes that legacy can be rich with wisdom, accomplishment and example, and other times our legacy can be a sad tale of unfulfilled potential, broken dreams and a trail of “if only” and “why didn’t I?”  The thing is, we choose much of what our legacy will look like!  What if you thought about your legacy in the context of leaving something behind of great value to your grandkids?  Aside from material things to give them physical comfort in life, what would you want them to learn?  What would you want them to know so that their lives could blossom with fulfilled potential and with true contentment?  Even if you don’t have grandchildren, let’s suppose that you do and are writing them a letter with words of wisdom…what will you say?

It is the Christmas season.  It is a time for happiness, giving, receiving and appreciating.  There was a time not so very long ago when the main focus of the Christmas season was the birth of Jesus as the world’s Savior.  We are past that now, thanks to our political correctness, and Jesus is very much an afterthought of the holidays.  Well, here today Jesus is NOT an afterthought.  He is NOT a divisive figure who offends people by his mere existence. No, here today Jesus is recognized as the Savior of humanity, the centerpiece of God’s plan and the King of Kings.  As we honor the birth and life of Jesus today, we will do so by highlighting some personal conversations he had with various people he encountered throughout his three-and-a-half year ministry.  In so doing, we will tell a story that is rarely told.  Merry Christmas!

Prayer is a staple of religion.  If you don’t follow any particular religion then perhaps you meditate. The point is, humans by and large are tuned to opening their minds to some kind of external power or tranquility.  For many, this opening of their minds provides a sense of security and peace as they feel heard, accepted and cared for.  So, is prayer a commodity that should be passed out to and encouraged among the masses?  Is it an elixir that can be taken to cure what ails you?  How does prayer even work?  What are its key ingredients and what is its process – or is there one?  Can prayer, will prayer, change your life?

Complaining.  Everybody does it.  Sometimes, well...actually occasionally, we complain from a positive perspective for the purpose of effecting change and that’s good!  But most of the time we complain because someone or something is irritating us, or putting pressure on us or challenging us or contradicting us. Most of our complaints are not for the purpose of truly solving any issue; rather, they are for the purpose of being heard, of having our position or circumstance or opinion verified.  We complain for attention, for sympathy and to reinforce our ego.  We often use complaining as a tool of destruction against those we oppose.  For the most part, complaining doesn’t sound all that productive.  So, what do we do about it?  How do we stop our complaining or transform it into something good?

Last week we began talking about what it takes to actually change the world around you – what it takes to not only have a dream for change but to begin that process of change. We talked about Nehemiah, a little known figure in the Old Testament, who not only had a ridiculously big dream for change, he worked the idea and recruited the masses to help him progress towards making that dream a reality. Today we finish the story as we catalogue the principles and techniques Nehemiah used to accomplish what seemed impossible. Not only did Nehemiah achieve something magnificent, he also left clues and tools along the way for us to pick up on and use to apply to the changes we want to effect in our own lives.