Tag Archives: Daily Wisdom

The Tour, the Guide, the Tell– and All I Learned in Israel

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On our tour of Israel last week, we moved so fast and saw so many things that it was almost overwhelming. There’s an expression we use for new people at work who are trying to get assimilated into our company and are trying to learn and absorb too much information at once. We call it “drinking from a fire hose”. That phrase was used on our tour more than once because of all of the information and locations that came flying at us in a short time.

  

We went from the airport to Joppa to Tel Aviv to Caesarea Maritime to Capernaum to Magdala to the Dead Sea. We were on the Golan Heights, at the Syrian border, went into Palestine, and looked just across the border into Jordan. We stood in mountaintop trenches next to UN observers. Our tour took us to Mt. Carmel where we imagined Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal and looked out over Megiddo and the future site of Armageddon. We encountered diverse cultures and people. I even met a nice Palestinian guard!

We saw multiple levels of civilization stacked upon modern times, old times, medieval times, and ancient history. We visited museums and memorials, tells and tombs, boats and borders. Our tour took us from the Sea of Galilee to the City of David, and from Dan to the Dead Sea. We encountered religion and royalty, sometimes in the same place. (Y’ all, I was like FIFTEEN FEET from Prince William!)

 

It was a wonderful, bucket list tour. Our guide Shlomo Ben Asher was a teacher, a Rabbi and a fount of wisdom as he led us through the Holy Land (which is fitting, since the name Shlomo is a modern Hebrew derivative of Solomon). I’ll write more about him later, but for today I thought I’d share my poetic impression of the tour:

I once met a modern Rabbi from the kibbutz Ein-Shemer
Who took me through the Holy Land and showed me all the treasures there.
Shlomo son of Asher helped me look at Israel through his eyes,
Teaching our group of Baptist pilgrims just like Solomon the wise.
Ancient history came to life in Israel everywhere we went,
As we Moved faster than a nomad bedouin could unfold his tent!
We saw Israel’s treasures from the Syrian border to the South,                              Learning from the stream of wisdom as it came from Shlomo’s mouth!
From Joppa to the Dead Sea we were starting early, finishing late,
Learning more of history than Herod who was called the great!
Of Israel’s sumptuous banquet we could only get a little taste,
But led by Shlomo, Larry and Chad, we did not let a moment waste.

Somehow, like a miracle, I’ve slept almost where David slept;
I’ve seen fields and hills where sheep by the future shepherd-King were kept.                 I saw the very stars that glistened, listened as he sang his song,
And I saw his city in Jerusalem, still alive and strong.
I have seen the evidence where men unearthed the temple wall,
Reflecting on the fact that men and walls, like David, also fall…
I have seen Mt Carmel, where Elijah called for holy fire,
Where he called for Baal and his unholy prophets to retire!
I have witnessed tells where ancient truth was excavated out,
Centuries of dirt obscuring what the truth might be about,
And churches built on holy sites or old traditions they would tout,
With Truth and legend intertwined so much that it could make you doubt.

Like Elijah, I could look upon the Valley of Jezreel,
Thinking of its storied past and all the things it made me feel:
Will this tranquil place become the Armageddon battlefield?
Mary Magdalena, did you ever know or could you see
That groups would come from Mexico, that someday archaeology
Would find your village’s synagogue near the shores of Galilee?                               Your hero and your exorcism have been so far-reaching
That they brought us to this place, this week, for Shlomo’s teaching.

I have seen so many things I want forever to recall:
The oasis of En Gedi, where David went when he was chased by Saul;
Herod’s grand and ancient hall, and desperate Masada’s fall…
Going in the Garden Tomb, or praying on the wailing wall;
So many things both big and small, and in this list not nearly all!
Ancient Scriptures, Dead Sea floating, doing Galilean boating!
Marketplaces. Children playing. Rabbis swaying as they’re praying.
The Dome of the Rock, so mean in spirit that they will not let you near it;
The loud intrusive call to prayer–you can’t ignore it if you hear it–
The Holocaust, so much regret; so much the world should not forget…
Modern life and ancient tels are my mosaic of Israel.

I’ve been near the place where Peter wept because a chicken squawked!
I have heard of politics, where threatening words like trash are talked;
I have seen the marketplace where goods were sold and wares were hawked;
But I have seen the Holy Land, and walked where Jesus walked.

Men may turn from ancient truths and follow after new;
Men may scoff at Scripture and debate its point of view,
And men may say there is no God by what they say and do;
But I have been to The Holy Land. And I know it’s true.

 

To buy my book, Beggar’s Bread, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Devotions-Ordinary-Guy/dp/1535457392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-1&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread
For the Kindle Edition, go here: https://www.amazon.com/Beggars-Bread-Bo-Jackson-ebook/dp/B01K5Z0NLA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473336800&sr=8-2&keywords=Beggar%27s+Bread

If… Then

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IF Christ, then… What?

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” (Philippians 2:1-2 NIV) These verses make an interesting checklist, with (to me) a somewhat unexpected and unusual outcome. The book of Philippians is often called Paul’s love letter to the church at Philippi, and his affection and encouragement are evident throughout. This short list of “if—then’s” is worthy of consideration. Paul says that if you are united with Christ, then there are natural results or consequences. The first question we’d probably have to ask is, “how do I become united with Christ?” Jesus taught his disciples about this in John 15, where he declared, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” He goes on to tell them that in order to live and to bear fruit, they need to abide in him, remain in his love, and keep his commands. Paul says here that this kind of relationship with Christ has results.

Once Jesus is invited, and once that spark is lighted,

Your growth will be ignited, and you can be excited

By the qualities provided to those who are united.

So, ask yourself: If I have a relationship with Jesus, does it ENCOURAGE me? Do I find COMFORT in his love? Does knowing Jesus provide me fellowship and COMMON GROUND with other believers? Has it made me more COMPASSIONATE and TENDER-HEARTED? If I am a follower of Jesus, then I feel encouraged, Check. Comforted, Check. The love and support of other believers, Check. Tenderness, Check. Compassion, Check! Completing that checklist will help you determine if you are properly connected to the vine. And yes, those times when we are impatient, rude, and selfish we probably aren’t “united with Christ” as Paul here describes (it’s not a salvation issue wherein we lose the saving relationship of faith, but rather a Lordship issue where we reclaim control and do things in the flesh apart from his love and leadership…) Paul says here that if we stay connected to Christ, these amazingly good things will be part of our daily experience. I saw a Facebook post the other day that advised adding “With a Chainsaw” to various book or movie titles, and it had some mildly humorous results. In this Philippians 2 list of “ifs”, Paul is advising us to add “IN CHRIST” to the solutions we seek for our everyday cares and worries. Life been tough lately? Be encouraged IN CHRIST! Feeling blue? Find comfort IN CHRIST. Impatient or frustrated with others? Find compassion and tenderness IN CHRIST. All of this, he says, will have a somewhat surprising result. Folks who are in Christ will be one in spirit, loving, and like-minded. Have you noticed all the divisiveness in our society? We are driven by opposite agendas full of selfishness and hate. Black versus white. Gay versus straight. Muslim versus Christian. Pro-Abortion versus Pro-Life. Red versus Blue. Rich versus poor. Crooks versus Cops. Paul says there’s an easy answer to all this division. Our nation, indeed our own hearts will never heal and come together through debate, or political action, or tolerance, or protest, or violence. We will only find unity in the healing power of the gospel. Contentious, hateful, divided? Find unity IN CHRIST.

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” (Philippians 2:1-2 NIV) These verses make an interesting checklist, with (to me) a somewhat unexpected and unusual outcome. The book of Philippians is often called Paul’s love letter to the church at Philippi, and his affection and encouragement are evident throughout. This short list of “if—then’s” is worthy of consideration. Paul says that if you are united with Christ, then there are natural results or consequences. The first question we’d probably have to ask is, “how do I become united with Christ?” Jesus taught his disciples about this in John 15, where he declared, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” He goes on to tell them that in order to live and to bear fruit, they need to abide in him, remain in his love, and keep his commands. Paul says here that this kind of relationship with Christ has results.

Once Jesus is invited, and once that spark is lighted,

Your growth will be ignited, and you can be excited

By the qualities provided to those who are united.

So, ask yourself: If I have a relationship with Jesus, does it ENCOURAGE me? Do I find COMFORT in his love? Does knowing Jesus provide me fellowship and COMMON GROUND with other believers? Has it made me more COMPASSIONATE and TENDER-HEARTED? If I am a follower of Jesus, then I feel encouraged, Check. Comforted, Check. The love and support of other believers, Check. Tenderness, Check. Compassion, Check! Completing that checklist will help you determine if you are properly connected to the vine. And yes, those times when we are impatient, rude, and selfish we probably aren’t “united with Christ” as Paul here describes (it’s not a salvation issue wherein we lose the saving relationship of faith, but rather a Lordship issue where we reclaim control and do things in the flesh apart from his love and leadership…) Paul says here that if we stay connected to Christ, these amazingly good things will be part of our daily experience. I saw a Facebook post the other day that advised adding “With a Chainsaw” to various book or movie titles, and it had some mildly humorous results. In this Philippians 2 list of “ifs”, Paul is advising us to add “IN CHRIST” to the solutions we seek for our everyday cares and worries. Life been tough lately? Be encouraged IN CHRIST! Feeling blue? Find comfort IN CHRIST. Impatient or frustrated with others? Find compassion and tenderness IN CHRIST. All of this, he says, will have a somewhat surprising result. Folks who are in Christ will be one in spirit, loving, and like-minded. Have you noticed all the divisiveness in our society? We are driven by opposite agendas full of selfishness and hate. Black versus white. Gay versus straight. Muslim versus Christian. Pro-Abortion versus Pro-Life. Red versus Blue. Rich versus poor. Crooks versus Cops. Paul says there’s an easy answer to all this division. Our nation, indeed our own hearts will never heal and come together through debate, or political action, or tolerance, or protest, or violence. We will only find unity in the healing power of the gospel. Contentious, hateful, divided? Find unity IN CHRIST.

 

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

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“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” (Romans 13:1-7, NIV) This is a pretty controversial passage, isn’t it? Paul’s words would not be very popular today, I’m afraid. On one hand, some would say that THEIR president didn’t get elected, so they don’t have to respect the current officeholder. They might even use their freedom of speech to express negativity in personal attacks and mean-spirited rants. They might even be Christians, who throw stones while the world watches to see how well we love our enemies. On the other, there are people who fight representatives of law enforcement at every step, who refuse to offer them cooperation or respect. They lie to them, make it incredibly difficult to do their job, hurl obscenities at them, and in extreme cases, target them for violence. And then they wonder why those representatives lose their composure or overreact. Paul’s counsel is pretty simple: Offer Respect. Treat governing authorities as if God elected them. Don’t rebel against them. All of Paul’s advice goes against our grain; we are indignant at such antiquated advice. It raises hard questions. Should we follow along like sheep even when governing authorities are evil? What if a law enforcement official steps over the line? Can’t we fight back? Politically, do we not have the right to protest, to express our opposition to incumbents? I don’t think that Paul is telling us we have no political rights, no freedoms, or that followers of Christ can’t express themselves. But he does say a couple of important things: One, Obey the law and respect authorities as you would respect the Lord. I see a huge lack of respect in our society, and it seems like it’s getting worse every day. Respecting and honoring our fellow citizens might change our dialog and our opportunities to find solutions. Disagree but don’t be disagreeable. Treat others the way you would wish to be treated. Two, Paul says that if you don’t break the law, you have nothing to fear. “Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.” This doesn’t account for every single situation, and statistically you are FAR more likely to be wrongfully detained or questioned in America if you are a young male with darker skin. But Paul’s advice to EVERY young man, regardless of color, is simple: Do what is right. Wouldn’t life be simpler if you never gave anyone a reason to detain or arrest you? Three, give each other (whether government officials or not) honor and respect. If all human transactions in our country were conducted with honor and respect, what would change? Would checking out at the store be different? How about driving? What would change on social media? On your newsfeed? In our politics? Today’s verse probably has something for everyone, regardless of race, color, creed, or political party: if you are being selfish, mean-spirited, a victim, a self-righteous judge, or a disrespectful thug, YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG. Start doing it right. Yeah, you.

What I Did For Love…

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“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” (Romans 12: 12-16, NIV) Paul started this “love chapter” by exhorting us to be living sacrifices, and to follow Christ’s selfless example. Love, he says, is a great motivator. (Think about some of the things you have done because of love—whether foolish things to pursue romantic love or acts of service inspired by unselfish love—we have all acted differently at some point because of love’s motivational pull. Here are two very different examples: The summer I was 14 I was on the aquatics staff at YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow in Kerrville, Texas. Hoping to meet girls, I put “HI THERE” with adhesive tape on my chest for about a week. When I removed the tape, my tan lines said HI THERE all by themselves for at least a couple of weeks. (Yeah it’s a dumb thing, but I was 14 and it did actually help break the ice with local girls a couple of times…) A few years later, I was on staff at the Navigators’ Eagle Lake Boys’ Camp in Colorado Springs. At the end of the summer, I donated a big portion of my salary to the camp (which, my Dad pointed out, was supposed to be my spending money at college that fall; when he had to replace it, it actually meant that HE had given the money to Eagle Lake. Sorry, Daddy.) Both of those actions were motivated by love in one form or another—one foolish, and one sublime—but both were done in hopes of having a different outcome than would have been achieved by standing pat. What are you doing differently today because of love? What outcome are you hoping for? Paul says here that love will help us overcome adverse circumstances. It enables us to view the world differently: to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. I have to say I am ashamed at how often I am NOT patient in affliction or faithful in prayer. How about you? Love inspires generosity towards others, and it even helps us act differently towards those with whom we disagree. Do you bless those who persecute you, or do you curse them? If we are living sacrifices, Paul says, we will be empathetic and live in harmony with others. Burt Bacharach’s1965 pop song said, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love”… How true. There is too much division in our world and in our culture, and not enough blessing. Paul said a living sacrifice is not selfish or stuck up or conceited, but understands that all of us need love, and that it comes (at least partially) through us, to us. Be loving today. Make the same decision tomorrow.