Daily Butter 6/30: Persistent Patience

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (6/30/11)

When he came to his senses, ... he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. (Luke 15:17, 20)

After reading Luke 15:2 that "the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them!'" I was thinking, "Duh, He lets you hang around, too." I am a long way from truly understanding the reason, but the story recounted by Julie Ackerman Link in today's ODB got me thinking of the above verse from later in the chapter. In His wisdom, God desires man to choose to partake with Him. While we know that God "wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," (1 Timothy 2:4) His patience in letting us "come to our senses" is mind-boggling. Just as Julie didn't know she needed found, so many have no idea, How many missing family members is our Father counting on us to find?

But how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14)

Andy Jentes

All scripture quotations from Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

Daily Butter 6/29: Peace Amidst the Rapids

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (6/29/11):
Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1 HCSB)What a tremendous story in today’s ODB about joy on the journey displayed as a true believer allowed God’s love to flow through him to create light and life in the morgue. The only "hope" the unbeliever could dare hold on to was a better passing staying near the dead. In the rat race of 21^st Century America, it is heard all too often that "you can rest when your dead" as busy men and women try to cram one more thing into their hectic schedule. When someone like Dusty Miller shows incomprehensible peace in the turmoil, it’s amazing to me how close that cliché is to the real truth. The confidence of true hope is only found when, like the Apostle Paul, we are "crucified with Christ" and let Him live on through us (Galatians 2:19-20).

Many find themselves in a different rat race wondering if they have "done enough" or "done it right." Well, the short answer is no. No one is righteous and it is humanly impossible to do "enough" to obtain righteousness. Just because it is not humanly possible does not mean it’s impossible. God made a way to make us righteous through faith in Christ. Only God could "do enough" to make that happen. Christ loves us so much that He stepped out of heaven and did it right so that we may be declared righteous. It is so peaceful knowing that He’s done all the work, I can just live in grateful service.
"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. … For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
(Matthew 11:28, 30 HCSB)
Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 HCSB)Andy Jentes

Daily Butter 6/28: Faith, fear and focus

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (6/28/11):

By faith … they didn't fear …. (verse 23)

By faith Moses… chose to suffer. (verses 24-25)

By faith …, not being afraid … he persevered…. (verse 27)

In today’s ODB reading, verses 23 to 31 from Hebrews 11 that has become know as “The Hall of Faith”, the word “faith” appears seven times in these nine verses. This faith is praised for its display without fear of the ruler and for choosing to follow on the tough road rather than take the easy way. What makes gives a person the faith and boldness to do what is right in spite of any difficulties? Well, verse 26 tells us Moses did not let the difficulties of the path keep him from the journey “since his attention was on the reward” and verse 27 reminds us “he persevered, as one who sees [not saw] Him who is invisible.” The entire chapter is full of examples of faithfulness through all types of hurdles and culminates with the answer, the ultimate example and the focus of our faith.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (emphasis mine):

Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne.

(all scripture quotations from Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.)

Andy Jentes

Daily Butter 6/27/11: In the Cracks

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (6/27/11):

because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up what was lacking in your ministry to me. (Philippians 2:30 HCSB)

Having worked night shift for about the last decade, I have found that puts me in a list of people who can “fall through the cracks.” Tonight (which to me means “this shift”) I found that a minor mishap occurred that I saw may happen and suggested a way to avoid it several months ago. That suggestion “fell through the cracks.”  It is disappointing, but it is not an uncommon for me since I rarely have the opportunity to follow-up personally face-to-face or with a phone call. Nothing in this world is perfect, so there will be cracks. Much of my job is finding cracks (unfortunately usually after something has “fallen through”) and doing what is necessary to fix the situation.

The church at Philippi understood this. At first, the word “lacking” stuck out at me as a hard word to hear to describe the ministry as insufficient to meet the needs. But a second look showed that Paul is really pointing to the wisdom the Philippian church had in sending Epaphroditus. Their love for the Apostle Paul was so much that they sent their aid with a messenger who was a faithful minister who would do whatever it takes to fill in the cracks – in spite of any adversity and personal cost. And he wanted to get back so that others would stop worrying about him (v26). Selfless service of that nature in my experience only comes from those who allow the Holy Spirit to fill them and overflow into those around them. To echo Fisher’s question from today’s ODB, “What are you known for?”

Andy Jentes

Daily Butter: What if...?

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (6/26/11)

He did not even spare His own Son,

but offered Him up for us all;

how will He not also with Him grant us everything?

(Romans 8:32 HCSB)

How much is a father willing to do for his child? With my only son now three years old, I am continually learning how much I long to meet his every need and give him everything that will help him grow into a strong, faithful, wise and compassionate man.

What if as a father I actually had limitless resources and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt exactly what he needs to make him the man he was created to be?

What if I loved someone else, but the only way I could have any relationship with that person is to let my own son walk a path of suffering so great that I cannot even bear to watch?

What if I really understood my Heavenly Father did exactly that to adopt me into His family?

Andy Jentes

Daily Butter: Stay the Course

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (6/25/11):

 

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing those from whom you learned, and that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14-15 HCSB)

With the parallel made from Verse 16 in today’s ODB to a GPS guiding one back on course, these verses are a reminder to me that I know the route. Yes, life will throw in some detours and distractions on the journey, and no, my Bible didn’t come with turn-by-turn “thou shalt marry Sharon” instructions, but it has been a faithful guide. Though my road has not been a faithful following every step of the way, I am blessed with a heritage rooted in the scriptures much like Timothy.

The title I chose: “Stay the Course” comes from one of my all-time favorite movies “The Patriot” starring Mel Gibson. In the movie set during the revolutionary war, Gibson’s character is reminded by his eldest son (serving under his command in the militia at that point) to “stay the course” in pursuit of the cause in spite of the fact the battles were going poorly. The reminder came again from a colleague as Gibson’s character sat beside the body of his son who was killed when going off on his own seeking revenge in rage. Perhaps a bit strong, but the phrase has now become a vivid reminder to me of the importance of staying “on track” and the potential consequences of trying it “my way.”

I have written it before (though in pre-blog entries) that I totally agree with the statement: “It’s not the parts of the Bible I don’t understand that bother me, but those that I do.”

Andy Jentes

Daily Butter (6/24/11) Good Intentions

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (6/24/11)

His wife said to him, "Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!" ...

Job's three friends … met together to go and offer sympathy and comfort to him.

(Job 2: 9, 11 HCSB)

I marvel at the depth of Job’s faith. I don’t know how one could remain standing with the support network he had around him telling him to either throw in the towel (his wife’s first and last word recorded for us) or day after day of the “sympathy and comfort” of his friends accusing him of bringing the tribulation on himself. Without the peek into heaven that we get in verse 6 that God would not permit his life to be taken, how much faith and trust in the unseen, seemingly uninterested God can one man have to hold on!?

While I long to grow to have a faith similar to that of Job, I see some important lessons and warnings on how to lend support to the suffering. As harsh as I was with his friends, they started out well. They saw a friend in need and took action to give of their time, which twenty-first-century Americans never consider. They arrived and “sat on the ground with him seven days and nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering was very intense” (Job 3:13). Waiting on Job to open up was wise, but unfortunately their “comfort” mission seemed to take on the tone of a modern “intervention.”  Sometimes, an arm around the shoulders and the silent prayers are our best we can offer. Pushing beyond that (especially uninvited) is risking playing God, for I don’t know his/her heart. I don’t have the peak into heaven at the beginning of my story to see the big picture.

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person. (Colossians 4:5-6 HCSB)

But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed, but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. (1 Peter 3:14-15 HCSB)

To listen, to love, and to be prepared to answer by pointing to the One who DOES have the answers is what we are called to do.

Andy Jentes

Daily Butter (6/23/11)

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (6/23/11):

 He also said to the one who had invited Him, "When you give a lunch or a dinner, don't invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, or your rich neighbors, because they might invite you back, and you would be repaid.” (Luke 14:12 HCSB)

As far as the Lord’s “parables” go, this one seems to be the easiest to grasp because it is a pretty vivid example of what the principle looks like in action. I am so used to being with the twelve asking for an explanation for many of his parables. Jesus took this “teachable moment” to show how different His followers should view social status and how different it is from the self-focused, “what’s in it for me” attitude that is the norm for the world. Grab for the spotlight here, you get only what you grab. Serve in secret and though the rewards may not tip the scale here, the One you serve will reward immeasurably.

And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:4&6 HCSB)

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you. (James 4:10 HCSB)

Daily Butter (6/22/11)

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (6/22/11)

Then he said to Him, "If I have found favor in Your sight, give me a sign that You are speaking with me."
(Judges 6:17 HCSB)

On Monday I was watching "Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition" with my wife in which the trainer, Chris Powell, has set his sights on helping massively overweight individuals recapture a healthy weight. He said one thing in this episode that this passage brought back to mind. Not an exact quote, but he said something to the effect that nothing ever gets done until you run out of excuses. In Scripture, when faced with a challenge by an angel of the Lord to be God's chosen to accomplish something great, the excuses tend to end with a "sign." Excuses are just our vain attempts to do our own will. I hope and pray that I would be walking close enough with Him that I will recognize His voice (John 10:27) and act in faith, knowing that anything my loving Heavenly Father asks is only for my own good (Romans 8:28).

Daily Butter (6/20/11)

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (6/20/11):

Psalm 117:2a

For he loves us with unfailing love; (NLT)

For His lovingkindness is great toward us, (NASB)

For His merciful kindness is great toward us, (NKJV)

His mercy toward us is powerful. (God’s Word Translation)

With a context as short as Psalm 117, it probably is best summed up with last word (at least in Hebrew if I understand what more learned men have taught me): Hallelujah!  I am not a Hebrew scholar, so I have to look at how those different scholars have approached the passage. Above I’ve listed four different interpretations of the middle of this psalm, which brings to mind one question: Is the psalmist praising God for His mercy, His kindness, or His love?  The answer is “YES!” The psalmist marvels that even though we are so imperfect and fail so often, out of His perfection He still deals with us in mercy and kindness and even love. Just as David Roper noted in ODB, it doesn’t take a massive text or long oration to speak the most profound truths. With the psalmist, I will praise the Lord for who He is and will marvel for eternity that He still chooses to love me.

Daily Butter (6/19/11)

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (Father’s Day 2011)

Honor your father and your mother so that you may have a long life in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12 HCSB)

A good name is to be chosen over great wealth;
   favor is better than silver and gold. (Proverbs 22:1 HCSB)

Rather than quote a verse from the Read passage in Ephesians from today’s ODB, I chose the original commandment referenced and a verse that applies to my answer to the question Dave asked at the end of today’s ODB: “What can you do for your dad today to show him the kind of honor the Bible talks about?”  I currently live hundreds of miles away from Jentes Road and the family farm where my father grew up, so I do not run into many “I know/knew your father/uncle/grandfather” type of reminders of my family heritage. The Jentes family has for generations now been known as believers in Christ both in word and in deed. That heritage is of great importance to my father and the command to honor him does not include limitations on age or distance. One way of honoring my father is to embrace my responsibility to establish that family heritage in this locale for my son. I am learning how much easier that is said than done.

More directly, in his Father’s Day card I wrote a handwritten letter (a dying, but very personal form of communication). I wanted him to know that as a father now myself, I understand better the sacrifices which he made for us (my mother, brother, and I). While I haven’t always seen it and have at times totally misunderstood it, I am tremendously grateful for that heritage of faith and example of love he has given me. As he is now getting into his seventies, I wanted to make sure he knows I “came around” before he is called home.