Daily Butter: Outspoken

Outspoken

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (7/30/2013):

But his servants approached and said to him, “My father,
if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would
you not have done it? How much more should you do it
when he tells you, ‘Wash and be clean’?”
(2 King 5:13)

Today's ODB author, David C. McCasland, pointed out the role of the Jewish servant girl in this "I remember that from Sunday School" Old Testament story. Her suggestion led to the healing (both physical and spiritual if I read the story correctly) of her master. The input of the servants that traveled with the Naaman quoted above struck me especially as I read today. It was not a comment to their master in the course of their normal service like the girl's seemed to be (v3), but verse twelve ends "So he turned and left in a rage." These servants faced an angry military leader to point out the foolishness of his thinking. What boldness!

As I look at my current employment situation, I am very frustrated that my attempts to speak up about the situation get lost. Just as the girl's simple "He should see God's prophet in Samaria" became a mess involving kings, tribute offerings, official diplomatic papers, and a delegation sent to the capital rather than Samaria and they nearly cause a war in their misinterpretation save that the Lord's man heard about the situation and calmed the king. It just feels as though the people doing the work are not even listened to when we speak up about how things are (or are not) working in day-to-day operations. It makes me wonder after six years if it is time to look for a different employer.

But yet the lesson from Sunday School those decades ago has not changed: God's solutions are often not in the shape we are looking for them to take. Naaman's transformation and commitment not to "sacrifice to any other god but Yahweh" (v17) did not preempt him from doing what his employer demanded in his duties, but rather to ask forgiveness for it (v18). Maybe I need to

The "You would have done a difficult thing, so why not try the easy thing?" message of the servants is echoing in my mind with the Matthew 11:28-30 that was the undercurrent of the book I just finished -10 Things Jesus NEVER Said (And Why You Should STOP Believing Them) by Will Davis Jr.. While changing jobs is not an easy thing, leaving the organization to be fixed by those in charge of it would be less stressful than trying to ride out these rough waters.

Finishing up my last couple days of vacation, I have some time to be in prayerful search as to my path and I would appreciate your prayers for me and my family as well.

All scripture quoted from the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

Daily Butter: Renew

Renew

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (7/10/13):

God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the
glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you,
the hope of glory.
(Colossians 1:27 HCSB)

It seems that when I really need to re-learn something, God tag-teams me from many sources. Today is no exception.

While my budget can't keep me very near the "cutting edge" of technology, I am trying to make sure I'm not TOTALLY out of touch. I am getting closer to catching up with the right decade now that I got a used "nook" e-reader (not quite up-to-date as it's a "1st edition" rather than the  newer Color or HD versions). Since my wife is an avid reader, I thought she would enjoy it, but she has given it to me. So after finally getting it securely connected with my home wi-fi, I set odb.org as the home page of the web browser.  For a while I've using my library card to get MP3 audiobooks through Tennessee R.E.A.D.S (Regional E-book and Audiobook Download System) and had added one e-book to my "wish list" because the title caught my eye: "10 Things Jesus NEVER Said (And Why You Should STOP Believing Them)." So, needing to test my "new" tech toy is a good reason to "pick up and open" the book. No, I didn't read the whole 142 page book in one sitting, but Will Davis, Jr. (the author) did surprise me with "Part One: "The Most Important Thing Jesus Ever Said." He wrote "To a group of road-weary spiritual seekers, Jesus said 'Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light' (Matt, 11:28-30 [NIV]). Have you ever heard more beautiful or inviting words?" As one getting close to burnout due to my current employment situation, I must agree that nothing sounds more inviting. when a couple of pages later he points out something I had not seen before: a parallel to Exodus 33:14 as the Lord answers Moses plea by saying, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest" (NIV). If the Presence of God brought rest to Moses (even while leading His people in the wilderness) an Jesus invites us to come to him and find rest, the conclusion is simply that His presence is restful.

This "mystery" the Paul wrote about, that Christ is in me, that His presence follows me everywhere I go has got me wondering, "If  Will Davis Jr.'s conclusion is close, why am I having trouble finding rest?" I'm still working toward that answer - perhaps I have my eyes to the ground focused on pushing so hard into the "yoke" that I'm putting more of a burden on myself than is my lot if I would "fix my eyes on Jesus" or perhaps I'm straining on the "yoke" because He is trying to take our team in a different direction.

Not sure what the answer is, but my wife is thankful that the "new to me" (re-new?) tech toy is leading me back to reading and I am thankful that the reading I have chosen so far is drawing me to Him. (And I'm thankful that the translators/publishers of the HCSB have allowed the whole Bible translation to be available at no cost for my Nook.)

in His Service
Andy

Daily Butter: Consider the Source

Consider the Source

 

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (7/2/13):

He causes grass to grow for the livestock
and provides crops for man to cultivate,
producing food from the earth,
(Psalm 104:14 HCSB)

Taking advantage of a wonderfully mild July day here in Tennessee where the "scattered showers" had scattered elsewhere, we enjoyed spending the evening in our back yard. As our son played, my wife and I were in our vegetable garden. While I never much liked the chore of weeding and caring the garden as a child, I have a different view now that I understand a bit more about the food budget. This is only our second summer in our home so the garden is still largely experimental - with the gardening knowledge passed down to me coming from a different climate up in Ohio and my wife and in-laws primarily flower gardeners. She commented that the weeding was more difficult this year (probably because we almost doubled the area cultivated over last year), but has also enjoyed eating some of the first tomatoes and cucumbers.

 

As I put in many hours at work paying back my debts and "providing for my family," yet struggling to train my son to understand why we stop to thank the Lord for his provision when we eat, this verse stood out today. While sheep and goats and cattle just have to lower their head and chew the grass He has provided, God's provision for man is the opportunity to cultivate food. While Genesis tells us that sin made the toil difficult (3:17-19), it clearly shows God tasked man to care for the garden that provided sustenance before the "fall" (2:15). God does not provide for us in the same way as the rest of His creation because He did not make us mindless but made us in His image so that we could, would, and should change the things around us for the better. While I need to do my part in providing for my family, I cannot do that apart from Him.

 

in His service,
Andy Jentes

Daily Butter: In Practice

In Practice

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (7/1/13) 

If we say, "We have fellowship with Him," yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are

not practicing the truth. But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have

fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

(1 John 1:6-7 HCSB)

How can darkness and light be in the same place? Only at different times. While the truism that "no one's perfect" reminds us as verse five says only God has "absolutely no darkness in Him." Verse six reminds us that were we actually walking closely with Him, we could not be walking in darkness. All stumble into the darkness, but those in relationship with Him do not willingly stay.

I enjoy exploring the nuances of the English language, and since most of the English translations I referenced (NASB, NLT, NKJV are a few) used a form of the verb "practice" I wanted to look at it carefully.  Perhaps it's just me, but the word most often conjures memories of tedious, repetitive drills or exercises on an athletic field or upon a musical instrument. Yet as my sister-in-law completes her training, she is eager to start her chiropractic practice - Neither of those noun uses really apply to the verb form of the word. While a great word and properly applied, the word practice might confuse the issue. Perhaps the KJV avoids this best with the straight forward "we lie, and do not the truth."

Practice is not just something we do, our practice is EVERYTHING we do. My sister-in-law will have a great practice because helping people find wellness is what she does; it IS her practice and the chiropractic skills she's gained only give her new ways to touch lives. Truth should be our very nature and therefore it MUST be lived out. I cannot shrug off a stumble into darkness that I know has disappointed my Heavenly Father because of the truth that is in me. Integrity is letting the new nature He has placed within me be the outward appearance and the actions demonstrated as I put my faith in practice.

in His Service

Andy Jentes

Daily Butter: Not It

Not It

 

My little addition to Our Daily Bead (6/29/13)

For You have made me rejoice, Lord,
by what You have done;
I will shout for joy
because of the works of Your hands.
(Psalm 92:4  HCSB)

I struggled to grasp for a profound insight or timely reminder to draw from this Psalm. I kept rereading it and listening to it in different translations in different voices and still nothing. Stepping back and feeling entirely like the "fool [who] does not understand this" (v6) I finally heard it after about the dozenth time: it's not about me. Joy is from Him. Joy is because of what He has done. So long as my focus is stuck on myself and my surroundings, joy will always be elusive.

 

Lord, help me to remember that You are the source of my joy. Help me remember to fix my eyes on You and not be drawn in by my surroundings.

 

in His Service

Andy Jentes

Daily Butter: Wait for it

Wait for it

My little addition to "Our Daily Bread" (6/24/13)

But He strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son

of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and

scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day."

(Luke 9:21-22 HCSB)

Throughout the gospels, Christ's warned His disciples and those He had just set free of bondage or infirmity not tell others the truth of His identity. I struggled so much with why such a command would be given, but these verses in a private discussion with the chosen twelve provided some insight that I had previously missed. In spite of the fact that the Jewish leaders were seeking to kill Him, generations of Hebrews had been hoping, longing and praying for the coming of their Messiah. While the grass-roots movement begun by these men after Christ's ascension was vital to His plan for salvation of the world, it could not begin until after He declared "It is Finished!" (John 19:30)

 

I cannot imagine the difficulty of "keeping the lid" on such an earth-shattering truth must have been. I am eternally grateful that these faithful men were obedient when Christ told them to stay quiet AND when the Holy Spirit prompted them tho speak out and write it down.

 

May I be sensitive to His prompting and His timing.

 

in His service,
Andy Jentes

Daily Butter: Unseen Strength

Unseen Strength

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

But even more, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are necessary.

And those parts of the body that we think to be less honorable, we clothe these

with greater honor, and our unpresentable parts have a better presentation.

(1 Corinthians 12:22-23 HCSB)

Centuries after Paul wrote about the parts of the body and we know a bit more about anatomy and physiology it is even more apparent that the unseen parts (internal organs) even more than the "clothed" parts are vital. Even with this knowledge of our own bodies, the health of our internal organs is most often taken for granted unless one becomes an undeniable source of pain.

 

Unfortunately, our human nature is still drawn to think that the leaders in our worship services, our Bible study groups, even those who make up the office staff are the important part of the church. The prayer warriors in every vibrant church that I've been a part of are the circulatory system that carry the life-blood of Christ to each and every part of His body. While often overlooked (except when injury to one part or another requires increased blood flow), the body of Christ would be suffer maladies and lose all effectiveness. All parts of the body need to be a part of this process of allowing the blood to flow too us an through us.

 

My brother challenged me by his example in this. As we had a rare opportunity to worship together visiting the church in which we grew up, his iPhone made a "Ding-Dong" doorbell chime in class at 10:02am. The teacher asked if all was okay and he pointed out that it was a reminder for him. Given the opportunity to explain, he told the class that it is a reminder of Christ's own words recorded in Luke 10:2.

He told them: "The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore,

pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.

(Luke 10:2 HCSB)

If Christ's own words command us to pray, we truly ought to obey. Today, as I look further into the passage, I notice the very next verse is "Now go; I'm sending you out like lambs among wolves." (HCSB) I have been challenged the past few days in this exercise that while I have had decades of "training," I must get out of the starting blocks. I am not sure what this means, but I know that I need as I wrote yesterday to "renew my commitment to seek His plan." This starts first and foremost with seeking Him in prayer. For any that would join me I would appreciate your prayers and words of encouragement as I look to see what the next steps in His plan for me will look like.

 

in His service,

Andy Jentes

Daily Butter 6/26: Unforgotten

Unforgotten

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

What is man, that You think so highly of him
and pay so much attention to him?
You inspect him every morning,
and put him to the test every moment.
Will You ever look away from me,
or leave me alone long enough to swallow?
(Job 7:17-19 HCSB)

How much different the comfort we receive from the Lord's promise that "I will never leave you or forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). Job's cry comes from the mistaken perspective (reinforced by his "friends") that his suffering must be a judgement for sin. He just wanted a respite from the suffering. How often I am tempted to ask God to just "look the other way" while I try to do something my way knowing it is not His plan.

No, Job, I have no idea why God chooses to pay such close attention to men, but I've come to see that it's only the ones He has chosen that feel His scrutiny. I know I really didn't do anything to deserve His choosing, but having seen his hand throughout my life, I know I would want it no other way and renew my commitment to seek His plan.

in His service,

Andy Jentes

Daily Butter: Ready ... Set ...

 

Ready ... Set ...

 

My little addition to "Our Daily Bread" (6/25/13)

Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you
which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:]
   (Philippians 2:5 Amplified version)

Imagine watching the Olympics and seeing all the the 100m dash competitors at the starting line. Having finished their stretches and started to get situated in the starting blocks you hear  the official say "On your marks... ready.. set..." but instead of a gunshot signalling the start, it cuts to commercial. Something is very wrong with this picture.

After the challenge of yesterday that it's about wisdom rather than knowledge, this familiar and beloved passage showed me one nugget of truth that I seem to forget:  The verses that follow (vv6-11) are not about the intellectual reasoning Christ shared on this earth and (without taking a thorough survey) less than half the words in the Gospels are in red. It wasn't about what He knew or thought or even taught, but rather what He did and how He did it and the example He set.

In the same way faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead by itself.
(James 2:17 HCSB)

So, what am I going to do about it?
Seeing may be believing, but Doing is Faith.

in His service,

Andy Jentes

"Daily" Butter: Finally

I felt a bit tag-teamed after Sunday services at First Baptist Gallatin with discussion in my small group and the message all echoing the Spirit's tug on my heart that "not having time" is no excuse for my recent lack of prayer and time in the Word. So I answer by getting back to my original intent for this blog/exercise of "making the most of the time" (Eph. 5:15-16) that I have. Thanks again to RBC for the "Our Daily Bread" pointing to the passages from which these thoughts find their springboard.

Finally

My little addition to "Our Daily Bread" (6/24/13)

Then his disciples said, "At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively.

Now we understand that you know everything, and there's no need to question you.

From this we believe that you came from God."

Jesus asked, "Do you finally believe? But the time is coming—indeed it's here now

—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone."

(John 16:30-32a NLT)

Sitting around the table at their last meal together, the eleven disciples (since Judas had already left - John 13:26-30) say that "now we get it." I guess having been raised under Biblical teaching for decades, I have less excuse than them (and absolutely no room to judge). Digging into the book of Job in our small group class, our teacher raised the question of the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Others in the class agreed with me that, though trained in Biblical literacy and surrounded by Godly examples, the accumulated knowledge of the "data" of the Bible is not wisdom. Wisdom requires action; an application of the knowledge with discernment as to how it should be applied. Oh that I would take the effort to seek wisdom and not just the accumulation of knowledge.

Jesus warned His chosen followers that training camp is over and "the real deal" begins, well, "now." Yet, in the scope of eternity, my decades here are just the pre-game stretching. Time is limited and I must CHOOSE to place a priority on being about those things of eternal importance. He is using everything to shape me into who I will be with Him for Eternity. He is the potter and I the clay and the environment He uses to shape His creation is up to Him. The process may involve an uncomfortable chisel to reshape some of the rigid habits that have developed or perhaps even a breaking down of portions (or all) to powder only to be re-constituted and fashioned into the image He desires. May I remain immersed in the Living Water so that I may remain pliable and mailable in His hands.

My dear friend suggested the "One Man's Walk" subtitle to my blog and, as my classmate mentioned Sunday morning, I don't know your life enough to be getting "into your business." I am recording what the Spirit lays on my heart from these passages, and my lecturing is aimed at myself. I use this blog to measure my own consistency (or lack thereof), and share so that it might be used by Him to shed some light for others.

in His service,
Andy Jentes

Kids stuff

As a child in Sunday school and church camps we sang the song "Father Abraham had many sons...I am one of them and so are you, so let's just praise the Lord." As a hyperactive boy, I loved the song because it included silly motions that got my whole body involved. Re-reading Romans chapter 4 afresh, I am as excited today by the truth that "I am one of them" as ever I was as a boy that the song gave me opportunity to be active and silly.