Daily Butter 4/13: Not about me

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (4/13/12):

 

If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is experienced in your endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.

(2 Corinthians 1:6 HCSB)

 

I often think of the phase “It’s not about me” as a reminder that it’s about Him and for His glory and (as Dave Brannon reminded us in today’s ODB) ultimately through His power, a different point jumped out at me. As Paul noted to the believers in Corinth, he and his travelling companions endured for the sake of their brothers and sisters. Not only do we endure to reach the prize (Rom 8:16-18; Phil 3:12-14), but as an example to fellow believers that they may see His strength, grace and peace through our endurance.

 

- Andy Jentes

Daily Butter 4/2: Child labor

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (4/2/12):

 

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”

(Romans 8:15 HCSB)

 

This verse reminded me of a couple things. First being chores as a child (“Do I HAVE to?”) with the fear of the consequences of not doing what was expected. It was fear, yet I knew that the one enforcing those consequences did so out of love. This yields a fresh understanding of what “the fear of the Lord” means to one of His children: It is not motivation by a slave’s fear of his/her master’s retribution, but greater fear of breaking my Father’s heart by disappointing Him.

 

The second was a recent reminder from my Old Testament readings.  I’m no scholar of Greek, but the above verse is one reason I don’t like that the translators of the Holman Christian Standard Bible chose to translate Paul’s beginning to Romans “Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus,…” rather than the way New American Standard Bible translators chose: ”Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, …“. But I suppose slavery is a concept that we understand pretty well, while it must be explained that bond-servants are bound to their master by choice – willing slaves I suppose. It is not forced slavery of obligation to a demanding owner, but committed loving service by part of the family given out of gratitude to one who bought them with a price AND has given them freedom:

 

If your fellow Hebrew, a man or woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, you must set him free in the seventh year. … But if your slave says to you, ‘I don’t want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your family, and is well off with you, take an awl and pierce through his ear into the door, and he will become your slave for life. Also treat your female slave the same way.

(Deuteronomy 15:12,16-17 HCSB)

 

Father,

I am especially mindful in this season of the price that You gave for me. And to think that You paid that price so that I might have freedom is so far above my comprehesion. Therefore it is with eternal gratitude that I yield you my service. It would have been enough to have the joy of being Your servant after so great a gift, yet You have called me Your child. What amazing love! What amazing grace!

 

Only through Your grace,

- Andy Jentes

"Daily" Butter 4/1

Only the Daily part is an April Fools ;-)

 

In the Our Daily Bread for this Palm Sunday 2012, it was something different that prompted today’s thought. Rather than a different take from the “Read” spotlight passage, it was a reminder from the writing of Julie Ackerman Link about the promise of the Good Shepherd (teamed up with feeling something has been missing and the reminder of a dear friend that I hadn’t written anything like these thoughts in quite some time) that prompted the break in silence.

 

She wrote: ”Not all change is pleasant, but when we’re being led to a better place by Someone who loves us, we don’t need to fear it.”

 

She mentioned that we don’t dread change when it is pretty clear to us that the situation after the change will be an improvement and as one colleague moves into a new job situation, I continue to wrestle with a thought that change is what is going to be required. Without laying everything out for all to see, I would ask for your prayers as I have  been wrestling with the age-old struggle of what I want to do and what does He want me to do inevitably get filtered down into what will I do. I struggle knowing my faith and trust in Him is not measuring up to the supreme example of Christ’s selflessness to us in the Garden prayer (pardon the paraphrase) “I REALLY don’t want to do this, but if You say this is the only way, so it shall be done.”

 

But in the words of the great seatbelt traffic sign: “What’s holding YOU back?” I’m not sure whether it is uncertainty as to His leading, weak faith in this morning’s reminder to truly  believe that I need not fear when following the Good Shepherd or (as I have accused others) manufacturing manmade excuses to make something blurry that He has tried to make clear. Pardon my rambles, but please pray for me that I might see clearly and act wisely to take the path of His leading regardless of the terrain.

 

“Come!” He said.

  And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

  Immediately Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

(Matthew 14:29-31 HCSB)

 

 

Andy Jentes

 

Absence

Just in case anyone reads this other than myself, I wanted to offer a brief explination for my lack of posts. As I mentioned in January, along with my home church I have undertaken (not as successfully as hoped, but pressing on) to read through the Bible using a "chronological plan." With a change in staffing at my job through the night (where one less employee made a 20% cut in full-time staff) the "slow times" in which I used to read are shorter and fewer. Without the stretches of uninterrupted reading/meditating/writing time that I once had, I haven't found a way to make it work with the changes in the "norm" my nights have taken. I hope to get back to it some day, but my commitment to keep with my brothers and sisters at church in the reading plan is of a higher priority for the time that I can find right now. Thank you for your understanding.

Daily Butter1/21: Family Matters

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (1/21/12):

 

But now I am writing you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer* who is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person.

(1 Corinthians 5:11 HCSB)

 

Paul’s clarification here of an earlier instruction (v9) is a key distinction. To disassociate from every single person with any of the listed traits is inconsistent with our call to be the light of the world (Matt 5:14-16) and our task to be Christ’s ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20) since it clearly contradicts His words highlighted yesterday the He came to call sinners. Like yesterday, I found the translator’s footnote (at the star above) meaningful that it was “Lit[erally] anyone named a brother.” Those who claim to have been made a new creation through Christ cannot REALLY tolerate such filth. This is a cancer and needs removed. Just remember you get measured by the same ruler you use.

 

- Andy Jentes

Daily Butter 1/20: Pick Me

My little addition to Our Daily Bread (1/20/12):

 

Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners.

(Matthew 9:13 HCSB)

 

What struck me afresh from this verse is not so much what it says but what it doesn’t say. So often I have heard this quoted, as David C. McCasland did in today’s ODB from the King James or New King James Version that to see the verse end this way seemed odd yet enlightening (though to be fair the Holman Christian Standard Bible translators did in include the footnote at the end of this verse that “Other mss add to repentance”). I looked a several other modern translations I trust (NASB, NIV, and NLT namely) only to see that those translators also chose not to include the mention of repentance at the end.

 

In conjunction with my commitment to read through the Bible with those from my home church (see also my post 2012 Plan) where we are finishing up Genesis, this verse served only to highlight something He has been teaching me: God chooses broken people because that’s His choice. He’s God and does not need to justify His choice according to human wisdom. Quite often I wind up scratching my head wondering shy He would choose such people as “His chosen people,” but then I look in the mirror and praise Him that he chooses unworthy people.

 

- Andy Jentes

2012 plan

I mentioned that I was taking the challenge with my brothers and sisters at First Baptist Gallatin to progress through the Bible in 2012. We are using READER'S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE - Chronological Reading Plan which has already proven a great tool. Not only does the chronological progression and notes from Dr. George H. Guthrie provide fresh insights, the schedule has been much kinder as it follows the model given to us in creation: six days per week with the seventh off. Being a 21st Century American who has jam packed days, I fear this is less often a day of rest than one of catching up on the things undone. This has proved helpful in keeping up so far, so if all holds to this pattern I will likely resume ODB readings & MDB writings by the beginning of February.