Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

I got some very bad theology in a song at church last week.  The songwriter used the phrase that we have "regrets and mistakes" as we come to the altar.  As if it didn't offend anyone else. As if there was not a heavenly offense.  As if just by pulling up your bootstraps and doing a little bit better it would fix this problem. 

I think it is not what is regularly in the Bible.  Jesus talks frequently about the ugly, unpalatable uncomfortable word S-I-N.  Jesus has a BIG VIEW of SIN.  Our view, incorrectly in my judgment , is that it is just "regrets and mistakes." We have a LITTLE VIEW of sin, because it is just too uncomfortable to have a God-sized view of sin.

When we get a BIG VIEW of SIN, then we can get the appropriate sized view of the remedy necessary to address this big problem.  We then can get a BIG VIEW of the rescue, the substitutionary sacrifice and the payment for sin that such a big problem necessitates.  

The point isn't that OUR perspective of "regrets and mistakes" becomes His.
The point is that His perspective of (big) SIN becomes ours.  

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Who is BOSS of Sunday's?  Who is boss of sexual morals?  Who is boss of what I do with money?  These are all questions that are in play throughout history, even today.

Primarily, they ask who gets to decide?  The funny thing is, is that Jesus is right there giving them a big heads-up as to what He likes.  They ignore HIM and tell Him what they-think-He-would-want.  It is a ridiculous scenario. They say what HE just DID, as all-time-rule-maker, is WRONG.

The theological principle is called the REGULATIVE PRINCIPLE.  Who gets to make the rules? Who is the boss?  Who gets to determine what is regulative?  Who gets to determine what God is like.  Short answer:  NOT YOU.  Short answer: HE DOES.

Of course we don't like many of the answers.  But the critical thing is what we DO with our DISLIKE.  Do we yield to Him, or just say, it is "true"; it doesn't exist? Listen and find a few things YOU DON'T LIKE.  Share and subscribe [email protected] 

Though I know it sounds crazy, there are people who do NOT want to be healed.  The gain of their infirmity is greater than the pain of their changing.  This applies to some people with physical, social, moral or even spiritual infirmities.

So when Jesus asks the question, "DO YOU WANT TO BE HEALED?" it is a real question.  There are even psychological pathologies in which a person PRETENDS to be sick for some secondary gain.  Sometimes the gain is financial, other times it is social attention and power.  

For us, the challenge is to combat the "He is always like that" or "that's just the way I am" mentality.  It would serve us well to assess our desires with new eyes on chronic conditions.  Perhaps today is the day to resolve.  Perhaps today is the day to bring stuff to the Lord's HOUSE OF MERCY (Bethesda).  

Thanks for listening. Thanks for maybe actually WANTING to get well.  bewithme.us

Jesus endorses INTERMITTENT FASTING.  At, least, SPIRITUAL intermittent fasting.  Here's a definition to consider: fasting is an affliction you do to yourself to prepare yourself for a possible future benefit.

He says that it is like making a new wineskin.  Getting it ready.  Preparing the vessel.  Then, HE is in charge of the possible filling.  The whole process denotes a humbling, a coming down, a physical mourning that hungers for His filling.  He is in charge of the wine.

The Jews fasted AT LEAST once a year.  Perhaps that can be our criteria: did you fast at least once last year?  Did you SPIRITUALLY fast once this year?  We lose weight to hopefully acquire a future benefit of health, appearance and increased enjoyment of activities.  We spiritually fast to humble ourselves to become more satisfied in Him. 

Finally, this is the day for fasting.  That is, there will be no fasting in heaven!  He tells us that it is inappropriate to fast at a wedding feast with the bridegroom present.   So perhaps today is a call to GET BUSY fasting.  Thank you for considering this.  Please share this podcast with the skinniest person you know.  bewithme.us to subscribe.

Do you move TOWARD or AWAY from the little people of our society; to the outcasts; to the needy; to those one inch more sinful than you; to the undesirables; to the knuckleheads; to those who broke one more rule than you?

These are EXACTLY the people that God moves towards.  He reclines with them.  He shares a meal.  And...gets criticized for it.

But this just allows Jesus to bring HESED, His favorite Old Testament characteristic into the New Testament with a shiny new feature: MERCY.  He says that I am like this--full of mercy to those who don't deserve it--and so should you be like this.  I DESIRE this characteristic in my followers.

So let's go find the undesirables and desire them.  Let's bring joy to the black holes of personality. Let's specifically find someone WHO DOESN'T DESERVE it, and offer it to them.  Let's be like Jesus in MOVING TOWARD the little people of the world. 

Subscribe at bewithme.us or write at bewithme.us@gmail if you wish to get an early am email with tomorrow's thoughts.  Thank you for listening.  Please share.

Hesed is the most important word in the Bible that you have never heard of.  It is in the Bible more than 200 times, but we almost always miss it.  It is kind of hidden.  It is the DNA-level characteristic of God that is detailed over and over in the Old Testament.  Here's the problem:  It is a HEBREW word.  the Bible I read is in ENGLISH.  The Hebrew word HESED is usually translated as two words in my English Old Testament:  Steadfast love, or covenantal love.  Watch for it! You'll start to see it.

Jesus actually says GO AND LEARN this concept, this word, this characteristic, and the character of God Himself that is so closely wrapped in this.  He WANTS us to know about IT, because it is about HIM.  And just to raise the bar, He wants us to display this in our lives.

If HESED was the only thing you knew about God, it would be enough to follow Him and worship Him forever.  
My wife and I wrote a bible study on this single word.  If you want to OBEY this command to GO and LEARN, here's the link: 
https://www.amazon.com/Hesed-Bible-Study-Gods-Steadfast/dp/B096TW9BRD/ref=sr_1_3?crid=15HLS6TUL2322&dchild=1&keywords=hesed+bible+study&qid=1630586098&sprefix=hosed%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-3#detailBullets_feature_div

Matthew is politically abhorrent, financially treacherous, collaborative with the enemy, and is a social outcast.  Jesus kind of says, "You are EXACTLY the kind of guy we need in the body of Christ.  Let me give you an opportunity to rub shoulders with my other 11 disciples.  It will be good for you and them to start a little church together."  That is, the church is for the UNHOLY; for the SIN-FILLED; for the MOST needful; for the SICKEST.

I am not sure that I have enough time to read the Bible and finish IT at the speed of astonishment. The goal is never to "finish the Bible in a year."  The Goal is never to "get thru the Bible. "  The goal is to GET the Bible THROUGH ME;  and have it be finished with me.  For this, I'd anticipate talking longer than a year.  This is the speed of "reclining at table". 

Today's passage is to take some prolonged time with Jesus, shoulder to shoulder with the worst people you can imagine.  In other words:  welcome to His CHURCH.  Please share this with the worst people you know.  God probably cares the most about them.  [email protected]

A busted spinal cord, the most complex system in the universe, is a pretty impressive VISIBLE need.  Jesus trumps it with an even more impressive INVISIBLE need.  That is SIN.  Who possibly can fix either problem?  Well, stick around, He'll show you.  He fixes the VISIBLE problem to emphasize that He is the fixer of the INVISIBLE problem.

How do I sign up for this impressive fixing?  What WORK do I do for this?  How long will it take for me to EARN it?  

That's the crazy part of Christianity.  It is only by faith.  

We first get a taste for the unpalatability of our sin: we see it, consider it, loathe it and turn from it.  

Then we turn to Jesus: we come to Him, fall on Him, receive Him by faith, trust Him and call on Him.

After you sign up for forgiveness, sign up for the podcast at bewithme.us or Spotify or Audible.

Paralysis is an impressive, visible, dramatic, overwhelming problem.  Jesus says that it is not the REAL Primary problem.  What could be more debilitating? More lasting?

You almost don't want to know the answer.  You almost don't want to hear what comes next.  Why can't we just leave the "elephant in the room" unseen and unmentioned, just like always.  Jesus just won't let this die quietly.  He gives word to the offense.  He gives culpability to the offender.  He gives violation to the offend-ee.  He gives a standard that has been violated.  He gives visibility to that which we'd like very much to ignore by uttering a single word.  The word is...wait for it...SIN.

It is even the very impressive paralyzed man's REAL problem.  (The definition of a real problem? Something that will last into the NEXT LIFE.) It doesn't go away...EVER.  Like permanent poo on your shoe.  It is the elephant in the room that Jesus names and then claims the power to make the elephant go away. Thanks for listening.  See you tomorrow for what Jesus does with the elephant.  [email protected]

4 friends from another town carry a paralytic to Capernaum to get to Jesus.  It is too crowded to get close, so they REMOVED THE ROOF. Of a house. Of a house THEY DIDN'T OWN.  Of a house who they didn't know the owner. They come with problem-solving, commitment, friendship, community and one more: FAITH.  They share a faith.

This is a charge to Christian Fellowship.  This is shared purpose.  Shared work. Shared service. Being a joy to each other. Being joyful at the presence of others.  How do I get guys that would carry my cot to another town?  Well, likely, I should be a cot-carrier for them x 4 first.  This struck me today.  I'll bet the paralytic was an excellent friend to the four guys.  Maybe not, perhaps they had to gut it out.  

So today, we focus on FRIENDSHIP.  Tomorrow we will ask of this story, "what will you do about your SIN?"  But for today, a big enough question is, "what will you do about your friends?"  Real friends. Friends that need you when it is inconvenient and you have soiled yourself.  Maybe friends that can never repay you.  Friends that have faith to help you.  Where are these people?  In church.  Serving.  Staying.  May you remove a roof for someone today.  Subscribe so this friendly podcast comes every morning at Apple Podcasts or Spotify or Deezer.