Rei Davi

     Rei Davi ( King David) is a Portuguese language (no English subtitles) Brazilian Christian TV mini-series consisting of thirty approximately 45 minute episodes shown earlier this year. Using the Biblical account (primarily 1 & 2 Samuel) as an outline, it recreates the story of David. However at least eighty percent is pure fabrication. Many characters, subplots and relationships between characters are complete invention. While this may make for good TV, it is one of the primary reasons why I would not recommend this series. For example, Paltiel, mentioned once in the Bible  as a subsequent husband for Michal after David has fled from the presence of King Saul,  becomes a major character appearing in almost every episode. Abigail, the heroine of  1 Samuel 25 (and 2nd wife of David) is reduced to a brief appearance as a midwife to Bathsheba. This list could go on and on.
    The acting is somewhat problematic. Gracindo Jr., playing King Saul steals the show in the first half of series, dominating his scenes whereas David comes across as tentative and diffident. The actual story takes place over at least five decades, and a number of characters appear in many of those. Some attempt is made to age the male characters usually with their beards- short and trim in their youth, full in maturity, sprinkled with gray, and finally white in old age. Little commensurate effort is made with the women, who, apparently, do not age over decades. The prime example is the actress playing Michal, the archvillainess of the piece, who looks exactly the same whether she is a young maiden at the court of King Saul, or a seductress of Absalom (totally unbiblical) at least thirty years later.
    The highlight of the entire series is the reception of Jonathan's crippled son Mephibosheth, who has lived as a beggar, by King David, and his subsequent invitation to live in the palace. Jonathan and his wife Selima (no Biblical mention) are the only healthy marital relationship portrayed, and she dies in childbirth. (Again, totally made up). We rarely see portrayal of David's relationship with God, which is why he is called a man after God's own heart. (Acts 13:22)
    The series was recommended to me by a friend as a way to help me understand Portuguese.

Climbing the Ladder

Recently I believe the Lord gave me an analogy using the rungs of a ladder that illustrates the

difference between Biblical theory and practice. The first rung of the ladder represents those Christians (real or alleged) who neither care nor know what the Bible says about any given theme or question. I will never forget the honest man who said, “I don't care what the Bible says as long as God loves me.” The second rung represents those who have some idea of what the Bible may say about something but for whom it makes no difference because there are other criteria (feelings, past experience, secular psychology, corporate business practice to name a few that I have run into)that determine their decisions. The third rung is for those who may be influenced by what the Bible says but have never studied for themselves to know what it teaches. After decades of interaction with Christians I believe that most fall into one of these three categories. The fourth rung is for those few who do care, know what the Bible says, and do their best to practice it on a personal level. The fifth rung are those who care, know, practice, and by the grace of God attempt to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) to others. Sadly those who stand for the truth are likely to be persecuted by those who don't. May we, by the power of the Holy Spirit, climb the ladder.

God's Ultimate Purpose

    An old song, taken from a British movie, says "What's it all about, Alfie?" Why are we here? What is my purpose? Usually it's all about us. Babies are cute and cuddly but also incredibly selfish. Do they care about your needs? No, they cry when they are wet or hungry or waking up. As we get a little older do we receive the concept of sharing the first time we hear it? No way. Some of us never get it. How about common courtesy like "please," or "thank you." As we get into the teen years, "Does anyone like me? I want friends, or a boyfriend or girlfriend. As young adults we want to get into college, the right college, or a job or a career or a spouse. It is still all about us. Sadly, as Christians, oftentimes this doesn't really change. We want God to change our situation- treating Him like a celestial vending machine- rather than learning what He wants us to do. We say, "God, give me a job." Several months later, we say, "Give me a different job." We ask for a spouse, and, after awhile, too many complain about the one He gave us.
    It is a sign of Christian maturity when we receive the reality that God may not choose to change our situation because He wants us to glorify (honor, exalt, praise) Him in our situation. Isaiah 43:7 says that we are created for His glory. Philippians 2:9-11 says that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Why? Verse 11 says "To the glory of God the Father. 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us that  whatever we do is to be done for the glory of God. If you are willing to look, you will find this theme saturating the Bible, especially in the New Testament. Some examples are Philippians 4:20, 1 Peter 4:11, and 5:11, 2 Peter 3:18, Romans 16:27 and Ephesians 1:12.
   May we follow the divine example. In John 17:4 Jesus says that He has glorified the Father. In verse 5 he prays that the Father will glorify Him. In John 16:13-14 Jesus is explaining to the disciples the ministry of the Holy Spirit whom He will send to them. He says that the Spirit will glorify Him. This theme is so central and important that we see the Persons of the Triune God glorifying One another.

God gave them up

     In the last day or two have had occasion to speak with several brothers about the future of America. Using the analogy of an ocean liner, I believe that if the current President is re-elected he will intentionally steer us into an iceberg; if the other candidate is elected, he will miss the iceberg but be unable to turn the ship around so as to get out of the danger zone.  The year 1963, when the Supreme Court outlawed school prayer, serves as a marker of the beginning of the end. Followed up by the Roe v. Wade decision in 1972 to sanction the slaughter of unborn children- well over fifty million to date- the nation has trekked steadily away from God ever since. The Name of Jesus is routinely used as a curse. Marriage and the family, God's ideas, not ours, are devastated. Parents have no authority over their children because the state, under the guise of child protection, has eviscerated it.
   Romans 1:18ff, what i refer to as the "indictment," warns of the wrath to come. Three times, in verses 24,26,and 28 it refers to God giving people over to their own lusts and passions. When this occurs the end is near. The Old Testament is replete with accounts of people groups and empires who fall and are destroyed by their own wickedness.
    Where does that leave the faithful remnant? We are still to love the Lord our God, to preach the same gospel that the apostles preached and to make disciples. I have also had occasion to speak recently to several brothers recently who have pursued New Testament pattern house church life for ten, fifteen or twenty years. They exhibit a disillusionment and weariness. Perhaps we have gotten the cart before the horse. Instead of making disciples first, and then coalescing into churches, we have sought those who agreed or would fit into our new approach to church life without considering whether we, or they, were actually disciples of Christ.

1 John 2:7-8

    A brother and I are studying 1 John together. Today we looked at the first half of chapter 2. He asked me about an apparent contradiction in verses 7 & 8. The NKJV text reads as follows: "Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. (8) Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining." So how can the author say in verse 7 that he writes no new commandment, and in verse 8 say that he does? The following represents a possible answer. When John speaks of a new commandment I am drawn to his gospel, which chapter 13, verse 34 reads, "A new commandment I give to you that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." If the new commandment is to love one another, then what might the old commandment be "which you have had from the beginning?" Leviticus 19:18 comes to mind, the last part of which reads "you shall love your neighbor as yourself..." Jesus draws this from the relative obscurity of the Old Testament in response to the question "What is the greatest commandment in the law?", (Matt22:36ff) He responds "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' So the new commandment is the same as the old commandment.
    It may help to remember that the NT writers are communicating to a mixed audience of Jews, who would have familiarity with the Old Testament, and Gentiles, who probably wouldn't. To Jewish believers there is no need to speak of a new commandment because they knew the old one. To Gentile believers who had been taught that they need not follow the law of Moses in order to be saved, a new commandment is necessary.

Study to show yourself approved

     One of the ongoing things that God places on my heart as I work with and attempt to encourage other Christians is the importance of memorizing the books of the Bible in order. The reason is simple, that people can find things in the Bible and actually follow along when involved in a Bible study or listening to a teaching. It seems so basic but very few can actually do it. I grant that the Old Testament is more difficult, with more books and some unusual names; I have seen six year olds do the New Testament. I have encouraged many people to do this over the years. Only today have I learned of a person, other than my daughter, who has done this because of my encouragement. Galatians 6:6 states that "One who is taught must share all good things with the one who teaches." (ESV) Some interpret this financially; I suspect that it means we should try to encourage someone who teaches us with what we have learned.
     In 2 Timothy 2:15 Paul writes, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." (ESV) For many years I dabbled in the Bible, a little here and a little there.  When I finally responded to the Holy Spirit, he used a brother named Jim to inspire me to read the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation for the first time. Since then I have read it many more times. God impressed upon me very clearly that I must "make it my business" to know His Word. Like Paul, I trust that I have "not been disobedient to the heavenly vision." (Acts 26:19)
    "May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer." (Ps. 19:14 ESV)

True Fellowship

     Probably the most joyous and fulfilling thing that God allows me to do is to sit down with a brother (in my case) and dig into the Word of God together. Sadly the experience is not as often as I would like, but I am very thankful whenever it occurs. This morning J & I spent an hour in 1 John 1. We prayed that the Holy Spirit would teach and guide us. ( John 14:26, 16:13) The Father answered our prayer showing us many things. Among the highlights were John's eyewitness account of Jesus- "which we have seen" 3 times, John's declaration of what he had seen so that we might have fellowship with the Father and the Son, (v.3) the purpose of the declaration, that we might have full joy (What does that imply about God? He is joyful and wants us to experience that also), contrast between light and darkness, the identification of Jesus as truth cf. John 14:6, Ephesians 4:21 et. al., the crucial importance of the cleansing blood of Jesus to allow us, made of the dust of the earth, to have fellowship with an infinitely holy God, the deception of thinking that we have no sin, the part we must play in confession of sins, the righteous, fair and forgiving judge, God the Father, and the reality that it is through the lense of Christ, as the Head of the Body, that God can look upon us. (Habakkuk 1:13-14) We looked at a number of cross-references. While I would not make a law insisting that true fellowship with Christ and one another must involve the Word, it would surprise me to think that the Holy Spirit working through the Word (e.g. Acts 1:16, Hebrews 3:7) would not occur in some way.
*Fun with Portuguese. I learned a new phrase, which I don't know how to spell. The literal translation is "foot of a boy." This is a sweet, popular in Brazil, consisting of peanuts encrusted with a butterscotch colored sugary glaze, flat and about the size of a medium pancake.

41 Years

     As a life long history "nut", I have had occasion to read both volumes of an autobiography of Frederick S. Roberts, who, towards the end of the Nineteenth Century was a household name, but since has drifted into obscurity. This British general and war hero wrote "Forty-one Years in India" about his exploits in the sub-continent. Well i haven't spent forty-one seconds in India but was led to the beginning of a relationship with Jesus Christ forty-one years ago today. At the time i was a teenage hippie, utterly lost in every sense of the word, with no vision, plan or goals.
     As I look back over my adult life walking with Christ I am struck most by His patience and perseverance in my life. I have been a painfully slow learner yet He has never given up on me, has never forsaken me. (Hebrews 13:5) This morning I reflected a little on the vicissitudes of my life- the pain and suffering, often self-inflicted, the hard work, the knowledge and revelation provided by the Holy Spirit. A portion of Psalm 61 came to mind.
     "Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer, from the end of the earth I will cry out to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock (Christ) that is higher than I. For you have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy, I will abide in your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of your wings."
(Psalm 61:1-4 NKJV) May we cling to the rock that is higher than we are.

The 3 A's Revisited

     Somewhere in the distant past, i have posted on the theme of the 3 A's (Attention, Approval & Affection), but I assume that most people don't read old entries, and I believe the Lord has placed it on my heart again. I think God has created us with the need for the 3 A's in such a way that only He can ultimately meet the need. He may use other people to help in the process but I believe that much  human unhappiness results from our trying to cajole or coerce other people into meeting needs that only He can meet. I suspect that much marital failure stems from unrealistic expectations of one's spouse in this area. Some of the controlling that many people do with other people comes from a desperate desire for these basic needs. We want people to notice us, like us and express love to us. We try money, power, physical appearance, drugs etc. but only God can meet the need that He has created. Thankfully, through trust in Christ that comes from the Father drawing us, our responding in surrender, repentance, and dependence, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we can experience the filling of our hole. "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5 NKJV)
     On a different note, I pray that God will show me and the people with whom I am walking whether to attempt cross cultural blending in our ekklesia, and if so, how He wants us to proceed. "To God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. (Romans 16:27 NKJV)