Lemonade

There is an old say that goes, "If life gives you lemons, then make lemonade." If there are some problems in your life, then figure out how to use those problems to your benefit and make something good happen.

That can be encouraging advice, but it can also be really frustrating if you don't know how to make lemonade or turn your problems into something good.

Our character for this week is Hagar. She was the female servant of Sarah and Abraham who was blessed with the honor of having a son, but later driven from the life that she knew, almost dying with her son in the desert. God was taking care of her, and through her son, Ishmael, many grandchildren and later descendants were born into Hagar's family.

If it is up to us to make lemonade, we might get stuck, but we know that in all circumstances God works for the good of those that love him (Romans 8:28). Rest in the fact that it's God's job to fix the problems and it's our job to trust him to do it: it's God's job to make the lemonade and it's our job to enjoy it.

Genesis 50:20New International Version (NIV)

20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

First Commandment

The Ten Commandments can be found in a couple places in the Bible. The first list can be found in Exodus 20 when Moses receives the instructions on the mountain, straight from God. The second set comes in Deuteronomy 5 when Moses is recounting all the important things the people of Israel should remember as he leaves and Joshua takes over as leader - the Ten Commandments made the list!

The first commandment is a big one, a little harder than you might think.

The First Commandment

You shall have no other gods

What does this mean?

We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

The commandment above comes right from the Bible. The explanation ("What does this mean?") is Martin Luther's description of the commandment, as found in his Small Catechism. Martin Luther did this for many of the most important parts of the Christian faith, helping people get a basic understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

Some people may be quick to cross this one off the list since they do not have any statues of Zeus, Thor, or other gods in their house that they worship. This commandment reaches farther than this, though. Choosing to go to a movie instead of spending time in church or Sunday school could be an example of having another god. Going to a movie is not wrong, but giving that movie a higher priority than God is wrong. Video games are not wrong, but when your money goes to them instead of God, they might be too important in your life.

The biggest 'god' that we worship instead of God is ourselves! Every time I do what I want to do instead of listening to God and his Word, I am choosing myself over God! Every time I sin, I choose me, not God.

This can be overwhelming when we start thinking about all the times that we sin against this commandment and fail to keep God's laws, but that is exactly the time that God wants you to remember that this is why Jesus came, for God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son... You guys know that one, right?

God loves you!

The Open Source

The theme for our school year is "The Open Source." For younger students, we are saying that Jesus is the source of life, open to all of us, empowering us to live for God's glory. Older students will have the opportunity to wrestle with this concept in a different way.

In recent years, the term “Open Source” has become popular in the technology world as an operational concept, even though the idea had been around for a long time. “Open Source” technology is an alternative to proprietary ownership; proprietary ownership is when one entity controls the product and reaps all benefits. In open source situations, there is less ownership and more collaboration which means more people are able to contribute and benefit in the process. A popular example would be the Linux computer code which is available for anyone to use, modify, change, and share without obligations to the original author, and everyone benefits from the improvements of the community of users. Other non-technology communities have also used this concept such as how the Native Americans treated the land (owned by no one yet beneficial to all). There are great benefits to this modus operandi, but inherent dangers such as corruption and abuse, as well. God is our source of life, so The Open Source refers to God and the Life He offers (John 10:10) when we stay connected to Him (John 15:5). The way that the Kingdom of God grows is not in a central and controlling manufacturing facility, but in the organic spreading of His Life through our frail human bodies. The fact that we have this all surpassing treasure in jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7) offers great benefits as well as inherent dangers. May God bless our efforts to glorify Him this year!

Our memory verses for this week include that "treasure in jars of clay" reference along with two more verses about our lives as Christians; those descriptions are encouraging and discouraging at the same time!

2 Corinthians 4:7-9New International Version (NIV)

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed,but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

As evangelical Christians (evangelical is a church word that means we not only believe our faith is a good thing, but we also want to share this good thing with others and tell them of good news of Jesus), we want our church and community of believers to grow. However, being a Christian may not a person's life easier - it may actually make it harder!

We look at those descriptions and cry out with joy that we are not crushed! not in despair! not abandoned! not destroyed! Yeah! It looks like we should be celebrating, but there is more.

We are hard pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. It is not an easy calling to be a Christian. We have this all surpassing power of God inside us, but that makes us a target for the Devil and his crew, and they are pointing all their artillery at those that trust in the name of Jesus.

Living for Jesus is not easy, and it may even be harder than not being a Christian, but being a Christian is better. This is a peace that we have because the life of Jesus is in us, because we have this treasure in jars of clay. We have comfort knowing that we have a God who is looking out for us when we are attack by the devil and his schemes.

May you be filled with that peace.

Worth the Wait

Mowing the lawn is one of my favorite activities when I am working around the house. It is a lot of fun to look at the difference between the tall scraggly grass and the nice clean lines, all cut to the same height. I may be tired after going up and down our hills, but I am so excited to see the finished product. It's nice when other people comment on how nice it looks, as well.

Planting landscaping is not as fun for me. I can plant a tree in our yard and it pretty much looks the same as when it was in the thin plastic pot. Some day it might be a tree that we can climb, a tree that will have apples or berries, a tree that will give shade to our yard, but not yet. Right now the tree is just small and needs time to grow. It may be a great tree some day, but for now I just have to wait.

Abraham's wife, Sarah, struggled with waiting for results, too. She was told she would have a baby, even though she was older than most grandmothers that you may know. She wasn't sure how it was going to happen, but it was not happening soon enough, in her opinion. If God was going to make this happen, it should happen right away, like a fresh cut lawn, not like waiting for a tree to grow.

Sometimes it is hard for us to wait, as well. Good stuff happens when we wait, though, and we need to trust that God will work things according to his time. Grass grows quickly, but is weak and easily crushed. Trees grow slowly, but develop strong limbs that can support a large amount of weight allowing for great tree houses. There may be something that you are waiting for, right now, but God is growing you into a strong person, in the mean time.

Psalm 27:13-14New International Version (NIV)

13 I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the Lord.

Expectations

What does God expect of you?

The greatest difference between Christianity and every other religion is probably the level of expectation for people: Christianity is more about what God does, not what we do. Our faith is in a God who does things for us, not a religion about doing things for God. Every other religion will have a long list of expectations: the five pillars of Islam, the 613 laws of the Jews, the pathway to enlightenment, the Dharma wheel of Buddhism, etc. Christianity is about what God has done for us, specifically that he so loved the world that he sent Jesus to save those who believe, John 3:16.

However, that does not mean that God has no expectations.

When you have God living inside you, you become a different person and live for Him. You can tell that a plant is healthy by how it looks on the outside, even though you are not able to see the cells growing or dying inside the plant. Healthy apple trees produce good apples. Healthy Christians produce good works. Those good actions do not impress God, but they are evidence of God working inside a person.

There are some commandments that tell us what not to do, but how do we know what to do?

A painting of Abraham's departure by József Molnár.

Our story for next week is about a guy named Abraham, and he was told by God that he would be a blessing, even though he was not given a lot of specifics on how he was going to be a blessing to people. Later it even says that he would be a blessing to all nations!

Genesis 12:2New International Version (NIV)

2 “I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.

Now, if you were Abraham and given the expectation of being a blessing, what would you do? Maybe you would study on how to be friendly and a good friend. Maybe you would try making something that would help other people out. Maybe you would go to school to become a doctor or nurse or someone who really focuses on helping people. It would be hard to know what God meant and what you would need to do to be a blessing to others.

But I think the biggest thing that you would need to do would be to trust God. Abraham was told he would be a blessing to all people, and the way that he accomplished that was by being the ancestor of the Savior of the world, Jesus! Jesus was a direct descendant of Abraham, and was the blessing that the world needed more than anything else. Abraham would not have been able to accomplish this on his own, but he did trust in God, and God blessed him because of it.

God wants to use you, too. You will be blessed, and you will be a blessing to other people. It might not be clear exactly how this will happen, but when you are spending time with Jesus and looking to him for help, he will let you know what you need to do and when you should do it.

What does God expect of you?

He expects that you trust Him!

Purpose of the Bible

So why do we have the Bible?  What is so important about what has been written down by a bunch of guys two to three thousand years ago?  The author and apostle, John, was willing to acknowledge the fact that there were a lot of things that happened, even during his own lifetime, that were not written down and recorded for people, but he wanted to give the reason that any of it has been shared.  It's not only the purpose of his book, but I believe it is the purpose of the entire Bible:

John 20:31 "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in his name."

The reason that we have the Bible, God's Word, is so that we can have life. We can have eternal life when we are in heaven, but that life does not wait until we die - God wants us to have real life here on earth. He doesn't just want people to be alive, God want's people to be full of the life that only he is able to provide. That life was once blocked by sin, but because of Jesus' death and resurrection, all of us are able to have real life that starts now.

Anger

There is a lot of anger in our city right now.

A week ago a young man was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. This incident has gained attention around the world because of the amount of turmoil that has occurred since the event: stores have been looted, a Quick Trip was burned down, state and national leaders have come to speak about the events, large crowds of people have gathered late into the night, the police have used military equipment to help control the situation, and more.

There is a lot of anger in our city, and it's not just a new event; this is an old problem with new circumstances.

The parents of the young man are angry because their son is dead, and he had no weapons when he was killed. The police are angry that the crowds of people gather late into the night and it is hard to control. The crowds of people are angry that the police officer who shot the young man has not been arrested. Local businesses are angry that their stores are being robbed and destroyed by the angry crowds. Citizens of the area are angry that the police are not more organized with different departments arguing about who is responsible for different matters: city police, country police, state troopers, and maybe even the FBI. Leaders of the city, state, and country are angry that this is getting out of control. There is a lot of anger.

Behind all this is a deeper problem; behind the anger is a lack of trust. In all those examples of anger are groups of people who do not trust other groups of people. People who do not trust each other can either fight about their problems and become angry, or they can hide their anger and allow bitterness and resentment to build within them.

There is a lot of anger in our city, and it's because there are a lot of people with a lot of bitterness and resentment because there is a lack of trust.

So if the problem goes back to a lack of trust, then trust should be the remedy for this ailment. But how is that possible? How do people who don't trust each other start trusting each other? How do angry people trust the object of their anger? This would seem almost impossible, if not completely unthinkable.

Even the best and most honest people will disappoint because they are human, sinful, and bound to lose trust. Now there are a lot of deep wounds that exist and I do not claim to know how to fix all of the pain and anger, but I do know the first step to fixing all the pain and anger: putting our trust in God.

The problem is not trusting, not even trusting ourselves. On one hand there are many people who think they need to do something to fix the problem, but anger rises when they realize that what they are doing won't be able to solve the problem. They can't trust the other side to fix the problem, but they can't trust themselves to fix the problem, either. They know the problem is bigger than either side, but God is bigger than both.

We have this natural tendency of thinking that if we try hard enough, we can fix our problems. We look to ourselves for an answer to problems that have existed longer than our lifespan.  The devil continually works to make us think that this life is all about us and we need to get what we can while we can, but this is a dead end, a painful trap.

2 Corinthians 4:4New International Version (NIV)

4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Sin is the problem, and Jesus is the answer, but the devil (god of this age) tries to keep us from seeing that. The power is not us - the power is within us, the life of Jesus inside of us. Only Jesus working in the hearts of people in Ferguson, or anywhere else, will be able to do more than put a band-aid on a severed limb, do more than just pretend to fix the problem for a short while by burying the mistrust in layers of bitterness and resentment. 

It's hard to know what will happen in the days and weeks ahead, but I pray that people look past themselves for the an answer, and look within themselves to the life of Jesus within them. With God as the center of our lives as Christians, we do not lose heart - he is in control.

2 Corinthians 4:1New International Version (NIV)

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.

Restoring the Image

Genesis 1:27
So God created mankind in his own image, 
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them. 

The creation story tells us that people were created in God's image, but it does not explain exactly what that means.  Some would say that it is related to how we look; it is true that Jesus took on human form so there might be some connection.  Others see a quality of God as the image; God is holy, loving, good, righteous, etc.  Another interesting idea is that people are the only ones in creation which are creative.  One great response from class this past week was that God did this so that we would have a better relationship with him - we tend to have better relationships with people we have more in common with!

The unfortunate reality is that we did not stay in God's image, for now we are only a poor reflection of who God is.  Sin caused a separation from what God intended.  The first action of Adam and Eve after falling from perfection was to hide their nakedness and hide themselves.  They were not successful. God found them rather easily, and making clothes out of leaves is not a long term solution.

God cursed the snake, the woman, the man, and the entire earth.  God's perfect creation was no longer perfect, so it could no longer be the eternal paradise that it was created to be.  Instead, God had a plan to redeem the world, and it started with finding new clothes.

At the end of the fall in Genesis 3, we find out that God covered the man and woman with animal skins; God covered their nakedness, their shame, and their sin.  This was the first sacrifice, since it required the life of the animal.  We don't know what animal was sacrificed, but some believe it was a lamb.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/147591

Adam and Eve were covered in the lamb and given new hope.  We also have new hope as ones who have been covered in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14).  From the very beginning, God was pointing his people to Jesus - to his own Son who would cover sin once and for all.  Our life came at the price of another, as Paul describes:

Romans 5:20-21
Genesis 1:27
So God created mankind in his own image, 
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them. 

The creation story tells us that people were created in God's image, but it does not explain exactly what that means.  Some would say that it is related to how we look; it is true that Jesus took on human form so there might be some connection.  Others see a quality of God as the image; God is holy, loving, good, righteous, etc.  Another interesting idea is that people are the only ones in creation which are creative.  One great response from class this past week was that God did this so that we would have a better relationship with him - we tend to have better relationships with people we have more in common with!

The unfortunate reality is that we did not stay in God's image, for now we are only a poor reflection of who God is.  Sin caused a separation from what God intended.  The first action of Adam and Eve after falling from perfection was to hide their nakedness and hide themselves.  They were not successful. God found them rather easily, and making clothes out of leaves is not a long term solution.

God cursed the snake, the woman, the man, and the entire earth.  God's perfect creation was no longer perfect, so it could no longer be the eternal paradise that it was created to be.  Instead, God had a plan to redeem the world, and it started with finding new clothes.

At the end of the fall in Genesis 3, we find out that God covered the man and woman with animal skins; God covered their nakedness, their shame, and their sin.  This was the first sacrifice, since it required the life of the animal.  We don't know what animal was sacrificed, but some believe it was a lamb.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/147591

Adam and Eve were covered in the lamb and given new hope.  We also have new hope as ones who have been covered in the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 7:14).  From the very beginning, God was pointing his people to Jesus - to his own Son who would cover sin once and for all.  Our life came at the price of another. The Apostle Paul makes the connection by tying the first sin to the forgiveness Jesus obtained by being obedient, even to death on the cross.

Romans 5:19
 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Intelligence

God want intelligent people?

That is an interesting question. Our first reaction is probably that intelligence would be a great asset to God and the work that he would want the church to do here on earth. People who have lots of knowledge will make very informed decisions that can help churches grow, help missions thrive, and help financial situations become stronger. The problem is that when people gain intelligence, they often lose trust.

When someone is extremely smart, they begin to believe that they can figure things out on their own and they don't need others to help them. If intelligent people don't feel the need for other people, they probably don't feel the need for God, either. Infants and very young children may not be rich in intelligence, but they have a lot of trust. This might be why Jesus said his disciples should become like little children Matthew 18:3.

Paul was writing this letter to people who lived in ancient Greece. One of the popular forms of entertainment was listening to people speak since they had no radios, televisions, or internet. Someone would get up and start speaking about something and others would gather around to listen. Those who were more intelligent (or able to sound more intelligent) gained more listeners and popularity. Many of the people reading Paul's letters to the Corinthians would be familiar with this, so these words might shock them.

1 Corinthians 1:18-19New International Version (NIV)

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

God can use your intelligence, but be careful not to lose your trust in him. Being smart will not help you understand the cross and why Jesus died to save us, but trust will, and trust will allow God to do awesome things through you!

Powerless

Adam has the honor of being the first man to ever live. He also has the shame of being the first man to ever sin, and the consequence of sin is was death. Death is not something that people look forward to, but because of Jesus' death (and resurrection) death no longer has power over us.

1 Corinthians 15:55-57New International Version (NIV)

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
    Where, O death, is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we find our identity in the cross and the death of Jesus, we also find new life in the Easter story, for if we died with him, we will also rise with him Romans 6:8. This means that we don't have to be afraid of death, even if we aren't looking forward to it.

Adam's story reminds us of the shortcomings of human beings, but also the mercy and love of God, whose compassions are new every morning.

Lamentations 3:22-23New International Version (NIV)

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

Gospel in a Nutshell

One of the most well known Bible verses is John 3:16. It is so well known that some people will just use the reference "John 3:16" and not even write out the words to the verse. A famous restaurant in the western United States does this with their drink cups!

Why is the verse so popular? It is often called "The Gospel in a Nutshell." Gospel means 'good news' and in a nutshell means a very condensed version of something. The good news of Jesus is condensed down in this verse, but the verse that follows is also really important, as well.

John 3:16-17New International Version (NIV)

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Many people who are not Christians do not understand that God does not intend to condemn the world. They might feel like God is angry at them for not following His Ten Commandments perfectly. Memorizing these two verses can help you remember why Jesus came, and why we are happy to be Christians!

Consequences

We are beginning the year with a story about consequences. The things that we say and do happen in a specific context, not in a vacuum. When I am unkind to a person, I have the potential of hurting a lot of other people: I might hurt other people who are watching (observers are now in a bad mood), I might hurt the other person's family (that person may be crabby with family members), and I might hurt all the people that person comes across in a certain day. In addition, when I hurt someone else, I am also hurting myself (I am now a person who does unkind things.

Cain and Abel were brothers. Both of them thanked God by offering some of their possessions to the Creator, but one of them was not a 'cheerful giver.' Abel gave God some of his best sheep since he was a shepherd. Cain gave some of his average (or worse) produce, keeping the best stuff for himself. This bothered one of the brothers.

You might think that it bothered Abel since he was not able to keep his best stuff, but it didn't. It bothered Cain. When I hurt someone else, I am also hurting myself. Cain thought he was angry at Abel for making him look bad; Cain was really angry at himself for not being better, but took out his misdirected anger on someone else. It was a big mistake with a big consequence.

Psalm 96:13New International Version (NIV)

13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

Judgment doesn't always look the way that we think it should - in God's way of working, it is better. God doesn't give us what we deserve, that pain and suffering was given to Jesus, instead. Our sins have consequences, but Jesus took our place and consequences for us, giving us forgiveness. The consequences for our sin was Jesus suffering, but the consequence of Jesus suffering was that we get His righteousness.

Let all creation rejoice!