Monday is for Morons

God told Jonah, 'Hey, go here.' Jonah said, 'Okay God.' and then immediately went the complete opposite direction.

Later on Jonah was swallowed whole by a sea creature. He was fermenting in the belly of some beast. Though I like any proof, I'm convinced Jonah was swallowed on a Monday. It smelled, it was dark, it was like a roller coaster that would not end--he probably threw up--, maybe his skin was being destroyed by acid . . . it was unpleasant, like Monday's can be.

We can learn from Jonah. He cried out to God, the God who made the beast swallow him, the God of Mondays. I read a quote last week: 'There is nothing we can do to make God love us more' so stop pounding coffee and 5-hour energy drinks babbling to yourself, 'I'm a winner; I'm a winner.' You're sins are forgiven by Jesus.

The quote goes on to say, 'There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.' If you are a follower of Jesus this is true. Sin as you might, God's love still lingers like a groupie to her band.

We know that even after Jonah was spewed on the beach he still whined and complained and assuredly sinned. You may feel like Hell today, that is okay; God's love and grace and promise of the hope of Heaven, hope of perfection in his presence still exists for you.

7 is the Kicker

When we think of sin, things such as murder, pride, and even lying are conceivable. And so starts a saying in the Bible's Old Testament book of Proverbs, the sixth chapter, starting in 16:
'
There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies. . .'

Now the Proverb describes these things as something God hates and you can see why. God hates these things because they are not things that he exhibits: he does not lie, he is not unjust, he cannot be proud or boastful or haughty, and he is not wicked. God hates these things in man because man was to reflect his image and his character and these attributes and activities are the opposite of him.

But we know this, right? We know it is ultimately not good to be arrogant and thinking you're better than everyone else. We know it is bad to bring about injustice because of your testimony; we know it is bad and wrong and evil to be quick to kill and destroy or ruin instead of having patience and compassion. But do we know that God hates discord among brothers?

The end of verse 19 goes like this, ' . . . and one who sows discord among brothers.'Discord? Discord. God is much more concerned with the way we interact with one another than we often think. Jesus prayed one time that his followers would be unified in loving one another and that very solidarity would be a symbol to the world that they followed Jesus.

Discord is an evil and wicked thing, something the Lord, the God of the universe and our souls makes clear that he hates. Have you been one who sows the seed of discord? Have you been one who would rather schism than reconciliation? Remember what Jesus said in his first sermon, 'happy are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.'

Jesus, for those who follow him, is our older brother. And for the Christian, the follower of Jesus, every other follower of Jesus is our brother or sister. Friend, if you are one who who thinks arrogance or shedding innocent blood is worse than sowing discord, take heed what God has said.

Monday is for Morons 09.12.2011

Well it is that day again, the day which all bad things seem to have been building up only to all explode on again: Monday.

As it is Monday and we are forgetful and often silly creatures, here is a reminder of God's grace and power in addition to the hope he gives us to keep on keepin on:
'Christ Jesus came to save sinners of whom I am the foremost.' (1 Timothy 1.16).

This is the Apostle Paul talking here and he is not producing some false humility either--saying he is bad but really thinking he is not--no, he realizes he is woefully sinful and in need of some serious and drastic help from God! The Apostle Paul has no boot strap sufficient to pull himself up by; his friends who probably have way more obvious sins than he are not enough to make him good enough, his past accomplishments are simply not enough to mend a ripped relationship with the God of the universe . . but Christ was enough for Paul and Christ is enough for you and me!

Friend, are you doubting? Are you in depression? Do you feel that you are sinful before God? Do you sense guilt and hopelessness within you? Are you afraid? Do you know you are inadequate? Then you are in a good place, now good to Jesus Christ who died for each and every one of your sins; go to him and find your forgiveness. Nothing you could do will forever separate you from God's love, save that you do not go him through Jesus'.

We can be forgiven our sin and also have our guilt taken away because Jesus Christ died on your behalf. Believe it. Believe him. Follow him.

A Happy Hope

We cannot exist if hope is absent. As someone once put it, 'suicide is not motivated by selfishness or irrationality, but a complete and total loss of all hope.' Presidents campaign on hope; we continue working because of some hope that we will continue to be employed; we dream because we hope there can be a different outcome; we live because we have been convinced, by one thing or another, that there is something still worth living for. We all need hope.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to his friend Titus, gives a swift sketch of the hope Christians have. In the New Testament book of Titus, the Second chapter, verse 13, Paul says that Christians are 'waiting for our blessed hope.' Blessed is a translation from the common Greek Paul wrote in, it is a word that is worth understanding.

We can think of a ton of things when we here blessed, from license plates to a pro athlete in a post-game interview; but here, in this context, with this particular word the Apostle uses, blessed means 'happy.' It is not some secret or mystical happiness, nope, just the real, genuine, smile-on-the-face, I feel good happiness.

Why should the Christian hope be a happy one? Paul goes on to say that the hope is the appearing of Jesus Christ--remember Jesus lived on earth, was murdered, but then killed death itself and rose back to life and is in Heaven until he comes back. When Jesus comes all the promises in the Bible for the followers of Jesus will be fulfilled; when Jesus comes all the wrong and injustice will be corrected and be brought aright. The Christian has a hope that is eternal, a hope that is already fulfilled yet it is not fully realized yet, it is still in queue. A Christian does not have to wait for the full fulfillment of his or her hope to presently be satisfied and gratified. The Christian, in the hope we have in Jesus, is already on the boat and sees the end only a mile or two away and the joy in the realization, the happiness, compels us to keep going now, to love when revenge would be normal now; to give when saving would be acceptable now; to hope when all other hopes falter like a wet piece of tissue paper trying to hold a bowling ball.

We Christians have a happy hope that we want and beg all the world to know and to posses. We hope in Jesus Christ.