The problem of eating food offered to idols must have been a major concern of Rabbi Paul.  He devotes various verses of three chapters in his letter to the Corinthians to deal with this issue. (1Cor 8 through 11)

So what?  How does that concern us?  Perhaps we should skip over those verses since we don’t have idol worship today.  Do we? 

The Jerusalem Council also warned against this problem in their letter to the Gentile Believers in Acts 15:23-24.  Not only that, but two Assemblies, are rebuked by the Lord for eating “food sacrificed to idols” (Rev. 2:24; 2:20.)  Pergamum and Thyatira. Perhaps we need to understand what was happening in the 1st century pagan world and why the Jewish Council, Paul and then again Jesus were so concerned with this problem. 

Do you know that several primitive societies in the Brazilian jungles also consume the flesh of the dead?  It’s still happening.  But why? 

In the 1^st century, when food was brought to the pagan temple as a sacrifice to the gods, only a small portion of it was actually burned on the altar.  The majority of the offered food was to be either sold by the priest in the marketplace or eaten by the worshiper in a dining area located in the temple.  These dinners then became a type of worship and cultic ritual.   

Believers were forbidden to join in these meals because their participation involved a level of intimacy with the pagan god.  The very food offered and then eaten entered and became one with the person who consumed the food.  He would then be identified with the god himself.  Therefore, the Believers in the early Assemblies were forbidden of eating this food.  They now had a new identity with the Jewish Messiah. Eating the ritualistic food would be considered idolatry. 

In our world today the idea of idolatry seems to be a thing of the past.  However, our idols are not wood or stone but idols of the spirit.  Any form of temptation, desires, lust or participation in what God has forbidden is a special form of idolatry.  We have determined what we want and desire.  We become our own idol!   We want to serve ourselves without sacrificing our Wants to help others.  I become self-serving!

Disappointments, failures and sickness might leave us bewildered and adrift from the foundations of faith.  I have come to recognize this in my own life.  Through prayer and worship, and daily repentance, we have a chance to overcome the need for the “meat” of idol worship.

It is the beauty of fellowship with other Believers that encourages us and gives us strength. Its our daily Bible reading and meditation that brings all of us closer to the Creator. 

“So, whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31)

                                                No idol meat for us!!

Having recovered from my rather recent bout of pneumonia, I am supposed to do a few breathing exercises using this little plastic device.  Three times daily I was told!!  It’s a bother.  I might squeeze in twice!

Have you even been to the ICU unit in the hospital?  Perhaps it was a parent, child or even a dear friend who suffered a major heart attack or some other physical trauma.  There are beepers, buzzers, and the rhythmic pumping of machines.  Somehow these machines help to keep someone alive.  Every heart attack patient has experienced the trauma of fighting for their very next breath.

                                      Breath is precious.  

In everyday life, we don’t think about breathing.  It is one of the involuntary attributes that God gives us.  We take breathing for granted.  That is, until our very next breath becomes a matter of life or death.

In Kings chapter two, we read about Hezekiah, King of Judah.  We know that he was “sick unto death”.  We aren’t told whether he was fighting for his next breath, but we are told he begged God for a few more years of life.  He was granted his wish.  He was allowed to live another 15 years.

Scripture tells us that God formed man and “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul.”  (Genesis 2:7) 

When Jesus appeared to His disciples after the resurrection, “He breathed on them saying “receive the Holy spirit” (John 20:22)

These passages tell us that God is the life giver and that all life comes form Him.  Both physical and spiritual.  We live because He breathed the sacred breath of life into us.  No, we weren’t formed from some ancient slime a million years ago.

When we analyze the wonders of our bodies and how they are given to us for life in this world, we cannot help but to be amazed at the uniqueness of God’s creative powers.  We try to take care of our bodies and worry when they don’t function as we think they ought. 

Both the recovering ICU patient and King Hezekiah shared the privilege of another breath, and another opportunity to serve the Creator.

  But we don’t need to wait for a critical illness or catastrophic event to appreciate life.  Instead, we can look around us and observe God’s unique creation.  As we slowly inhale, and exhale let us be grateful for God’s gift of life.

We can be grateful knowing that every breath is precious because it represents the blessing of another moment. 

                         It is evidence of the gift of life from the Creator of Life.

                                                    Breathe Deeply!

                                  “Is the Lord in our midst or not?” Exodus 17:2

After the Israelites left Egypt for the land of Promise, they grumbled their way through the hot miserable desert.  Even though God had demonstrated His watchful care for them, they still felt alone facing the threat of starvation and thirst.  God did provide………both manna and quail and water from rocks and probably wells which might have been previously dug by the native peoples living there.  However, this is a huge group of people. 

They complained.  Their memories of the good food and homes in Egypt made them regret leaving……. even though it meant slavery.  They wanted the creature comforts and seemed forgetful of what they had suffered under the Pharoah. 

                              Would you have been one of them?

How long does our faith endure when we are tested?  “Is the Lord in our midst or not?”  In other words, is He keeping up with me?

The people had little choice but to depend on God.  No grain fields, no ready water supply, no real food.  The melons, grain, fruits, barley bread were left behind.  Their belly seemed more important than their freedom.

They complained to Moses in certain terms.  “Why did you bring us out here to suffer?  We weren’t so bad off in Egypt.  At least we weren’t starving. “(Ex :16)

                           God did respond.  He sent what they needed. 

But it was a daily exercise in faith.  Every day, they had to gather.  They needed faith for each day, that the manna would fall, and the water would flow. Only on the seventh day, the Sabbath, they were not to gather.  They must gather enough for two days, if not, then they had no food to eat. 

                                    God worked miracles for them.

But what about here and now?  Our we content with our “Daily Bread?”

The Lord used that same wording in what we call the Lord’s Prayer.  Each day we are to ask for our daily portion of what God provides. 

                                               And be thankful

In the Lord’s Prayer, (aka Disciple’s Prayer) Jesus tells his disciples that they are only to ask for the daily bread.    What, no long-term bread? 

In other words, we must consider each day a blessing for what the Lord provides.  Too often we take our blessings for granted.  Our daily bread is simply a matter of getting it off the shelf.  Our food as well as our homes, clothes, and creature comforts are all expected.  We rarely think to thank our Father for providing them.

I’m learning to take each day as a gift.  A blessing to live in America, food on the table, good friends and family.  Since each day is a gift, then tomorrow is up to Him. 

                        Yes, the Lord is in our midst………..you can depend on it.

                                                He Knows Your Name

Remember the story of Jacob and the night he wrestled with God…or His Angel?  All we know from the story is that Jacob said……” I have seen the face of God.” Yet he was using that phrase to mean that he knew that God wanted something from him and God interacted with him personally and physically.   

Jacob won the fight but was given a bad hip. He is often called the Deceiver from deceiving his father, Isaac. But God had plans for him.   He was given the new name of Israel.  It’s a fascinating story in Genesis 32:22. The name Israel means one in whom God rules.  

God asks Jacob, “What is Your name.” (Gen 32:27). Didn’t God know?   How would we answer that question?  Doesn’t He know my name is Barbara?  God doesn’t need my given name.  He already knows (plus all the hairs left on my head!} He really wants from me, and you are our true identity.  What does that mean?

 We must confess who we really are.  Inside.  Not the person we appear to be. 

This involves some introspection on our part.  Are we the dedicated Christian that we pretend?  How do we feel knowing that we are not really in control of our life?  Do we still struggle with our old “man” …the real me?  Are kidding ourselves that we are so strong in faith that nothing can move us?

Many times, it appears that God isn’t hearing us or even cares for us.  The Bible is replete with men and women who have felt the same.   He seems distant and aloof. 

Yet you and I must struggle with our faith.  We only know in part but as Paul writes, “We see through a glass darkly. (1 Cor 13:12) Yet, we know that God is there for me and you.  He’s ready to forgive us.  He wants to give us a new name, as He did with Jacob. 

Are we willing to release control of ourselves?  Are we willing to confess how little we really know?  Do we admit we are weak and sinful and seek repentance?  Have we done good deeds for our fellowman? 

Jeshua (Jesus) took upon himself what we cannot do.  He himself became our sin.  He obeyed in all ways that we cannot.  He gave that to us on the cross. 

When we walk by the Spirit, we no longer need to justify ourselves.  We confess our own lack of faith.  We must give up being in control! 

 We must confess our willingness to rely on God’s power to transform us and be a person after God’s own heart!  

            Be Happy!  He knows Your Name!                   

The summer heat is descending, the air-conditioners are running night and day, the outdoor grills are heating up. All signs of the season.  This can also be a great time for spiritual renewal.  A time of transformation. 

Since many of us prefer to stay inside to escape the heat of outdoors, it is also a good time for study and introspection.  A time to look within yourself. 
What do I want to do with the remainder of my life?  What does God have in store for me?  What can I do in His service?   Am I committed to being His servant in this world?   Am I a disciple maker? 

                                                    Transformation!

Sometimes, we believe that we are limited. We tell ourselves; I am not capable of more of doing more.  We are stuck with a negative mindset. We are unable to think outside of ourselves.  However, like a crab, we can break out of our shells.  This is a time to transform yourself. 

                                 Transformation often comes with pain. 
A child who is now a size 6, is squeezed into a size 4, will feel the pain.  They will feel constricted.  The clothes will be tight around their shoulders.  it will hurt.

The spiritual teaching is that our” garments” are our thoughts, speech and actions.  It is time for us to shed the old.  It’s difficult to change.  We are hesitant to try something new.  But we are outgrowing our old spiritual garments. It’s time to shed what has sufficed in the past and create something new, some healing, something transformative within us.   

                                    And we have the power to transform

Are you lying down as you read this?  Are you sitting at your computer?  Is your body comfortable?  You have the power to change your position.  You have the ability to make a choice that has a positive impact on your life.   

Now, think to yourself about one thing you feel limited. Something that feels constricting in your life.  You have the power to change it.  Like the crab shedding its shell you have the power to make a spiritual transformation. 

The old way of thinking about spiritual things in your life seems irrelevant.  You think about death. You think about your life after this one.  You think about the person you might have offended.  Are you willing to ask forgiveness before laying your gift on the altar?  If you find yourself unwilling to seek forgiveness from your fellow, do you still expect God to forgive you? 

It all comes with our spiritual transformation.  Transforming ourselves with a spiritual revival and renewing our faith. 

Be like the crab.  He changes his shell.  You can change your spiritual shell and become one who is transformed into His spiritual likeness.

                        Break that old shell; Get a new one!  

                                 Life, Liberty and Happiness

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. And that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” ………etc etc.  (Declaration of Independence)

Our Founding Fathers were unabased in their assertion that it was God who endowed all men with “certain inalienable rights.” Is there a biblical verse that promises mankind the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

Well, not exactly. But the first five books of the Bible (called the Torah) certainly talk about the sanctity of human life and describes the first man and women as being “created in the image of God.” Created in His image also gives us responsibility.  To care for our fellowman in a way that exhibits God’s love for His creation.

The principles of liberty, equality and individualism are all based on Biblical principles.  The American colonists felt that their entrepreneurial and political rights were being violated. They fought for their freedom and once independence was won, the fledging and idealistic American government was committed to protecting that freedom.

The Bible doesn’t say, “these are your rights.. don’t let anyone take advantage of you.” Instead, we read where a husband is to care for his wife; Good Samaritan tells us about caring for one’s fellowman; giving poor people access to gather in the fields (Ruth). It’s always what we do for others that makes us a different people from the rest of the world.  We give them a bit of hope and happiness in a dark world.                              .    

The story of our nation began when people demanded their freedom.  We must consider that it is a privilege to live in a nation that gives this right to choose.  
                        However, we must choose service ahead of rights

On a personal level, the small shift from rights to service can make a dramatic difference in all our relationships.  When the focus is largely about our rights, we have lost a sense of our own humility and our purpose.   

As Believers, we are committed servants.  We are disciples of the One who was committed in service to His fellow man.  He showed us the way. 

                                   Can we do anything less?

From the beginning of creation, God gave man/woman the freedom to choose.  Freedom comes with perils as well as blessings.  Of course, in His wisdom God wanted man to worship Him as a choice.  Not as an automation or a puppet whom God could control.

Soon we will be choosing one man to be our next President.  It’s our choice.  We don’t blindly choose him/her, but the person who best represents what we believe will make our country special and unique in the world.  One who represents the best of us and one who holds to the values of the Founding Fathers.

The concept of choice is central to the belief and philosophy of the Bible.  Since by definition, a choice is not coerced. But there are various degrees of freedom that a chooser may possess in making his choice. 

Choice in three Dimensions

A} Compelled choice:

One level of choice is related to the conventional, everyday usage of the term.  We each make countless choices every day.  Coffee or tea?  What color shall we paint our fence?  Should I take the job in New York or the one in Montana?

As long as no one is forcing your decision, yours can be said to be a “free choice.” But are you truly choosing freely?  Each of the options confronting you is armed with an entire array of qualities to sway your choice.

 You prefer coffee but everyone else is having tea.  Your sense of wanting to fit in compels you to also have tea, which everyone else is having.  White will liven up your gloomy backyard but will also show the dirt sooner than the green.  The pay in New York is higher but so is the crime rate.

You will weigh all the factors and make your decision.  But have you chosen wisely or have you the chosen the thing’s qualities? You made your choice as to which assets / influences you for the best possible outcome. 

B} Random choice 

But suppose you are above it all.  Suppose that nothing about these choices has the power to hold or sway you.  You made a choice as to what to drink, painting your fence, or which job to take.  But you made your decision on what is best for you.  The choice could have gone either way, correct?  So where were you in all this? In what way have you exercised your freedom to choose?   You have merely surrendered to something that is beyond you.  You made your choice on what you perceive to be the best possible outcome.

C} Quintessential choice.

What if your choice is determined by the very essence of who you are? For life is but the desire to be.  To make yourself special to someone.  To be able to give of yourself as a person chosen…. as well as a duty to your fellowman. The choices we face in life should be determined by what we perceive as a desired outcome of our life. How will we be remembered?   Are we pleasing to God for how we are living our life here and now?

As disciples of Jeshua, we each are chosen for a special work.  The early disciples were no different than us.  They faced various choices in life.  Many lost their lives because of their choice.

            What choices in life have I made?  What choices have you made?  

In most of our homes we say a blessing prior to eating.  Why before we eat?  I suppose it’s because we are thanking Him in advance for the gift of this food. 

In Jewish homes they say the blessing after eating. They thank God for the food they have consumed so that they can continue to praise Him.   On the Sabbath they also light candles, and the mother covers her head with a scarf and father offers a blessing for each of his children.  It’s a lovely tradition. 

Also, in most Jewish homes the blessings over the food are very specific.  For example, there is a blessing designated for fruit and an entirely different blessing for vegetables.  There is a special blessing for grape products like juice or wine, and another for bread.  Then, there is a separate blessing for cake, cookies and other products made with flour other than bread. And finally, there is a blessing for everything else, which covers anything the Father/Mother might have missed!  

Why is it so complicated.  Why not just one blessing that covers it all?

After some research I discovered that each kind of food contains different elements for which they are grateful.  When eating something sweet it is a different sensory experience than when one is eating a piece of bread.  Indulging in a glass of wine and biting into a carrot are both experiences to be thankful for, but they are very different in taste and texture.

Verse 19 of Psalm 68 reads. “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.”  So how does this fit in with blessing our food?

Just as each kind of food has its own special element for which we are grateful, so too, every day has something unique for which to be thankful.  We need to bless God “day by day “because every day brings new blessings to us.   He bears our burdens! 

Does blessing God seem strange to you?  I thought we always asked His blessings to us.  When you read the Hebrew Scriptures, we read where people always blessed God……. Don’t we praise him for what he has done for us? 

In Lamentations 3:22-23 we read. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end;’ they are new every morning.”  What a beautiful thought!  God showers us with new blessings every morning, and so we must be thankful anew every single day. 

Giving gratitude is a practice of the senses and a reminder that we need to be sensitive to all the different ways that God has blessed us.  We are especially thankful for the gift of food.  We see so many who are homeless and must depend on others for food! Working in poor neighborhoods and helping deliver food is a great blessing for them and for us. 

No matter how good or how bad your life might seem right now, there is always something for which to be grateful.   God is giving us a gift every day; you just need to look for it.  Once you’ve discovered it rejoice and praise God for it!

What is your blessing today?

An added note:  A friend wrote me with this thought since the assignation attempt on President Trump.  “Vote with Ballots and not with bullets.”  So true.

We are living in an era of moral inversion.  “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. “ (Isaiah 5:20)
Justice, true justice is void.  Solving our problems seems insurmountable.  The challenges are not just political but spiritual.  Our society has lost its way.  Abortion, transsexualism, homosexuals, the LGTBQT etc etc. have taken the spotlight and anyone who cries “wrong” is given a title of some sort.

Honestly, I have no solution for our problems.  Our call to discipleship leaves us in a quandary.  Just how do we approach these problems of society?  I assume you have no answers either.   

Living in the 1st century under Roman rule, with all its immorality, the early Believers grew in numbers.  Somehow, deep inside the human soul, they knew the lavish and decadent life was wrong.  They gathered to hear Paul’s preaching. Paul spoke not only to Gentiles but to his Jewish brethren.  He presented Jeshua as the one who raised the bar on immorality and yet did not desert the teachings of Torah.  He didn’t start a new religion.  He kept within the framework of the Hebrew scriptures.  

I have mentioned the word Torah many times in my writings.  What is the Torah?  You can find it of course by doing a bit of research but basically, it’s the teachings of the first five books of our Bible.  It also forms the basics of how Jesus himself taught and used those teachings in his ministry.  The problem being it is open to various interpretations.  Jesus had most of his disputes with the Pharisees who held a strict interpretation of the Teachings.

When Jeshua declared His new Covenant, He was not declaring the old outdated and “nailed to the cross”.  The “sin and death” from Paul’s  Roman letter does not mean the Torah or its teachings are erroneous.

Romans 8 begins and ends with declarations of the Believers absolute security before God. There is no condemnation for us who become disciples of the Messiah. Nothing will ever be able to separate us from His love.

 We are unable to keep God’s teachings. But the Master is and was the only one who was able and willing to do that for us.  It is by faith in Him that allows us to call God Abba Father. We are confident that God loves us and sent the Messiah to fulfill all the obligations that God requires of His people. 

 Many of today’s preachers are saying that the old Law is outdated, and we no longer need it since grace has replaced the teachings of Torah. So, I guess God made a mistake the first time but corrected it later. Really?

And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.” – Mark 2:22

An interesting story about the wineskins.  The old wineskins did not declare the Torah or its teachings to be outdated but how to apply them regarding one’s life.  Mark verse 22, teaches that the Pharisees lived lives like old wineskins. When new wine was poured in, the wineskins would break apart and the wine wasted. Jesus however, brought freedom in grace. His grace could not be held in legalistic rules that the Pharisees enforced over others. We cannot alter Jeshua to fit our mold of religion.  We must remember that we are the jars, and He is the Potter. He will shape us to learn. To try to fit Jesus’ teachings of love and freedom into the Pharisaical legalism (or even its modern-day equivalences) will result in loss of truth and freedom and living under His grace to us.    

As Disciples we minister while we are learning.  We show by example. Our mission should always be done by example.  It’s what we do with our ministry that is important.  That’s the story of the Good Samaritan.  Just getting on your knees for prayer isn’t enough.  It’s our call to show the way. 

                           That’s what being a disciple is all about.

                  I was planning to procrastinate, but never got around to it. 

Whether you consider the above quotation wise, witty or silly, it can be quite a sobering thought.  How many of us can truly say we don’t put off important things we know we should have done yesterday?  Don’t you just go green with envy when you meet those super-efficient amazons who are punctual, organized and always put together?  Don’t they infuriate you…..with yourself? 

From my own experience I know that if something is important, I better attend to it immediately, otherwise I simply don’t trust myself to “get around to it.”  I know I could benefit from a Time Management course.  In fact, I once signed up for one but never made it there.  No time!!  There are still so many new ideas, projects and plans I’d like to get around to.  I know that with better personal discipline they might materialize!!

You might be surprised to learn that effective time management is not a professional value but also a religious imperative.  We need to remember that our days here are all counted and we must make good use of the time that the Lord has given us. 

But is that really important?  Time marches on inexorably, whether we take note of it or not.  What value is there in counting the days? The answer is that we count these days to make us conscious of the preciousness of every single day.  To make us more sensitive to the value of a day, an hour, a moment.  As an old friend once said, “A summers’ day and a winter’s night is a year!”  Think about that.  Whatever your age……with God’s grace you will get older!

I once read a great saying.  Life is like a picture postcard.  Ever had the experience of being on vacation and sending a picture postcard home to a friend?    We start writing with a large scrawl and then think of new things to say and before we know it we are at the end of the card and there’s no more room!!   So, what do we do?  We start writing smaller and then when we’re out of space we start winding our words around the edges to get it all in!!

Isn’t life like that?  We start off young and reckless and as we get older, we realize that life is short.  So, we start cramming and trying to squeeze in all those important things we never got around to doing.  Sometimes our attempts are quite desperate, even pathetic, as we seek to put some meaning into our lives before it’s too late.  (Maybe that’s with mid-life crisis is all about.}

So, God tells us to count our days because they are, in fact, numbered.  We each have an allotted number of days and years in which to fulfill the purpose for which we were created.  Hopefully by counting time we will appreciate it better!! So, whatever it is that is important for each of us to get done, let’s do it.  God will be pleased that we will use our time wisely in His service and whatever you feel called to do. 

                                    Your Days are all Numbered!