You Might Be Surprised

My husband and I keep a running list of movies we'd like to watch. If someone were to take a look at said list, they'd probably have little difficulty picking the movies he suggested versus the movies I contributed. Scott likes the action, the intrigue of unraveling a good mystery. For me, it's all about the story. Jason Bourne can leap from every building in Europe, but if there isn't a good backstory, I'm happy to work on my crossword. So, somewhere along the line, we established this ritual: he says, "What aren't we watching" when it's my turn to pick, I hold my ground, and he enjoys the film. Surprise! Sometimes the things we expect to be unpleasant are surprisingly enjoyable --even beneficial. As time has passed, though he refuses to relinquish the ritual, he's learned his wife knows a thing or two about good stories, and he doesn't hate handing over the reins quite so much 😉

In Acts 19:18-20, we find Paul in Ephesus. Some of those present, Jews and Greeks, had made earlier confessions of faith but had fallen away. In response to the extraordinary miracles performed through Paul by God, they were convicted of their lapse. They admitted publicly their sins, the evil things they'd done after their initial repentance, then they turned over the tools of their trade --magic books. Occultism was popular in Ephesus. Now, whether these folks had from their conversion determined to minister to these occultists and found themselves woefully unequipped, whether they lapsed back into old behaviors for lack of discipleship, or whether their belief in the power of God to heal and perform miracles morphed into some form of syncretism, I can't say, but here they were, publicly confessing and burning books full of incantations and demonic rituals. According to Testament Press's website, the value of these materials --50,000 drachmas --would have been the equivalent of 2.1 million USD today. They were willing to take a loss in the things of this world to gain the Kingdom of God.

And we're not talking about dollars and cents exclusively. Imagine the mother who'd been secretly engaging in these practices, searching for a miracle for her sick little boy. She'd give up her rituals, she'd relinquish her hope in them, she'd publicly confess her sin and reveal to her husband and family her backsliding ways. Or the mason. Maybe he'd lose customers, those who thought Christ was foolishness; maybe they'd think him the biggest fool and fraud ever. This was costly. Reputation. Favor. Friends. Material goods. 

But what was the result? Verse 20:

So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

The worst thing ever, right? Not at all! Whatever humiliation, whatever monetary loss, whatever broken relationships, whatever descent into anonymity --every last bit of it was worth it. The good news of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, grew mightily and prevailed. Read God's word through John in Revelation 2:1-6:

To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,

‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 

Did they have it all right? No, but they had persevered, they upheld truth and were intolerant of those who did evil. They had issues they needed to address: their passion for Christ had cooled. But they had been steadfast in other things and, as such, could be equally as steadfast in this. The "worst" they'd endured in the past had proven to grow the Kingdom; they had only to hold fast to that once again.

Is God calling you to do the unthinkable? the unpleasant? the seemingly impossible? Is He calling you to repair that relationship or publicly repent of your sin? Is He calling you to put your business on the line, your years-long friendship, your reputation, and take a stand for what is godly? Surprise! It just might be the best thing you could do. Are you willing to take a loss in the things of this world to gain the Kingdom of God? For the glory of God, you might be surprised at what He will do. 

A Family Resemblance

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

~ Matthew 5:44, 45

Paul and Silas were in prison. Now, prison back in the day was nothing like prison present. Food, clothing, and anything else you might need were provided by those who came to visit you --if anyone was able to visit you. Conditions were harsh and unsanitary. Rodents ran through cells and gnawed on whatever remained still long enough. Some prisoners were forced to stand for hours or sit, unmoving, for hours. Wounds went untreated. Light and fresh air were luxuries. But! Paul and Silas were praising God. That's when the earth shook, doors flew open, and chains fell broken to the ground. No one moved. That's right! No one tried to leave. The jailer called for a light and dropped to the floor before Paul and Silas. Interesting that through their songs, he knew immediately it was their God who had done this thing. Interesting too, his next question to those standing dirty and beaten before him, those who had not fled despite open doors and broken fetters, was, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? These men, once bound and in darkness, were face-to-face with salvation, deliverance, freedom, and yet, they remained. What could they know about being saved? Their songs, their praises to a God who appeared to be so far off, so far removed from their circumstances --their songs proclaimed to this jailer and all who were present (Remember, no one left) that salvation was so much greater than circumstances.

And what was the answer that came to the jailer's ear? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household. Believe on Jesus. Of course, this is the best message we can share with anyone, but I bring your attention to it today because the message, the way to salvation is not love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Jesus' words in His Sermon on the Mount were not the way to salvation, but the way of salvation. When Jesus told those people on the hillside (and us by the blessing of Scripture) to love, bless, do good, and pray, He wasn't telling them how to behave that you may be sons of your Father God in heaven. He wasn't assuring anyone this was how to be saved. What He was talking about was family resemblance. 

When folks used to see my mother and I together, they would smile and comment on the resemblance. Often times I'd reply with, "You should see my dad." I am, if it's possible, a perfect 50-50 blend of both of my parents. Next to my mother, I was her twin. Next to my father, his female doppelganger. No one would say I didn't belong to either of them. Why? Because I looked so much like them! That's the bedrock of Jesus' words; being exceptional people, people that can love beyond anything human, because we are children of the Father! There is an undeniable family resemblance! 

When the question is posed, "What must I do to be saved?" the answer is to believe on Jesus Christ; not do good deeds, feed the hungry, endure persecution or insults. It's believe! On Jesus alone! In so doing, in joining our lives with His, in imitating Him because of our devotion to Him, in obeying Him --that's how we can love our enemies, how we can bless those who wish evil on us, how we can do good to those who hate us, how we can pray for those who use us and wish to abuse us. That's the way of the Kingdom, God's Kingdom, not the way to the Kingdom. That's the family resemblance!

Midweek: NKJV/NET Parallel New Testament

Thomas Nelson has given me the opportunity to review another one of their tremendous selection of Bibles for free! This time, I chose the NKJV/NET Parallel New Testament. I'm pretty excited because, frankly, I know nothing about the NET (the New English Translation): this is a great way for me to not only pass along a Bible to someone but do a little research and comparison on this more modern (late1990s) version. The fact this is a parallel New Testament is something with which many readers may not be familiar; hopefully this will expand your horizons as well. So, here goes.

This edition is as thick as the personal Bible I carry to church every week and, as I mentioned, it is only the New Testament. Obviously, it is two versions of the same testament, but the NET is loaded with notes. Thomas Nelson's website says it has over 17,000! These are largely footnotes explaining the translators' decisions with regard to interpretation and presenting other variations of translation. The collaborators of the NET were well-known experts in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, pastors and academics; one contributor, Dr. Daniel B. Wallace has done extensive work cataloging and studying ancient New Testament manuscripts. If I could use one word to describe the NET, it would be transparent. The team of translators demonstrates a passion for language and context, literacy and readability, and to that end they copious explain all of it. That being said, I, personally, do not have a use for such an edition on the regular. Would I consult it from time to time? Online, as I'm doing research? Absolutely. Would I ensure I had a copy in my library? No. Every translation has its nuances, and the NET is no exception, but I'd never get through my daily devotions or even complete one article if I spent time musing over each one. Suffice to say, this might be a good translation for you if you're looking to simply read or to dig deeply into the languages of the day, but for those who are mid-spectrum, seeking to learn without attempting Greek studies, this might be a bit of a distraction.

The parallel aspect of this book, the NKJV side-by-side with the NET, could be very helpful for those who attend a church or group that uses the NKJV (as many with which I am familiar do), but require the more succinct nature of the NET or enjoy its familiar language when doing their personal reading. As you'll notice in the below photo, the text (Acts 20:7-20:29) is presented in two columns, in both versions on the lefthand page.

Notes from the NET begin in the lower half of the page and continue in two columns on the righthand page. Loaded with notes, as I said. Comparing one translation with another can add depth to study and, let's face it, the way information is disseminated --well, sometimes, it just hits differently. A parallel Bible is helpful in that way. 

As for additional amenities, some pages naturally have wider margins, beneficial for note-taking. The NKJV text has the words of Christ in red. Both texts are printed in 9-point Comfort Print® typeface. The usual finishing touches are present, a presentation page and a satin ribbon marker. The copy I received is a brand-new release, bound in black Leathersoft™ with red stitching and silver gild edges; the spine is stamped in silver, as well, making this a beautiful color combination. Its Smyth-sewn binding allows the book to lie flat for easy study. It, of course, comes with Thomas Nelson's quality lifetime guarantee. 

So, while it may have more than what I'm looking for in a Bible, it is a unique and finely executed addition to Thomas Nelson's product line. It is currently available on Amazon for $50.08, and at christianbook.com for $44.09. 

Do You Smell That?

The smell was repugnant. The flies pestilential. Suggestions were made. Investigations were conducted. Traps were implemented. The source remained an enigma, and nothing would quell the plague subjugating our church kitchen in the Summer of 2025.

Sounds like the beginnings of a great novel, doesn't it? Okay, maybe not so great; but definitely based on fact. And the story ends with a tray of meat found putrefying (and being ingested by some very grateful grub-sized maggots) in one of the ovens weeks after a potluck.

God, through Paul's writing to the Corinthians, says:

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

Thanks be to God. It's a glorious thing to be a diffuser of the fragrance of the knowledge of God! We emanate His light wherever we go. We broadcast His goodness and His passion through our love for one another. We carry with us in our character His very image. We cannot hide the fact we know Him! At least, that should be our testimony.

But, we are cautioned, not everyone is as exuberant:

For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life... (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)

Fragrance. The candle burning in my office as I write. The flowers given to me by our neighbors. Pleasant and welcome. But the aroma of death? To those who reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to those who choose death over life, the words of Christ through us and His character on display through His people herald their death. Who would make such a choice? The proud who do not submit to a humble and almighty King. The "intelligent" to whom the account of a risen Savior makes no sense. The self-seeking who refuse to cede their pursuit for the pursuit of Christ. The legalists who believe it is possible to save themselves without the extravagant grace of God and mercy for others. The choice to adopt a lie as the groundwork for their life --in spite of the fragrance of Truth --is the way of death. And it smells. BAD!

I know what it means to double-down on my choices, to become angry and offended by those who bring conviction to my front door. I've been that person. And for that person, the fragrance of Christ is an offense, a stumbling block. But all the offense in the world doesn't remove eternal consequences. All the rebellion and rage, pride and pedantry doesn't save anyone from the stench and hatching flies. And it's vital everyone hears that message --whether they love us for it or not. Romans 10:15 tells us the feet who bring the good news of the gospel of peace are beautiful! That's what God says. There will be those who choose death over life, decomp over beauty; but let us boldly go forth, in triumph in Christ and diffuse the fragrance of the knowledge of Him wherever we go. 

(And double-check our ovens.)