The Big Picture

Over the past 4 years, I have been studying the Bible in a more regular routine than any time in my life.  I have made it a daily goal to study when I first get to my office.  I keep my study materials in my right-hand drawer and try not to do anything else until I spend time with my Bible.  I am not stating that to brag, but to say that for me, it took a concerted effort to establish this routine.  Now, it is something that I thoroughly enjoy and look forward to.
     I began reading through the New Testament in 2008.  First I decided to read and study books of the Bible that were written down by certain people.  All of John's writings, then all of Paul's writings, etc.. until I finished the New Testament in 2012.  Why did it take so long?  As I read, I followed this procedure:   Read until I learned something new, then write what I learned in a notebook.  Some days I read a few paragraphs and some days I read a chapter.  I didn't really have a goal of when I wanted to be finished.  I now have 5 or 6 notebooks filled with what I learned.  Most of my writing is just a summary of what I read.  Every once in a while I had an insight that I wanted to record as well.
     After I finished the New Testament, I started the Old Testament.  This time, I am doing it a little differently.  I started in Genesis and plan to read straight through.  I addition, I go online to www.biblegateway.com and use one of their Audio Bibles to read it to me as I read.  It has been a really helpful way to study.  I do a chapter at a time and sometimes several chapters.  The audio Bible helps me to keep going.
     I am currently on Leviticus which is an instruction book for the early Israelites on how to establish the Tabernacle and how to offer sacrifices.  It tells everything from how to sew the priest's garment to how to construct the end-caps on the temple poles.  It gives rules to the priest to deal with illnesses of the people and how to live their daily lives.  God was going to teach the people how to live a holy life which is different than what they had seen in Egypt and different from what they would see in the land of Canaan.  They would learn this as they spent 40 years with God wandering in the desert wilderness.
     To me, it seemed like the chapter after chapter of minute details and lists of exacting standards were almost too much.  Then I realized that...... I was right.   Since I had already read the New Testament, I am understanding more deeply that God was not giving them rules for the sake of rules.  And He was not only giving them rules to keep them safe and healthy.  God was giving them an understanding that it is impossible to follow all the rules and be holy, because we are not God.  He was showing them His holiness by showing them their unholiness.  For the next 40 years, they are forced to depend upon God for everything, even their daily food which would appear on the ground in the morning every day.... except the Sabbath.  Yet it only took one act of unholiness to destroy their standing before God.  They fully depended on God for their spiritual standing.  They had to make sacrifices for things they did which were unholy.  For the next several thousand years they tried and tried to obey the rules of holiness and continued to fail.  God provided a way for them to become clean again by sacrificing their best to Him through the priest and then God himself would re-establish their righteous standing.
     Why do I need to know all of this?  This is not the way it is done in the New Testament.  God's word is complete using both Old and New Testament.  Adam and Eve brought a sinful standing of unrighteousness to mankind's relationship with God which we continue today.  Mankind could no longer spend time in God's presence.  God chose to create a new relationship with mankind through Abraham and the Israelites.  Through this, he showed them who He really is.  Holy, Holy, Holy.   He also showed them who they were... Unholy, Unholy, Unholy.   He then demonstrated that the Holy one is the only one who can help the Unholy ones.   They can not be Holy on their own.  Obedience and sacrifice are the ways that they allow the Holiness of God to re-enter their lives and become clean again.
     After God taught them this truth, He started a new relationship based on an old promise to Abraham and a love that went all they way back to Adam and Eve.  I will give you my holiness in order to make you clean and re-establish the loving relationship broken by mankind long ago.
     God sent himself, in the form of Jesus.  Jesus was the sacrifice offered to re-establish the spiritual standing of the Unholy ones.  This sacrifice was not just for the unholy act of a person, but of all mankind for all time.  God promised that for those who approach the priest (Jesus Christ) and claim the sacrifice (Jesus Christ) and re-establish themselves in a relationship with God, His holiness would make them clean in God's eyes.
     11 days from now we will celebrate the beginning of this process as we celebrate the sending of Jesus to Earth.  I am glad that I am able to even more fully appreciate not only the love of Jesus, and God the Father, but that the Bible has helped me to more full understand the Big Picture of God's love.  

MO Prayer Amendment -review

These are my interpretation after reading the upcoming bill to amend the MO Constitution Section A, Section 5, Article 1,

Voting on August 7th.
Missouri will be voting on an amendment to the MO Constitution in August concerning prayer.  The text of the amendment and the ballot language can be seen at http://prayeramendment.org/    I was surprised to see that the current article is not as clear as the US Constitution on this issue.  Basically the amendment expands on the language of the current MO constitution concerning religious freedom.  

Section A. Section 5, article I, Constitution of Missouri, (Currently)

That all men and women have a 

---natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences; 

---that no human authority can control or interfere with the rights of conscience; 

---that no person shall, on account of his or her religious persuasion or belief, 

-be rendered ineligible to any public office or trust or profit in this state, 

-be disqualified from testifying or serving as a juror, 

-or be molested in his or her person or estate; 

---but this section shall not be construed to excuse acts of licentiousness, nor to justify practices inconsistent with the good order, peace or safety of the state, or with the rights of others.

That seems like a good article and many have said that the new amendment would not really change much from this current article.   

I have read the changes to this article that are proposed and believe that some of these changes are needed due to the way our culture has interpreted the original language.  

Here are the changes.  The bold type is what is to be added.

First of all, they have made the language to include men "and woman" to clarify for today's society.  (Not much of a change since that language is understood already.)

that to secure a citizen's right to acknowledge Almighty God according to the dictates of his or her own conscience, neither the state nor any of its political subdivisions shall establish any official religion,  (WOW, can't believe that wasn't in there before--although it is in the US Bill of Rights)

nor shall a citizen's right to pray or express his or her religious beliefs be infringed;  

(implied in the original language, but not expressly stated)

that the state shall not coerce any person to participate in any prayer or other religious activity, (also implied but not stated)

but shall ensure that any person shall have the right to pray individually or corporately in a private or public setting so long as such prayer does not result in disturbance of the peace or disruption of a public meeting or assembly;  (This very clearly states the right to pray or more importantly the right not to be kept from praying and also gives guidelines to ensure the rights of those who fear that the right to pray will disrupt public meetings.  It gives the right for those planning the meetings to allow prayer and not to ban it for fear of "establishing a religion.")

that citizens as well as elected officials and employees of the state of Missouri and its political subdivisions shall have the right to pray on government premises and public property so long as such prayers abide within the same parameters placed upon any other free speech under similar circumstances;  (This removes the misunderstanding that often leaves government employees with the impression that their religious freedom ends when they step onto the grounds of their workplace.)

that the General Assembly and the governing bodies of political subdivisions may extend to ministers, clergypersons, and other individuals the privilege to offer invocations or other prayers at meetings or sessions of the General Assembly or governing bodies;  (This had been a common practice since the first congress and still is, but  how many local governing bodies are under the impression that prayer is illegal at the start of a city council meeting or other governing body?  We need this clarification.)

that students may express their beliefs about religion in written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious content of their work;   (This has been a problem in the news.  Teachers can teach process and not base assessment on content.  Many have asked students to choose a new topic or told them that it is inappropriate.  This needs clarification.)

that no student shall be compelled to perform or participate in academic assignments or educational presentations that violate his or her religious beliefs;  (Some believe that this will cause students to refuse to do assignments, but as a former teacher, I know that an alternative assignment of equal academic value can be given)

 that the state shall ensure public school students their right to free exercise of religious expression without interference, as long as such prayer or other expression is private and voluntary, whether individually or corporately, and in a manner that is not disruptive and as long as such prayers or expressions abide within the same parameters placed upon any other free speech under similar circumstances;   (This needs to be stated in order to avoid the numerous lawsuits and cases that arise from misunderstandings.  A Christian who wants to pray before school with a few others should feel free.  A Muslim who wants to pray at certain prayer times, can be accommodated.  Things can be arranged to avoid disruption and keep academic excellence.)

to emphasize the right to free exercise of religious expression, that all free public schools receiving state appropriations shall display, in a conspicuous and legible manner, the text of the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States;  (I believe displaying the Bill of Rights in schools is a great idea and should be suggested, but requiring it seems a little bit out of line.  I can live with it, though.)

but this section shall not be construed to expand the rights of prisoners in state or local custody beyond those afforded by the laws of the United States, excuse acts of licentiousness, nor to justify practices inconsistent with the good order, peace or safety of the state, or with the rights of others. (this bold section is added to address the practice of prisoners to receive special outlandish privileges based on their "religious freedom."  I believe religious freedom extends to prisoners, but there are those that would go so far as to argue that their punishment for crime is against their religion.  Other laws address the rights of prisoners.)

This may be my longest post ever, but after carefully viewing this bill, I believe it is necessary.  I have heard the arguments that it is not needed and in theory, I agree but in practice I believe it is very necessary to address religious freedom in our society today.  Clarification is needed since we do not live in a society where prayer and religion are readily understood anymore.  I am voting in favor of this amendment.

The Struggle, The Victory

       Many of the truths of God I know I will continue to try to fully understand until my last day.  I try to learn more and more each day through the scripture where God reveals himself with the interpretation coming to me from the Holy Spirit as I read.  This being said, I know that what I am really learning is how little I know of God's truth.
     Some days like today, I feel very excited when I understand something in a new and deeper way.  I have been working my way through the New Testament in my daily reading and am reading Paul's letter to the Romans.  He talks about the Law and Christ.  At that time, Jewish believers struggled with their tradition of seeking righteous standing with God by following the Law of Moses.  The teaching that Paul shared was that Jesus offered that righteous standing through faith in the grace of  God.  Paul points out early in the letter that even before the law was given by Moses, God's grace was the source of salvation and righteousness.  Abraham was faithful to God in all things and it was counted as righteousness to him.  The law was given in order to show the people their own unrighteousness and sin.  It showed them where they differed from God and how much they needed His grace.  Instead of humbly turning to God and admitting they needed him and placing their faith and dependence on Him, they attempted to fulfill the law which no one could do except God himself.
     Paul points out that Jesus came as God in the flesh to fulfill the law's requirements, leading a sinless life, and by sacrificing himself for the sins of all of mankind, He conquered the sin that leads to the death of all mankind.  He also conquered death of the flesh itself and rose to life from the tomb.  He sent the Holy Spirit, (also God himself), to live in the bodies of those who humbly turn to God and admit they need Him and place their faith and dependence on Him.  This is a joining together with God through Jesus and Holy Spirit, thereby becoming part of the one who conquered sin and death.  Because of this, believers also have victory over sin and death.  Believers live "in Christ" and Christ lives in them.
     Our bodies have the sin and death of "human-ness" in them every day.  Our Spirit, if we turn to live in Christ, has already conquered it.   There are always times in our human lives when in our weakness we choose to give in to temptation and not rely on the victory we already have.  The more we strive to stay focused on the Spirit living within us as believers, the deeper our faith grows.  The more we rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, the less our discouragement about living this earthly life and the more we can show others the victory found through faith in Jesus.
     If you want the victory found through faith in Jesus, pray to him and commit your life to living as a follower.  Seek His plan for you by reading the scriptures and allowing His Holy Spirit to live within you and guide you.  Become part of a group of believers to help you stay focused on the victory and away from the temptations.  Stand up and count yourself as a follower and then follow.