James the Just - Part 6 - The Upward Spiral of Metamorphosis

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Tuesday, August 20, 2019

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.  Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.  James 1: 26-27

Metamorphosis is the process of change; complete change!  Tadpoles change into frogs; caterpillars enter the cocoon and emerge transformed into butterflies.  Spiritual metamorphosis (transformation) is expressed as a renewed mind.^[2]  Spiritually transformed believers have…

A Controlled Tongue

The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. Proverbs 18:21

James called the tongue a raging fire, totally unable to be tamed.  He says it’s like the rudder on a big ship, or a bit in the horse’s mouth.  It is a small thing, behind the scenes, yet the most powerful muscle in the body.  As surely as harsh words cripple people, good words inspire people to live higher-purposed lives: 

·      I regret that I have but one life to give for my country. –  Nathan Hale

·      Ask not what your country can do for you.  Ask what you can do for your country.  – President John F. Kennedy

Words such as those changed the course of history. They challenged our souls and spirits, and as a result we will never be the same.  I have been the recipient of kind words in difficult circumstances.  There were times when such words put my heart back together and gave me the courage to go on.

Spiritually transformed people have a controlled tongue that speaks words of healing and encouragement.  And they have …

A Compassionate Heart

James visiting, or caring-for orphans and widows, is his way of helping us understand that the least powerful in our society, those who are most likely to be forgotten or fall through the cracks…these are the ones we must always help.  Transformed, spiritually renewed people have their tongues under control, and they are compassionate.

But you probably have known people who are not what we would call religious; they never attend church or even seem to have faith in God at all.  Yet, they are compassionate towards the less fortunate; they do more than even many believers who talk a good talk.  They seem to be more Christian than the Christians.  Are they Christians of “genuine religion” after all?  Well, they might be; it isn’t up to you and me to judge another’s motives for what they do.  But remember this, practicing kind words and even doing wonderful good deeds are not what make you a Christian – those are only indications you follow a strong moral code of kind and unselfish ways.  If living like that could bring about forgiveness for our sins the cross is God’s chief mistake; it would mean Jesus didn’t have to die.  The Apostle Paul said it clearly, you cannot buy salvation:

God saved you by his grace when you believed.  And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  Ephesians 2:8-9

So, then, if it’s by grace, why all this “genuine religion” talk about doing good stuff?  It’s simple – if you have truly been born again, you will be like the One who gave you life.  

There is a good example of this in the science of fiber optics.^[3]  

The strands of glass or plastic are about the thickness of a human hair.  Bundled together they carry light, electrical impulses and even sound waves at incredibly fast speeds.  They’re the reason why your TV picture is so sharp, and your cell phone works. 

Imagine a thousand of these (hair-sized) fibers bound together like a cable.  Each strand has a beam of light to offer, but each one came from the same, single light source.  The light at the end of the “cable” reflects the source.  And the source, through all the little cable connections, sheds light that changes the world.  This is how it is when you allow yourself, like a caterpillar submits himself to the cocoon, to let God have you in His cocoon of salvation.  In it, he nourishes and changes you – you become transformed and renewed to live a life that reflects His glory and beauty.  That’s metamorphosis!

For You Today

The Christian life is so much simpler when we stop trying to force the change, and simply accept the change God is bringing!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Courtesy of  Wikimedia Commons     Unless otherwise noted, Scripture used from The New Living Translation©

[2] Romans 12:2

[3] Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

When Two Become One

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Friday, June 22, 2018

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper who is just right for him.”  So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky.  He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one.  He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals.  But still there was no helper just right for him.  So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep.  While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening.  Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.  “At last!” the man exclaimed.  “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh!  She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’”  This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.  Genesis 2:18-24^(NLT)

This is a picture of our dear friends John and Anne, who recently celebrated their 54^th wedding anniversary.  Anne writes a blog and shared this photo from when they took their wedding vows.  Let’s hear how it went from Anne:

54 years ago photographers did not take pictures during a wedding ceremony. We posed as if we were exchanging rings.  All of a sudden, Pastor Gross (yes, that was his name!) exclaimed, “I hope the book won't show in that shot.  I had it open to Burial of the Dead.”

Had I been drinking coffee at the moment I read that, there would be coffee spray all over my computer screen!  THAT is a classic!  It’s no wonder the only one smiling is the preacher!

As one who has stood on that side of the ceremony I can truly attest to the fact that weddings are something of a hint of foreboding, considering all that follows the ceremony for years (sometimes months in current culture).  All things considered, what with not picking up your socks, squeezing the toothpaste from the wrong end of the tube, and some more substantive issues…the fact that some couples do make it past 50 years is undeniably a gift of the grace of God alone!

I would suggest that one of the reasons many couples who do manage to have a lifelong (till death us do part) marriage is due to strong faith, lived-out, coupled with a learned humility that fosters forgiveness.  You cannot live successfully together with another human being without both!

My theological take on John & Anne’s pastor tweaking a tedious photo session after the ceremony (while all the guests wait interminably at the reception hall) is that he really was conducting a burial of the dead service.  Let’s face it; if you’re going to have a successful marriage you’ve got to bury some things…the most important being selfishness, which is the biggest roadblock to two actually becoming one!

Coupled with burying some things is establishing other living things – a living commitment to Christ and His church, as well as serving others in His name.  John has served in many ways, teaching young ones, and helping the choir director/organist (Anne).  Most pastors would consider themselves blessed to have a couple or two like the Mehrlings!

Congratulations, my friends, on taking burying the dead seriously all these years.  Your commitment to each other, our Lord, your family, and community are an inspiration to us all.

For You Today

Marriage going well?  If it could use a boost, try burying some self, and lifting up your spouse.  Two becoming one takes a lot of lifting!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day. 

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[1] Title Image & story:  Courtesy of Anne Mehrling  (also current picture of John & Anne near their mountain home in the Blue Ridge of NC)