Heaven

vagabond

Strangers and Sojourners

By / 3 minutes of reading / ,

Since this is Labor Day, I thought I’d include this dialog from the movie “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”

Delmar O’Donnell: You work for the railroad, Grampa?
Blind Seer: I work for no man.
Delmar O’Donnell: Got a name, do you?
Blind Seer: I have no name.
Ulysses Everett McGill: Well, that right there may be the reason you’ve had difficulty findin’ gainful employment. You see, in the mart of competitive commerce…

Coen, J., & Coen, E. (2001, February 2). O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Strangers

I was reading this morning’s “Verse of the Day” on Bible Gateway when I noticed how the Apostle Paul phrased Ephesians 2:19. I think the Revised Standard Version does an excellent job of communicating the nuance that Paul used.

So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Ephesians 2:19

As you may remember, Paul was a Jew and had invested the first part of his life in becoming a Pharisee1. So, he crafted this verse to communicate to both Jews and Gentiles. Let’s break this verse down.

We Are Not Vagabonds

In today’s verse, Paul addresses the Christian Gentiles living in the wealthy city of Ephesus, a city located in modern-day Turkey. Paul first tells us that Gentile Christians are not vagabonds – a person who wanders from place to place without a job or home. Instead, we Gentile believers in Jesus have a home in God’s household.

Our citizenship is with “fellow saints and members” of God’s household! We are “fellow citizens,” not citizens in addition to saints and members of God’s family. Rather, we are “fellow citizens.” This is true in this life and our lives in heaven.

Instead of a caste system in God’s kingdom, we Gentiles are equal citizens. God shows no prejudice or partiality among His children. We know this from many verses, such as:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28

Why This Matters

I’ve probably not written anything that you didn’t already know. So, why does it matter? It matters because we must be as cautious as Paul when looking at others. If God was willing to graft the “wild branch”2 into the True Vine, we must not allow our prejudices and preconceptions to deny anyone from hearing the good news and being received into the kingdom of God.

Good News

Someday, you may be walking on a street of gold when you spot Paul. Based on what Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you can greet Paul, give him a bear hug, and say, “Paul, it is so good to see you finally!” And he will hug you back and enjoy your membership in God’s household.

Image by WikiImages from Pixabay

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  1. Acts 23:6 – New International Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved August 30, 2023, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2023%3A6&version=NIV ↩︎
  2. Romans 11:17 – English Standard Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. Retrieved August 30, 2023, from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2011%3A17&version=ESV ↩︎
Dry Canyon

Are You in a Thin Place?

By / 3 minutes of reading / , , ,

If I ask if you are in a thin place, you may conclude that I’m either asking about dieting or ice skating. I’m not. I recently learned about thin places from a blog, “Between Fangs And Feathers” by Steve Lummer.

The idea of “thin places” traces back to Celtic Christians, but all of us have been in them; we just didn’t have a name for them. A “thin place” is where heaven and earth nearly touch each other. For example, my wife and I were at a church fellowship supper a while back. During a conversation with another couple, we learned that the wife had undergone a near-death experience; she was dead for several minutes. She told us she was overwhelmed by heaven’s stunning beauty, but God had her return to her dead body. That’s a thin place!

Mr. Lummer referenced the temptation of Jesus to help us understand “thin places.”

“And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.”

Mark 1:13 ESV

Jesus was “with the wild animals.” He was in this bleak world occupied by wolves, lions, and other apex predators. At the same time, Jesus was ministered to by angels whose homes were in heaven. For Jesus of Nazareth, the separation between Earth and Heaven was small, a thin place. The same is true for Jacob when he wrestled an angel1 and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they were thrown into a blazing furnace2.

If you or I find ourselves in life-threatening situations – cancer, vehicular accident, imminent danger – we are in a thin place. But thin places are not only about death; they can happen during spiritual mountaintops. The Holy Spirit may reveal a deeper meaning to a passage of Scripture, or He may use His gifts through us:

“7 The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. 8 To some people the Spirit gives a message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives a message of knowledge. 9 To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages. 11 All the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives gifts to each person, just as he decides.”

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 NLT

We become aware of thin places during extraordinary events in our lives. Knowing that there are such things as thin places can add to our courage. As Christians, if we pay attention and pray continually, we will find that we can constantly touch God while walking by faith through this world that seeks to devour us.

Photo by Dziana Hasanbekava

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[1]: Genesis 32:22–31 NLT – Jacob Wrestles with God – Bible Gateway. Biblegateway.
[2]: Daniel 3:16–28 NLT – Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – Bible Gateway. Biblegateway.

Student People Latin School Person Group College

What Grade Did You Get?

By / 2 minutes of reading / , , ,

At the end of a course, when I went to college, the professor would type a one-page list showing each person’s name (no political correctness) and the final grade they received. He or she would then take a thumbtack and post the final grades on a corkboard outside the professor’s office.

When the students found out that the grades had been posted, they rushed to learn their grades and the other students’ grades – we wanted to see how we’d done compared to all the other students.

What Will Be My Eternal Grade?

Occasionally, I think about what it will be like when I die. I agree with the apostle Paul: “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better 1.” Then, in heaven, when Jesus Christ judges each of us for what we did in our lives2, I think it will be kind of like those final grades from college.

As children of God, our judgment is not about heaven or hell – our Savior has redeemed us – but it is about gain and loss. God separates the lost from the saved. But even when we are saved, we can score well or poorly on Christ’s test of what we did with the life He gave us.

“12 Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13 But on judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.” – 1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NLT

Good News

Like in college, I am both eager and apprehensive about my “grade.” How did I do? Where do I rank with my fellow believers? What is it that I should have done now? Our “grades” hold eternal gain or loss, but we have no fear of God’s condemnation 3, for Christ, our King, has rescued us from eternal punishment.

Image by vicwag from Pixabay

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[1]: Philippians 1:21 NLT – For to me, living means living for – Bible Gateway
[2]: Romans 14:12 NLT – Yes, each of us will give a personal – Bible Gateway
[3]: Romans 8:1 NLT – Life in the Spirit – So now there is no – Bible Gateway

a pic full of rocks with a question mark painted on one of them

Between My Ears

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Scientists, generally, and archeologists, specifically, as well as anti-Israeli nations, have argued for decades that the nation of Israel doesn’t deserve the land it possesses because there is no evidence that the Jews ever actually possessed this land. But the time for that conjecture has passed.

In 2015, a ten-year-old boy discovered an “unprecedented” find. He found a rare 3,000-year-old seal, from the time of King David. And now, a clay document, written by the Moabites, containing explicit references to King David has been confirmed. From a scientific perspective, the veracity of a real Jewish man, named David, who was a king in Jerusalem, has been undeniably confirmed. If we trust science, then we must trust that the land that the nation of Israel possesses has belonged to them for millennia. And, once again, the trustworthiness of the Bible has been confirmed.

Photo by Ana Municio on Unsplash

a pic full of rocks with a question mark painted on one of them

Between My Ears

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As Christians, we often speak of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus, the Son of God. But, if asked, can we give an immediate, concise answer? A dear friend and spiritual mentor taught me to always have a one-minute, five-minute, and twenty-minute “message in my pocket.”

His thinking and I found it true, was that at a moment’s notice, I may be called upon to testify to a person, speak to an ad hoc group, or be called upon to preach a message. In those situations, I had no time to prepare.

I saw this displayed on a street in Cluj, Romania. As a small group of us were walking along a wide city sidewalk, we came upon a young Eastern Orthodox priest. He stopped us because he heard us speaking English and wanted to find out if we could understand him. To his delight, we did!

With that out of the way, we began an enjoyable conversation. At one point, he asked how our belief was different from his. My friend had the answer. Within five minutes, the young priest was energized and uplifted. But when my friend asked if he could pray for the priest, the veil of orthodoxy fell, and the priest immediately took off down the street.

It’s never our job to force the outcome from a divine appointment, but it is our job to be ready with an answer. (1 Peter 3:15) Speaking of answers, here is the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4 and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

– Romans 1:3–4 NLT

Photo by Ana Municio on Unsplash

a pic full of rocks with a question mark painted on one of them

Between My Ears

By / 1 minute of reading /

Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

John 12:26 NLT

Jesus spoke this text shortly before He was arrested, tried, crucified, and then resurrected. Forty days later He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:1-3 NLT). His message to us is straightforward. We must obey the spiritual law of sacrifice. Our goal is to be made useful and serve Jesus where He is working – this is our reasonable sacrifice (Romans 12:1). To follow Jesus leads us straight to the cross. To serve Jesus we must die to the ways of this world and be born again. Only then can we serve Christ Jesus in His work in this world, and someday serve Him in heaven. If we are obedient to these things then the Father will honor us. How amazing is that!

Photo by Ana Municio on Unsplash

Snowing road in the middle of snowfields

Difficult Road

By / 2 minutes of reading / , ,

We’ve probably all heard, “If you’re the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.” This may be true, but I can do one better. If the road you’re on is easy, you’re on the wrong road! Jesus said:

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow, and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

Matthew 7:13–14 NLT

Difficult Road

It doesn’t matter how worldly people judge us in this life. Their motives are to make believers’ lives a difficult road. Their judgment comes from pride, envy, or other wickedness, but their judgment is temporal.

Let’s not focus on the difficulties of the road we now travel. Instead, let’s rejoice in the new life that God has given us. As believers, all we do will be judged by the King of kings! Jesus is our judge. (John 5:22) And our judgment will not be for our sins because we have passed from death into life. (John 5:24) Instead, Jesus will judge us for what we did with what He gave us – like the servants that received the talents. (Matthew 25:14–30)

But That is not Us

For some believers, all they have accomplished in their lives up will be burned up when Jesus judges them. They will enter heaven empty-handed. (1 Corinthians 3:11–15 NLT) But that’s not us, I pray. We will not be defeated, but we will be overcomers. (1 John 5:4) We will do the works that God prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10), works that have eternal value. We will not enter heaven empty-handed. We choose to obey the commands of Jesus (John 14:15) for we are not ashamed of the gospel. (Romans 1:16)

Photo by Kostiantyn Li on Unsplash

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