Day 35. It's truth Gangsta.

Today we have a simple apologetic lesson courtesy of Christian rapper, Lecrae. 

 Don't like rap?

Well, let me be real with you - this is a most excellent set of lyrics. Think about the words. Enjoy.

"Truth"

[Spoken:]
Bring it drums (Yah)
This song right here
Is for everybody out there looking for truth
Who says, you know
We all in the same boat
Yeah, Christians and Muslims, everybody like that, huh
Yo, you lookin' for truth
Oh, I've got some answers man
So good to be
Ah, let's get into it
Let's go
Night and Day I ain't scared to say that we different
They play the prostitute but they like to say they just intimate
And Idols in their heart, they can't seem to lose their grip on it
See them walkin' in the direction that canned and crippled them
Our World is different like Whitley and Wayne man
They say we look the same but we ain't chasin' the same thing
It all boils down to they think everything's relative
Jesus might as well be a South American president
Very evident, they say that Jesus was heaven sent
They lifestyle reflects they worship themselves instead of Him
They don't acknowledge the Christ if they did they wouldn't worship themselves by the way that they live
All these rappers say they got guns that spray off 16
I've got a Luke 9 that can take all 16
That's the Bible the one they prop
But they don't care about the author they think he's a joke.
[Spoken:]
"Man, It's just some folks say, "All truth is relative, it just depends on what you believe." You know, "hey man, ain't no way to know for sure who God is or what's really true." But that means you believe your own statement; that there's no way to know what's really true. You're saying that that statement is true. You're killing yourself. If what's true for you is true for you and what's true for me is true for me, what if my truth says your's is a lie? Is it still true? Come on man! "
I promise everybody is asking the same questions
"Who am I? What is my purpose and my direction? "
Y'probably believe that you exist for no other reason
Than Self-satisfaction, hedonism and pleasing things
Life's about you getting' yours and bein' happy
Even if it means a divorce and switchin' families?
Your job, your house, your car, your spouse
It's all for the glory of you, Elsh-u-ou
You go to school get y' degrees and get a job
So you can make a whole lotta' g's cause' lifes hard
You never thought of livin to please a real God
And that's the reason he made you
See, he gave you breathe to breathe the chest to breathe it.
So you can taste and see He's the best, believe it
He made us for His glory and not for your own homey
Our God is Holy. You should repent and die slowly
[Spoken:]
"See, there's this thing called "Secular Humanism", it says man is the source of all meaning and all purposing. You know what I'm saying? We're just the result of a big cosmic explosion. We don't really have a purpose or meaning, so we just come up with our own purpose. We're the source of our meaning and our purpose. How can a man, which is the product of chance, a finite being be the source of purpose and meaning? You can't! You're created with purpose man! Get with The Creator yo! "
Man, everybody got a problem with God
And when you mention the Christ
Then they really get to turning the nod
But some say they roll with Christ
But some rappers made it seem like He was cool
With all the sin in their life
NO!
But then some say "How can God exist when
All this evil stuff in the world keep persistin'?
Wrong question. Ask again.
"How come God ain't' let you feel the wrath from sin? "
What you thought last night deserved a first class flight
To Hell where God doesn't dwell. You got that right
But He bought back life, on a cross that night
Christ died, you ain't know that he crossed that price?
All of God's anger put on His son
Then together, through all of eternity. Now He was shunned.
Praise God for the life that was won for us
Ain't got a beef with God because the son was crushed
[Spoken:]
You look man, "Some people say that God ain't real 'cause they don't see how a good God can exist with all this evil in the world. If God is real then He should stop all this evil, 'cause He's all-powerful right? What is evil though man? It's anything that's against God. It's anything morally bad or wrong. It's murder, rape, stealing, lying, cheating. But if we want God to stop evil, do we want Him to stop it all or just a little bit of it? If He stops us from doing evil things, what about lying, or what about our evil thoughts? I mean, where do you stop, the murder level, the lying level, or the thinking level? If we want Him to stop evil, we gotta be consistent, we can't just pick and choose. That means you and I would be eliminated right? Because we think evil stuff. If that's true, we should be eliminated! But thanks be to God that Jesus stepped in to save us from our sin! Christ died for all evilness! Repent, turn to Jesus man! "

Day 34. Good Slaves

Ephesians 6:5-8

Slaves, be obedient to those who are your ^[a]masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; ⁶ not ^[b]by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the ^[c]heart. ⁷ With good will ^[d]render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ⁸ knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

Back in the first century Roman empire, slavery was a common practice. It was not completely the same as our understanding of slavery here in the United States though. People from any country or nationality could be slaves, and you could if desired even “sell” yourself or become a slave by choice. Many people who were slaves of influential men were very influential themselves and often represented their masters position or authority when doing business on his behalf. Slaves were still owned by another person though. They were dependent on the other person for food, shelter, clothing; every physical need really. This is why our life in Christ is considered a JOYFUL form of slavery. If we are Christians Jesus bought us (1 Cor 6:20), and He is our Master (John 13:13-15), so therefore we are His slaves (Eph 6:6). 
In our modern western culture, slavery is taboo and considered wrong. While the Bible does not condemn slavery, it does exult an ideal of equality of worth among people. However, total submission and obedience to a master isn’t a bad thing for us to grasp, but instead it is the type of relationship we ought to have to our Perfect, Good Master - Jesus Christ. 

Another application we can make regarding the passage in the United States and most other countries is our relationship to our employers or boss’s. We essentially sell our time, skills, and labors for money at a job. The main difference here and now is that we can technically quit at any time if we choose to while a slave cannot (at least not without being hunted down). Still, the application of Ephesians 6:5 fits pretty well in our modern context. Here’s a little contextual rewrite. You decide if it is true for us as it was for Paul’s original audience (Believers who were slaves in Ephesus). 

Employees, be obedient to those who are your boss’s according to the flesh…

As Christians we should be good employees. We should do what is asked of us. We shouldn’t be lazy, late, undependable, etc. Why? Because when we serve or work anywhere for any reason, we are still servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says we should act as “slaves of Christ” not “eye pleasers.” Basically, don’t just smooch your employer or try to impress Him when he’s around. Don't do well for the praise of other people. Do well when he is looking and do well when he is not, because this is pleasing to God, and we ought to obey God from our heart. God will reward us for being obedient to Him.

Day 33. His and Hers

1 Timothy 2:8-10

I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; ⁹ likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, ¹⁰ but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.

Boys are from Mars & Girls are from Venus. No just kidding.

From the beginning, God created man and made woman from man's side. She was from him, beside him, with him, as a compliment and completion. God made Adam intending him to lead by submitting to God with his beloved wife Eve at his side. What a nice picture. Eve was perfect for Adam, she was desirable. Think about this Boys. As we come of age we have this desire to find a woman, one we can pursue, one who will receive our interest, one who is desirable. But, as Christians our first pursuit is always to please our Master, Jesus Christ. So we must be obedient to God in every other pursuit as well. Girls, your turn. You probably have that deep down desire too, for a strong loving man who makes you feel wanted, you desires you. Where does this come from? Simple, you were made this way. And, God in his goodness made the PERFECT place for all these desires to be fulfilled. It is called marriage. Problem is we have this pesky sin nature. We are tempted to try to fulfill these desires through our own ideas and pursuits and fail to pursue God’s will in faith in the process.

Now we will find in our passage 2 general principles to help us pursue these desires properly.

Men: “Pray, lifting holy hands”

This is an act of dependence and submission. Dependence in prayer is vital for every Christian man. When we are depending on God by making petitions and requests, we are aware of our desires. Think about it men, if you know your desires are out of line, are you really going to go to God and ask him to fulfill them? No way. Dependence in prayer does something else for us. It cures our anxiety and anxiousness. Restless wanderers need to find rest. But Paul says if we present our requests to God he will guard our hearts with His peace. Men we can’t go out into the world looking for ways to satisfy our hearts, instead we must go out into the world with hearts satisfied in Christ. With dependence comes submission. To submit means to be subjected to another authority. This does not come naturally to us men! By the grace of God and the Holy Spirit's power in us as believers we can submit to the the commands of Christ. Submit to Jesus and depend on him to meet your needs today.

Ladies: “adorn yourselves … with what is proper”

Paul instructs Timothy to tell women of faith not to get all glammed up. Why the buzz kill on our style points Paul? Think about this. After Adam and Eve sinned, they needed to be covered. They realized their nakedness and felt shame. First fig leaves, then animal skins were applied. Do you realize that the very reason we wear clothing is that we have shame in nakedness? If clothing came because of shame, does it make sense to have pride and vanity in what we are wearing? I think this is the crux of Paul’s instruction. Don’t be self-absorbed. Don’t be desirable for the wrong reasons like showing a little skin here or raising the hem a little higher or spending all your time looking perfect. Instead be desirable through your good works like loving others, compassion for the weak, serving others, teaching and sharing your faith. These are desirable qualities in a beautiful godly woman. These are the qualities that men who are dependent and submitted will be looking for, so be desirable.

Day 32. Peace Treaty

Read: Romans 5:6-11

Let's spend a little more time mediating on this truth. Only God can bring us to a place of peace with him, and apart from Jesus mankind is at war with God.

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God”
There are 2 Greek words that can be used to describe enemies. One word means that both parties are offended with each other. Paul uses a word that means just one party is offended with the other. We are the ones who have offended God by sinning and declaring independence from Him, first in the garden, and ever since in sin. When the 13 Colonies declared independence from Great Britain, they were essentially declaring war. Unlike Britain’s relationship with the colonies, God has NEVER done anything to harm you or mistreat you. Imagine a young boy running away from his parents because he doesn’t like a rule because he just wants to break it! What if the rule he didn’t like was don’t hit your sister! If he ran away from them in the middle of a crowded city or in the woods, Who is at fault? The Boy. However, what are those parents going to do? Find him! God is actively working to save too. Even though we can’t find it in ourselves to stop breaking the rules (this is called sin by the way) God has made a way for us to be found, through the message of the Cross of Christ! Jesus died to “condemn sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3) and exposing just how great our need for forgiveness and redemption (or being bought back from slavery to sin) really is! So great that God the Son would have to become human and die to pay for our sin debt. By doing this we are free to fellowship with God. We are also freed to become alive, that is live in obedience to Jesus but submitting to His Spirit in us and his word. Notice! We don’t become and remain alive by making up for past mistakes, we become alive and stay alive because Jesus makes us alive and keeps us alive by His Spirit. So we must submit and live, no longer as enemies, but rather at peace with our Creator, our Savior, our Master, and our King.

Day 31. Points to ponder.

Here's a little review of last Wednesday evening. Think about these statements.

1. God does not like us just the way we are. OK, people are going to get mad at me for this. I can see it. But buck up it's true. This is why the Bible teaches that we MUST repent from sin. Repentance is turning to God and away from self-righteousness (which is a sin) and other aspects of sin to trust in Jesus as Savior. It happens in our conversion experience, and it happens continually as God reveals sin in our hearts as believers that we must flee from (thus sanctifying us). In Acts 17:30 Paul plainly tells the people in Athens that God commands all people to repent. He doesn't like them just the way they are, because they are sinners.

2. God loves us for what we are. What are we? People made in His image. Genesis 1:26 tells us this very plainly. The fact that we were made with the original purpose of demonstrating the righteous character of God in His creation and rule over the earth is a BIG deal. God loves us because He created us for Himself!

3. God loves us in spite of who we are. Romans 5:5-10 is one of my favorite passages of scripture. Paul clearly states that before we come to faith in Jesus and become part of his family, we oppose His will. This makes us enemies. God loved us even though we sinned, making ourselves His enemies.

4. God loves us too much to let us stay this way. God called us to Himself, sent His Son to die in our place, and The Holy Spirit is present with us in our lives because He doesn't want us to be sinful enemies of Himself . He wants to buy us back from sin, make us alive again, pardon us completely, and give us the ability to become more and more like Him. Romans 8:29 tells us that God's purpose for every Christian is to be conformed to the image (likeness) of His Son Jesus.

Are you able to accept these truths?

Embrace the God who is worthy who embraces us even though we are not.

1 John 4:19

Day 30. Rubber and Glue

ROMANS 12:9-13 (NASB)

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

I’m rubber and you’re glue. Whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you. I used to be an expert at this saying. If we don’t want what someone else is dishing out, we will typically react in 3 ways: Get mad and show it. Get mad without showing it. Or, overlook the offense from the other person. We have so many opportunities in this world to rub shoulders with things that qualify as evil. Think of 3 people you know from school, your family, or your neighborhood who would gladly do something with you that the Bible calls evil. 

If we have repented of self-righteousness and sin and trusted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, We have the Spirit of God so we must be setting our mind on the truth of God’s word. We have the ability to love sincerely! We don’t have to “wear a mask” by doing good things so others see us for personal glory or gain. Instead, we desire to do what is right because of the working of the Holy Spirit in us and to please our Master, Jesus. ANY TIME we serve God for our own self-promotion or self-centered desire or for credit or accolades, we are being insincere and deceiving others as a "love pretender." (Yes I just made that up, but you get the drift) This idea of hypocrisy is a tough thing to conquer, and we will never be completely free from this struggle of selfishness and sin until we are made new in heaven. But, in the meantime, we can be like rubber – letting evil motives, thoughts, and plans bounce off of us, refusing to give in to them and overcoming by the power God has given us to be free to love Him and obey Him in Christ.

I will go and help here because (so these people will think I’m a good girl). I will go and do this (then I will feel like God will be pleased with me). No No! Don’t serve for the praise and approval of men, serve God because He approves you by Faith alone in His Son!

Still, cling to what is good. Be obedient to God’s word. Obey! Be devoted to the body of Christ! Mourn with them, Praise with them, Laugh with them, Serve them, honor them above yourself. Don’t do it for what you will gain from them. Do it for the joy that comes in loving and obeying Jesus. These are GOOD things. Be like glue with these things. Get stuck in a joyful habit of doing them. Cling to them.