Avast ye scurvy landlubbers! ‘tis be day me hearties ’n me have been itchin’ fer many a fortnight. Tis be th’ shore leave o’ talk like a pirate day. Shiver me timbers! That’s correct, Sunday be Talk Like A Pirate Day.
T’ celebrate, I gunna be reposting some scurvy pirate speak from 08 ‘n 09 through th’ shore leave. Also me gunna be tellin’ ye a tale.
If ye be thinking me be addled, belay that ‘n handsomely use ye deadlights to read on.
Lads and Lassies, We have been giv’n much loot and have much t’ g’ve. Take ye a gander at what th’ old salt Paul says in Galatians. Blimey!
Arr, ye, me brothers, war called t’ be free. But do not use your freedom pillaging, looting and chasing swag; rather, swab th’ decks with ye buckos in love. T’ entire law be summed up in a sin’le command: “Love ye mateys as yeself.” Galatians 5:13-14
Avast, me don’t think we just lay ‘bout and become shark bait. Gar, me hearties, press on smartly ‘n honor th’ pieces of eight ye have been given
I am sure you could guess that yesterday’s post was only half a thought, because I don’t think that when Jesus says “sell all” and “give” that he is only referring to material things. I think he is referring to our complete selves. This is the thought that I have been struggling with all week, because its such hard thing to do. Even this morning as I prepare for the work day and recount activities from yesterday, I find myself frustrated about events, when upon closer examination that frustration is more about my point of view or the may I felt I was treated. If I have sold out to the Christ, then my take on that situation is so totally different. Yeah, sure, maybe somethings are not the way they should be, and maybe some people are not being completely open and truthful, but hey, my sold out response will be much kinder, and full of mercy, because I will be focused on what truly matters.
So what I am really taking about. Well, its in found in Philippians 3:8:
8Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ (CEV)
Paul says he considers everything else as garbage! Some translation say rubbish, dung, or worthless. WOW! I read that verse and I say “yeah, but what about my…..”. It’s tough. It’s one of those stumper verses. HOW?
Now you see where my mind has been this week. It’s not really about T-shirts, although that’s a symptom. It’s about knowing Christ and understanding how much better that is then anything else in the world, and then living that way.
You should read the whole of Philippians 3, but take a look at this broader context:
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
I am just like Paul, I have not taken hold of this yet, however this thought has captivated my mind. And since I am pretty visual this little mini-movie brings this home as well. Take a moment some time today to view this video:
Ponder this today. What do you own, what do you do, what do you think about that is better the knowing Christ. Can you count it as garbage? Will you help me to?
Its great to be back to the keyboard, buffeting away after a week at the beach in the RAIN! No oil at all, only rain from the recent Hurricane, aptly named after my eldest. Anyway, I big shout out to Ray, Joel, and Jeff for filling in during my hiatus.
I am sure most of you are still enjoying the day off work, celebrating our nations 234th birthday. 234 years of freedom! That’s so great, however, since I remember alot of the bicentennial celebration, 234 sure makes me feel older!
On my drive back I heard the DJ on an Atlanta station was talking about the Liberty Bell in Philly, and mentioned the verse that is etched in the bell. That seemed to be a good verse to share today as we continue to celebrate.
proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. Leviticus 25:10
Get out there today and proclaim liberty, but remember to use it for good.
16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 1 Peter 2:16 (New International Version)
I like picture of the day and picture of the week blogs. There are several sites like that that I frequent. I think it helps get a perspective of what is going on all around the world. This week, the WSJ picture blog seemed to be full of pictures of oppression – riots, ethnic fighting, and police brutality. Its was really heartbreaking to look at those images. But at the same time it was so motivating to know the freedom we are blessed with here in this land.
So with Juneteenth right upon us as well, It seems such a great time to consider the freedoms we are afforded. But not only the freedoms we have as a citizen of the country we reside, but the freedom we are given from our Savior. Many people view following the Christ as a binding and limiting engagement. But check this out.
23“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 1 Corinthians 10:23-24
and
13You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13 (New International Version)
We are called to be free! We are blessed that we have been delivered a message that allows us to live, not by a series of laws, but by the spirit of love. Boy, that something that brings joy and hopefully stokes you up a little bit. And just imagine the feelings of the American slaves when they realized that the rumors of their freedom were true!
I finally did my taxes last night – which by the way is an interesting way to account for your year. I entered all the data provided for me by my financial institutions and employers in the nice little boxes. I scowered my online checkbook looking for deductions. Alas, I could not get the red number to turn to green and gave up the fight with a dreadful result:
Federal Tax Due - Yikes!
Yes, I owe. It’s times like this that real challenges can sit in front of you. Paying is of course one of those, but not really the challenge that crossed my mind today. The challenge is how you look at this bill. I am not a big fan of taxes, but I do understand the “give to Caesar what is Caesar” thing. The real question is do I understand the give to the Lord what’s the Lord? I am going to be resentful and frustrated? I am going to be filled with anxiety over this money? Or alternatively, am I going to trust that there is a reason that I will be separated from so many portraits of dead presidents?
Last night, I started out thinking, man, all the things I could do with this money. I could have bought a chaise lounge for my back porch, or I could have padded my bank account, or I could have taken a trip back to West Virginia to see the championship trophy ( oh, that’s right, scratch that one!) But you get my idea and my lament – oh, all the things I could do with that money. But then this morning I stumbled across an underlined verse in my old college Bible – which I have been using quite often lately – from 2 Peter.
19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 2 Peter 2:19
Hm, Money can be a dangerous master. Maybe, its becoming my master? So, that’s the way I am trying to think about this little dent in my check book. Am I a slave to money? Or am I going store up my treasures on spiritual things – like relationships, and contentment and joy.
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 16:19-20
Can we look at things like this that happen to us in life as a gift from God as well? Maybe sometimes, we need to have gentle reminders of what we are slaves to? What has mastered you? What should you give away?
T’ celebrate, I gunna be reposting some scurvy pirate speak from 08 ‘n 09 through th’ shore leave. Also me gunna be tellin’ ye a tale.