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discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Uncategorized

Godly Superstars on the Fringe

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God created people and does amazing things with and through them—not necessarily the pristine, wealthy, or popular, but often the poor, despised, and unexpected. Matthew or Zacheus, presumably greedy Jewish folk who collected taxes for the Romans, may come to mind. This article isn’t about them. Instead, I want to introduce you to God’s superstars on the fringe who weren’t Hebrew or Israelite but pagans, some harlots and warmongers. Yet, God used them to draw creation back to Himself. Let’s take a look at a few, starting with Job.

Job. This righteous man, perhaps an Edomite, lived at around 2,000 BCE. He honored God with all he had and did. And God found favor in him as a result: “The LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.’” (Job 1:8). God presents him as an incredible model of perseverance and reverence.

Melchizedek. This pagan king of Salem reigned in around 2,000 BCE in the days of Abraham. Despite not being in the lineage of Abraham to Jesus (and not from the Jewish priestly line!), he was considered a “priest of God Most High” (Genesis 14:18). You can read all about him and Jesus’ comparison to him in Hebrews chapters 5-7 (FYI: Melchizedek was a real king/priest, NOT Jesus pre-incarnate!).

Tamar. This stubborn Aramean Gentile lived in the House of Judah in about 1,600 BCE. When she was betrayed by the King, she pretended to be a prostitute so he’d sleep with her and produce an heir. Pushing for her rights in this way proved her loyalty to Judah and earned her a place in Jesus’ lineage.

Rahab. This Canaanite prostitute lived in Jericho at around 1,400 BCE. Regardless of her occupation, her faithfulness earned her a place in biblical history when she hid and protected Israelite spies. Her works by faith also earned her a place in Jesus’ lineage: she was King David’s great-great-grandmother.

Ruth. This Moabite woman lived around 1,300 BCE and was King David’s great-grandmother. She was an incredibly loyal and kind woman who stayed by her widowed mother-in-law, helping her return to Israel, where Ruth became part of Jesus’ lineage.

Cornelious. Our final godly ‘superstar on the fringe’ is Cornelius (Roman Centurion from the Italian Cohort), who lived around 30 CE. His claim to fame? This pagan soldier prayed to the one true God and then obediently summoned Peter, who preached the good news of God’s Kingdom to him and his family. Cornelious is likely the first converted Gentile.

Summary. God will have His way—sometimes through the least of us, those on the fringe of society or culture. Next time, we’ll examine what it looks like “When Love Runs Cold.” Meanwhile, remember that God can use you even if you might be ‘on the fringe.’

God’s blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.

discipleship, Finding Answers to Stuff Churches Don't Discuss, Finding the End of the World, Uncategorized

Be Careful Little Eye What You See, Ear What You Hear!

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As a little boy, I (and probably many of you!) learned a song that began: “Oh, be careful little eyes what you see . . . Oh, be careful little ears what you hear . . .”

I’ve learned the value of guarding what I see and hear. Take in good things, and good things will likely come out. The opposite is akin to the programming concept of “garbage in, garbage out.” Regardless, the more we take the same things in, the more we become them. Why? Neuroplasticity. The brain remaps itself based on practices and preferences. Feed it garbage, and you’ll likely become garbage in thought and deed. This is likely the case here:

“For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie . . . God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural . . . men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another . . . God gave them over to a depraved mind . . .” (Romans 1:25-28).

 The ears? We listen to what sounds (or feels) good and were warned that people will chase whatever sounds good in the last days (2 Timothy 4:3).

The eyes? Jesus explained in Matthew 6:22-23 that what we watch reflects our inner being: “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. . . .” Pornography and its sexual immoralities. Violence. Gossip. Conspiracies. You get the idea. The eyes and ears can cause spiritual death if we’re not careful.

But there’s a way out. We don’t have to habitually take in what will kill us spiritually. Jesus teaches that we are to remove stumbling blocks—those practices that will keep us from God’s Kingdom: “If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.” (Matthew 18:9; 5:29)

How? We can, like Job, make a righteous deal with our eyes and ears (Job 31:1 NIV) to not “look at anything vile and vulgar.” (Psalm 101:3) Here’s Paul’s advice: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatian 5:17). Discipline yourself to see, hear, and practice good things and live, or choose depravity and die. Let me know if I can help you decide!

In summary, be careful little eye what you see, ear what you hear, to enter the coming age! In the following article, we’ll uncover that Jesus died to make that possible for you.

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Ron Braley, MDiv, DMin.