Author: Jimmy Day

There’s a fascinating verse smack dab in the middle of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. For the most part, Jesus taught in koine Greek, the everyday language of his time. But, at the end of this verse, he switched to Aramaic, his native tongue.

How Do You Say … ?

I imagine we’ve all spent time with people for whom English is their second language. They get stuck for an English word at times and revert to their mother tongue. Sometimes there is no English equivalent. That’s what Jesus experiences in Matthew 6. He says, “No one can serve two masters…You cannot serve God and mammon.” The whole verse is Greek until he gets to the last word, for which there was no Greek equivalent. So, he plucks out the Aramaic word, mammon.

Modern translations render mammon as money, riches, wealth, or gold. Some leave the word untranslated, like King James, while one translation gets it right. I’ll tell you which one in a moment.

The problem with translating mammon is that it takes a whole sentence as there is not one equivalent word in English.

Etymology

Initially, the word mammon came from the ancient Chaldeans (The people group from which Abraham came) and has its roots in the terms, ‘confidence’ or ‘trust.’ The Aramaic word, mammōnás, means “to trust in treasure or to have our confidence in material wealth.” It’s the praise of possessions, the worship of stuff! The one Bible translation that gets the full meaning of this word is the Amplified Bible, “You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].”

A person who serves Master Mammon will live their life to progress in the accumulation of material wealth as more important than living to worship and serve God. Hence Jesus’ statement, “No one can serve two masters!” Jesus is not against us having material things he simply warns us that they should not have us!

Jesus personifies mammon by contrasting it with God. You cannot be devoted to the True God and be devoted to the god of riches. It’s that god who deceived the first humans in Eden. The slippery serpent suggested, “what you have is not enough,” even though they had a perfect relationship with God in paradise. The schemer insinuated God was denying them some gift. The humans were missing out, and God was to blame.

The Snakebite

The first humans believed this and snake bit. The poison has infected and affected people ever since. We witness this seduction even in the youngest children who have to be taught and coaxed to share. It’s challenging work.

We observe the same behaviour in adults. Consider the rise and rise of the self-storage industry. Australia and New Zealand are home to around 2,000 self-storage facilities with up to 52,000 of them in the USA. The self-storage industry is worth well over $1 billion in Australia and growing. What we have is never enough. We’ve suffered the snakebite and desperately need an anti-venom. So, here’s the good news.

The Anti-venom

The antivenom to counteract the poison of Mammon comprises two primary ingredients that are both emphasised by John the Baptiser. Luke tells the story of people flocking to John at the Jordan River to be baptised. John began his sermon with, “You brood of vipers!” Interesting choice of words there, brother! I can honestly say that in almost 40 years of preaching that I have never begun a sermon that way. But John called out the snakebite and was about to reveal its cure.

Three groups of people asked what they should do to be right with God – the crowd, tax collectors, and soldiers. Here’s what John says to each group:

The crowd:                  Share your stuff.

The Tax Collectors:     Don’t collect any more than you must.

The Soldiers:               Don’t extort money; be content with your pay.

John told the snake-bitten people to be content and generous, the two vital ingredients in the anti-venom.

Contentment

Contentment says, “What I have is enough!” Jesus said, “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are — no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.”

Remember, you are a spiritual being who has material possessions. We are to love people and use things, not the other way around.

Generosity

The other ingredient in the anti-venom is generosity. Contentment says, what I have is enough while generosity cries, “What I have is more than enough!”

Paul instructed the young pastor Timothy to command the wealthy people in his church “to do good, be rich in good deeds, and be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”

Exercising and growing in contentment and generosity breaks our bondage to mammon and frees us from the snakebite. I encourage you to develop contentment and look for opportunities to be generous, declaring that your trust, confidence and devotion are securely in God and NOT in material wealth. When we do this, we break the spirit of mammon that so easily entangles us.

Gender identity is a current and controversial issue. It’s a topic the church needs to discuss in love, understanding, and welcome to those who identify as different to the usual “male or female” distinctions. So, as Julie Andrews sang in the Sound of Music, “let’s start at the very beginning; it’s a very good place to start.”

In the Beginning

The Bible’s first chapter states, “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have…So, God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them“ (Genesis 1:26-27 NKJV).

Notice the strange language used here. It appears to be a convoluted way of expressing gender creation. Some Jewish scholars explain the unusual language as meaning that God created the first human being as an androgynous (genderless) person in the image of God.

Merisms

The expression “male and female He created them” is called a merism, a figure of speech in which two contrasting parts express a totality. The Bible is replete with examples of merisms. Consider:

Joel 2:28, “your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” That is to say: old, young, and everyone in between.

Isaiah 57:19, “Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the LORD. Far and near and everyone in between.

Revelation 13:16, “all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave.” The three merisms in this verse give substance to “all people.” For example, middle-class people are not left out even though they are not mentioned. “Rich and poor” is a merism that includes everyone in between.

So, Genesis 1:27 explains that God created the human being as “male and female.” As a merism, the Bible teaches that humans are male and female and everyone in between. We must understand this about the Bible because these very same Scriptures have been used to ostracise anyone who doesn’t fit into the stereotypical binary of male and female.

Beyond the Binary

Jesus recognised this when he was asked about divorce in Matthew 19. After teaching the people from the words of Genesis, Jesus went on to describe a potential third gender that he called “the Eunuch.” Some Eunuchs, Jesus said, “were born that way.” (12).

Rabbi David Meyer puts it this way: “how tragic it is that anyone would walk into a community which carries God’s name and be made to feel that their humanity, their identity, their inner dignity has to be checked at the door.”

Meyer states that the Jewish legal tradition identifies six distinct “genders,” assuming the male and female as normative but including terms we now refer to as intersex or transgender identities.

Hebrew Terms

Hebrew tradition includes the following genders:

The androgynos person has both male and female characteristics.

The tumtum is one whose biology is unclear. It usually refers to a person whose sex is unknown because their genitalia are covered or “hidden” or otherwise unrecognisable. Today, we refer to this as intersex.

The aylonit is identified as female at birth, but at puberty, develops male characteristics.

The saris appear as male at birth but later take on more typically female characteristics.

Jewish Tradition

Gender differences are taught in the Bible and subsequent Jewish oral tradition (The Mishnah) that was committed to writing in the third century BC.

The Mishnah states, “An androgynous, who presents both male and female physical traits, is in some ways like men and in some ways like women. In some ways, they are like both men and women, and in other ways, like neither men nor women.” (Bikkurim 4:1).

The Mishnah suggests that the Jewish understanding of gender is neither binary nor a framework into which every person must be forced to fit. Instead, we see gender diversity as a spectrum of possibilities for reflecting the image of God.

God’s Gender

We see this diversity reflected in God’s nature. In Scripture, God is represented in human terms to help us grasp the vastness of God. God is pictured in male and female expressions but is ultimately above gender and certainly not limited by it.

Author Aaron Armstrong says, “God is quite comfortable referring to Himself using or inspiring the use of both feminine and masculine characteristics, even if it makes some of us uncomfortable.”

God is indeed presented in the Bible by male pronouns such as he, his, and him, but this does not demand precisely the same thing it does when used of human beings. When considering addressing God with pronouns, the following would be appropriate:

God as Trinity = Pronoun, They, singular and plural.

Jesus = Pronoun, He. Although his glorified humanity no doubt transcends “maleness.”

Holy Spirit = Pronoun, She (Heb. Ruach, a feminine noun).

Ultimately, God is above gender. Gender is only used to help us grasp an eternal, limitless, all-powerful being.

I’ve chatted with some people over the years who find God’s male images to be triggering. If that describes you, I suggest that you focus on God’s feminine metaphors and seek healing from the Holy Spirit because she is gentle and compassionate.

Ultimately in Christ, there is neither male nor female. In other words, the kingdom of God does not discriminate based on gender or anything else. Everyone is welcomed and included by the all-encompassing arms of a loving Saviour. How sad it is then that some quarters of the church still exclude people whose gender identity is other than male or female, and they quote the very Scriptures that are meant to liberate people and encourage us to embrace difference.

Someone recently told me that they felt confused about why God accepted Abel’s offering and not Cain’s. It seemed unfair to them, and I agreed.

We find the story in Genesis 4, and it moves very fast. Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. Two decades in two verses!

Over time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favour on Abel and his offering, but he did not look with favour on Cain and his offering. So, Cain was outraged, and his face was downcast. God and Cain had a chat about his attitude, during which God told him, “sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” That’s a crucial part of this story that I’ll come back to shortly.

So, why did God reject Cain’s offering? Was it because God prefers meat to veggies? Cain was a farmer who tended the ground and grew crops. Abel was a shepherd who kept flocks. It made sense that farmer Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. It equally made sense that shepherd Abel brought an offering from some of the firstborn of his flock. Both men gave an offering of what they had.

Campfire Stories

There is no mention of teaching on offerings in this story or before. Although God had killed an animal to make clothes for Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness, there is no inference in this story, or before it, that God expected or required an animal offering.

Cain’s gift is the first recorded offering mentioned in the Bible. Should that not tell us something? Remember, this is a campfire story. It’s a metaphor, a parable, as is the case with the first eleven chapters of Genesis. What question around the campfire was asked to prompt this story?

It could have been a child asking a parent why do people kill each other or why is there evil in the world? It’s an ancient dilemma that people still grapple with today: If there’s a loving God, why is there suffering and evil in the world? The ancients would create stories to explore possibilities. The story of Cain and Abel could explore some of the reasons for pain and suffering.

A Question Book

The Bible is a book of questions, not just a book of answers. My Rabbi friend says, “If you read a story that doesn’t raise more questions, you’re not reading the Bible properly.” He says, “The sacred texts are verbs, not endpoints.” Some of the questions we could ask about this story include: How do the principal actors react in the story? What is Cain’s reaction to Abel’s offering being taken above his?

Cain was furious, and his face fell—what an evocative, profound description. You’d have witnessed the fallen face if you’ve ever had to correct a child!

The apparent rejection shatters Cain. God says to Cain (paraphrasing): “how you’re feeling is normal, but if you nurture this resentment and envy, it will be like a tiger crouching at the entrance to your cave.”

God hadn’t turned his back on Cain. God was allowing Cain to learn from disappointment and rejection, something he would repeatedly experience, as we all do.

But instead of learning from the moment, Cain’s ego was bruised. God didn’t invalidate Cain’s feelings. But Cain doesn’t heed God’s advice and has a confrontation with Abel instead. The crouching tiger had not been tamed.

Another Conversation

God: “Where is your brother Abel?”

Cain: “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The Hebrew here suggests a question like, “Do I stay awake all night keeping an eye on him?”

Cain asks, am I responsible for him? And, if so, where does that responsibility begin and end? It’s an excellent question. Everyone is responsible for others to a point unless it becomes detrimental to you.

God: “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.”

Remember, this is an allegorical story. Blood doesn’t speak, but that doesn’t detract from the truth here. The New Testament picks up the same metaphor: “Jesus the mediator of a new covenant [whose shed blood on the cross] speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” (Heb. 12:24).

Abel’s blood spoke of retribution, anger, unrighteousness, and death, whereas Jesus’ blood communicates forgiveness, justice, and life.

The story ends with Cain being disciplined by God and then settling in the land of Nod, [wandering] east of Eden. He gets married and starts a family.

Central Truth

For me, one of the key takeaways from this story is this:

If we lose perspective, something that is temporary can become permanent.

We all have had, or will have, defining moments in our lives.

Cain’s defining moment transpired when God did not look with favour on his offering. Cain became downcast, envious, and angry and then acted out on his emotions.

What if Cain had permitted himself to reflect on his feelings for a few hours? Something unjust had happened to him. He needed to acknowledge his emotions and feelings. We have all been on the receiving end of injustice and experienced emotions that made us feel like lashing out. So, we wait. Meltdowns are inevitable, so be good at them!

An Example

Imagine you didn’t get a promotion at work. You process this:

I deserved that promotion.

I feel angry. Envious. Cheated.

There’s no justice in the world.

These are not evil thoughts. They are valid.

These moments are going to happen.

I won’t deny them; I acknowledge them.

I will chat it through with a friend.

I will bring it to God in prayer.

There are no taboo reflections.

But I won’t let them fester inside me.

They don’t define me.

I don’t have to act on them.

The Heart of the Story

The core of this story is God’s questions and statements to Cain: “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” It will become a crouching tiger.

Eventually, the feelings will dissipate. But If you don’t healthily process them, the tiger will pounce. If you handle your disappointments correctly, you will have greater strength to overcome those same temptations in the future. It’s a wonderful ancient story with a practical modern-day message.

Over the past few years, I’ve become increasingly uncomfortable with the notion that God killed Jesus, as I had been led to believe. The teaching went something like this:

God loves you but is also angry with you because of your sin. Because God is just, he can’t simply forgive you. God’s justice must be satisfied. And so, because he loves you, he decided not to punish you but rather punish his Son. If you believe this, you no longer need to bear God’s wrath. The penalty of your sin was paid by Jesus. If you reject this, you still need to take the punishment of God’s anger with you as a sinner. God will put you in hell and torture you forever and ever. But, don’t forget, God loves you.

I believed it. I preached it. But then I sensed the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit to dig deeper and find out if this really is an accurate representation of the gospel, the good news. I don’t believe it is. I mean, what loving parent would punish their own child for the wrongdoing of another?

Is Justice Greater than God?

The doctrine I have described is called (theologically) the penal substitution atonement theory. It makes God somehow less than God. Notice how God loves you and wants to save you, but he can’t until His justice is satisfied. That makes justice greater than God. Justice is in charge here, and God becomes its servant.

Consider the gospel presented by Jesus in the Parable of the Loving Father (Luke 15:11-32). What if the father looked out for his Prodigal Son, saw him, ran to him, and then stopped and thought, “I can’t just accept him back. Someone else has to be punished first.” The father takes the older son, whips him, kills him, and then welcomes the prodigal home having “satisfied” his justice.” Somehow, I don’t think that parable would be so celebrated anymore!

But that’s not Jesus’ story. Instead, a loving father welcomes his sinful son with no questions asked. He’s not particularly interested in the son’s repentance speech. He is simply overjoyed the lost lad has returned. The father welcomes him with open arms, grants him access to the family finances (the ring), and throws a party. Of course, the older brother is miffed, just like some Christians will be with this blog. How could God be THAT good and grace be SO amazing?

Paul tells us that “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.” (2 Cor. 5:19). With that background in mind, let me offer you what I believe to be more valid reasons why Jesus died on the cross. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list.

Extravagant Love

Jesus’ death on the cross was an undisputed act of extravagant, gracious love. Today we have lost much of the horror of first-century crucifixion. People wear crosses around their necks and display pictures of the cross on walls in their homes. But in Jesus’ time, it was an awful symbol of Roman tyranny and cruelty. In the light of this, the first-century church transformed the meaning of this symbol by speaking of the cross as proof of God’s love, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). In Greek Mythology, Cupid, the god of desire and love, is seen as shooting an arrow to pierce a human heart. We still use this symbol today to denote when a person falls in love. Jesus was pierced not with arrows but with nails to show how much God has fallen in love with you!

Empathy

“If there’s a loving God, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world”? The answer to the question is the Cross.

Jesus, the God-Man, experienced human suffering at its most extreme. During a crucifixion, the victim felt some of the most intense pain that a person could feel. He also experienced intense shame. The world of Jesus’ Day valued personal honour, as eastern cultures still do today. Men were crucified naked (women weren’t crucified) in public places, so victims were subjected to as much shame as possible. Rome reserved crucifixion for the worst criminals, especially those who stirred up a rebellion against the state. Pilate’s sign above Jesus on the cross – “The King of the Jews” – revealed that he was considered a rebel and a threat to Rome. There was to be no king but Caesar.

In experiencing suffering and shame, Jesus empathised with the entire human race. God could have remained in the safety and comfort of heaven, but because of his great love for us, he was born into the human family to experience life as we do. We have a high priest who can empathise with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). He understands; he sympathises.

Freedom

Jesus’ final meal with his disciples before the crucifixion was celebrated at The Passover. They thanked God for Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt and prayed for him to liberate them again – this time from Roman oppression. It was at this meal that Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24), a statement that would have seemed quite shocking to Jesus’ hearers. The Passover was always about God and what he had done, but here Jesus makes it all about himself – “My body … My Blood.” In this statement, Jesus declared himself to be the God-Man making a New Covenant with people. And just like the Old Covenant between God and Israel had been ratified with blood (Exodus 24:7-8), the New Covenant would be confirmed with blood; the blood of a sinless man to set them free.

Death, Sin, & Satan

Jesus’ death gained freedom from death, sin, and Satan. Consider Hebrews 2:14, “by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

Several of the church fathers described the cross as a fish hook. Rufinus wrote: “[The purpose of the incarnation] was that the divine virtue of the Son of God might be like a kind of hook hidden beneath the form of human flesh…to lure on the prince of this world to a contest; that the Son might offer him his human flesh as bait and that the divinity which lay underneath might catch him and hold him fast with its hook.”

Rufinus’ contemporary Gregory of Nyssa said that the devil, “like a greedy fish…swallow[ed] the Godhead like a fish-hook along with the flesh which was the bait.” Jesus’ body is the bait, but inside him is the divine nature which is the hook. Once the devil swallows God, he is in real trouble. He cannot digest or defeat God’s eternal life. What a powerful picture.

As we approach Good Friday and Easter, I encourage you to think about these life-changing truths. Jesus visited death and returned. He’s become the ultimate tour guide through this life and into the next. My prayer is that you open yourself to God’s love and grace and receive all that Jesus has done for you.

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event that is so important it’s mentioned in all four gospels.[1]

It’s five days before Jesus’ crucifixion. A few days previously, Lazarus was raised from the dead. The day before the first Palm Sunday, Jesus had a meal with Lazarus, Martha and Mary to celebrate Lazarus’ resurrection. During the dinner, Mary anointed Jesus with expensive perfume. The house became filled with a beautiful aroma and some stinking attitudes! Jesus’ popularity was at an all-time high because of Lazarus. The religious leaders, jealous of Jesus’ popularity, hated him more than ever and desired to kill him. They wanted to kill Lazarus, too, “for, on account of him, many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.”

Stop that Donkey!

Early on Palm Sunday morning, Jesus commissioned two disciples to go to a nearby village to commandeer a donkey and its colt. Both animals were later returned to their owner. Jesus would be the first person to ever ride the colt.

Officials rode donkeys for civil, not military, parades, while an army procession would use horses & chariots. Jesus rode on a donkey’s colt, a young male donkey less than four years old.

Unrealistic Expectations

Palm Sunday occurs five days before Passover, the Jewish Feast that celebrates God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt. The crowd’s expectation was for Jesus to lead them against the Romans and bring salvation to Israel as Moses did.

By spreading garments and waving and scattering palm branches, the people paid royal homage to King Jesus. And they sang words from The Great Hallel, Psalms of praise (111-118) that were used extensively at Passover.

Hosanna!

Lord, grant us success!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

From the house of the Lord we bless you.

The Lord is God,

and he has made his light shine on us.

With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession

up to the horns of the altar. (Psalm 118:25-27)

Hosanna means “save now” or “save, I beg you.” The people were proclaiming Jesus as king and trying to force his hand to overthrow Rome and establish the kingdom of God.

Another Kingdom

Jesus had already taught the people that His kingdom was not of this world. Salvation at that time was not to be with military might, political power, or geographical location. Salvation was to be internal – freedom from the inside out. That was Jesus’ mission right from the start, to preach good news to the poor, proclaim liberty for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, release the oppressed, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour. (Luke 4:18-19).

Many in Israel missed the Messiah because He came in an unlikely way with an unexpected message. Some people today overlook the Messiah as well because Jesus is not what they’re expecting. They have misguided expectations:

  • A Saviour who will deliver from all suffering.
  • A Leader who will immediately meet every need.
  • A Messiah who backs a particular political party.
  • A Defender who supports MY opinion on every subject.
  • A Champion who has nothing to do with certain types of people.

If you’re looking to Jesus to be any of these things, you will be sorely disappointed!

I encourage you this Palm Sunday to revisit this remarkable story with fresh eyes. And don’t miss the Messiah because you’re looking for Jesus to be something he is not.

 

[1] Matt 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:29-38; John 12:12-15.

Without question, some of Jesus’ sayings are alarming. I was particularly intimidated as a young Christian by the wide gate and broad road leading to destruction.

Jesus said, Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

At the time, the church I attended leant towards legalism and understood many of these sayings through that lens. After all, small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. With the emphasis on only a few find it. Catch that? Just a few. Not many. You may be left out. At least, they were the words that echoed in my young Christian mind.

So, is Jesus trying to scare the hell out of us? Let’s find out.

Hit the Nail on the Head

The Sermon on the Mount serves as context (Matthew 5-7). Jesus explains in chapter seven the critical nature of hearing and acting on his message. Thus, we see numerous examples throughout this chapter that serve as a contrast between two groups:

  1. Two types of gates ~ wide and small
  2. Two kinds of roads ~ broad & narrow
  3. Two sorts of trees ~ Good and bad (fruit)
  4. Two classes of disciples ~ true and false
  5. Two kinds of builders ~ wise and foolish

Jesus is expressing the same thing in each of these analogies and uses various images to emphasise his point, similar to repeatedly striking a nail with a hammer until it is deeply embedded in the wood. That is to say:

Entering through the wide gate is the same as

Travelling on the broad road, which is the same as

Bearing bad fruit, which is the same as

Being a false disciple, which is the same as

Being a foolish builder.

The opposite is also true:

Entering through the small gate is the same as

Travelling on the narrow road, which is the same as

Bearing good fruit, which is the same as

Being a true disciple, which is the same as

Being a wise builder.

Two Kinds of People

Jesus ends his sermon with The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders, a reference to these two kinds of people who all hear Jesus’ words and teachings:

Group one “hears these words of mine and puts them into practice,” while group two “hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice.”

Group one is “like a wise man who built his house on the rock,” while group two “is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.”

Both groups (houses) experience the same trials and storms in life, “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house.”

Group one’s house “did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” So is everyone who hears Jesus’ teachings and puts them into practice.

Group two’s house “fell with a great crash.” So is everyone who hears Jesus’ teachings but does not act on them.

The Gospels preserve Jesus’ teachings, while the other New Testament writers expound them further to demonstrate how his teachings apply in daily life. Among the points made by these authors is the following:

You don’t enter the kingdom of heaven by doing good works; you enter the kingdom of heaven by doing God’s will.

That is where the “Many” Jesus refers to have made a grievous error. Their justification for being admitted to the Kingdom of Heaven is based on the excellent actions they have performed. They have prophesied, cast out devils, and performed miracles, but these are manifestations of God’s power at work through a person, not proof of genuine trust in Christ.

Kingdom access is, according to Jesus, for the person “who does the will of My Father in heaven.” What is God’s will? Jesus taught, “my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” We enter God’s Kingdom through trust in Jesus! Only through faith in Jesus can we hear and apply his teachings. While good deeds spring from genuine faith, they do not guarantee admission to the kingdom.

Two Stories

As the late Billy Graham put it: “There were a few times when I thought I was dying, and I saw my whole life come before me. I didn’t say to the Lord, ‘I’m a preacher, and I’ve preached to many people.’ I said, ‘Oh Lord, I’m a sinner, and I still need Your forgiveness. I still need the cross.’ And I asked the Lord to give me peace in my heart, and He did – a wonderful peace that hasn’t left me.”

I’ll finish this with a story about a man who died and went to heaven. Of course, St. Peter met him at the pearly gates and explained, “Here’s how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. Let me know all the good things you’ve done, and I’ll give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you’ll get in.”

“Okay,” said the man, “I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated even in my heart.” “That’s wonderful,” said St. Peter, “that’s worth three points!”

“Three points?” he says. “Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service.” “Terrific!” said St. Peter, “that’s certainly worth a point.”

“One point? Gosh. How about this: “I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans.” “Fantastic, that’s good for two more points.” “TWO POINTS!!” the man cried, “At this rate, the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!”

“Come on in,” said Peter.

I became a Christian in a Pentecostal church at age 19. Pentecostal Christianity was my Christian formation and has continued to be my practice. I value the spontaneous, spirit-led and spirit-filled experience of my relationship with God. I love leading a church community that is renewed by God’s presence. We see God at work in and through our lives. God is real, tangible, and awesome.

However, my experience doesn’t blind me to the many downsides of modern Pentecostalism. I’ve witnessed plenty of abuses of God’s power, word, and name in my forty-plus years in church life. One of these is the often-shallow handling of Scripture. Verses are plucked out of context and applied in ways they were never intended.

The shallow approach to Bible study has led to bizarre interpretations and practices that are foreign to authentic Christianity. In this blog, I’ll explore one of these ~ binding the strong man ~ a tradition based on one of Jesus’ shortest parables.

It’s a Parable!

The parable is just one verse in Matthew 12. Jesus asks, “Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.” (29, NKJV). Modern translations update the word “binds” to “ties up.” But that doesn’t sound nearly as good in a Pentecostal prayer meeting where people love to “bind” the devil from all sorts of things.

Jesus’s statement is often combined with two other mentions of “binding and loosing” in Matthew’s gospel (16:19; 18:18). But these statements have absolutely nothing to do with prayer or spiritual warfare. I discuss this in another blog.

Context is Vital

Now, back to the verse in question. It begins with “or”, linking this statement to what Jesus has already said. Early in chapter 12, Matthew told the story of a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” (22-23). The Messiah would be a descendent (son) of King David, the closest example of an exorcist in the Tanakh. Consider 1 Samuel 16:23, “Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.” David’s music brought temporary deliverance to Saul.

The Pharisees reacted to the crowd’s question. They said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” Beelzebul means “Lord of the House,” a term applied to Satan in later Jewish sources. Hence Jesus speaks about plundering the strong man’s house.

Jesus Knew Their Thoughts

Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit [breath, wind] of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.” (25-28). In other words, Jesus is NOT in league with Satan as they suggest. Jesus then tells the little parable, “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up [binds] the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.”

Matthew’s Broader Context

Matthew Chapter 12 proves that Jesus is the Messiah. Jews believed that the Spirit withdrew when the last prophet died about 400 years before Jesus came. Protestants call this the 400 Silent Years. But the Spirit would return in the time of the kingdom when Messiah came.

Jews also believed that Satan and demons were “bound” or imprisoned after God cast them from heaven. In this parable, Jesus is declaring that he has already defeated Satan and could therefore plunder his possessions by freeing those who are demon-possessed.

Isaiah prophesied this time in 49:24-25,

But this is what the Lord says:
“Yes, captives will be taken from warriors,
and plunder retrieved from the fierce;
I will contend with those who contend with you,
and your children I will save.

Satan and the demonic realm were completely and utterly defeated by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.

It’s Already Done!

While some Christians have the gift of discerning spirits, including the power to cast out demons, the strong man, Satan, is already bound. So there is no need for believers to go around binding him or any demon. They’re as restrained as they’re ever going to be, and that is COMPLETELY!

The gotquestions website states, Some Christians, usually in the Charismatic or Pentecostal movements, apply Jesus’ parable to the spiritual warfare that believers must wage. They teach that Christians are the ones who must “bind the strong man” in their lives or in their cities and then win the victory in Jesus’ name. Some Charismatic preachers even name the “strong men” and attempt to identify the cities or geographical areas over which they hold power. Such doctrines go far beyond what Jesus said. The Lord’s parable was simply to impress upon the scribes that He was not in league with Satan. Never does Jesus instruct us to “bind the strong man” or tell us how to do it. We do not have warrant to interpret the parable as a spiritual reality over geographical regions.

We Christians need to rest in Jesus’ completed work and enjoy the victory and freedom he has provided. No one needs to bind the strong man because Jesus has already done it, once and for all.

I’ve almost died five times!

The first time, I was six years old and fascinated by music, record players, and speakers. I guess my radio career was already developing! One day, I decided to “make” a speaker to play music. I’m not sure what was going on in my little brain, but I figured that if I pierced a tin box with a nail and then shoved the whole thing into a power point, it could possibly work. What it did do was throw me across the room (this was before safety switches). I thought my mum had come in and whacked me across the top of my head. I turned around, and no one was there. I then realised what had happened. I was frightened out of my tiny mind!

The second near-death experience was as a 19-year-old hitchhiker in northern NSW. The truck I had hitched a ride in collided head-on with another truck. Two guys died, but I wasn’t one of them. It was that experience that led to my Christian conversion.

A year or so later, as a lapsed Christian who was getting into drugs and various New Age philosophies, I was battling depression (although I didn’t know it at the time). I was at a very low point, and one night after the pub was shut, I tried to overdose to end the pain. I am glad I failed. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Things Can Only Get Better?

Shortly afterwards, I returned to my faith in Jesus. I eventually went to Bible college and became a pastor. A few years later, I met Christie, got engaged, married, and enjoyed a two-week honeymoon. In the last few days of our honeymoon, I began feeling unwell. When we got home to Melbourne, I felt like I was getting the flu. A few days later, I couldn’t get out of bed without passing out. Christie called an ambulance, and I was rushed off to Monash emergency, where I became unconscious. More on that experience in a moment. I was diagnosed with meningitis with a viral complication.

And then, a few years ago, I suffered mid-level burns from a ruptured hot water bottle ~ along with residual electricity from the electric blanket. In agony, I was booted out of bed onto the floor and spent the next eight days in the Alfred Hospital burns unit.

I really hope that’s the last near-death experience I have for many decades until it’s REALLY time to go. I have the feeling that God has me on earth for a purpose, but I’m done with almost dying!

Near-death Experiences

Did I see my life flash before my eyes? Well, no, not really. The truck accident brought me to Jesus, so that was pretty spectacular. And when I passed out with meningitis, I remember being unconscious. I was consciously unconscious, felt incredibly peaceful, and not sick. Christie told me later that I turned grey. She thought I’d died. The next thing I remember was the ED nurse yelling right in my face. I was furious because I was awake and again in a world of pain.

But some people have reported their life flashing before their eyes during a near-death experience. And now neuroscientists have accidentally stumbled upon some possible proof for this. Their research is reported in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

Accidental Research

“When an 87-year-old patient developed epilepsy, Dr Raul Vicente of the University of Tartu, Estonia and colleagues used continuous electroencephalography (EEG) to detect the seizures and treat the patient. During these recordings, the patient had a heart attack and passed away. This unexpected event allowed the scientists to record the activity of a dying human brain for the first time ever.

“They discovered rhythmic brain wave patterns around the time of death that are similar to those occurring during dreaming, memory recall, and meditation. [Their research] brings new insight into a possible organisational role of the brain during death and suggests an explanation for vivid life recall in near-death experiences.

“Imagine reliving your entire life in the space of seconds. Like a flash of lightning, you are outside of your body, watching memorable moments you lived through. The study suggests that your brain may remain active and coordinated during and even after the transition to death and be programmed to orchestrate the whole ordeal.”

Dr Ajmal Zemmar said, “As a neurosurgeon, I deal with loss at times. It is indescribably difficult to deliver the news of death to distraught family members. Something we may learn from this research is: although our loved ones have their eyes closed and are ready to leave us to rest, their brains may be replaying some of the nicest moments they experienced in their lives.”

I hope you find those words as comforting as I do.

As Senior Pastor of Bayside Church, I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of our church community and for their faithful support, financial and otherwise. Every church, charity, and other not-for-profit organisation relies on members and partners who resonate with the vision to sustain that vision with finance. In turn, these organisations need to be honourable, trustworthy, and accountable, including how they raise money.

The Bible has much to say about this. 2,350 verses in the Bible speak about money – twice as many as devoted to prayer and faith combined. 15% of Jesus’ teaching was about finances. In fact, he said more about how we are to view and handle money and possessions than any other subject.

When I pioneered Bayside Church, I promised the people that I would never beg for money. I have kept that promise. In my teaching of Scripture, I have taught on giving, investing, getting out of debt and more. I have made needs known, but I have never begged for money.

Financial Abuse

But in my four-plus decades as a Christian, I have seen some horrendous abuses of people and their money by Christian leaders and organisations. One landed in my email inbox last week. It was from a large Australian, not-for-profit that regularly uses fear and alarm to motivate people to give. Upon reading this latest email, I believe the Holy Spirit prompted me to write this blog to help people recognise when they’re being manipulated.

The email was full of panic. It could be illegal to pray; Christians face hostility for their faith; churches, Christian organisations, and individuals can be harassed and silenced. Your religious freedom will be limited. You could be fined or end up in jail for praying.

It then quoted three instances to “prove” its point. By the way, these same three examples have been cited by others to support similar scaremongering.

Following these scary examples came the financial ask. Here’s the proof; now hand over your cash. We’ll make sure we’re fighting for your freedoms. It’s unholy fundraising!

Fearful Fundraising

I’ve wracked my brain, and I cannot think of ONE instance in Scripture where fear is used as a tool to raise money. If you find one, please let me know.

As mentioned earlier, the Bible has much to say about giving and supporting God’s ministers and work. The apostle Paul used the example of the poor but generous Macedonian Christians to stir up the generosity of the Corinthian church (2 Cor. 8:1-4). Scripture teaches about the blessings of generosity (Malachi 3:10). If you’re part of a church, you are responsible for making sure the pastors are supported financially (1 Tim. 5:17-18). Followers of YHWH and Jesus are challenged over two thousand times to look after the poor (Proverbs 19:17). But no fear, no intimidation, no shock tactics because that would constitute unholy fundraising.

The New Testament teaches us that God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:6) and that we are not to give either reluctantly or under compulsion (pressure, coercion, force). The original word translated as “compulsion” can also mean “to torture somebody.” It infers outward pressure brought upon someone by using unholy methods to, in this case, hand over their cash. Paul says, “don’t respond to pressure like this as it doesn’t please God” (My paraphrase).

Christian Opposition

I do not deny that some Christians (as well as people of other faiths) in Australia face opposition from time to time. But we are not a poor, persecuted, picked-on minority. Christians still make up over 50% of the Australian population.

The Bible tells us to expect opposition and to rejoice when we do because we share Christ’s sufferings (1 Peter 4:13). Many people suffered opposition in Scripture, but they didn’t follow it with an offering! Peter reminds us that “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed.” He continues by telling us to make sure that if we suffer, it’s because we’re doing right, not being foolish and unwise. “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name” (1 Peter 4:12-19). In other words, don’t use this as an opportunity to scare people into giving.

I hope my comments here will help you discern honest, from unholy, fundraising. I encourage you to be generous to God’s work but to never give in to the profane tactics of fear and manipulation. In fact, challenge them and bring them into the light (Eph. 5:13).

Warning: This blog explores the rise and fall of “conversion” therapy and some of the failed techniques used to change a person’s gender identity from transgender to cisgender and/or to rid people of “unwanted same-sex attraction” (SSA) and as a result may be triggering for some people. Please proceed with caution, and reach out if you need help; either to the pastoral care team or Rainbow Door (1800 729 367)

 

For much of my time as a Pastor, the accepted position of most churches was that being homosexual or anything other than cisgender was a curable condition through prayer, counselling, and deeper dedication to Jesus. Churches worldwide told people that they could only be accepted into the Christian fold and please God by becoming heterosexual. They (we) were wrong.

Our Journey

Over the last ten plus years, Christie and I have been on a deep learning journey that has involved listening to the stories of LGBTIQA+ people who have attempted to change their sexuality or sexual identity. We know people who have been to counselling with psychologists, pastors, lay leaders, had accountability partners, attended confession groups and retreats, and engaged in visualisation, social skills training, prayer, and fasting to change their sexuality.

Some have deliberately or unwittingly participated in exorcisms and electric shock treatment. In times past, people had lobotomies, received nausea-inducing drugs or hormones, had hypnotism or castration (chemical or otherwise). The movie, The Imitation Game, tells the story of Alan Turing, a gay man who was subjected to chemical castration. He died by suicide in 1954.

I also highly recommend the movie (or book) “Boy Erased“. It tells of Garrard Conley’s shocking conversion therapy experiences at Desert Streams (Living Waters) Ministries. Garrard is one of some 700,000 Americans subjected to this so-called “Christian” ministry.

The Exodus from Exodus

Until 2013, Alan Chambers was President of Exodus International, the world’s largest gay conversion organisation. He said, “I would say the majority, meaning 99.9% of them, have not experienced a change in their orientation or have gotten to a place where they could say that they could never be tempted, or are not tempted in some way or experience some level of same-sex attraction.” Exodus had been operating since 1976 with a 99.9% failure rate!

Although some have continued under different names and umbrellas, Exodus shut down its support groups and counselling programs in 2013. Chambers also stated, “for someone to put out a shingle and say, ‘I can cure homosexuality’—that to me is as bizarre as someone saying they can cure any other common temptation or struggle that anyone faces on Planet Earth.” He apologised for the claims they had made that change was possible. Another provider, Living Waters, noted that almost all people experienced no change whatsoever.

As a young pastor in the 1980s and 90s, I believed the testimonies of “healing and change” spread by ministries like Exodus. I referred people to such ministries. I have since apologised, and I state here I am very sorry. I was wrong. We were wrong.

So Much Pain

Sadly, much damage has occurred. Many people have died by suicide over their anguish about being non-heterosexual and unacceptable to their faith community. Every Christian LGBTIQA+ person I have spoken to can tell me of someone they know who has attempted suicide because their church did not accept them. Thousands walked away from churches, taking their extended families with them in many cases.

Multiple medical, psychiatric, and psychological organisations have made it clear that people of diverse sexuality cannot be “cured” and that coercing people to try and change is harmful psychologically and spiritually. These include the American Psychiatric Association (APA), which describes attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation by practitioners as unethical. They’re confirmed by the British medical association, The Australian Psychological Association, and the Australian Medical Association.

And so, same-sex conversion therapy does not work in the best cases and has caused significant damage and suicides in the worst. Understandably, medical practitioners and LGBTIQA+ advocacy organisations have begun working together to see these practices outlawed.

In Victoria

The Victorian parliamentary process passed the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill last year. It became law on February 17, 2022.

This legislation prohibits change or suppression or “conversion practices that seek to change or suppress an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.”

I think it’s an indictment on the broader church that the government even needs to introduce such a law. But when the church fails to regulate itself, it is left to governments to intervene. That’s the experience with the Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. And it’s the same here with so-called “conversion” therapy.

What Does This Mean for the Church?

In terms of our day to day work of loving people, nothing changes. We can share our belief about God, salvation through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. We can worship, preach, publicly and privately read the Bible, feed the poor, visit prisoners and feed and clothe the poor. Nothing will change.

Christians can freely read any passage from the Bible, including the six contentious verses that appear to condemn homosexuality. A preacher can preach on those verses, believing that the Bible denounces loving same-sex relationships or that they are silent on such relationships (as I think). We can encourage people to live lives of purity and be faithful in marriage. The legislation does not dictate what we teach from the Bible.

But, churches can no longer promote or provide any programs that purport to change LGBTIQA+ persons. Furthermore, we cannot refer people to anyone inside or outside of Victoria whose modus operandi attempts to change that person’s sexuality. That will now be illegal, and rightly so. Why would we desire to participate in something so ineffective and dangerous? We would be dishonest to claim that the church has a successful track record in “healing” same-sex attracted people or trans-people when all evidence shows this is just not true.

The Bill will mean that if church leaders have a person who shares that they are dealing with same-sex attraction or gender identity, we can support them, just as we should support people at any stage of their life journey. My focus is to assist people in loving God more deeply, not dictate with whom they can or cannot fall in love.

Leaders can pray for the individual to know and experience the love of God but cannot pray that the individual will be changed to being heterosexual. Nor can we play amateur psychologists. It is not our job to “treat” such people. Victorian church leaders and members should encourage people to speak to counsellors, medical practitioners, and psychologists to talk through their sexuality if they so desire.

Our primary call is to help people be followers of Jesus, not decide that people must conform to some image we think they should have. Bayside Church’s pastoral team supports many people with a whole range of concerns, but we never seek to “treat” people with anything other than kindness!

In 2021, Bayside Church released an Inclusion Statement, our promise to treat all people equally regardless of gender, sexuality, age, ability, race, or ethnicity.

 

Further Reading: Lucas Mendos, a senior research officer at the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association, or ILGA World, has written an exhaustive account of so-called “Conversion Therapies.”

Australia’s largest collection of information, articles, and research on this topic: https://www.abbi.org.au/conversion-therapy/

I investigated some pitfalls in last week’s blog when reading the Bible. And I promised that in this week’s blog, I would share some practical ways to enjoy the Bible on your own, as well as, with other people. So, here goes.

I choose to bring a humble spirit to the Lord and his Word in my devotional life. The more I learn, the more I know that I don’t know! God “guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way” (Ps 25:9). Humility is at the very heart of God, revealing truth through his word. And then, trust God to speak to you from the Scriptures.

Ways to Read the Bible

I chose to read the Bible from cover to cover every year in my early Christian years. Four chapters a day is all it takes. I am grateful for this foundation as it has given me a good overview of the Scriptures and an understanding of how the various books interact with and complement each other. As I’ve matured in my faith, I’ve found that a quality over quantity approach works best.

When gold was first discovered in Victoria in 1851, nuggets were found in waterways with no digging required. However, miners had to dig a little deeper once these were all gone. After some time, shafts were built, and seams of gold were discovered and mined. The Bible is similar. As a young Christian, I found nuggets of truth daily with little effort. Over time I’ve had to dig deeper and deeper to find rich deposits of truth.

Today, I use the You Version Bible App, which has a verse of the day and thousands of reading plans. I also enjoy picking a book or letter or just a section of the Bible. For example, I might choose to read 1 & 2 Thessalonians; maybe a chapter or just a few verses a day. I lookout for a verse or a line that speaks to me. A few weeks ago, it was 1 Thess. 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” There’s a wealth of truth in those words.

Christian Meditation

Don’t be scared of meditation. It was God’s idea, and the Bible mentions it over twenty times, mainly in Psalms. The Hebrew word for meditate means to ponder by muttering. Meditation is literally talking to yourself. Last week, I spent time meditating on Psalm 121:2, “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” I walked and talked with God and repeated this line emphasising different words.

My help comes from the Lord ~ it’s what I need personally.

My help comes from the Lord ~ God is coming to my aid.

My help comes from the Lord ~ It’s on its way from God now.

My help comes from the Lord ~ The support is not just from anywhere. It’s from God.

The second line of the verse provides the proof of God’s ability to help me ~ “the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” God created all things, so what is my problem in the light of such power? The prophet Jeremiah said it this way, “O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!“

My time of walking and talking with God and muttering the scriptures was powerful, encouraging, refreshing and enjoyable.

Respond to God

Enjoying the Bible is not just about learning facts. Facts are the lowest form of truth unless applied to our lives. I find asking four simple questions of the verse or line I’m meditating on can be very helpful.

1. What is God saying to me through His Word?

2. How will I respond to God’s Word?

3. How does this cause me to love God?

4. How does this encourage me to love my neighbour?

Enjoying the Bible Together

The Bible is not just something we appreciate on our own. God’s word should be read aloud, discussed, and enjoyed with other believers either in Connect Groups or with one or two friends.

One compelling way to enjoy the Bible in a community is the ancient Christian meditation practice of Lectio Divina, or “sacred reading.” The four basic steps are straightforward to learn:

  1. Lectio (reading)—Slow, contemplative reading of a text aloud. Don’t spend much time rationally analysing the text, and do not try to work through it quickly; instead, let your mind linger on the individual words and phrases. Read the text several times. Each person is listening for a word, phrase, or sentence that speaks to them.
  2. Meditatio (meditation)—At some point during the process of Lectio, one passage/verse/sentence should speak to you more than others. Spend time repeating that, silently or aloud, letting it sink in. Write it down if that helps. Everyone can share their insights at this point.
  3. Oratio (prayer)—Use the truth that you’ve gained from meditating in forming a prayer. You can write this (crafted prayer) or say it, draw a picture, paint something, or write a poem.
  4. Contemplatio (contemplation)—If you feel yourself being enveloped by the presence of God, let go of all words and silently settle into the experience.

Remember, as a result of an encounter with God in Scripture, we are always called to action. The Bible calls this godliness ~ devotion in action!

You’ll find some more devotional resources on the Bayside Church website. I hope this blog and these resources lead you into a richer experience of enjoying the Bible and, more importantly, enjoying the God of the Bible.

When I first picked up a Bible, I was nine years old. I’d been given a family Bible by my dad. It was his mother’s Bible, and she’d signed it on January 18 1915. My dad signed it on 6-10-1941 when he was eleven. When he gave it to me, I signed it too ~ April 1 1967. My plan was to read the Bible from start to finish. From memory, I got through the first couple of chapters of Genesis and then got bored. I didn’t pick the Bible up again for a decade. I was nineteen and had just accepted Jesus as my Saviour. I must say, the Bible had improved dramatically in ten years.

I’ve now been reading and studying the Bible for over four decades and have learned a few things that have helped me enjoy this wonderful book. I’ve also fallen into the trap of reading and understanding the Bible the wrong way at various times, reaping the not-so-good consequences. So, let’s explore how NOT to read the Bible!

Out of Obligation

It goes something like this: “God says to read the Bible, so I better do it, even though I don’t want to.” Obligation takes all the joy out of reading the Bible. It comes from legalistic teaching that says, “you just gotta read the Bible; otherwise, God won’t be pleased with you.”

As a young Christian, I attended the seminar, “The hour that changes the world.” It taught people how to pray for an hour, breaking 60 minutes into 12 five-minute segments. You’d spend the first five minutes in praise and worship, the following five in waiting on the Lord. Then confession, praying Scripture, watching and intercession all the way through to praise at the end.

I’m sure Dick Eastman, the author of this course, had good intentions. But this seminar killed my prayer life. It changed it from a spontaneous and enjoyable time with God into a legalistic chore. Imagine me treating my relationship with Christie in this way. “Right-o honey, we’ve got an hour to spend with each other. Let’s take the first five minutes to praise each other, then we’ll wait in silence for five minutes, then….” I can just hear Christie’s response already, and it’s not good. That would be a perfect way to ruin any relationship.

It’s the same with reading the Bible. Legalism ruins our enjoyment of God’s excellent Word. “We don’t read the Bible because we have to. We read it because it’s good for us, our relationship with God, other people, and the world.”

An Instruction Manual

Instruction manual Christians view the B.I.B.L.E. as Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. It’s clever but inaccurate.

Seeing the Bible as merely an instruction manual, a handbook takes away from its status as God’s inspired Word, a holy communication from deity to humanity. The Bible is so much more than just a list of dos and don’ts. Indeed, there are dos and don’ts in the Bible, but if you spend all your time doing the dos, you won’t have time to do the don’ts.

Remember, The Law didn’t work. If it had been sufficient to restore the relationship between God and people, God wouldn’t have needed to enter the human race as one of us. God’s instructions would have been enough. Except they weren’t. God’s interested in a relationship with you. A real relationship that is not based on a to-do list!

Again, imagine bringing the “instruction manual” attitude into a relationship. Your primary communication method to your partner becomes a “To-Do List” posted to the fridge each day. Such a relationship will not endure.

God’s Answer Book

The Bible has lots of wisdom, but it doesn’t answer all questions or life situations. People who view the Bible as merely an answer book treat it like a daily horoscope. In my years in radio, I often had to play the daily stars. I’d get phone calls from listeners who’d missed hearing them and asked me to tell them what their horoscope was. One listener told me they couldn’t get out of bed until they knew what their day would be like. How sad.

I’ve come across many Christians who “read” the Bible by randomly opening it with their eyes closed and then pointing their finger at a verse. It’s a practice called bibliomancy and is basically fortune telling for Christians.

The process of bibliomancy involves:

  • Asking God a straightforward question
  • Opening the Bible to a random page
  • Trailing a finger in slow circles until “the spirit” says to stop.
  • The verse where the questioner’s finger points supposedly contains the answer.

Don’t get me wrong. God can and does lead us to specific Bible verses that speak to us in a time of need. God sometimes causes us to stumble on a verse precisely when we need the message it contains. But the Bible is so much more than just an answer book.

To Win Arguments

We all know THAT person who is ALWAYS right about the Bible and more than willing to tell you why! On EVERY occasion! People like this lack humility and grace and invariably come across as harsh, legalistic, and dogmatic.

I encourage you to spend some time this week reading and meditating on Psalm 25:4-21. The theme of this song is “How to have a teachable spirit.” The bottom line is this, “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” (9)

To have a teachable spirit, we must be humble. The humble heart says to God, “I don’t know it all; I haven’t arrived yet. Please teach me; I want to learn.” The humble heart also listens to others. That is the person whom God will teach. We need to bring that heart and mind to our time in God’s Word.

Next week, I’ll share some practical ways to enjoy the Bible on your own as well as with other people.