Dear Jesse: We are helpless?

You know the old adage, "All Roads Lead to Rome!"  At the time of Jesus and hence the travel of the 1st century "holy ones", this was very true...throughout the Middle East, Africa and Europe, travelers still follow those paths and yes, they do lead to Rome.  What must that have been like to come into view of the 7 Hills of Rome at that time and yet today, we all believe they historically existed and are traveled upon now.  As I travel the "roads" of Paul's treatise on Grace verses the Law (See Dietrich Bonhoeffer's, The Cost of Discipleship, Chapter 1, Grace and Discipleship), why do we fight so much against history and why are we so fatalistic on death?

Everybody gets it - that if you do something "wrong", you will ultimately pay the price, for the most part...NOW!  We may think we can skate by, but today's news proves that "hope" totally absent of reality!  But, don't we want life?  Paul's pretty clear that "law" points ultimately to death.  And more so, that because Jesus overcame death, real death, that real life comes through HIM.

In my little brain, sin, wrongdoing and independence from God produces harm, hurt, disappointment and death in the now...Jesus is the antithesis of death, for out of our stubborn, harmful natures and the mess in which we find ourselves, HE produces perseverance, and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint; because the Love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  (Rom 5:3-6)

Is this why the religious and rich couldn't follow Jesus then and lot's of society can't now? That we can't at all face that we are helpless?  Again, look at the news; from all sides we moan and groan about how helpless we are and so many "medicate" themselves to lessen the pain...and we don't think we are helpless?

And even crazier is that having been (found righteous) by faith, WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD through our Lord Jesus Christ. (5:1)

As many of today's scientists are changing their minds and acknowledging an "uncreated something" at least kick started the universe and all that's in it, wouldn't all of us today want peace and life, especially with that Power?

Lord, help us through your wisdom to fine tune the invite so YOUR WILL comes true, "not wishing for any to perish but for ALL to come to repentance."  (2 Peter 3:9) 

Dear Jesse: God is not Jew nor Greek

In the early part of Paul's letter to the gathering at Rome, I came across a note, perhaps decades old, written within his quoting of Psalms; as it is written,

“There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And the path of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
                                                       - Romans 3:10-18

In this passage, there is much action and positioning, but one thing is missing...hearing...

We hear (read) that "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female;" (Gal 3:28) because The Lord inspired our forefathers to impart that to us...and we really try hard to live this principle because God said it.  

But, it is much more than hearing; Paul says in Romans 3:29-30;

"Or is God the God of Jews only?  Is He not the God of Gentiles also?  Yes, of Gentiles also--if indeed God is one..."

God does not just tell us there is neither this nor that in the human condition; He doesn't just tell us not to be this way because...

 HE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, SLAVE NOR FREE, MALE NOR FEMALE!

Our region, our state, our nation, our world, doesn't live this way because they neither hear nor then accept Jesus' free gift of Relationship to the Uncreated One and for many in "The Church of the Western Mindset", Jesus is "asleep in the boat" - in their hearts.