Are the Rocks Doing Your Job?

It was Sunday as Jesus prepared to enter Jerusalem. It would be the final week before he was crucified. Two of the disciples, following Jesus' instructions, untied a colt and brought it to him. The colt had never been ridden until Jesus climbed atop and began his entry into Jerusalem. Prophecy was about to be fulfilled: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)

Jerusalem's king had come. Just as promised about 500 years earlier. And so the rejoicing began. It's was a moment of celebration as the crowds laid their cloaks and palm branches across the road. Singing and shouts of joy ensued (cf Matthew 21:9; Luke 19:38):

"Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

"Hosana to the Son of David! Hosanna in the highest!"

But not every one was happy. Some continued to resist their king. In fact, they were the ones who would call for his crucifixion. As the crowds cheered with joy, the Pharisees told Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples" (Luke 19:39). They couldn't see it. Even in this moment of great joy, they were blind and indignant.

Jesus gave them a stern reply: "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." Rocks would sing his praise if the people didn't. It was fitting for the people to sing.

Jesus turned the tables on them. He lauded those the Pharisees wanted to silence, and silenced the Pharisees who wanted to be heard. He encouraged the crowd who sang for joy at his presence, and he wept over those who would destroy him.

The question for us is: which group are we? Am I welcoming the king into my life to rule and reign with truth, justice, and mercy? Or am I shutting him out, rebelling against his authority and shunning his very presence? To be silent before this king is to go against the very thing we were made to do. And if we don't do it, creation will. So I ask you, are the rocks doing your job? Are they singing praises that should be pouring from your lips?

The Most Important Bible Passage on Homosexuality

There's several different answers that I usually hear for this question. Occasionally you hear Sodom and Gomorrah thrown in (Genesis 19). But here's some of the main ones:

Leviticus 18:22 "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination."

Leviticus 20:13 "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them."

Romans 1:26-27: "For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error."

Quite frankly, these miss the mark. Now before you pick up the stones to throw, let me ask you a question: Where is the hope for people who have committed homosexual sin? Seriously, from these verses alone, there is none. And that's why I don't think that these are the most important passages in the Bible on homosexuality. As Al Mohler once said: "Homosexuals are waiting to see if the Christian church has anything more to say after we declare that homosexuality is a sin."

Personally, I think 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 should be our flagship passage in addressing this topic.

"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (emphasis added)

This passage sums up clearly what Christians need to communicate when talking about homosexuality.
1. Homosexuality is clearly identified as a sin, along with other sins that keep people out of the kingdom. Homosexuality is not singled out and targeted as the only sin that keeps people from God, as is often the case with our speaking about it.
2. Grace is held out to the sinner through the power of Christ to transform. It's through his blood that we are cleansed, declared righteous and made to be holy as we ought to be. Christ is the remedy for all sin, even homosexuality.

To only focus on homosexuality as a sin is harsh and judgmental. And to condemn sin without offering the remedy is just downright hateful. But verse eleven clearly says that there are those who are changed by Christ's power - not their own willpower or choice or determination. Christ transformed them. Indeed it is Christ who transforms all of us.

The bottom line: don't just talk about sin. Talk about the remedy. Because in the end just telling someone they're going to hell and are without hope is ineffective. But to point them to Christ alone as the source for healing, forgiveness, and transformation is what the gospel is all about.

God Is Faithful

Recently I read a blog post from someone who is enduring a great deal of temptation. You can read the post here if you wish. In it, he sights 1 Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

He says:

So as the darkness seems to close in on every side, I do the only thing I can – I keep looking for the light. For the path that will get me out of this dark cave. For the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. I often wish for instant deliverance. But I know that’s not how God usually works. The good news is that “God is faithful.” He won’t let me down, and he won’t give up on me. Ever.

Amen. I don't think I could say it any better myself. Sometimes temptations can seem way bigger than we are. In fact, I think they are way bigger than we are. If we were bigger than the temptations around us, then we would not need God.

But the good news is that, even though we are surrounded by overwhelming temptations, God is faithful. He's faithful in two ways:
1. He keeps us from being overwhelmed by the temptation. He never lets temptation use all of its power on us.
2. He never leaves us in temptation to find our own way. He provides the way of escape.

We do not have to give in to temptation. And we don't have to fight it on our own. To all of you who face seemingly overwhelming temptations - whether it's anger, pride, lust, or lying - know that you are not alone. Welcome to the human race. But more importantly, look to the one who is faithful to deliver you, who will stand by you and lead you into freedom.

Memorizing Scripture: How should I memorize?

I want to finish this short series on Scripture memory by offering a few more helps on how to memorize Scripture.

Word-for-word or general idea?
Should we memorize word-for word, or just focus on the general idea of the verse(s) we are memorizing? I have to go with word-for-word here. To just get the general idea could be more hurtful in the long run. For example, if you misunderstand the general idea, how can that truth be helpful? Memorizing word-for-word allows us to reflect more on what the author is saying so that we can better understand the idea being conveyed.

Verse Numbers
One common question when attempting to memorize scripture is should I memorize the verse number? Really, I believe it's up to you. Chapters and verses were added by men, not by God. I would however advise that you definitely know the book and at least the chapter that your verses come from. Memorizing it all is good, but I don't think it's essential.

Suggested Methods/Helps
1. Write your verses on an index card and carry it around with you. This way you can review throughout the day.
2. Involve all your senses. Read it out loud. Look as if you're photographing the words. Move when you read it. Use gestures when reciting verses. Get your whole body involved. This reinforces what you are memorizing even more.
3. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!! Even when you have a verse "down," don't forget to review it often. The best time to review is when you are struggling. This does two things - it encourages you to keep going, and it trains you to turn to God's word and to God himself when you are struggling. Review in the shower, in the car, lying awake at 3 AM. I cannot stress this enough. You lose what you do not use!

Links
An Approach to Extended Memorization of Scripture - A good booklet by Dr. Andrew Davis about memorizing lengthy passages of Scripture. He gives the reason as well as a method for engaging in Scripture memory.
Scripture Memory System for Windows - A program that lets you enter verses of your choosing from a translation of your choosing. It also has various drills, practices and tests to help you memorize. It also allows you to create verse cards that can be printed out. My pocket holds some of the ones I have done now.
Mobilize Faith - for iPhone users - memorize scripture with the aid of your iPhone!

I hope this brief series has been helpful to you, and I pray that God would challenge you and lead you to memorize his Word. Let me know if I can be of any help to you in this journey.