Martin Luther King Jr. 9 Inspirational Wallpapers & 25+ quotes

01.20.14 Playing a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired a generation with his stirring lectures, speeches and dialogues.  Today, January 20th, 2014 we honor his memory, Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a federal holiday in 1983 and was observed for the first time three years later. It is celebrated on the third Monday in January, to mark King’s birthday, January 15.

Thousands if not hundreds of thousands across the nation will attend church services, tributes and service projects to honor Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr.’s memory on January 20, a federal holiday.

In 1994, legislation was passed to create Martin Luther King Day of Service – to encourage citizens to use the federal holiday as an opportunity to give back to their communities. Considered a “day on, not a day off” individuals are encouraged to work towards King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”

“As I reflect on the legacy of my father, the greatest aspect is his legacy of peace. He reminded us that ‘the choice today is no longer between violence and nonviolence; it is between nonviolence or nonexistence,’” Bernice A. King, wrote about her father in the Huffington Post, adding that this year commemorates the 50 year anniversary since King received the Nobel Peace Prize, and the enactment of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

“Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violence is more relevant, I believe, than it was 10 years ago,” King told Reuters referencing the number of school shootings and increasingly violent movies, television shows and video games. “America has an enormous appetite for violence. I don’t know why we have such an affinity for that, but I do know it has to stop,” she said.

King was the youngest man to be selected for the prestigious honor of the Nobel Peace Prize at 35 years old .  At the time, he announced he would give the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement. MLK was assassinated four years later in Memphis, Tennessee.

For those wishing to pay tribute to King’s message and legacy, below are 9 inspirational quotes from the civil rights leader.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” 

“The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to Justice, Peace and Brotherhood.”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”

“Everything we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see.”

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve.  You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.  You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve… You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace.  A soul generated by love.”

“We may all have come in different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

“In the end we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.”

Here are some additional MLK quotes of various subjects:

On Leadership

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”

“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”

On Love

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.”

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

On Helping Others

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”

“Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

On Faith

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

“I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land.”

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”

“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men.”

“Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.”

On Tolerance

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

“We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.”

“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”

May we each aspire to attain such great heights.

Pure laughter, where does it go?

01.10.14 as I pulled the truck next to the curb, my ears were filled with the sound of laughter!

Such joyous, free, unrestricted laughter is commonly found within the lives of children; however, as people grow older sometimes this precious gift of joy slips away much like sand running through ones fingers. 

Where does the pure laughter go? 

Is it drowned out by the stresses and pressures of age?  Does the chocking grasp of money and drive for success kill it off?  Is pure laughter something only found within children?

The questions we could ask go on and on - as every person has journeyed a different path, is wired uniquely, and has different trigger points of stresses / joy.

As the laughter outside this enclosed truck continued to roll through my ears and tickle my mind - I begun to wonder if laughter is found simply within a choice?

To let myself be a kid again!

To join in on the pure untampered moments.

To look like a complete fool, living within the moment as I child does so well.

Here's to two brothers sitting in a lawn chair - laughing - enjoying - and being completely free within the moment.

Thank you, for showing one old man the path back to simplicity and freedom!  I'd rather be a silly old man than a grumpy one - any given day!

ReThinking About Personally Getting Divorced or Separation in 2014

You've probably already come to some assumption or conclusion, but before you make an ass of yourself know I will not be leaving my wife, that’s simply not the case. I’m leaving someone else. Someone that's much younger and someone you may not know about. Someone who's become a good friend but pulls me away from spending time with my wife, my children, and who has even pulled me out of bed during the midnight hours.

What's her name?  How long have I been with her?  Does my wife know?  Her name is iPhone 4s. She’s attractive, slim, extremely smart, funny, reliable, and keeps me in contact with all my distant family and friends + up to date with all the trends. Although she’s always close by my side, I can not help but be honest and take notice that she is keeping me from those that are more important.

She’s really good at keeping my attention. So much so that I’ve been known to completely ignore people when they are trying to have a conversation with me. She's always on my mind as she tempts me with her apps, instead of enjoying the moment un-distracted. 

Apparently she's even conceived and multiplied!  Under my pillow or on the couch I've found an iPad and not a mouse!  Then to my amazement I see my sons chatting with each other - o' - not face to face but while gazing deep into ipad space!  I can’t help but notice she is slowly infecting my social life, my marriage, and the lives of those around me. Many people act like it’s no big deal, but today I find myself rethinking divorce.

Today, my phone become an accessory, not a priority!  I've gone deep into her settings and enabled, "Do Not Disturb" and silenced all her "Notifications" that call to me in the night.

My personal 2014 challenge: Spend a significant amount of time off engaging those around me, getting back to making deep, genuine personal relationships; while disciplining myself to staying in contact with distance family and friends via my social media accessory on a my limited time.

The reality is, the majority of people all married to or having an affair in one way or another.

Mind you. Not everyone struggles with this. But I hope you will take this into consideration regardless.

1. Learn to balance the time you spend on your phone.
2. Make your phone an accessory rather than a priority.
3. Give yourself limitations as to when and where your phone can be used.
4. Control how you use your phone, and stop allowing your phone to control you.
5. Try spending parts of your weekends unplugged, offline, and away from your mobile device.

In 2014. Will you join me in discovering balance & fighting for genuine relationships? Share this with a friend, and let’s get down to business.

@trevordrinen

Be honored to hear your thoughts? Leave a comment below. 

Anyone listening - Unanswered Prayers - Pt2

Psalm 4:1-2 NIV

SCRIPTURE

 ¹ Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

OBSERVATION

Have you ever felt as if God is not listening?  As if you’ve been rejected by Him for some unknown reason? Reflecting on a personal journal entry from 2002; in which, my wife and I journeyed down the road of pain and disappear - as our second child’s heart ceased - I wrote the following, “I had never wrestled with the will of God to the point of anger, rage, pain, and disappear. Now it’s not only my life that is affected by what Your allowing but my wife’s!  I had always thought that You could and would do anything if enough people prayed—but in the midst of our prayers You seemed to choose to remain silent and distant. Are you there? What good are You God - if you will not show up and save the innocent? ..... ...... ...... Where are You to be found in the midst of pain and suffering?” - Trevor L Drinen

During the follow days I attempted to take a global viewpoint on my questions.  This experience led my wife and I through a journey of pain almost to the point of turning away from our faith and to stop believing in the existence of a God that pursues us. 

Many people throughout the world struggle with their faith because of God’s silence and apparent impotence when they cry out to Him in their time of greatest need. What makes these unanswered prayers even more disturbing is the fact that some Christians claim God regularly answers their prayers for things that seem of no consequence. I think of the individuals who prayed to find a parking space as they entered the mall parking lot and,“Thanks be to God!” a space opened up on the front row. Or the professional athlete who points to the heavens after catching a touchdown pass. Or a surfer who patiently waits for the perfect wave.  Does God answer prayers for parking spaces, touchdown passes, and ridable waves, but not for those who have cancer or whose unborn children will die without a miracle?

It was at the low I turned and began to look at Jesus’ outlook on prayer.  It was in the midst of my journey that I discovered that my personal disappointment was the result of unmet expectations. I expected God to save!  I expected God to heal!  I expected God to move on my behalf! .... .... and so have countless others through out time (Example: Jews).

APPLICATION

In the case of prayer, our expectations are shaped in part by Jesus’ words in a handful of passages like Matthew 21:21-22: “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt ... even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.”

At first glance Jesus seems to be promising here to do whatever we ask, provided we have faith. We read this and other promises like this on the lips of Jesus, and we cannot help but be confused when our prayers go unanswered. When we pray for a friend who is dying or for the safety of our children or for a job to open up for us, we are left confused when our friend dies, we go for months without employment or something happens to our children. Some Christians explain the reason these prayers go “unanswered” or “fail” has to do with the individual praying.  Yes, they placing the blame on you.  Others have gone to the extent of listing several common reasons why prayers may go unanswered.

- You have unconfessed sin in your life - You pray with improper motives - You lack faith

I find this list obscene and offensive! To say that God would have answered our prayers for our unborn child if only I had more fully sought to please God, or if I had confessed my sins, is not only unbiblical, misguided, and cruel. It does not line up with God’s character!  Did blind Bartimaeus, whom Jesus healed outside of Jericho, seek to please the Lord in everything? Did he stop to confess his sins before asking for his eyesight? Yet Jesus healed him (see Mark 10:46-51). Jesus heals because He is holy, not because those He heals are holy. To explain that God does not answer our prayers because we are not holy enough is unbiblical and does not aline with faith built upon grace!  At the foundation of a Christians faith is a Savior gave His life for us “while we were yet sinners” (Romans 5:8), and which teaches that we are saved by God’s grace.

What about faith? What about the power of prayer?  Prayer is an action faith. Faith is the act of trusting that God hears, that God cares and that God is able to act as we cultivate a genuine relationship with Him through prayer. Jesus asks that we pray with faith, that we trust as we pray.

If then unfulfilled prayer is not the result of my failure to live for Christ, unconfessed sin in my life, or inadequate faith.  Then what are we to make of the fact that our prayers are sometimes unanswered? 

Perhaps the answer is not found in what we do wrong when we pray, but in our failure to understand what Jesus meant when He said that we could move mountains and have whatever we ask for if we pray with faith. When Jesus spoke, He almost always did so using a figure of speech called hyperbole. Hyperbole is an overstatement or exaggeration to make a point. This was the language of prophets and first-century teachers. Our problem maybe within reading His words “hyper-literally” when we need to read them hyperbolically. To read them hyperbolically means we take Jesus seriously, but not always literally.  “Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22). Were these words a promise to be taken literally and mechanistically, or are they a hyperbolic statement inviting Jesus’ followers to pray boldly and with faith? This is the same passage in which Jesus tells His followers that by faith they can move mountains; that might help us to see that it is the latter way in which we are meant to read this passage.  Jesus’ hearers understood that Jesus was speaking hyperbolically when He said, “Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.” I think they understood that Jesus was saying, “Go to God with your burdens! Be bold when you pray! Trust that God hears your prayers! And, in ways you don’t fully understand, God will see you through this situation you face.”

Where does that leave me as I barry my unborn child, deal with the internal pain, and attempt to comfort my wife?  How does God answer prayer? What is the purpose of prayer? What should we pray for? How does God answer prayer?  Why does God answer some prayers and not others? Does God answer prayer? Some, but not all? Sometimes, but not all the time? Or does God always answer prayer and it's just that sometimes God says no. Is prayer more than God listening and answering?  Is God is going to do what God is going to do - if so why pray?  If God can do anything why doesn’t He?  

When God wants something done, God typically sends people. God’s customary way of working in our lives is through what appear to be ordinary ways. Rather than suspending the laws of nature that God created and bypassing the human beings that God created to do God’s work, God typically works through natural laws and through people. In the Bible, this is how God most often worked, and it is how God typically works today. I believe that miracles can happen and do happen. On some occasions, God miraculously and directly intervenes in the world, but most often God works through us, calling and nudging us into action, working in our hearts to be the instruments God uses to answer the prayers of others.  I have come to appreciate the idea that God intends us to be the answer to one another’s prayers to come alongside those who are in need of comfort. How and why?  If God desires a cultivate a genuine growing healthy relationship with His creation, then would He not have His creation do that for each other?  

None of this implies that God never works miracles. God can do the miraculous. But miracles are miracles because they are rare. God’s primary way of working in our world is to influence us and others—giving us peace and strength, wisdom and patience—while using the natural means God created to accomplish God’s purposes. God can work miracles! Is it not a miracles that works through the hands of doctors, the words of counselors, the presence of friends: in other words, miracles happen everyday and for me to place my personal expectations on God is unfair - no matter the pain I may encounter.

God is unfair - no matter the pain I may encounter.

So, if God is sovereign why do prayers go unanswered??  I don’t know.... .... .... does unanswered prayers, unmeet expectations, or the lack of personal understanding bring one to the conclusion that God must not exists?  

Romans 11:11-12 states, “¹¹ Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. ¹² But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!”

At my point of anger, rage, pain, and disappear I come to trust God holds and sees the bigger picture. 

PRAYER

Thanks for reminding me of: A) who You are B) Your purpose (salvation to all) C) my involvement (faith & action / works). God, thank You so much for Your timeliness guarantees & evidence via Your invisible attributes, eternal power, divine nature since the creation of the world so that all may know you. Trevor

Intriguing Communication Style

Matthew 13:10 NIV

SCRIPTURE

““Why do you speak to them [the crowds who came to see Jesus] in parables?”” -Matthew 13:10 NIV

OBSERVATION

In his three-year ministry, Jesus spoke to small groups of followers and massive crowds. So captivating was His teaching that crowds stayed and listened all day, forgetting to even go home and get something to eat (see Luke 9:10-17). Everyone—from the meekest peasant farmer to the mightiest political ruler—wanted to hear Jesus. And those who heard Him were astonished, “for he was teaching them as one who had authority” (Matt. 7:29).

As we read the Gospels, we see that Jesus commonly used parables, stories that illustrated spiritual and moral lessons. And as we read them, we often find ourselves scratching our heads and asking one question: 

Why did Jesus choose to speak in parables when speaking plainly would be so much more effective?

In Matthew 13:10, we’re told that the disciples came to Jesus and said to Him, “Why do you speak to them [the crowds who came to see Jesus] in parables?”  AKA. What did He expect to accomplish by not speaking plainly to the crowds?

His answer is fascinating:

“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.” But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (Matt. 13:11-17)

This answer is absolutely shocking. It’s shocking because, in effect, Jesus is telling them, “I speak in parables because the truth of the kingdom of heaven is not theirs to know. They think they see the truth of my kingdom, but they don’t. They think they understand, but they can’t. If they did, they might turn and repent.”

That boggles my mind. It’s hard to grasp the idea that Jesus would not want people to know what He was saying. Yet, He didn’t. Jesus’ explanation of His use of parables reveals that they had a two-fold purpose: to harden the hearts of some who heard, and to cause others to seek out Jesus and ask Him what He meant.  Every time He spoke, He was simultaneously excluding some and including others. Some, after hearing His particularly difficult teachings, turned away and “no longer walked with Him” (John 6:66). But others were drawn to Him. They did not simply except the unknown, but were fueled by what they did not know to learn more. And the fascinating thing is that when people drew near, when they asked Him to explain, as the disciples did, He was happy to oblige.

APPLICATION

Today, it’s considered fashionable by some to speak and write about the Christian faith in ambiguous terms. To “embrace the mystery” of Christianity, as some might say. To leave things mysterious, all in the name of humility. It's true, there is much we do not understand nor can expect to understand about the "mysterious ways" in which God works. But in effect, by allowing vague, ambiguous teachings on Christianity, they’re choosing not to communicate anything at all. In doing so, men and women of faith, and often very popular ones, are actually breaking the prime rule of communication: Communicators communicate.

While there are many things that God chooses to keep secret from us, He does want us to know who He is, what He expects of us and how we can be rightly related to Him. And these things He has made clear within the pages of Scripture. He has made His will known to His creatures. And He expects those who would teach his people to make it known. So, to speak as though we can’t know with any certainty what God has made knowable—especially under the guise of following the example of Jesus—is not humility. It is the height of arrogance.

Jesus was never mysterious for the sake of being mysterious. He didn’t speak in riddles and vagaries to create a mystique. God is not a beat poet. Jesus’ parables were not meant to be a stumbling block for His disciples. Rather, all things were revealed to them by Him, for those who longed to hear.

Similarly, the role of the Christian is to patiently explain all that has been revealed with gentleness and humility, not cloak His message in ambiguity. Acknowledge what you do not know, seek to know more—and share what you can until the day when all things are made clear.

PRAYER

God, Thank you for pursuing individuals as your created them. Communication - Help me. Help me continue to pull things back to what I know as true, refine and sharpen all that I allow to come out of my mouth. Jesus you had a very intriguing communication style - please teach me more... 

- Trevor

Lessons Learned F/ Encouragement & Deceitfulness

Hebrews 2:14-18 NIV

SCRIPTURE

“encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” -Hebrews 3:13 NIV

OBSERVATION

en·cour·age/enˈkərij/Verb

1. Give support, confidence, or hope to (someone): "encouraging results"; "I feel encouraged".

Words can heal or words can kill. Words can deliver life or death. It is our choice – we pour our own spirit into our words. God gave us the gift of words, hoping that we would steward them well. Words can focus on us or on others. There are words that build up and words that tear down. Negative words can be dangerous: if we hear them enough, we start believing they are true. The worst part is, after the negative words have been spoken, we tend to repeat those same words to ourselves. Words can also deliver healing or deliver wounds. We have to choose which it will be. Death and life are all in the power of the tongue. 

APPLICATION

1. Express Appreciation

Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” The only way to neutralize evil is to replace it by actively doing something good. We have to replace the mistakes by actually complimenting and building others up. We have to practice expressing appreciation.

2. Dedicate Our Thoughts to God Today

Our actions and words need to be pleasing to the Lord. Yet, if our thoughts please Him, everything else will follow suit. What is on our minds and hearts is more important to God. God looks at our hearts; we have to make sure that our hearts are right. God tells us to be careful how we process things on the inside because, sooner or later, they are going to come out of our mouths.

“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke 6:45).

3. Commit to Making Wrong Things Right

We might think that, if we make mistakes with our tongue, the best thing to do is just “zip our lip.” We decide not to say anything anymore and just be quiet. That will not work – if that is our goal to not make any mistakes then we will not make any contributions either.  We will make mistakes but we are not to leave them as mistakes. We are to correct them! Otherwise, our words will go out with barbs wounding people and we will not even know it. If we make a mistake, God says, “Make it right.”

“If you have been snared with the words of your mouth, or have been caught with the words of your mouth, do this then, my son, and deliver yourself … go, humble yourself, and importune your neighbor … Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hunter’s hand and like a bird from the hand of the fowler” (Prov. 6:2-5).

God wants us to understand the power of words and to steward them well. They can deliver life or death. God wants to bring His Words of life to us. If we have prepared our hearts and our ears by stewarding words well, not only can we hear Him but we can also deliver that life to others.

PRAYER

Lord, help me put this into action today, so that, I will not be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness - aka: God I need Your help to put this into action within my life.  I need You to transform another aspect. Why? So that, I my heart doesn’t become hard and I don’t start to buy into the false notation that all this bible stuff is just trickery. - Trevor

What Do I Get Out Of This? (Initial Questions)

Today’s reading: Isaiah 8,9,19 & Hebrews 8 NASB

SCRIPTURE

“For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; so it is necessary that this high priest also have something to offer.” -Hebrews 8:3 NASB

OBSERVATION

1) Who is the high priest? 2) What does this priest have to offer me?

Let’s dig and go back a few days. Hebrew 5:1-10  “Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.  And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.” And he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”

1. Jesus Christ became the high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

Who is Melchizedek and how can Jesus legitimately become our high priest through this order? Old Testament priests descend from only one linage - the tribe of Levi. Jesus’ ancestral tree places Him in the tribe of Judah; which, disqualifies him for priesthood.  Why would God role things out this way?  

I could only locate (1) one passage that refers to Melchizedek in the Old Testament: Genesis 14:18 references to him as “King of Salem”.  Okay, let go New Testament: Hebrews 7:3 describes him “without genealogy.”  It leaves me to conclude: A) This guy came out of nowhere, or B) he was conceived by the will of the Force like Anakin Skywalker, or (C) His genealogy records were misplaced and he had no memory of his parents.   Apparently, God doesn’t like to be boxed in and is not always looking for smooth waters to navigate as the book of Hebrews makes tremendous waves in logical processing.  I mean, how can the New Testament and Hebrews reasonably claim Jesus as our priest if the Old Testament allow doesn’t allow it? 

Let’s go Hebrew 7:12, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. 13 For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe....”  Okay, I guess God has the right to modify or change things up; however, this Melchizedek tosses a huge question into my skeptics mindset. It would’ve been a lot to both logically connect and sell if Jesus had been from the tribe of Levi as this is a pivotal point. I mean, this is why the Jews did not and do not recognize Jesus Levitical or “priestly” authority.  

Bottom line: According to the law, Jesus is from the wrong tribe to be a priest.  He has the wrong lineage.  On top of that, his priest hood is in the order of Melchizedek, a fantom or mystery man who lives before the law.  

Conclusion: The Law and the Old Testament do not jive / mix with Jesus and the New Testament.  Since I can’t make Jesus fit with the old way of the law - what do I get out of this now?

APPLICATION

What’s my take (aka. what I get out of this). 1) My performance is no longer a primary point. 2) My name is not on the contract.  According to Hebrews 8:8 under the old way, “God found fault with the people” and under the new way, God makes a promise to Himself (see Hebrews 6:1-19).  Bottom line application: My salvation and my faithfulness are all about Him and is not something I can loose because Jesus has paid (past, present, & future) the price - unreal concept.

PRAYER 

God for years I’ve been told that I am at the central point of this equation: “Must live a certain way,” “Must do...” And I find myself never done striving, always attempting to level up, and continually falling short - ending with complete frustration.  This morning I am reminded that Your ways are higher than mine.  Via Jesus, this is all about You!  And Your way allow me to embark on a lifelong journey of developing a genuine relationship with Jesus without religions “to do...,” “must hold to...,” etc... list.  Help me.  Help individuals.  Help the church at large.  This is huge! And even some what hard for me to completely fathom all I now get out of this Jesus thing!!!! What freedom!!!!  - Trevor

What Do I Get Out Of This?

Today’s reading: Isaiah 11,12,13,14; Hebrews 9 NASB

SCRIPTURE

“when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.” -Hebrews 9:11-12 NASB

OBSERVATION

As I read Hebrews 9 three words stood out above the rest, “...when Christ came...” What pivotal words!  It’s here I began to ponder, “How often is this critical transition in my mind and heart not made?”

What transition? A transition from the Old to the New.  A transition from the way things were pre Cross to the way things are post Cross! A transition that effects my entire being and that starts within my mind (logic) and heart (emotion).

Let’s go Hebrews 9:16-17, “For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.” 

The terms covenant, will, and testament are translations of the same Greek word. The writer is drawing an analogy between a WILL or covenant taking effect - this a basic play on words serves to make an critical point! A will isn’t in effect without a death - a covenant doesn’t go into effect without a death. What does this mean?

Meaning the New Covenant did not begin at Jesus’ birth but as he died / at his death. This point carries some radical implications - as it messes with our thinking. First the New Testament does not actually begin in Matthew 1. It begins at the point in history when Jesus’ died on the cross & when he came back to life. It’s was not Jesus birth that changed everything. It was his death that inspired the apostles to declare the message of “out with the old, and in with the new.” - Hebrews 8 & 9

Let’s go Hebrews 10:9-10

“He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified (made in right 

standing) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” - Hebrews 10:9-10

The first or OLD covenant was set aside because it made no one right before God. It was a performance based system that everyone failed or fell short of the standard. I mean if you ever tried to please everyone? How incredible overwhelming.  For that reason, Jesus took away the old and made it obsolete. Why? Because of the burden, weight, or headache it causes. The Old has been set aside.

APPLICATION

So where do I go from here?  What do I get out of this process?  What can I walk away with?

Yesterday’s reading in Hebrews 8:13 stated:

“When He said, “A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.

And then I read two days ago - Hebrews 7:18-19

“For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former covenant because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.”

What does the writer of Hebrews say? The Old is “weak and useless” in it’s attempt to make us right before God.

Wow!  Then when I’m feeling distant from God, it’s because I’ve measured myself and have come up short.  Aka: God no longer measures me or my performance, but He simply desires to do life with me!!! He desires to cultivate a genuine, growing, organic, relationship with me. No expectations / strings attached! Pure... Unreal!!!

PRAYER 

God, as a new triathlete and thirty-five year old male I see the importance of transitions. Yet, I still hear echos that “I must live a certain way,” “I must do certain things.” Today find myself dumbfounded or amazed that You desire a relationship with me above everything! Something continues internally screams their has to be more! What and why?  I’m not sure. Is the bottom line: A genuine relationship with Jesus plus nothing? This is huge! Help me make this transition mentally because I’m hung up within various aspect of the old testament - of the previous things I have been taught - and now I find myself in need of unlearning things learned.  Wow! What freedom!!!! Thank God!!!!  - Trevor

Only One

Today’s reading: 2 Chron 29; 2 Chron 30; 2 Chron 31; James 4 NIV

SCRIPTURE

“ 11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?” -James 4:12 NIV

OBSERVATION

Slander or defamation—also called calumny, vilification, traducement (for transitory statements), and libel (for written, broadcast, or otherwise published words)—refers to a malicious, false, not specific enough to verify a spoken statement or report.

As I process slanders definition this morning four additional questions come to mind:

Question #1: Why do family members and close friends “slander” one another?

There are various reasons and answers to this question - personal insecurity, pride, selfishness, a desire to harm, a twisted self response, etc... Let’s continue digging....

Question #2: How can I personally stop “slandering”?

In a previous devotional reading James stated, “19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” - James 1:19-20

Defiantly, there is a few points of truth here that would assist me:

1. “Quick to listen”, 2) “Slow to speak”, 3) “Slow to become angry”, and (I would add another biblical concept) 4) “Quick to take things back to heart.”

I remember shortly after talking about / “slandering” someone I paused.... pondered things for a bit.... and asked God, “Where is my heart in this?” Here’s what the Lord said, “Start pruning back. Prune back until you see the heart again. Prune back your initial / quick response - prune back on taking personal offense - and listen well.... ‘take things back to heart’ - take things back to want you know is true (of the situation, individuals, etc) - take things back to a learners perspective - ‘take things back to heart.”

Question #3: When the author of the James 4:11 references “the law” - I find it critical to note that he is probably referring to the “new testament law.”  And if this “law” referred to here is the “new testament law” that was established through Jesus’ work on the Cross and not the “old testament law” - how should that modify my take on the text?

Question #4: Who am I to judge my neighbor?

APPLICATION

What’s my take (aka. what I get out of this). Especially questions #3 and #4?  1) My performance is no longer a primary point. 2) Today, I live under a Post Cross covenant or “new testament law” according to the New Testament. 3) I am not God or an individuals ultimate judge; in other words, who I’m I to withhold that which God has extended to me?

Bottom line application: First, my salvation and my faithfulness are all about Him and is not something I can loose because Jesus has paid (past, present, & future) the price - unreal concept.  Secondly, as I slow down and listen well to God’s word - not becoming offended but processing things through what I know as true of God / taking things back to heart - I will be able to shift from the “old law” to the “new law.”  Seeing a personal life transformation along the way.  Third.... I am not to play God.... It’s His role and mine to journey through this life alongside Him.

PRAYER 

Help me slow down in life and make time for that which is most important both now and eternally. God, Thank you for fulfilling your promises....  From the side of logic to emotions and back again - passing over that sweet center balance point slow enough to know that’s where I would to live my life.  This morning, I just ask that You would guide me to that point.  Help me navigate today and guide my footsteps for tomorrow.  Please let me always feel the weight of my need for You. I pray that it would stir up my affections for You, leading to deep worship and a surrender of every area of my life. I need a revelation from You as I remember there is only one God.... - Trevor

“live under the freedom of God’s grace.”-Romans 6:1- Trevor