MINISTRY NOTES

Week of January 17, 2010

Hi Everyone,

It is good to warn a child to not play in the street. If a car hit a child, it is time to help the child not stand over the child's mangled body and say, "You should not play in the street." Recently a high profile Christian made the news by criticizing the satanic background of Haiti and relating that to their misfortune of an earthquake. Everything he said may have been true but unless God told him to say it (which he didn't claim) it might not have been the appropriate time to mention the concern. Maybe his time on TV would have been better spent encouraging Haiti aid donations through Christian missionary organizations that are known in Haiti as opposed to satanic practices. Regarding Christians who do not believe in Satan, if they read what Jesus said in Luke 10:18, they are calling Jesus a liar. If God tells you something, then ask God what you should do with that information.

Marriage Workshop Moment

To refresh what you have learned in our Workshop or entice you to experience our Workshop

"Remember, all marriages can be better, if you use what you learned."

Forgiveness All marriages have opportunities for forgiveness. Failure to forgive is like drinking poison to get even (you only hurt yourself). The psychologists, whose 30 years of research in developing our marriage workshop material, found that forgiveness is essential. This is strongly reinforced by the fact that the Son of God (Jesus) taught that forgiveness is essential 2,000 years ago. (Matthew 6:14-15). Saying "I'm sorry" is powerful and equally as important is saying, "I forgive you". Sometimes healing can come from just talking about the offense, especially in a safe conversation like in your weekly couples meeting (prior to your weekly date night) using the Speaker Listener Technique. Even major issues like adultery can be forgiven and many couples have gone on to have great marriages after major forgiveness. In society, people think that forgetting is a sign of brain problems like dementia. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:48 to be "perfect" like God. God says in Jeremiah 31:34 (NIV) I will remember their "sins no more". Some people will say they forgive but the memory and hurt is still present. If you will forgive them and "pray" for them every day as Jesus recommends in Matthew 5:44, eventually the hurt will leave and the memory of the offense will be healed. If you want the last word in an argument then apologize.

The Better Half

"When your partner won't support your efforts to make your marriage better" Without your spouse's support to improve your marriage, you can still pray daily for God's will to be done in each of your lives and your marriage ("all things are possible with God", Mark 10:27 NIV). All marriages have opportunities for forgiveness. Failure to forgive is like drinking poison to get even (you only hurt yourself). Saying "I'm sorry" is powerful and equally as important is saying, "I forgive you". In society, people think that forgetting is a sign of brain problems like dementia. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:48 to be "perfect" like God. God says in Jeremiah 31:34 (NIV) I will remember their "sins no more". Some people will say they forgive but the memory and hurt is still present. If you will forgive them and "pray" for them every day as Jesus recommends in Matthew 5:44, eventually the hurt will leave and the memory of the offense will be healed. If you want the last word in an argument then apologize.

A Psalm for reflection "I haven't stopped obeying Your laws because You Yourself are my teacher." Psalm 119:102 (ICB)

Understanding the Message, which is a Jesus Teaching: What I share in the message is what I believe God wants me to share. All the direct quotes from God are highlighted in royal purple. Of course the words of Jesus are in red. Rather than follow some made up doctrine, remember that Jesus said that every thing He said (Jn 12:49) and everything He did (Jn 14:31) comes from God. All teachings and all opinions should be supported by what we learn from God or Jesus (see the scripture referred to in the footnote).

A Jesus Teaching

Be Like Your Teacher

This is a time of beginnings. We celebrate Jesus birth, we celebrate the beginning of the New Year and I even have a birthday during this period. As we begin anew, we often consider what we can do new or better. Jesus says, "No pupils are greater than their teacher; but all pupils, when they have completed their training, will be like their teacher."1 First question is who is your teacher or mentor? It could be a parent, a grandparent, a boss, a teacher from school, a famous person in TV/Movies, a famous politician, a pastor, TV Evangelist, etc.. All examples are lacking, some may say isn't it good if it is a in ministry, until that person offers a personal opinion or has a lapse of morals. The best teacher is Jesus. Not what people say about Jesus but what Jesus actually says or does? What about when a person "completes their training"? I have been following Jesus as my teacher for many years and it doesn't seem likely that I will complete my training in my lifetime. Be careful that what you learn from Jesus is directly from Jesus, not from what a person says about Jesus, including people in the Bible like Paul. Yes many things Paul and Peter and John and others wrote are correct, just like many things people in ministry today may say are correct, but be sure you know they are correct by actually reading in your Bible what Jesus said or did.

As we read the red letters, which are the words of Jesus, in a red letter Bible, Jesus can teach us many things. For example "forgive" others, don't "worry", "fear" God, God is "one" and of course remind us of thing that God taught like "love" your neighbor, etc.5. If there were a primary recommendation for every Christian, it would be to read the red letters. If you have never done that, start today. I have done it many times and every time I learn more. Currently God has me reading the red letters in Spanish by reading a similar English version in a parallel column while I underline in red the Spanish words. Although I do not know Spanish that well, I am learning more from the English. It was during this exercise that God led me to use the teaching in this week's message about being "like" our teacher. Yes, when you read the red letters there will be times that you will need to read the verses around them to understand what Jesus is talking about. In addition to learning from what Jesus says, we can learn from things He does.

One thing we learn from Jesus is He was interested in learning. We find this precious story concerning when He was 12 years old in Luke and it appears to come from Jesus' mother's memory2. In my younger days, I remember being taught that Jesus was teaching the religious leaders in the Temple, even thought it clearly states in vs. 46 that He was "sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions." Listening and asking questions is one way to learn. By that age it is possible that Jesus had learned to read the scripture, like most Jewish boys today of that age. Remember that in Jesus' day they didn't have personal copies of the Bible. As far as we know the only copies were at the Temple and in the Synagogues. Jesus was learning like we learn, just like Jesus was born like we are born. In vs. 47 we read, "everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers." I know that when my sons were that age they could carry on an intelligent conversation with adults, which sometimes amazed the adults. We do learn also from this story in vs. 49 that Jesus knew that God was His "Father" but He still had to learn like we learn. Yes, God can reveal details to us personally which is often called prophecy and God did reveal thing to Jesus during His ministry. Having to learn the Bible by listening to people at church and occasionally being able to read it, is certainly a more difficult learning experience than we have today. This could help us understand that it was His custom in His hometown to go to church every week and they were so familiar with Jesus that they handed Him a scroll to read4. As we are learning from the Teacher, Jesus, we not only learn that Jesus worked at learning but that He was in church every week. Remember that during Jesus' ministry He referred to scriptures or quoted them close to 100 times, from many books in the Bible, so He learned well. We all need to learn like Jesus learned and we certainly have it easier with personal Bibles and computers, etc..

Another thing we can learn from Jesus is how He learned from God. Many times it is recorded that Jesus went off to pray6. We learn that before He made a big decision of choosing the 12, He spent the whole night in prayer7. Jesus teaches us how to pray and encourages us to persist in our prayer requests8. In the story where Jesus prayed before His crucifixion in the garden of Gethsemane we find he persisted by praying the same thing three times. We are blessed with several accounts where we get to overhear the comfortable way Jesus converses with God9.

As we read these scriptures, perhaps we should consider, "who is my teacher"? If Jesus is our teacher, then it is good to read what Jesus wrote by reading the red letters. Do you study the Bible and read it frequently? Do you ask questions on parts you do not understand? (I am available for questions) Do you follow what Jesus teaches and pray "daily"8? Over twenty years ago in Korea, I asked the question translated into Korean, "How often do you pray?" And one precious woman in the church responded. "When I have a problem." Many Christians only pray when they have a problem. Be encouraged to talk (pray) to God daily and develop a relationship with Him.

Let us pray,

"God thank You for helping us learn from Jesus as our teacher. Help us to have a desire to learn more and to put into practice what we have learned. Give us a desire to know the truth, which is Jesus (John 14:6). Thank You in Jesus name, amen."

1. Luke 6:40 (TEV)

2. Luke 2:41-51

4. Luke 4:16

5. Matthew 6:14-15;

6:25-34; 10:28; Mark 12:29-31 6. Matthew 14:23; Luke 9:28

7. Luke 6:12

8. Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 18:1-8

9. Matthew 26:36-44; John 11:41-42; 17:1-26