Last night the protests reached to every major city and even some minor ones. I’ve read and heard about these events in prophetic words for years and here we are right in the middle of the perfect storm. The only way out is through and we are going to have to repent of our many sins. One good way to start turning from sin and towards God is with a Bible study. If we were all at home studying our Bible and then taking what we learn out into the world.
Outside in the world there was a man who died at the hands of cruelty. To make that better the world is responding with more cruelty. In defense of the new cruelty, people blame the old cruelty and the cycle can only end one way. Because today there are many more people hurt by cruelty than there were yesterday. The way out is what Jesus taught. Do not resist an evil person. Overcome evil by doing good. And He walked that out all the way to and through His own death.
The solution isn’t physical, that’s what most people aren’t seeing. You can’t stop violence by violence. Even if 10 million people marched and only a few hundred were violent, that still multiplies the problem a few hundred times over. Today the cruelty of one man has sparked hundreds and maybe thousands of acts of cruelty and it’s growing by the day. This is a war that needs to be fought in a prayer closet, in good deeds towards those who have hurt us, in teaching our children righteousness. The hardest thing in the world is to do good when what was done was bad. It’s hard because the war is spiritual. Each of us has to win our own battle inside, and then go show others the way out of this fire.
Ok, on to the Bible. The reading today is in the middle part of Exodus where Moses receives the Ten Commandments and the design for the Tabernacle and all of that. So where is Jesus? There are plenty of studies on how the design of the Tabernacle points to Jesus so I think I’ll look at something else. How about the design of the law. Jesus said it all points to Him and the Law gets labeled as a bad thing in church sometimes, but it isn’t and can’t be. If you believe the Bible you have to believe the whole thing.
The law teaches people what to do, but how do sinful people judge things? The natural mind wants to focus on the sins of others. But look closely at the Ten Commandments, each one of them says YOU. You don’t murder, You don’t steal, You don’t follow other gods, You honor you parents… and on down the list. Why did God write with His finger You do all of these things and how does that point to Jesus?
When Jesus taught about obeying the law, He taught it differently than the leaders of His time. They focussed heavily on how to judge, they were very literal and what they decided was imposed on everyone. But when Jesus taught the law He carefully focussed on the You aspect of righteousness. He taught things like, don’t just ‘not commit adultery’ but check your thoughts and desires and lusts. Get so in tune with God that you don’t even want to commit adultery. He taught things like, don’t ‘not commit murder’ but get you spirit, heart and thoughts so far away from murder that you aren’t even angry inside.
Jesus taught the You part of the law very carefully. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth is very different than if you want something go get it. It addresses the spiritual nature of things. I remember in a mob movie one of the characters saying if the meek want to inherit the earth they better get in line. Meaning I’m going to be taking what I want and the meek don’t matter. That really is the heart of evil encapsulated. Human/sin nature says the bold get what they want. And what could be bolder than doing the opposite of your fallen nature?
The meek don’t cause trouble and God blesses them. The best things in life really are free but you have to walk through that door to see what’s behind it. It doesn’t make sense to people. But a spiritual struggle is the only thing that actually makes sense. To bring peace to a city, you have to get the Spirit of peace in you and share it in your city. Step one to living in peace in receiving the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist said Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Once you have that peace inside of you, you can spread it. So if you want to go to war with evil, get out of the streets and into communion with God.
I hope everyone is safe out there. Happy Pentecost Sunday. The reading today is Exodus 16-28 I’d love for you to join me in that. I love you guys and God bless all Y’all.
Practice Outlaw 