eBook6 Amazing Bible Stories to Strangely Warm Our Hearts - eBook [ePub] (6 Amazing Bible Stories to Strangely Warm Our Hearts - eBook [ePub])
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| ISBN-13: | 9781426731181 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Abingdon Press |
| Publication date: | 05/01/2011 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 811 KB |
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6 Amazing Bible Stories to Strangely Warm Our Hearts
By JAMES W. MOORE
Abingdon Press
Copyright © 2011 Abingdon PressAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4267-3118-1
CHAPTER 1
AMAZING POWER OF LOVE
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:1-7
* * *
A few years ago the Public Broadcasting System did a fascinating four-part television series Power Politics in Washington, D. C. The series, which ran for four consecutive nights, was based on Hedrick Smith's successful book The Power Game. It was an eye-opening dissection of where the power is in our nation's capital. The opening segment examined Congress. It revealed that today's officeholders have had much of their strength depleted by becoming victims of what is called "The Constant Campaign," which suggests that members of Congress are always running for office. They have to give so much time, effort, and energy to politicking that it takes away from their strength in addressing the political problems. California Congressman George Miller put it bluntly, "Before you can save the world, you have to save your seat!"
The second program in the series gave a somewhat chilling look inside the Pentagon and the sobering power struggles and skirmishes going on there constantly.
The third episode was titled "The Unelected." It revealed the awesome power that the lobbyists, the congressional staff members, and the media have in running our country. Their impact is absolutely amazing, though not always so visible or obvious. For example, in the series, Senator Tom Eagleton suggested that ABC newsman Ted Koppel was much more powerful than any one member of the United States Senate!
The final program in the series dealt with the president, his power, and the strong influence of the people who have access to him. I was fascinated by this PBS presentation because it not only gave an inside view of Washington and how it works, but it also revealed how obsessed we in our modern world have become with power.
In his book The Power of Love, Dr. D. L. Dykes talked about this. He said,
We are a people who live in a time almost totally dedicated to the concept of power. We love power. If we are to believe the television commercials, we even want our detergents to have "bulldozer power." We want automobiles with 400-horsepower engines, capable of cruising at 120 miles an hour, when we know we have to drive in zones from 35 to 65 miles an hour. For the most part, our greatest sense of security is in believing that we are the strongest nation in the world ... and we can sleep peacefully at night because of that sense of security. Power is a watchword of our time.(D. L. Dykes, The Power of Love [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1988], p. 13)
But now let me ask you something. What is the most powerful thing in the world? What is the strongest thing on earth? Is it force? Is it military might? Is it political clout? Is it oratory? Is it influence? Is it money? Is it position? How would you answer that question? What is the most powerful thing in the world?
Nels Ferre, one of the great theologians of our time, helps us answer that question by relating a true experience from his early life. He was something of a child prodigy. Early on, his family and the school officials in his homeland of Sweden realized that he was gifted. He was so bright! Because of his brilliance, he was selected at age thirteen to come to America to study. Even his departure from Sweden was an unforgettable experience, which he vividly recalled.
The family had prayer, and each of the eight children prayed. When they finished, they walked together to the railroad station. Dr. Ferre said that as they stood there waiting for the train, his brothers and sisters were all wishing him well, and his father was giving fatherly advice. His mother hugged him tightly and tried to say something, but then her eyes welled up with tears and her voice choked away to nothing. What does a mother say to her thirteen-year-old son who is going off for a long time to another country thousands of miles away? What would you say to your child?
Nels Ferre said, "I could see Mother, her mouth forming words and not being able to say anything." Finally, the conductor blew his whistle, young Nels Ferre got on board, and the train began to pull away. He looked out the train window and waved good-bye to his family. As his eyes began to fill with tears, he turned and stared down at the floor. But suddenly, something told him to look back. As the train was slowly pulling out of the station, he glanced back and saw his mother running frantically alongside the train and motioning for him to open the window. Quickly, he opened the window, and he heard his mother shouting as she ran alongside the train, her final words of instruction to him: "Nels, remember Jesus! Remember Jesus!"
What is the most powerful thing in the world? Nels Ferre's mother knew the answer to that. The strongest thing in the world is the spirit of Jesus Christ! The spirit of Christ is more powerful than money, more powerful than position, more powerful than military might.
Even the renowned French general Napoleon came to realize that. Early in his career he was reported to have said, "God is on the side of the ones who have the biggest guns." Later, he said, "Caesar, Alexander, and I built our empires on might, while Jesus built His kingdom on love and today millions of people all over the world will bow at the mention of His name."
The spirit of Christ is the strongest thing in the world because it is of God. It is simply indestructible. You can't kill God's truth. It resurrects! You can't stop God's word. It will not be silenced! You can't destroy God's righteousness. It will ultimately win!
If you want to know what God is like and if you want to know what God wants us to be like, remember Jesus!
If you want to do right and be right and stand for what is right and come out on the side of right—remember Jesus! If you want to know the greatest power this world has ever seen—remember Jesus! Empires will rise and fall; military establishments will conquer and be conquered; leaders will come and go; but his truth will keep marching on!
When we remember Jesus—who he was, what he believed in, how he lived, and what he taught—many things come to mind. But here are three that will give us power to love and live in these challenging days.
1. HOPE IS BETTER THAN DESPAIR
Jesus showed us that hope is better than despair. The life of Jesus planted the indomitable spirit of hope deep in our souls. Hope means life and light. Despair means death and darkness. Hope is the energy, the fuel, the power source that keeps us going, while despair takes the wind out of our sails.
Some time back, the gas gauge on my car went haywire. It started moving constantly back and forth like a miniature windshield wiper. Needless to say, that was not a lot of help in telling me how much—or how little—gas I had left in the tank. But while the gas gauge was acting up, I had to make a trip and drive to Buffalo, Texas. I knew that I was getting low on gas because I had driven more than three hundred miles since my last fill-up. But you know, all men seem to have two things in common when it comes to traveling. First, we don't like to stop to ask directions, and second, we don't like to stop for gas. We want to hurry up and get where we are going and set a new record or something. Anyway, as I came into Buffalo, my car began to hesitate and bump and sputter and try to quit. Fortunately, I was able to coast into a service station. As you might suspect, there was nothing wrong with the car. It was in good shape, relatively new, well tuned. There was nothing wrong, except that like all cars, it would not run without fuel. It would not run without energy; it would not run without gas.
Our lives are like that, and hope in God is our energy source. It's the gasoline that empowers us. Take it away and we quit and sputter and die.
A frontiersman came one day to a lake that was frozen over. He needed to cross the lake, but he was afraid. How solidly frozen was the ice? Would it hold him? In his fear, he knelt down and began to crawl timidly on his hands and knees, listening intently for any sound that might signal to him that the ice was breaking. Suddenly, he heard a happy sound, a reassuring sound. It was a team of horses pulling a wagon. They were in the middle of the frozen lake, moving rapidly. The frontiersman knew then that if the ice could support a horse-drawn wagon, it surely could support him. He stood confidently to his feet and boldly continued his journey across the lake with a feeling of great exhilaration.
That is the good news of our Christian faith. That is the power of the gospel. One has gone before us! He has shown us that the ice will hold us. That is Christian hope, and there is great power in that. Hope is better than despair.
2. FORGIVENESS IS BETTER THAN VENGEANCE
Jesus taught that, and he was right! I don't know of anything more life depleting than vengeance. That attitude can absolutely devastate our souls. On the other side of the coin, I don't know of anything more powerful—or more life giving—than forgiveness.
Paul Scherer was a highly regarded preacher for many years at Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City. Toward the beginning of Scherer's ministry at Trinity, Harry Emerson Fosdick, who was the minister at Riverside Church, sent a letter to his ministerial colleagues in Manhattan concerning a certain social issue. Paul Scherer received the letter, disagreed with Fosdick, and wrote a hot letter back to him. In addition to attacking Fosdick's position, Paul Scherer attacked Fosdick harshly and personally. As a result of this hard confrontation, Paul Scherer felt that he could never again even speak to Fosdick.
Several months later, Dr. Scherer attended a convocation at Union Seminary. As he settled into his seat, he glanced at the bulletin and saw that the speaker was to be Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick. Scherer wanted to leave, but just then the processional began and he couldn't get out graciously because he was in the aisle seat on the front pew. During the processional, while the clergy waited for the choir to get seated, Dr. Fosdick found himself standing next to Paul Scherer.
Just then an amazing thing happened. A God Thing! Dr. Fosdick reached over and gently placed his hand on Paul Scherer's right shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. Dr. Fosdick did not say a word, but with that squeeze, he spoke volumes. He just gently squeezed and then softly patted Dr. Scherer's shoulder and with that simple gesture, with that tender touch, suddenly, reconciliation happened! As a result of that brief but meaningful moment, Harry Emerson Fosdick and Paul Scherer became the closest of friends for the rest of their lives, showing once again that forgiveness is stronger than vengeance.
The power of forgiveness is incredible. Jesus taught us that in word and in deed. Hope is better than despair. Forgiveness is better than vengeance, and love is better than hostility.
3. LOVE IS BETTER THAN HOSTILITY
A little freckle-faced boy named Tommy had lived at an orphanage as long as he could remember. It was the custom at this home to parade the boys and girls to the parlor whenever someone came to see about adopting one of the children. Tommy had made that trip to the parlor many times, but somehow he was always one of the first to be excused. But one day a big car with a chauffeur stopped at the curb in front of the orphanage. Once again, Tommy was ushered into the parlor. And for some reason, this time he was not asked to leave. A welldressed woman wanted to adopt him.
She said, "Tommy, if you will come home with me, you can have more than you ever dreamed possible—your own room, your own telephone, new clothes, toys, a pony."
Surprisingly, Tommy said, "Well, if that's all you have to offer, I'd just as soon stay here."
The orphanage director was a bit embarrassed, and she asked, "Why, Tommy, besides all those nice things, what on earth do you want?"
Tommy replied, "I just want someone to love me!"
More than anything, that is what we see in the spirit of Christ, the promise that someone does, indeed, love us, and the call to be a loving people!
The power of love. Stronger than hostility, stronger than fame, stronger than force, stronger than money. Remember how Paul put it, "Love never ends ... the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:8, 13).
* * *
WESLEYAN CORE TERM: "HOPE"
First Peter 3:15 reminds us of the hope that is within us. One of the important contributions that Wesley made in the way we think about this hope within is the way it illumines sanctification. Hope is a this-worldly activity because it signals our interest to become more Christ-like, so it requires actively loving God and our neighbor. Wesley believed that all Christians could realize this hope while on their journey. Wesley's understanding of hope also pushes us toward an otherworldly consummation, which is the hope of eternal life. For Wesley, the hope for consummation was still a part of the sanctifying process, resulting in Christians fully recovering the image of God. Therefore, the hope of becoming more Christ-like ultimately transforms us as we grow into the image of Christ. The hope that is within us is both this-worldly and otherworldly because both are grounded in being transformed into the image of Christ.
LIFE APPLICATION TOPIC: "LOVE OF GOD"
"The LORD of hosts is mustering an army for battle" (Isaiah 13:4b). God always acts to redeem and rescue us. We can't outrun, out-give, outlast, or outgrow God's love. Out of the depth of that love, God delivered the people of God out of Egypt, moved an army to deliver the people of God from exile, and later would send the Son to rescue the world. The whole of Scripture captures God's great love affair with humanity. We may try to run and hide, but the arm of God's love for us is always long enough to reach and rescue us.
(See also the Wesley Study Bible: Wesleyan Core Term: "Forgiveness"; Life Application Topic: "Love One Another.")
* * *
BIBLE STUDY EXTRA: CORINTH
Corinth is a city that commands the isthmus that links the Peloponnese to mainland Greece. Paul worked with Prisca and Aquila for eighteen months while founding the church there (from spring A. D. 50 to late summer A. D. 51, Acts 1:1- 18). Paul made two subsequent visits (2 Corinthians 12:14; 13:1), on the second of which he wrote the Letter to the Romans.
The city was built on two natural terraces overlooking a vast plain, noted for its agricultural richness. From ancient times, well before Paul, Corinth was considered a wealthy city.
The history of Corinth began in the fifth millennium B. C. and came to an end when Lucius Mummius, a Roman general, destroyed it in 146 B. C. The city that Paul knew was restored in 44 B. C. by Julius Caesar and became the capital of the province. Each Roman province was governed by a proconsul, who ruled for one year, and each year the citizens elected two senior magistrates, who were the executive officers of the city, and two assistants. A first-century A. D. inscription mentions an assistant named Erastus, who is thought to be the person mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:23 and 2 Timothy 4:20.
The first colonists were ex-slaves from Greece, Syria, Judea, and Egypt. Having nothing, they began by robbing tombs to make a living. These tombs contained treasures so rich that within fifty years, some of the citizens were extremely wealthy.
The population of Corinth is not known, but it is clear that the city was extremely diverse in terms of religion and ethnicity. There were Greek cults and shrines of Apollo, Athena, Aphrodite, Asclepius, Demeter and Kore, Palaimon, and Sisyphus. There is evidence of Egyptian influence and worship of Isis and Sarapis. In addition, there was a temple dedicated to the Roman emperor. The city recognized the Jewish community as a corporation of foreigners with permanent right of residence and governed by its own officials in its internal affairs (Acts 18:15).
The ethos of Corinth can be summed up in a proverb and a myth. The proverb that was quoted by Greeks and Romans was, "Not for everyone is the voyage to Corinth." It meant that only the tough survived. The myth is that of Sisyphus (as told in Homer's Odyssey). Sisyphus was an ancient king of Corinth who enjoyed the success of a trickster in life, but after his death in the underworld, his task was to push a rock up a mountain. Each time he approached the summit, it slipped from his hands and he had to start again, the meaning being that life was precarious and that luck counted more than effort (from The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible [Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2008], vol. 1, pp. 732–34).
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1. Think about those people whom you love. How do you let them know that they are important to you?
2. Share a time when you felt God's love for you.
3. Make a list of some amazing people you know, and make a commitment to pray for them daily in the upcoming week.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from 6 Amazing Bible Stories to Strangely Warm Our Hearts by JAMES W. MOORE. Copyright © 2011 Abingdon Press. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction: How to Read the Bible,1. Amazing Power of Love 1 Corinthians 13:1-7,
2. Amazing Marks of Christ Galatians 6:11-18,
3. Amazing Discipline Matthew 21:6-17,
4. Amazing Faith Daniel 6:19-23,
5. Amazing Church Romans 12:1-2,
6. Amazing Surprises Genesis 28:10-17,