Blog Post

Morning Minute — 02/18/2011

  • By John Batts
  • 20 Feb, 2011
Romans 15:2 says this –                 “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” (NKJV) Often, in our relationships with other people, it’s easy to want to focus on only discussing things that are “pleasing … Continue reading →
Romans 15:2 says this –
                “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.” (NKJV)
Often, in our relationships with other people, it’s easy to want to focus on only discussing things that are “pleasing to the ears” – you know, those things that are either light-hearted, casual, complimentary, etc.  Those are things that are easy to talk about.  They don’t require much thought.  There’s usually laughter and smiles associated with the topics.  And most of all, there’s little risk of offending anyone or hurting someone’s feelings. 
It’s funny what we’ll do to avoid a possible confrontation.  We’ll bottle things up inside…even break off a relationship with someone…all in the name of avoiding conflict.
Sometimes it’s because of the way it makes us feel.  We get nervous, and we genuinely don’t want to hurt someone else by anything we say.  Sometimes it’s out of caution – we know what  Jesus said in Luke 6:41-42
“And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you
yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?  Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own
eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” (NKJV)
 
Most of us realize we have our own faults, and the much more important focus should often be on getting our own issues worked out with God before we try to tackle someone else’s issues.
But either way, it’s easy to let issues remain unresolved.  They don’t get worked out, and relationships – and even families – can suffer as a result.
Like it or not, sometimes we need to take the time – we need to care about someone enough – to share our concerns with them.  Looking at Romans 15:2 above, there are some key things in that verse that can be easily missed or misinterpreted:
  • “Let each of us” – This means that every Christian has the responsibility to do what is mentioned in this verse.  It’s not a single person’s job – each of us should take the initiative, whether it makes us uncomfortable or not, to do what follows in the rest of this verse.
 
  • “please” – Often, we look at this word, and it’s easy to think that we should only be saying things that are pleasant.  That’s not the case.  The original Greek word translated as “please” is pronounced “ar-ES-ko”, and it literally means “to be agreeable”.  In other words, it doesn’t mean that we have to only say things that are pleasant – it means we should focus on being pleasant when we share what is on our hearts.  If you have a relationship with at least one other human being, you will have some strife in that relationship.  It’s not a matter of “if”…it’s a matter of “when”.  We need to work those things out…but how we say what we need to say is almost as important as the subject itself.  If we approach the situation with a focus on being pleasant, then it’s easier for the person on the receiving end to hear what we have to say without getting defensive or misunderstanding things.
 
  • “his neighbor” —  Of course, this doesn’t mean just the people living on either side of you.  Literally, this is referring to those who are near.  These are people in your family, people you hang out with, people in your church, people at your job, etc., those people whom God has allowed to be part of your world, and you part of theirs.
 
  • “for his good” – This phrase comes from a Greek phrase that can be literally interpreted as “for his benefit”.  This is important, because there are times when the thing that is difficult to discuss is exactly what is needed to be beneficial.  In fact, not talking about it would end up hurting the person or the relationship in the long-run. 
 
  • “leading to edification” – This means that the ultimate goal must be the strengthening of the person with whom you need to discuss something.  If your goal is to share something with someone that you know will make them self-conscious or will tear them down, then that is the wrong motivation completely.  But, if your goal is to say what you need to say for the purpose of strengthening that person and your relationship with that person (or the relationship between that person and someone else), then that is the RIGHT motivation.
 
So, as you look at this verse, what God is reminding us is that, as Christians, we have the responsibility – as we look out for each other and love one another through Christ – to share those things that will ultimately strengthen one another.  Sometimes that may be recognizing a job well done…or extending thanks for some hard work put forth…or affirming a positive quality that you see in someone.  However, there are other times when it might mean letting someone know where you see something going wrong – like bad choices being made or highlighting when they have said or done something that hurt you.  In fact, if something has happened to us that has caused us anger, we should recognize that there is a time and a place to discuss everything; however, there is also an urgency, too, for God’s Word reminds us in Ephesians 4:26-27 – “ Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” (NKJV)
No matter what it is that you are feeling burdened to share with someone, remember the goals of being pleasant and remaining focused on ultimately strengthening that person.  This will bring about the edification that they need and help each of us as Christians to grow strong in our faith!
Have a blessed day today and a wonderful weekend!
–Pastor John
By John Batts May 29, 2018
Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV) -- "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Following Jesus' ascension, the disciples did just as Jesus had commanded them -- they remained together in Jerusalem and waited on the giving of the Holy Spirit before they continued with what is known as the Great Commission. (Jesus said, as recorded in Acts 1:8 -- "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." NKJV) As we read in Acts 2:1-4 (shown above), the Holy Spirit was given on the Day of Pentecost, empowering the disciples to speak in other languages, resulting in the message of the Gospel being shared simultaneously with thousands of people!

But why did this happen on the Day of Pentecost? Certainly, there were a lot of people in Jerusalem -- this was a celebration day that would be accompanied by a lot of activity. So, from a strategic sense, there was good reason for this to happen on this day. However, could there be more? I think so...in fact, from my initial study of Scripture, it appears to be linked to the Old Testament in a way that completely glorifies God!

First, it's important to understand the significance of the Day of Pentecost. The word "Pentecost" refers to "fifty days". In the Old Testament, the Day of Pentecost is directly linked to the Jewish festival "Shavuot", in the Bible known as the Festival (or Feast) of Weeks. It is a celebration that commemorates when God gave Moses the 10 Commandments on Mount Sinai -- an event that occurred fifty days after the Passover, when the Jewish people were freed from bondage and enslavement to the Egyptians. (From Wikipedia -- "On Passover, the Jewish people were freed from their enslavement to Pharaoh; on Shavuot they were given the Torah and became a nation committed to serving God.")

Interestingly, the Festival of Weeks is also referred to in Scripture as Day of First Fruits, a celebration of the harvest that God gave His people, and is linked to the Feast of Harvest (see Exodus 23:16 ) as well. God's people would celebrate how God had taken care of them and would offer back to God the first-fruits of their harvest as a way of honoring God.

Here's where it gets so incredible -- look at the similarities and the significance of the two events, from the Old Testament and the New Testament:

1) In the Old Testament, the Passover celebrated when the Jews were freed from enslavement and Pentecost celebrated when they became a nation committed to God. In the New Testament, the crucifixion of Christ during Passover week is something we look back to as a time when humanity was provided freedom from being enslaved to sin...and at Pentecost, through the giving of the Holy Spirit, it's a celebration of entering a new relationship with God.

2) In the Old Testament, as you read the accounts, you find that -- when God gave the law (the Torah) to Moses on Mount Sinai, He wrote the 10 Commandments Himself on the tablets of stone. (see Deuteronomy 9:10 ) God Himself carved the 10 Commandments into the stone to signify the covenant relationship He had with His people. In the New Testament, the image of the Holy Spirit being given to the disciples mimics the finger of God -- in this case, it was as tongues of fire, signifying the beginning of a new covenant relationship God was initiating with all of humanity, to all those who would trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. In both cases, God "sealed the deal" symbolically through a direct intervention.

3) Of course, with Pentecost being directly tied to the Feast of Harvest, there is a direct correlation to the harvest the disciples experienced following the giving of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:41 tells us the following: "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them." (NKJV) And, just as the Jewish people would make a sacrifice of first-fruits on this day, we see the early church members also making a sacrifice of their own -- Acts 2:44-45 says, "Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need."

These are just some parallels that I felt God impressing upon my heart as I was preparing for a Bible study in 2009. While not meant to be exhaustive in any way, for me it just serves as a reminder of how intentional God is about everything He does... He is truly amazing!
By John Batts February 29, 2012
Maybe you’ve experienced this yourself:  You are talking with someone, and the conversation gets a little tense…the topic, a little bit “touchy”.  One of you says something, and the other – in the tension of the moment – thinks that … Continue reading →
By John Batts December 19, 2011
This morning, I read a news story about some good Samaritans who are helping others anonymously. All around the country, with the focus on Kmart stores, there are nameless people who are making payments towards other people’s layaway accounts — … Continue reading →
By John Batts October 14, 2011
Several weeks ago, we adopted a couple of kittens that had been rescued by our veterinarian’s office staff. One of the kittens was a small, mostly black little girl that we named “Shadow”. The other kitten was a mostly gray … Continue reading →
By John Batts October 11, 2011
Now that we are more than a decade into the 21st Century, it’s pretty amazing when you stop and think about all the technological advances that have come our way:  There are cars that can parallel park for themselves.  There … Continue reading →
By John Batts September 9, 2011
Where were you? Lots of people are asking that question as we get closer to the 10th Anniversary of 9-11. I remember talking with my co-worker, Jackie, while I was driving into work that morning.  I had been listening to … Continue reading →
By John Batts April 9, 2011
Over the years, you have probably heard of some of the frivolous lawsuits that have been brought against companies in this country.  For instance, there have been lawsuits by prisoners against the state because of things like their mashed potatoes … Continue reading →
By John Batts April 8, 2011
Here in our area of the Pacific Northwest, it’s pretty unusual to see the sunshine without it being obscured by a layer of clouds – at least at this time of year. So when the sun does peek out from … Continue reading →
By John Batts March 16, 2011
It’s hard to go a day without hearing about the terrible tragedy that continues to unfold in Japan. After being hit by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake…and an over 20-foot tsunami…and scores of aftershocks, many of which have been over 6.0 … Continue reading →
By John Batts March 3, 2011
I read this news story today, as posted on www.foxnews.com: Baby Brought Back to Life After Being Frozen 3 Days A stillborn baby was brought back from the “dead” after doctors froze her body for three days, British media reported … Continue reading →
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