Author: Jim Clayton (Page 1 of 4)

This month in Jim Class we are going to look at the phrase, “Don’t Do That,” from two perspectives. There are things that we tell ourselves we don’t want to do, and there are things that others, parents, teachers, coaches, and ultimately, God – tell us not to do. For some reason, those things are hard to talk about, hard to do, and, at times, even hard to consider.

The complication is not a result of the fact that we don’t know what it means, “not to do something.” It is usually within the parameters of not wanting to say or do the hard things. And in some instances, to refrain from doing the things we suspect we shouldn’t.

How does that thing called a conscience work? Why does it work? Why do I even have to be bothered with it at all?

We have heard all the common clichés regarding our consciences. “Let your conscience be your guide.” Or “Never override your conscience.” I would also venture to suggest that we have all, at one time or another, ignored that advice.

“A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.”

Steven Wright.

When my oldest daughter, Jenna, was six, following a lecture by my wife, Jeanne, about the perils of fingernail clippers. She told her how dangerous they were, how she could hurt herself and that it was very important that mommy or daddy be with her when she used them.

What Jenna heard was, “You can trim your nails unsupervised anytime you want.” Soon after, Jeanne heard the sound of nail clippers in the living room. Jenna was behind the La-Z-Boy. The back of the chair sat parallel to the corner of the wall so that it created a nice little cubby where one could clip her nails.

At the same time we were teaching our girls (we have two, Rachel is the angel) to be safe and to obey their parents, we were also teaching trust and respect. We found that we had to proffer the same to them if we were going to expect it from them.

When my wife asked Jenna if she were clipping her nails, she responded with a very cheerful and polite, “No, Mommy.” And at that instant the clipping sound ceased, and Jenna left the confines of her hiding place.

My wife chose to show trust and respect. Since Jenna had stopped clipping her nails and came out from behind the chair, there was no immediate danger. She took her at her word. Nothing else was said.

Two weeks later Jenna came to Jeanne and said, “Mommy, do you remember when you asked me if I was clipping my nails?” And Jeanne said, “Yes.” With a tear in her eye and a contrite heart Jenna replied, “Well, I was.” She said she was sorry, Jeanne gave her a hug, told her she was forgiven, and all was right with the world.

Two interesting things came of that incident. Jenna never used the nail clippers without permission again, and I saw the human conscience at work in a six year old.

As a minister I am fascinated with the human condition. How it relates to our interaction with others, and how it relates to our interaction with God. From a theological perspective the conscience and the human spirit are one. It is the voice of God speaking to us. That idea can lead to many blog topics, but that is the perspective from which I am bringing Jim Class to you this month.

II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV)

The spirit, the conscience, the internal compass of mankind, becomes new, or remade when we make a decision to follow Christ. I realize that the verse says, “all” things, but in the grand scheme of life, our spirit is “all” in the spiritual realm (that is a teaching for another day).

In the story I shared about my daughter, she demonstrated both aspects which I alluded to in my opening. She didn’t want to do what she was told, but there was a conflict within her to do the right thing, and what she was being prompted to do, come clean with mom and dad.

The best Biblical example to demonstrate this dilemma, is the story of the woman caught in adultery in the Gospel of John.

Jesus had gathered a group to begin teaching in the temple when He was interrupted by the Pharisees who had evidently caught a woman “in the very act” (John 8:4) of adultery.

The most befuddling aspect of this story is that there was no man caught. The ruling council’s crack team of investigators couldn’t catch the man. It does seem that if she were caught “in the very act,” she wouldn’t have been alone. A second party is never even mentioned.

The Pharisees present Jesus with a case they can’t lose. They’re going to catch Him in some contrary action so they can make an arrest. But He doesn’t respond properly, “But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.” (John 8:6, NKJV)

The experts in the law were wanting to know what Jesus would do in a situation that calls for expert knowledge. They had questioned his education just a few verses earlier, “How does this Man know letters, having never studied?” (John 7:15, NKJV). Jesus stooping down and writing in the sand must have been considered a slap in the face. I can’t imagine the members of the council letting someone get away with that. Why did they?

An even better question is, “What was Jesus writing?” Much speculation has been made on that topic. And without much substance.

Some say He was writing a secret Christian symbol. The most common icon mentioned is the Ichthus, or the Christian fish (which we see on bumper stickers). There isn’t much supporting evidence for that symbol being used while Jesus was on earth.

Others have said that he was simply doodling to upset the ruling council. They didn’t need help! They were already planning on killing Him and had sent officers to take Him prior to this. Then what was He writing? The best explanation I have, comes from scripture.

Jeremiah 17:11 “As a partridge that broods but does not hatch, So is he who gets riches, but not by right; It will leave him in the midst of his days, And at his end he will be a fool.” ¹² A glorious high throne from the beginning Is the place of our sanctuary. ¹³ O Lord, the hope of Israel, All who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth,
Because they have forsaken the Lord, The fountain of living waters.” (NKJV)

This is a prophetic reference toward those who will be in positions of power in the future with impure motives (Pharisees and Sadducees maybe?). They will reject (forsake) the true leader who is the “fountain of living water.” Which is Jesus.

He had just preached about access to this living water in John 7:38, “He who believes in Me, as the scripture (Psalm 36:8-9, Isaiah 44:3-4, Jeremiah 17:11, Joel 2:23) has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.”

Before and after He preached these words, there were plots to arrest Him and kill Him. That’s rejection. Those that rejected Him in chapter seven are back in chapter eight.

What He may have been writing in the dust were the names of His accusers. Jeremiah 17: ¹³ …All who forsake You shall be ashamed. “Those who depart from Me Shall be written in the earth, Because they have forsaken the Lord, The fountain of living waters.” (NKJV)

The Pharisees were desperately trying to keep their positions of power, John 11:48 “If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” Forget about the veracity of scripture or finding the Messiah, they wanted their authority.

What happened in the midst of this self-righteous posturing? Jesus ignored them and wrote on the ground. If it were their names, what happened next makes a lot of sense.

John 8:9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. (NKJV)

The conscience must be a powerful persuader. Their intent was to arrest and kill Jesus. But instead, they hung their heads and walked away, the oldest first.

At this point they had the sense of a six-year old. In the long run the Pharisees did put Jesus to death, and Jenna, my six-year old daughter, never again used the nail clippers without permission.

The moral of the story – be like Jenna!

Jim Class – Next Period

Now!

I had many names growing up. The vast majority of them were derivations of my actual name.

In my family there are, and have been, a plethora of Jims. That is not precisely true. We have had a lot of people in my family who were called Jim, but there true name was actually James.

But to say they were all called Jim is not entirely accurate either. My paternal great grandfather, James Clayton, was the heir to the title of Jim as he was the patriarch. My dad was also James Clayton, but he was called Jimmy in deference to Jim (great grandpa).

Then I was born and was also James, but could not be called Jim or Jimmy, so I became, “Little Jimmie.” (The spelling, which not everyone holds to, was the choice of my maternal great-grandmother, who was Stella and will likely not be mentioned again in this blog.)

We are up to three named James, but I haven’t run the gamut yet. My maternal grandfather was James Elmont. His son, my uncle was James William (But I called him Uncle Jim and others called him Jimmy). Uncle Jim’s eldest son was James Eric, but we call him Eric.

That’s three per side of the family (I guess I count twice, but I am only counting myself once). And yet there’s one more, Uncle Bub (my paternal great uncle by marriage), who was James Arthur. The whole family called him Bub, but the entire community of Terre Haute, Indiana, called him Jimmy.

To add to the caveat, my oldest is Jenna Marie, who would have been James Mitchell, III had she been a boy. That brings the total to seven men in my family with the first name James.

Back to the different names I carried. I was typically Jimmie at home. I was only “Little Jimmie” (I do refer to my first grandchild as “Little Jimmie” as well, but her name is Rose Lyn. She is more likely to get mentioned again than Stella, because she’s my grandchild) at large family gatherings.

At some point in my sister’s toddler years I became Bubby because she couldn’t clearly pronounce ‘brother.’ So, my list of names so far sounds like this: James, “Little Jimmie,” and just Jimmie, Bubby, and over time, to most people, I became Jim. There was a time, however, when I worked as a busboy at, The Seafood Broiler restaurant in Glendale, California, that I had a co-worker named Juan. He was of Mexican heritage and he called me Jaime, which is Spanish for Jim.

There were times that my mom used all of my names in relatively short periods of time. If she were calling me inside for dinner, the first call would be, “Jimmie, time to eat.” The second would be, “James Mitchell, don’t make me call you again,” which I inevitably did!

The third and final call, the tornado siren to me, was, “James Mitchell Clayton the second, you get in here right NOW!” At this point I came, knowing that the next step would be to have been dragged in by my upper arm, with my mom holding my sister on one hip and my little brother snickering behind us.

There is a reason why I went on this anecdotal binge. The topic of this month’s Jim Class led me there. The times that my mom would use my full name in calling me in were done out of a sense of urgency.

I’m fairly confident she frequently uttered the phrase, as nearly every mother has – it’s in their handbook – (insert your full and proper name in the blank) “______________________, I said NOW!”

Now is the topic of Jim Class this month.

It’s one of those words in the Bible we don’t often pay enough attention to. But it can’t be put off, it can’t be ignored, and yet, those are the things that a large percentage of people (including the body of Christ) do with it.

The very nature of the word NOW is one of action and existence. When we hear the word NOW, we immediately know what it means, it is obvious. Yet, at the same time, we hesitate because it’s too simple, it’s too self-explanatory to be that clear.

When we hear the word NOW many of us are intimidated, even fearful because of the underlying complexity that is revealed by its simplistic nature.

It is implied in other words, which makes it easy not to act upon. NOW is a simple word. It’s awe inspiring and amazing. It is so important and so valuable that God saw fit to use it 1600 times in the Bible, depending on what translation you are looking at.

One Thousand six hundred times! That means we could read verses with the word NOW in them, every day for almost five years and never repeat ourselves.

When you tell someone to go, when do you intend for them to go? Now!

When you give your kids a job to do, when to you expect them to do it? Now!

When you go to the drive through at McDonalds, place your order and pull up to the window, when do you expect them to have your order ready? Now!

When you pull up to a red light when do you expect it to be green? Now!

When you leave on a long trip, and you are excited to arrive at your destination, when do you want to be there? Now!

II Corinthians 6:  We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. ² For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (NKJV)

Paul tells the church at Corinth that, “NOW is the day of salvation.” (Emphasis mine.) If that was so in Paul’s day, it is so today. The interesting thing about the word now is, it is always in the present tense. Now never passes, never has to be waited upon, and never leaves us questioning when it is.

It isn’t like other words that can gain urgency over time.

“If it was critical then, how much more critical is it today?”

“I have to get there right away, or I’ll be late!”

Now is always now, it is not more now today than it was ten years ago, and you can’t be late for now because it always is!

I think our inclination toward complacency has gotten us into a rut. We convince ourselves, or let others convince us that we need a break, we DESERVE a break. We even get to the point that we ignore important things because we have convinced ourselves a break is more important than anything else,

That doesn’t mean never take rest. Even God rested. But it does mean that our responsibility to preach the Gospel never takes a break. Whether we’re at work, at school, the grocery store, or on vacation. We can’t ignore any opportunity to share the Gospel.

The point is this. There’s a name – not yours – not mine. But a name that is more important than any name we will ever come across. The full name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. But that isn’t His only name.

He is called Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, the Great Physician, Savior, Lord, Son of God, and Son Of Man. And He is all of those.

Other’s have called Him a devil or out of His mind. Some have said He is simply a good man, or even a mythical teacher. Still others have called Him a fraud and a hoax.

Names are important, and have been throughout time. But there is no name that is more important nor carries as much urgency as the Name of Jesus! The name above all names, the name at which every knee shall bow and the name that every tongue will confess as Lord.

The connection between the name and the urgency is this. Our job as Christians is to go into all the world and preach the Good News. And the lynch-pin in the Good News is hope in THE NAME!

II Corinthians 5:16 Therefore, from NOW on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become    new. ¹⁸ NOW all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

As we saw earlier, Paul told the church at Corinth that NOW is the day of salvation. He went further to point out that it was their job to propagate that news which we see in chapter five of II Corinthians.

So, from NOW on – from that moment we accept Jesus – we are judged by our spirits, our true selves. NOW all things are of God – who brought us back together with Him through Jesus Christ and expects us to carry that word on to others.

In other words – if God is talking to me, and He is – “James Mitchell Clayton the second, you get out there and tell people about Jesus – Right Now!” (Please note, if you’re a Christian, you can – and should – substitute your name where mine is!)

I suspect there are very few of you reading Jim Class this month who haven’t seen the movie, “Home Alone.” If you haven’t, and you were here, I would tell you as I used to tell my friend Jason, “We’re getting it!” And off to Blockbuster we would go.

Just in case (spoiler alert), it is the story of a young boy who gets left home by mistake while his family leaves for Europe over the Christmas Holiday. A couple of bad guys torment him, but he gets the better of them in the end.

The part of the story that relates to my topic this month is Kevin’s (the boy in the story) next door neighbor “Old Man” Marley. Urban legend held that Marley was a brutal serial killer known as, “The South Bend Shovel Slayer.” He killed his victims with a snow shovel and put them in garbage cans full of salt.

He was, because of the rumors, deemed to be unapproachable, and scary. These rumors coupled with his family estrangement and hermitic lifestyle made Marley seem more ominous than he really was. Ultimately, because of lies and rumors (which are usually synonymous) he was despised by his neighbors.

This rings true in other works of fiction as well: Dennis the Menace’s neighbor, Mr. Wilson. The old man played by Ed Asner (to whom my friend Jason can also relate) in “Up,” and the curmudgeonly Ben Weaver who was the owner of Weaver’s five and dime in Mayberry.  

There were urban legends such as these in my childhood, “The Lost Forest” being the most memorable for me. “The Lost Forest” was a patch of woods behind the house at the end of the cul de sac where I lived in Avon, Indiana, from kindergarten to 2^nd grade.

This was actually the same house I mentioned in an earlier blog where we would do power-slides on our stingray bikes into the driveway (or soft grass next to the driveway in my case).

Back to the woods. As we got deeper into these woods, there was a tall, skinny, scraggly, gray tree with hardly any branches or leaves on it, that was shaped like the letter “L”. So, because we were so far away from home (probably a hundred yards at least) we deemed this section of the woods, “The Lost Forest,” (L is for Lost).

The incident I recall most vividly was the day we actually came to the end of “The Lost Forest.” We came to an old wire fence that was bent and rusted, which marked the border of a field that was a pasture to a herd of cattle. We approached the fence, as closely as a bunch of suburbanites in tennis shoes dared, when it happened! A bull began charging (more like loping toward) the fence, and we ran. We ran as fast as we could, screaming cliché’s like, “Run for your life!” and “Stampede!”

My brother lost one of his tennis shoes and I, the brave older brother, stopped to retrieve it so that he wouldn’t get in trouble.

We were convinced the bull would knock that chintzy fence down, lower its head, and gouge each of us with its razor sharp horn – just like the bull in the Bugs Bunny episode where Bugs became a matador.

And, from that day forward we were convinced that the farmer who owned that cattle hated kids and that bull was his child-hunting pet trained to ram small boys with its horns. This was a farmer we never met, never saw, and knew nothing about!

Isaiah 53:3 He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from him; he was despised, and we did not esteem him. (NKJV)

I realize that I took a rather circuitous route to get to that verse, but I wanted to get you all thinking about people in your lives whom you have misjudged. Not to create guilt or condemnation, but empathy and understanding – empathy and understanding for what Jesus went through. The one person who we can clearly say never intentionally harmed one single person and was accused of the most heinous of crimes – He was truly despised.  

The Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon defines despised this way, “to trample with feet.” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible says, “to despise or regard with contempt.”

Think about those definitions. This is how Jesus, our Lord and Savior, was thought of by not only the political leaders of His day, but also the religious leaders, whom we have commonly heard referred to as The Pharisees.

But that is the crux of the story of the Bible. Salvation. Man being reunited with God through the one perfect sacrifice. The Lamb of God. The Savior of the World. The one who was, who is, and who is to come – Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

In the Book of John alone there are multiple references to the Pharisees seeking to kill Jesus. From John chapter five to John chapter seven, three chapters, killing Jesus is mentioned six times. Six times! And He had only just begun His earthly ministry.

There are also references to Jesus changing His travel habits (John 4:1, 7:9, 11:54), references to threats to stone Him (John 8:59), and the sending out of a group of soldiers to arrest Him (John 7:45, 10:39). He was also accused of being demon possessed (John 7:20, 8:45, 10:20).

The part that often gets overlooked is this. On several of those occasions Jesus said, or it was referenced, that His time had not yet come (John 2:4, 7:6, 7:30). The reference in John 2 happened at the Wedding in Cana where Jesus turned the water into wine, but the idea being conveyed is the same – He would decide His own fate.

These are just references from the Book of John. There are others, but I think I have made my point. There are a couple of telltale statements made by Jesus that support the idea that He went to the cross willingly: John 12:23But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. (NKJV)

Following this statement in John, we see the last supper, the prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the arrest, trial, crucifixion, and eventual resurrection of Jesus. But during His prayer in the Garden, He makes another reference to His own willingness to go to the cross: Matthew 26:39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (NKJV)

The next thing Jesus did was subject Himself to possibly the most horrible treatment any human has ever endured. There are publications by medical professionals that describe the horrific physical torture Jesus went through. There are diagrams and details that I don’t wish to belabor here.

But those wounds He suffered, the whip marks, the piercing with a crown of thorns, the nails driven into His hands and feet, were for you! Whether you believe it or not, He did so. He could rescue you and have a personal relationship with you. He was despised and rejected for you.

If you have longed for a relationship with Jesus and been hesitant, if you had at one point followed Him but have drifted away, hat promise He made on the cross still holds true.

Pray this simple prayer, “Father, please forgive me. I am sorry. I believe that Jesus did these things for me. I want to have a new life as a Christian. I accept Jesus as my Lord and savior and want to live for Him. In Jesus Name, Amen.”

That’s what Easter is all about. New Life. If you prayed that prayer, let me know. Send me a personal message on Facebook or let me know in the comments.

Jesus was despised and died for the very people who despised Him.

Hence the reason for my mention of “Home Alone” at the opening of Jim Class. Keven McCallister felt as though he had received salvation at the end of “Home Alone” when Mr. Marley – the one the community rejected – rescued him from the wet bandits with the very snow shovel he was purported to have murdered people with!

I know it’s been a few weeks since I have written, but I am going to shift to a less frequent publishing regimen. I will continue with at least one blog a month, and possibly two – but no more.

My schedule has picked up as we have entered the next phase of step-down in our state. That means I can do limited one-on-one meetings at some facilities (hospitals, nursing homes, long term care). The requirements are very stringent, but I will do what it takes to get back in touch with people.

But that leaves less time for crafting blogs – (at least that’s what I call it).

To the point – I was struggling with what to write in this period of Jim Class. I kept waffling between Unity and Boldness and finally realized – “I can do both!” Hence, my title!

As a general rule I have rarely been accused of being shy or reserved – or even quiet, for that matter. As I began to put some thoughts down on paper and look into the concepts of unity and boldness, I realized that the two may be intrinsically linked.

Concepts of unity abound. There’s the idea of loyalty to a person, a team, or a cause that comes up when unity is mentioned. Also, the opposite side of unity – “If you don’t agree with me, you’re not my friend!”

Under those guidelines we are faced with the possibility of having to choose between a strongly held belief or moral code and our best friend – the one I became blood brothers with – down by the creek – using a dull, Boy Scout pocketknife.

Reminiscing about those loyalties I had with friends in my childhood – swinging on a rope across the raging river (really a trickling creek that was barely ankle deep), or riding my Schwinn Gold Crate at break-neck speed (hesitantly, while applying a bit of pressure on the brakes) and doing a power slide into the driveway (really, it was a slow lay-down in the soft grass next to the driveway) at the end of the cul-de-sac – brought me to a bit of a revelation.

Unity may not always reside with those to whom you are loyal!

That’s when I realized – if I want to keep my friends and my core beliefs – I have to be bold. My concept of loyalty typically falls to a person (although I am loyal to Extra-Crunchy Jif peanut butter and Red Wing work boots). Unity, in my estimation, is with an idea, a code, or, more specifically, a moralistic choice based on a large overarching doctrine – like religion, education, or politics.

I am not bold enough to cover all three of those topics in one blog, but I will cover one – religion – more specifically, Christianity.

Hebrews 4: ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (NKJV)

I have heard many wise and seasoned ministers say, “If the Bible says “therefore” you better stop and see what it’s ‘there for!’”

The implication with this verse is that the conditions set forth for Christians to “come boldly to the throne of grace,” are stipulated in the previous verses of Hebrews chapter four. So, let’s take a look at this verse in context.

Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (NKJV)

The idea that unity and boldness are “intrinsically linked” can be shown to be true with a closer look at a statement made in verse 14, “Let us hold fast our confession.”

There are two critical elements that can be lifted from this portion of the verse. First the phrase “Let us” implies that the author (many believe it to be the Apostle Paul) is addressing a group of people in which he is included, and that group of people should “hold fast” their “confession.”

Who is the target audience of this letter we call “Hebrews?”

There is much debate over, not only who wrote the letter of Hebrews, but also over who the intended audience was. Some say it was written to the Christians in Jerusalem and others say to the Christians in Rome.

There is also a group that believes the letter was written to be read across a wide swath of Christianity like other of Paul’s writings along with John’s first epistle and the Book of James.

Dr. Christopher R. Smith, pastor, theologian, and biblical scholar, addressed the authorship of Hebrews in his blog, “Good Question, Reflections on Questions About the Bible,” where he stated, “All of the biblical documents arise out of real-life experiences of communities of believers.”

Debate and discussion over these topics can be intriguing and even invigorating, but for the purposes of Jim Class let’s rest on the idea that, regardless of the author’s intentions, the Book of Hebrews holds many valuable insights for all Christians. Hence, it’s entrance into the Holy Canon of Scripture!

That being said, it is clear to me that all Christians can benefit from a better understanding of “holding fast our confession,” and learning to “come boldly to the throne of grace.”

Now that we have that cleared up, my point is that this group of people (Christians – en masse) need to unify on something – and that something can be found in whatever this “confession” is. That is where I want to go.

The word confession, (translated “profession” in other translations) as used in Hebrews 4:14, is the Greek word, homologeo (ha-ma-LA-gay-o). It is a compound word made up of the words, homo and logos. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (entry G3670) homo means, “the same” and logos means “words or speech.”  

A basic translation of “let us hold fast to our confession” is, “let us hold tightly to the things that we are saying, that are the same.” The Good News Translation of the Bible puts it this way, “Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we profess.”

These things that we are saying are heard by our “High Priest,” Jesus. The author goes on to mention the things that tend to be hindrances to the target audience – Christians. Specifically, verse 15 identifies temptations, weaknesses, and sin as issues that must be addressed before we come boldly to the throne of grace.

My understanding of mentioning these things is that Jesus knows there are things in our lives that we aren’t proud of or things that can cause us to feel condemned or embarrassed to even approach Him.

But if we look to Romans chapter 8, we can see that Christians – endeavoring to serve God faithfully to the best of their abilities – need not suffer from condemnation.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, (NKJV)

This idea can easily be seen to go hand in hand with Hebrews 4:15, which is a list of things that could easily create some level of condemnation. And, as a result make a person less than confident to approach our savior. So, in order to reinforce the idea that we are not condemned, we need to be bold with what we bring to Him.

Finally, what do we need to be bold with? What we say. That begs the question, “What, specifically, to we need to be saying?”

Simply – God’s Word. We need to put Him in remembrance of what He promised. Not because He forgot, but as a demonstration of our faith and He told us to – to show that we believe what He said.

Isaiah 43:25 “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. ²⁶ Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you may be acquitted. (NKJV)

We may not all like Extra Crunchy Jif or Red Wing shoes (why, I don’t know), but as Christians we must agree on the Word of God and walk in the truths laid out there for us.

When we become unified in what we say – based on God’s Word, we will see a boldness like we never have and need desperately. So, take this as your bold confession.

“I am the head and not the tail, I am above and not beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13). I can come confidently to the Throne of Grace and declare God’s Word (Hebrews 4:16) He will hear me, and He will answer me (Jeremiah 33:3) and show me His loving kindness (Ephesians 2:7) all the days of my life.”

I have heard the phrase “What did you just say?” used in several different contexts.

My first recollection is of an authority figure (trust me, there were many who used this tactic with me) in my life calling me to task for having used inappropriate language, or after I called someone a name. It was meant to be a reprimand and was often a standalone form of discipline that brought me to my senses and made me realize that I had not been paying attention to who might be listening.

Other times I’ve heard someone ask “What did you just say?” because they wanted clarification on a statement, or they were in a noisy room and didn’t fully understand what was said.  

Finally, I have heard it in the context in which I am going to use it in Jim Class this week. When someone who is believed to be in a certain position, or is supposed to believe a certain way, makes a comment that is so counter to what he would be expected to say, every head in the room turns, every mouth stands agape, and all eyes as are wide open because they are so astonished.

“Did he really just say that?”

“I never thought I would hear those words come out of her mouth!”

There are statements that have caused me to turn my head over the years. And, dependent on which phase of life I was in, my response would vary.

Before I was a Christian, before my spirit was renewed to God, I would hear a radical statement or profanity in a context that it had not been used in before, and I would cheer and jump on the rebellion bus with that brave soul taking a stand for freedom.

When I was a child the word “pregnant” couldn’t be said on television. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would review and “censor” every script to make sure it was suitable to be heard by all audiences.

Instead of being pregnant with “Little” Ricky, Lucille Ball (Lucy Ricardo) was “expecting” or “with child.”

Rob and Laura Petrie had to sleep in separate beds (so did Lucy and Ricky) because impressionable children were watching – and television was not the grand arbiter of all things. There was still a sense that children should learn at home, from their parents. They (whoever they were) were right!

I remember when I began noticing a shift in the attitude toward, not what was decent and right, but toward – “I don’t want to do it that way!” – “I want to do it my way, so by golly, I’m going to!”

In the early 1970s I started hearing cuss words on TV. It began “small” but grew into more and more words being allowed and people were shocked. My “Lawrence Welk Watching” Grandmother (who, by the way, prayed me into the Kingdom) would turn off the television if she heard so much as a “darn.”

I, on the other hand, would turn the TV up and begin watching the show that was responsible – “religiously.”

There were many households across America that I am sure could have been heard shouting a thunderous cacophony of, “What did you just say?” Unfortunately, this chorus of displeasure fell on deaf ears – actually – no ears, as technology had not – and still hasn’t (as far as we know) – reached that level of interaction.

There were two venues that highly influenced me – comedy record albums and Saturday Night Live (SNL). I memorized George Carlin (who was the first guest host on SNL) and Cheech and Chong albums. I could literally quote them verbatim.

One time my friends and I decided we would record ourselves doing a Cheech and Chong routine (“Ashley Roachclip”). He was a pot smoking ad man who got more and more stoned as his commercial, which advertised a particular type of marijuana, went on. He also got forgetful and frustrated which led to anger and profanity (the worst words you can think of).

We had it down. The voices, the accents, the ability to sound stoned (don’t ask how I knew that one). And, to make matters worse, we recorded ourselves. We put on the headphones and mimicked what we heard into a table-top cassette recorder in my friend’s bedroom.

He came and stayed all-night at my house that night because there was family visiting who needed his room. The next day when we went back to his house and much to our surprise, when we walked into the back door (typical entry point in those days) – his entire family – mom, dad, aunts, uncles, cousins, and dogs were all sitting around the kitchen table laughing uproariously.

We look at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and proceeded to his room. As we were leaving the kitchen, we realized that they were listening to us! His aunt and uncle has slept in his room and evidently found, and listened to, our performance. And felt the need to share it with the rest of the family, f-bombs, and all!

When we realized what they were listening to, we expected to hear, “What did you just say?”  But the fact that they found it funny and complimented us on how creative we were (they didn’t know we were just copying Mr. Marin and Mr. Chong) only reinforced the idea that that type of language was okay.

During that era, 1972-1975, suggestive (and not so suggestive) language began migrating its way onto the television sets of America. SNL was where I heard it and began to emulate it even more. It was primarily the antics and language of Dan Ackroyd that influenced me – from the refrigerator repairman exposing himself to the Weekend Update anchor calling Jane Curtain a name I had never heard uttered on television before, and it’s now commonplace.

Mark 11:22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. (NKJV)

I believe there is a correlation here to the words we use. There is a word in this passage that I want to focus on. Whatever. The word whatever is a “conditional particle” in the Greek language. (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, G1437.)

It is conditional based on something that is yet to happen, and indefinite based on the idea that what influences the outcome has not yet occurred. In Mark 11:24 the condition is something spoken, “you will have whatever you say.”  The saying, or speaking has not yet happened; therefore the outcome hasn’t happened yet.

I have preached on the subject of controlling what we say, or watching our mouths, many times over the years. But this one word, “whatever” often gets overlooked. If you recall the decade of the 1980s you will recall that the word “whatever” became possibly the most overused word of that era.

The implication with the word “whatever” (which may be coming the most overused word in this blog) implies something can go in multiple directions. If you say something good, there is a possibility of swaying the outcome the same way, and if you say something bad, the reverse is true.

Hypochondria (Illness Anxiety Disorder/Somatic System Disorder) is a good example of having what one says. People with these conditions present and have no symptoms at all, but over time continue to insist that something is wrong.

Over this same period of time, because of the stress and anxiety that develops around the perceived symptoms, victims of these disorders actually do begin exhibiting some of the original signs. (1998-2020 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER))

If we look at the verses from Mark 11, we see that someone with the symptoms of Illness Anxiety Disorder “says” something, “believes” something, and eventually develops something (whatever they say and believe).

I believe the church – the Christian Church Universal – has developed a problem which borders on Illness Anxiety Disorder. I believe we need to be hearing the phrase – “What did you just say?”  – a lot more in Christian circles.

The idea that we can “have what we say,” is very obvious among Christians and this should not be so! We have to reign in our tongues and get them to align with what the Word of God says, not what the world, or mainstream media, or “Hollywood” want us to say, or what they say our “rights” are – but what God wants us to tell the world. The message of the Good News of Jesus Christ!

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…”

This is how Charles Dickens opens his classic piece, “A Tale of Two Cities.” Although he published it 161 years ago (1859) in England, it rings true for the time we are currently living in. And, not just in England, but all over the world. I, however, will focus on The United States of America.

Parents all over this great land have used some form of the phrase, “If you don’t straighten up, there will be no Christmas this year!” or “Santa doesn’t visit naughty boys and girls!” And I assure you, I have heard both on several occasions (even as early as July).

It seems that 2020 has become “the age of foolishness” when we need it to be “the epoch of belief.”

There are actually media personalities and politicians across the country calling for the “cancelation” of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Ah, “the age of foolishness” has finally been realized.

I, for one, am glad they are saying these things. Not because I believe either Thanksgiving or Christmas should (or can) be canceled, but because I hope that the lunacy of these statements will open the eyes of the people and make them realize where they are putting their hope.

Thanksgiving is not just a holiday full of gluttony and football. It is a time of the year where we remember what we have to be thankful for, regardless of the hard times or difficulties we are facing.

James 1:2 My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! ³ For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things. (TPT)

I chose to use The Passion Translation because of the phrase, “it stirs up power within you to endure all things.” Other translations refer to the testing of our faith producing stamina or endurance. Those statements are true, but I am convinced that we can’t persevere to the point of producing stamina without some form of power.

I also find it interesting that those who are calling for the cancelation of these holidays are actually using the term Thanksgiving and Christmas when those of their ilk are the primary advocates of the elimination of those terms.

Why are they saying we should cancel, “The Happy Holidays?”

Because it is attack on what is Christian. There are many in the media and politics that are not just non-Christian, they are anti-Christian! So, any opportunity to turn the masses against something they are against, they will use. See the hypocrisy?

Jesus warned us that trouble would come in John 13:8. He spoke of persecution as well.

John 16:29 Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, ³⁰ who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. (NKJV)

But instead of recognizing that our Savior warned us these times would come, we tend to buy into the news of trouble as if it takes precedent over what scripture says, and it absolutely does not!

Thanksgiving and Christmas are not the holidays that big money retail establishments have made them out to be. They are also not what we supposed them to be based on the commercialization that has developed in the wake of this retail push.  

Christmas is the time that we celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ. If you don’t celebrate that birth, if you don’t believe that birth took place, or if you believe that Jesus was just a good man like all other good men, why do you celebrate Christmas at all?

The word Christmas itself tells us what it is really all about, Christ – a reference to Jesus, and mas – a reference to mass or a service. What we should be doing is celebrating Jesus birth at church. That is what Christmas is all about.

The gift giving began with the wise men bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Jesus when he was likely two years old. It wasn’t even at His birth. Therefore, the gift giving aspect of Christmas is off by a couple of years. They were celebrating the fact that the Messiah had been born, but the gifts went to Jesus not everybody who happened to be breathing.

Over the years I have attempted several times to make Christmas more reverential, more Christian oriented. So, I purchased gifts with Christian meanings. Books, Bibles, tapes/CD’s, or other Christian related items.

I made all my purchases at Christian bookstores and was really pleased that I made that choice (I’m still pleased). But the recipients of the gifts were not as pleased. No one said anything derogatory, or refused to accept the presents, but there were obvious looks of disappointment when they were opened.

Friends and family, for the most part, were slump shouldered and crestfallen when they saw what I got them. I did this as early as 1985. That is a clear sign that the meaning of Christmas has been lost for some time.

I also remember many Christmases as a child where I got big gifts, and plenty of toys and was thrilled. But at the same time if I got socks, or underwear, or soap-on-a-rope, I was as disappointed as the recipients of my Christian related gifts.

That means for at least 60 years (yes, that’s my age) Christmas has not had the meaning or impact is should or could be having. As I sit and ponder how some mortals think they have the power to cancel Thanksgiving or Christmas, I am reminded of another literary giant – Theodore Geisel (it may be a clue if I told you his middle name was Seuss).

He put it pretty well when he addressed the subject of the commercialization of Christmas and those (one in particular) who didn’t want it to happen. Through all his wrangling and manipulation, the Grinch (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss Enterprises, 1957) stood on a mountain and saw an amazing sight.

“Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN’T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same!”

Use that as a reminder that these holidays cannot be stopped. There is too much behind their meanings (especially Christmas) to stop them. And remember, the original meanings are steeped in things that happened hundreds and even thousands of years ago. Or, we could observe, as the Grinch did,

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

I have a proverbial, “which came first” scenario to consider this week in Jim Class. But it has nothing to do with fowl or ova. We will make a connection with our own psyche – our mind – our will. And our emotions will be put to the test as we ponder, “Which Came first?”

From the time I was a small boy my favorite cookies have been peanut butter and chocolate no-bakes. You know – the ones that mom made in a big steel pot on the stove-top – and then spooned out the chocolatey concoction onto waxed paper -which had been spread neatly over the countertop or table (hopefully both).

If I were lucky, I got to lick the spoon and clean out the pan. Better yet, you got a spoonful of the delicious gooiness as she was sliding them off the spoon, with her ungloved finger, onto the waiting parchment.

I recall a couple of incidents where I only got to lick the spoon and mom gave me strict instructions, “Don’t eat any of these until they set up!” Meaning I wouldn’t get one while it was hot and gooey. Needless to say, I had an incident or two where I didn’t wait!

One time I snuck in and took a couple from the waxed paper – in spite of my mother’s warning. It wasn’t long before I heard my full and proper name echoing from the kitchen, followed by, “You get in here right now!”

As nonchalantly as a nine-year-old could pull off, I entered the kitchen and put on my best fake innocent-look. You know the one, eyes wide opened while feigning a look of confusion – arms outstretched, palms upward – while uttering a feeble, “What mom?” Trying to pull off the, “Why in the world would you interrupt the ever important Cowboy Bob cartoon program?” defense.

In all her motherly perceptiveness, she didn’t buy it. She simply stood – pointing at the two brown spots on her waxed paper – the evidence I had left. I was busted!

The next time (yes there was a next time) I tore off the wax paper where the brown spots were. My ploy failed just as miserably. From the, “James Mitchell Clayton the second” to the unconvincing act of innocence. This time it was followed by a comparison on how the blade on the waxed paper box makes a nice, neat tear and I did not.

The point is – before I heard my name being called – before I was called on the carpet (or linoleum in this case) – I knew I had done something wrong. I was feeling pangs of guilt and remorse before I heard my name. Hearing my name simply drove home the idea, “I was a bad boy!” I also knew consequences were coming (in this instance I got none of this batch).  I want to zero in on those guilt pangs this week. Which came first – the sin or the guilt?

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (NKJV)

This is one of the verses I have read and quote often. I go to Romans 8 in an effort to reassure myself (an often overlooked benefit of time in the Bible) that the condemnation I sometimes grapple with has been taken care of by the blood of Jesus. I need convincing from time-to-time. Why do I feel this sense of guilt and remorse when I sin?

I don’t want to give you the impression that I am a rampant sinner, but there are things that I do that I know I shouldn’t from time to time (See Jim Class Period – 6). If we read further into Romans 8 we begin to get a picture of why we are conditioned to guilt as a default mode.

Romans 8:2 ^“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (NKJV)

We, as humans, are prone to a sense of law and order. There are rules to follow. When we follow the rules there are rewards – pay raises – good grades – pats on the back. When we don’t follow them there are consequences – detention – loss of privileges – physical harm – guilt.  

We are inundated with this concept from an early age. They are inherent in nearly every aspect of “civilized” society. From the first time we hear, “NO-NO!” as infants, to not getting a snack in daycare for being restless during nap-time.

From childhood to our teen years – from early adulthood to old age – there are systems in place that convey the message – “Don’t mess up!” Depending on our age and the severity of the “mess up,” the penalty can go from a spanking to a grounding, or from a traffic ticket to jail time. All of these punishments can, and usually do, come with a free side-order of condemnation.

The answer to my question – which came first – the sin or the guilt, is the sin. Without sin there would be no guilt. We see this played out perfectly in The Book of Beginnings.

Genesis 3:8 “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” (NKJV)

We don’t see Adam or Eve hiding from God prior to this. The only logical explanation is that there was no sin before this. Every translation I saw says they “hid.” 

When we know we are facing punishment, we do all we can to avoid it. Guilt causes our avoidant behavior. Guilt we would not experience had we not done something we shouldn’t have.

Romans 8:2 “For the “law” of the Spirit of life flowing through the anointing of Jesus has liberated us from the “law” of sin and death.” (TPT)

I like the way Romans 8:2 reads in The Passion Translation. There are two things that come from knowing Jesus – The Spirit and the anointing – which is the application of The Spirit.

Anointing means to, “rub or smear on,” like lotion (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, H4886). The implication in the New Testament is that, as Christians, the anointing is a feature of the New Birth.

“Therein lies the rub!” (To deliberately cash in on the pun.) What is keeping us from accessing this anointing – the use of the Holy Spirit – the intimacy that is implied?

The barrier most Christians face lies in the second half of Romans 8:2. “The law of sin and death.” Once sin entered the picture, mankind began seeking ways to escape it. Some of these means were provided by God, but not necessarily used in the manner in which He prescribed.

All it takes is two words to demonstrate the problem. The Law. We are conditioned to “The Law.” But the law we are conditioned to is, “The Law of Sin and Death.” The law that carries guilt and shame doles out condemnation and fear “like Carter does liver pills.”

We are preprogrammed to respond to sin through condemnation. It is our default mode. It has been ingrained in every society known to man, and it has been manipulated by tyrants since The Fall.

There is a new law. an alternate law. “The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.” And, as we see in Romans 8, it sets us free from the other law.

Why are we not accessing it the way we should?

Why are we still resorting to self-loathing and misery when we don’t have to?

Paul answers both of those questions a few chapters later.

Romans 12:2 “…do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (NKJV)

Christians are not renewing their minds with the Word of God as they should. They are not reading their Bibles as they should. Don’t let this bring more guilt – let it be freeing. Use it as a realization that there is something you can do. Go to the source – God’s Word. The answers are there – like a hot gooey cookie sitting on wax paper. It’s yours for the taking – with no guilt and no condemnation.

Acts 14:1 When Paul and Barnabas arrived at Iconium, the same thing happened there. They went, as they always did, to the synagogue and preached to the people with such power that a large crowd of both Jews and non-Jews believed. ² Some of the Jews refused to believe, and they began to poison the minds of the non-Jews to discredit the believers. ³ Yet Paul and Barnabas stayed there for a long time, preaching boldly and fearlessly about the Lord. Many trusted in the Lord, for he backed up his message of grace with miracles, signs, and wonders performed by the apostles. (The Passion Translation)

I’m sure some of you have a memory of things prior to August 6, 1945. I’m not going to crack a bunch of “old” jokes – I am going to set the stage for Jim Class this week.

August 6^th was the day the first atomic bomb exploded on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later the second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, also in Japan. This essentially ended World War II, but at what cost?

It was Japan that attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941(“a day that will live in infamy.”) which ultimately resulted in the entrance of the USA into WWII. But were the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the only way to end things? (A thought for us all to contemplate.)

I want you to think about something that isn’t usually brought up in discussions about WWII. Think about the meaning and understanding of the word explosion and bomb. Think about how the meaning of those words changed on August 6, 1945. There was a complete shift in the meaning of the word explosion, and how people viewed “bombing.”

Foreign policy completely changed in the world once that type of devastation was witnessed. Many say the cold war began in earnest when people realized the level of destruction mankind had potentially reached. The most powerful countries in the world, from that day forward, became the ones with nuclear capabilities.

The point I want to make is that when the Jewish people heard the word grace applied in the way that Paul used it toward God, it was like a bomb going off.

They had never had a personal relationship with God, and they didn’t understand Him to be approachable. Everything changedwith Jesus.

They no longer had to go through the rabbi or the priest or any other clergy to have contact with God – clergy still played a vital role in the life of a Christian, but God’s people could go directly to Him on their own.

The people of Paul’s day were amazed that God was approachable, that He wanted to have contact with His people, and that there was access to Him. Following the Day of Pentecost and the missional movement of God’s people in the first century church, the word grace began to take on a new meaning.

Have you ever done something that you knew you shouldn’t have done? And worst of all, your mom knew, and you knew the next time you saw her you were going to get it!

So, you avoided her as long as you possibly could. You stayed after school longer than you needed, you took the long way home, and you stopped along the way – throwing rocks and kicking cans – just to avoid the inevitable confrontation that you knew was coming.

You went in the backdoor and snuck into your bedroom, put on your headphones, and cranked some Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, or Black Sabbath – Oh, wait, that’s what I did. (I’m sure those of you reading Jim Class this week went straight to God and asked forgiveness and then went and confessed everything to your parents.)

But that moment came when you couldn’t put it off any longer and you had to meet her face to face – all you had done by avoiding her was increase your anxiety level, which made it all the harder to approach her. But when you finally got up the nerve to even be in the same room, all she did was give you a big hug and tell you she loved you and not to do it again.

It was like a “grace” bomb went off. All the anxiety and stress simply melted away in the loving arms of your mother. And the echo of her loving words, “I love you,” or “I forgive you,” warmed you and help to steel your resolve.

That is exactly what God does when we confess our sins (the woman caught in adultery, John 8:1-11). This woman thought that she was going to die. She knew the law, whether she was Jewish or not, she knew the penalty for what she was doing. But Jesus said, I love you, don’t let it happen again.

John 8:11 And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go ^[k]and sin no more.” (NKJV)

That is grace experienced. That is God giving us a big hug, and telling us he loves us and not to do it again!

Grace is not a license to sin!

Too many times we take the, “Oh, there’s grace for that – I can do whatever I want as long as I’m a Christian” attitude.   

I know God is a forgiving God and that he sent Jesus to die in my place, so my sins don’t ruin me. But there is that little matter of repentance (turn around, make a change). He told the woman caught in adultery, go and sin no more.

Using God’s grace as a license to sin can be very revealing. I can show how, at times,  Christians may not know who God really is (depending on the situation, we all face this from time to time) and, as a result, don’t fully understand what He has done for them.

If you are a Christian and you don’t know God very well, you need to take the time to get to know Him, through His Word and time spent in prayer and meditation, and in fellowship with other Christians.  Then you can get a better understanding of what He has truly done for you, and what grace truly is.

Grace is not a license to sin; it is freedom from sin!

Acts 14: 1 The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. ² Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. ³ But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. (The New Living Translation)

Arriving at an understanding of what God’s grace is doesn’t happen overnight.

^“But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord.” (Acts 14:3, NLT)

Verse three of Acts 14 tells us that the apostles stayed and preached this message for a while. That they were bold in their words concerning the grace of God.

This is likely because of the newness of what they were hearing. I believe that when the message of grace – “God’s unmerited favor” – began to spread it was truly like an explosion.

That explosion, carried by word of mouth and through the scriptures, not the splitting of the atom or the manipulation of hydrogen, brings life and hope in a way that could have only been accomplished through the cross of Jesus Christ!  

This session of Jim Class was inspired by the audio daily devotional I do for our church. I send a phone message through our church calling app every Monday through Friday. I try to follow a theme, and this past week’s theme was “Come, Magnify the Lord With Me.”

The premise is that we have the ability to magnify (make bigger) everything in our lives. Whether it’s a problem with our kids, a sickness or injury, or a financial strain, it seems we have mastered the art of letting people know when there’s trouble.

When I worked for a counseling agency, over 20 years ago, I attended a seminar on communication. The speaker had everyone in the room cover their watches with their hands.

Then he asked us to picture some fine details about our watches. He asked what color they were, what color was the face, were the numbers Arabic or Roman, was there a second hand, was there a day and date feature, and many other things about our watches.

Then he told us to look at them briefly and cover them up again. He asked us if we were correct in our descriptions. Several of us (yes, myself included) were obviously very proud of our powers of observation. This pride was evidenced by those who were sitting up straighter, with lungs expanded and smug looks on their faces.

He then asked us, “What time is it?” The proud group became crestfallen and red-faced as we obviously hadn’t looked at that detail. He then stated his theme for the session, “What You Focus on, is what You See.”

That is going to be the focus of Jim Class this week, but with a twist; “What You Focus on, Gets Bigger.”

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. ² My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. ³ Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. ⁴ I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. (NKJV)

The Bible uses the word magnify in reference to making things bigger. But the question I have is, “Does it literally make things bigger, or do they just appear to be bigger?” When we look at things under a magnifying glass, the object we are observing doesn’t grow. It only appears bigger under the glass.

Wonderopolis.com describes the effect this way, “A magnifying glass is actually the simplest form of a basic microscope. It consists of a single convex lens that magnifies an object when the glass is held up to it. … When they pass through a magnifying glass, the convex lens bends the parallel rays so that they converge and create a virtual image on your eyes’ retinas.”

The word that stands out to me in this definition is virtual. Virtual implies not real. Something virtual is not actually present. The ant that is under the magnifying glass is not really three inches long. It just appears to be.

We hear talk of virtual reality coming from the computer industry. The programs and games have been developed to improve the aesthetics of the online experience, but those things are not real.

I have seen videos of people using virtual reality goggles or headsets, and they trip and fall, walk into walls or people, jump up and down, yell and gasp, and even are brought to tears by what they are viewing in the virtual world. But it isn’t real!

Before I get too far off into the weeds, let me bring this idea into a logical flow. We can magnify things with our imagination, our words, and our actions. Typically, what we magnify is something that isn’t real, or if it is real, isn’t really as big as we have made it out to be.

“This headache is killing me!”

“Those apples were as big as my head!”

“That fish was THIS long.”

These are all examples of what we would call exaggerations – very similar to magnifying. If we look back at Psalm 34 and the word magnify, I believe we can create some perspective on what we are being instructed to do by King David.

The actual word magnify is used 19 times in the KJV of the Bible. The Hebrew/Greek words translated magnify are used 119 times, but it isn’t always translated magnify. It is used as magnify, magnified, make great, grew, become great, grown, exceeded, and many derivations of each of those words (Biblegateway.com). But, in context, they are all referencing something that got bigger. But when I did my initial study of the word, I only looked up magnify, as it is spelled and used in the KJV.

There are an endless number of things in our lives that could be magnified to the point that they seem insurmountable, that they become a major obstacle – even to the point that other aspects of life get ignored.

Financial trouble can be debilitating – work stress can create a difficult environment at home – unexpected sicknesses can create problems in both of the previously mentioned areas. But when trouble comes – what do we dwell on?

Psalm 34: ³ Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. (NKJV)

This verse is the focus of Jim Class – but what comes before?

Psalm 34:1 Psalm 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (NKJV)

The first verse of Psalm 34 says, “I will bless the Lord at all times.” This is a concept that is commonly met with trepidation by many who read or hear it – “AT ALL TIMES.”

Phrases that imply constant attention to a given act are usually met with the question, “How can I do anything, all the time?” The simple answer is, “We are always doing something, and that’s all the time.” It sounds trite, but that doesn’t make it wrong.

A better answer is, “We need to train ourselves to be conscious of God all the time.” That way, when the difficult things arise, we are more likely to have a Godly response. Especially if that training involves, “Renewing our minds,” as we’re instructed in Romans 12:2.

We then need to take a closer look at what comes after our call to “magnify the Lord” in Psalm 34.

Psalm 34: ⁴ I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. (NKJV)

Does this really say that “the Lord…delivered me from all my fears?” Yes, but only following the instruction to magnify and seek Him.

It comes down to a very simple concept. We can build things up that actually have a beginning and end and cause them to be such an obstacle that we are hindered, or we can build something up – God – who doesn’t have a beginning or and end, and can’t be bigger than He really is – particularly as big as He could/should be to us.

It could be better stated – what we focus on gets bigger!