Chaos Contained

 

Chaos Contained

Colossians 1: ¹⁷ Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place. ¹⁸ He is the head of his body, the church; he is the source of the body's life. He is the first-born Son, who was raised from death, in order that he alone might have the first place in all things.

 

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Running late, I hurried to get myself out the door. I grabbed whatever things I could remember for work and hastily jumped in the car. When I got to work, I reached for the computer and it wasn’t there.

 

• I had a chaotic morning that day.
• I hurried through my decisions and caused more chaos.
• I caused my own chaos and had to deal with the consequences of my actions.

 

In a world filled with chaos, Paul gives an assuring message. He spoke about JESUS existing before all things. Everything has its proper place in JESUS. HE is the source of life.

 

My Observations

• When the world gets chaotic, I can always turn to JESUS who brings all things into order.
• Knowing that JESUS existed before all things helps me put my current thing under HIM.
• Since JESUS overcame death, I can know that there is nothing too hard for HIM.

 

Chaos is scared of order. I mean, chaos wants randomness to create fear in my heart. The unknown gets bigger and bigger, causing me to move faster and faster into possible bad decisions. BUT GOD has a remedy for chaos.

 

JESUS is the head of the church, which is the group of those who believe in HIS resurrection. HE is the source of life for all who believe. All chaos can be brough to HIM in prayer and HE in turn will order our steps. I am glad HE is willing to take first place to bring peace to me.

 

Challenge

• What “things” does the writer speak of?
• Have you ever felt your life is out of control?
• Do you have a place to give your chaos?
• Will you bring your life into order by giving it to the one who existed before all things, namely JESUS today?

Women Leaders Needed

Women Leaders Needed

1 Corinthians 14: ³³ because God does not want us to be in disorder but in harmony and peace.

As in all the churches of God's people, ³⁴ the women should keep quiet in the meetings. They are not allowed to speak; as the Jewish Law says, they must not be in charge. ³⁵ If they want to find out about something, they should ask their husbands at home. It is a disgraceful thing for a woman to speak in a church meeting.

 

³⁶ Or could it be that the word of God came from you? Or are you the only ones to whom it came? ³⁷ If anyone supposes he is God's messenger or has a spiritual gift, he must realize that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. ³⁸ But if he does not pay attention to this, pay no attention to him.

 

³⁹ So then, my friends, set your heart on proclaiming God's message, but do not forbid the speaking in strange tongues. ⁴⁰ Everything must be done in a proper and orderly way.

 

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Ugh! Another tough message from Paul! When I first glanced at the message I dreaded the thought of addressing the statement because I was taking it out of context. I mean, I can only imagine my wife dreading hearing any words that would place her in an unheard state. We are working through hearing each other to this day, as all marriages should. But Paul raises a doozie!

 

• At first glance it looks like women are not valued.
• At first glance it looks like women can never say a word.
• At first glance it looks like women would cause disgrace.

 

My Observations

Again, I have to return to the curse of GOD when Adam took down all humans in Genesis 3. GOD made a hierarchy that showed sin caused disharmony between HIM and HIS creation. GOD also added pain and struggle in this curse. Nothing exciting happens in a curse. But what does the curse have to do with women speaking in church gatherings?

 

I wish I had the letter or letters written to Paul. I mean, Paul’s reference seems to be focused on married women, not all women. He seemed to be addressing an issue written to him versus bashing women. I don’t know is my answer. Here is what I believe.

 

• I believe GOD made man and woman to live in harmony.
• I believe GOD wants man and woman to have peace.
• I believe GOD wants HIS message proclaimed by every human, man and woman.

 

In this chapter, being heard “is” the problem. Not everyone can rush the stage with a message and not everyone can speak in strange tongues without full understanding. All must have the desire to spread GOD’s message of love and sometimes be silent and use restraint as the example.

 

Women leaders are needed more and more as men have not brought the harmony and peace GOD is seeking. Women who can proclaim GOD’s message while bringing in harmony and peace are desperately needed these days. Both my grandmothers and my mother, mother-in-law, wife, sister, sisters-in-law, aunts, cousins and daughter have been and should be icons of harmony and peace pertaining to proclaiming GOD’s message. I have learned a lot from them as do many.

 

Challenge

• What are your observations about harmony and peace in this chapter, not just the passage?
• What do you think about women speaking and leading in the gathering of people?
• What suggestions do you have for seeking the “harmony and peace” GOD is looking for?

Rare Action

Rare Action

1 Corinthians 5: ^12-13 After all, it is none of my business to judge outsiders. God will judge them. But should you not judge the members of your own fellowship? As the scripture says, “Remove the evil person from your group.”

 

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My meetings usually ran smooth, but this one wasn’t going so well. I had a guy who insisted on interrupting and asking antagonizing questions. Usually my approach was to request to hold questions until the end, but this was not going to happen with this guy. I stopped the meeting and told him to leave.

 

• There have been rare times when I had to kick someone out.
• There have been rare times when I needed to let someone go.
• There have been rare times when I exceeded the capacity for patience and had to tell a person to leave.

 

Paul addressed a person, perhaps a self-acclaimed church leader, who was boastful about his sexual escapades. He implies that the guy also acted greedy, worshipped idols, slandered people, was a drunkard and a thief. It seemed like the guy was not going to surrender his life to following JESUS any time soon. The best thing to do was to tell him to leave.

 

• GOD wants me to be able to tell a disrupter to leave.
• GOD wants me to recognize when a person is not following CHRIST but serving their own lusts.
• GOD wants me to remove the evil person from the group as a rare but necessary action.

 

Judge not lest you be judged still applies when considering kicking someone out of a fellowship. I mean, any group can segregate themselves and make up rules to keep their fellowship looking and acting like themselves.

 

That is not what is going on here. In a diverse group of people, there may be a person who clearly is not following JESUS and is harmful to spreading HIS message of love and forgiveness. Such a person is spreading evil versus love. This person needs to be removed from the group. I am grateful GOD forgives and restores.

 

• Do you have a person who is being disruptive in your group?
• Has that person exceeded everyone’s patience regarding the love of CHRIST?
• Is the person spreading evil and focused only on worldly conversations?
• Will you prayerfully remove this person and hope he or she will be restored by GOD someday?

Is Order a Good Thing?

1 Chronicles 24: ⁵ They divided them impartially by casting lots, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar.

⁶ The scribe Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the priest, Ahimelek son of Abiathar and the heads of families of the priests and of the Levites—one family being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

⁷ The first lot fell to Jehoiarib,

the second to Jedaiah,

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and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

¹⁹ This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the Lord, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their ancestor Aaron, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

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“Please stand for the reading” said a priest to us. I was not familiar with the process so I felt a bit uncomfortable. As everyone spoke in unison, I stood fumbling over the words trying to determine what would be next. 

Every prayer, scripture and statement was written out for me. My mind wandered to the fact that there was SO much left on the itinerary. “When will we ever get out of here?” I thought to myself.

• Sometimes I get distracted in church because I want to be somewhere else.
• Sometimes I can’t see the purpose of church because I am thinking of the problems I am facing.
• Sometimes I think GOD isn’t in church because the spontaneity isn’t visible to me.

As I read this chapter this morning, I was tempted to skim read it because it seemed like another list of people who I couldn’t pronounce or remember.  Then it hit me.

• GOD had David create an “order of service” through a spontaneous method.
• GOD chose which order each of the twenty four ministers would serve.
• GOD was pleased to give an order to service to worship.

Everything in the universe has order. While things seem spontaneous to me, they are of no surprise to GOD. This made me rethink the boredom I experienced when worship was structured. A gentleman explained why he enjoyed reading prayers.

He said, “I enjoy reading words and meanings that were actually spoken to JESUS as HE walked the earth. I love singing songs from people who touched our risen SAVIOR.” This floored me. I never thought of it that way.

While humans have created division through religion, GOD still sees who is genuinely serving HIM and is pleased with their actions. HE wants me to recognize that “order” is a good thing as long as the focus is on HIM.

• Are you distracted in church?
• Do you think church is for your entertainment?
• Can you recognize How GOD is pleased with the order of service?

Disorganized and confused

1 Corinthians 14: ³³ For God is not a God of disorder but of peace —as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.

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Rumors spread rapidly about who was going to become the next CEO when the one, at that time, passed away suddenly from a heart attack. We were already reorganizing as a company but this just threw everything into a tailspin.

No work was done that week because everyone speculated our next move. To tell you the truth, I didn’t sleep much during this confusion.

• When I try to see into the future I get confused and that is not from GOD.
• When I feel disorganized and too many people are weighing in I lose my peace and can’t function well.
• When I am in the middle of political factions and power struggles it’s hard for me to find my direction.

“GOD is not a GOD of disorder.” HE does not scramble up my day in an effort to mess with me.  In fact it is usually my perception of how things are going that messes up my day.  It’s how I choose to see the “mess” that makes things disorganized.

• If I expect things to go wrong yet remain optimistic then GOD will grant me peace.
• If I can release what I expect and know GOD has it handled then HE will grant me peace.
• If I slow down or even stop for a moment and ask GOD for help then HE will grant me peace.

“GOD is not a GOD of disorder” BUT HE is a GOD of peace. HE leads me beside still waters HE restores my soul. HE wants me to give HIM my worries, doubts and fears. HE wants me to stop using my power so HIS strength can shine. The bigger the problem the more I need HIS power.

• Are you confused?
• Do you feel problems, troubles and pressure from all sides?
• Can you take some time to stop and listen to GOD?
• Will you listen to some of HIS promises that state HE has a wonderful plan for you?