Philippians 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. (ESV)

Isaiah 6:5-7 

“I am young, smart, good looking, in fact, a good guy all around, and death is distant if not irrelevant.” More than one of those affirmations are fallacies. Yet we all think them about ourselves to some degree. Its good to know one’s presuppositions in life especially the false ones. Take a minute: What’s your favorite life fallacy?

This month was eye opening for me, I was touched by three funerals. The first is a Caucasian 60yr old fellow pastor, a figure in civil rights and Jimmy Carter’s minister. The next is a 48yr old son, who was a husband, brother, a father and deacon in training in an African American church. Lastly, is a 38 year old sister in Jesus.

60, 48, 38. Suddenly I find myself in the obituaries eyes wide open to my true condition, one fallacy teetering on the brink of exposure. People are dropping like flies. Still we live as though death is the rare anomaly. It’s, in fact, pandemic but our perception is impaired.

We live in a sterilized society. We don’t leave vacated bodies lying around where people see them. We are so antiseptic we don’t even see dog poo anymore!  The steaming thing is picked up, placed in a baggie and hauled off!  Its nice this way. It is also deceptive, blinding us to our true condition. It’s a shock when our vision is suddenly unimpaired. A fallacy crashes and presuppositions resurface for examination.

Prophet Isaiah tell about the day his eyes were suddenly opened. He is doing church as usual and God shows up. Suddenly church is smokin’!  I mean God literally showed up.  What would you do? Suddenly sit up straight in your chair?  Act like you weren’t snoozing? Would you fall to the floor? Would you run to the altar or to an exit?

God’s presence is a million candle power spotlight turned on Isaiah. Suddenly Isaiah sees. He sees himself, sees what was hidden. The prophet sees beneath the sanitary facade we work hard to assemble. He sees, the fallacy crashes. “Woe is me!” he cries. “For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

During Lent we give focus to our King, and our true condition.  We seek  challenge to presuppositions, fallacies, we ask for eyes wide open, we reflect on our true condition and His atoning work at the cross. We see the King at the cross for me and cry, “Woe is me!” “And he touched my mouth and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sins atoned for.’” I smell smoke.

Quite a few years ago I was single and living in Pittsburg.  I had bought my first house and money was very, very tight.  It was quite often that the "ends didn't meet". 

A couple in my neighborhood had several times invited me to their church.  At the time I wasn't going to church, and I didn't have a relationship with God, and had never known Jesus in a personal way.  BTW - the wife of the couple that invited me to their church, is a first grade teacher here at Valhalla.  Her name is Mrs. Roberts.  Her classroom is right over there. 

THE GOAL OF THE GIFT OF TONGUES, ONE GIFT

(see also An Appendix on the Gift of Tongues)

Chapters 13 and 14 of 1st Corinthians are a couple of the most important chapters in Paul’s letters. They are love proposed and love applied.

THE GOAL OF THE CHURCH GATHERED
Let love be your highest goal, but also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives... (1 Cor 14:1NLT).  The highest goal of the church when it gathers together is love.  The way we apply love is the right use of our “special abilities” God has given us.   I like how
Eugene Peterson in The Message renders the passage: