take in. put out.

A few thoughts on some recent bible studies, sermons, etc...


"clasping hands with pagans" (Isaiah 2:6, NIV)

You have abandoned your people,
the house of Jacob.
They are full of superstitions from the East;
they practice divination like the Philistines
and clasp hands with pagans.


A harsh rebuke by Isaiah the prophet on the negligence of the people of Israel towards God's commands and incorporating pagan rituals and values into their own lives. It seems to me that instead of being a 'light to the world' to positively influence the people surrounding them, the Israelites are being influenced by them, not by God.


"drunk with wine" Ephesians 5:18-20

18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

the phrase "be filled" is an imperative to be continuously filled by the Holy Spirit, which in itself is full of Good things (Gal. 5:22-23). Just like drinking wine and being full of it induces certain behaviors, so does being filled with the Spirit.

...

How do these two relate? Well, I struggle a lot with making good judgment calls when it comes to the people I hang out with, especially since I am very easily influenced by my environment. The passage from Isaiah hits me pretty deep, as I am often picking up various habits from those around me. But on the other hand, I'm supposed to be the salt and light of the world (Matt 5:13-16). I can't stay locked up in my Christian bubble forever; that's just selfish and distrustful of others..

In this sense, I see why we're told to "be filled in the Spirit." We are always being influenced by our surroundings, thus the writer is saying, "Of all the things that can fill you up - such as wine, work, friends, achievements, money - choose the Spirit, because by intaking the Spirit you can output God's grace, mercy, love, patience, peace...and this allows you to be the salt and light. But if the Spirit isn't what fills you, then you're taking in things that make you "lose your saltiness."

So now, the challenge is to identify my intakes (internet, facebook, gmail/gchat, work, radio, online comics, dramas..among other things) and change my lifestyle to reflect a life filled with the Spirit.

In other words, take the non-Spirit sources and turn them into "resources"...in that they do not mindlessly feed into me, but I pull from them what I need from time to time in order to serve those around me.

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."

1 Samuel 8:19-20



As Samuel grows old with no one to succeed him, the Israelites ask for a king who will represent them, lead them, protect them and fight for them.

Israel was meant to be set apart from the world - to be the antithesis of the worldly mentality and show that there IS a God worth worshiping.

They forgot that it is God who leads, protects and fights our battles. It is in Him whom we find and validate our identity. Not a man.

This is the tragedy of our human state: we eagerly listen to and believe the empty, unreliable, hopeless, doesn't-feel-quite-right-but-it's-all-i-can-do-i-guess claims of security and identity the world has to offer instead of the voice of the only one who can ACTUALLY live up to and exceed our highest expectations...because we can.