Synagogue

As we study the Bible, occasionally we encounter the word “synagogue.” Many times, we might think of it like a place the Jews went for worship or conversation, like a church or cathedral, but this would be a very limited understanding of a synagogue in the First century. A township might have several synagogues because they were really the hub for that particular culture. A culture is adequately defined as “the shared opinions of a group of people.” As such, the synagogue was essentially the axis for a town or group of people. In the First century, there were Jewish and Gentile synagogues to support the different cultures. In 18th to 20th century rural United States, the concept was represented by the town center where news related to the area was found. The actual location may have been local shops, bars, possibly the county court house where information was shared about the entire county. Perhaps larger towns had several locations where more local news was shared. Citizens considered being a part of this group was critical to their physical and social survival. During the time Jesus was living in the flesh, some people who followed Jesus were predicted to be ”cut off” or excommunicated from their surrounding culture, “they will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.” – Jn. 16:2(ESV). For this incident, also consider the parents who were reserved, “(His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.)” – Jn. 9:22 (ESV). Few people handle rejection very well, and the larger the group which rejects one, usually the painful experience is greater. Nowadays, many of the local social activities have moved away from this approach, but the courthouse remains as a business center for the county business communication; various church sites remain as centerpieces for Bible study and activities focused on serving God. Added to this, many have become more individualistic or autonomous and do not personally depend on the larger community as in the past.

Fear

Fear of the unknown can paralyze a person. Humans have an innate sense of self-protection. There are physiological auto-response actions and emotional response actions sometimes used to protect our existence. Some people can be so fearful, they are afraid to do most anything. However, many different things in any given day are activities we have not previously done, and so have unknown requirements or unexpected results and ramifications. Some of this fear or hesitancy can be overcome by trust in whomever may be advising or guiding the person. Strong trust is usually built on a history of positive results and lack of criticism or rejection. One key to this is a person doing the things they say or promise they will do. The stronger the history of such actions, the stronger is the trust a person can be trusted or expected to do what they say. Many people can be known by their expected actions, good or bad; this expectation becomes a kind of trust. Regarding our salvation, we can trust Jesus because He did what God asked Him to do and then  sacrificed himself for us. God demonstrated His acceptance of Jesus' actions by raising Him from the dead. Some translations use the word “trust,” for “believe” in Jn. 14:1-6. [Jesus said] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” - Jn. 14:1 (ESV). To be functional in society, we must learn who to trust to what level. We must pursue this trust, depending on the Holy Spirit, for guidance toward the best decisions along our unique individual spiritual journey.

Emotions

Emotions are very powerful for motivating and convicting people. Spirit filled Jesus displayed several emotions handled in a manner honoring the Father. Jesus showed great sadness over how His people treated His messengers, symbolized by Jerusalem; in anger, He overturned the tables of money changers at Passover; He wept because of Lazarus' death; He was greatly distressed before being arrested and crucified. An encouragement for us is that all this happened while indwelled by the same Holy Spirit that indwells us. It is unlikely any of us will ever experience something like crucifixion, but the Holy Spirit was constantly there. No matter how stressful or emotional our struggles become, the Holy Spirit will not leave us, He will attempt to strengthen us as much as we will allow. We must make the choice; only we can open up ourselves to Him and His guidance or push Him away. "Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us." 1Jn. 3:24. (NIV)

Clothing

Those who attempt to follow Jesus' teaching need to walk very carefully, because our surroundings may be physically and spiritually dangerous; some people will be affected differently by the situations they encounter. Our appearance (clothing) should reflect wisdom and concern for others. We must depend on the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide us correctly. "Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." Eph. 5:15-16 (NIV); "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Col. 3:12 (NIV) This is should motivate us to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Freedom to worship God

 I read a message for encouragement from Israel Bible Institute about Passover and the deliverance from Egypt after so many years of slavery. Because of His love, God promised to deliver Israel. “Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm (בִּזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה) and with great judgments (Ex. 6:6).” This deliverance was not only a deliverance from harsh treatment in slavery, but also a deliverance to better serve God. Many times, we become fascinated with the account because of amazing physical benefits these slaves received, not only freedom, but great financial gain. When we do this, perhaps we overlook the greatest benefit was an exit from those who controlled their lives - by those who did not believe in God. Some believers today, follow a similar pathway. They want God to bless them physically, yet they overlook the freedom they possess to worship God because of His grace and love. We must remember that our God is the one to be worshipped and followed willingly, not forced.

Warnings

In our present lives, many of us almost scoff at warnings about possible changes. We live in a culture that takes for granted our surroundings because many have never experienced lack of those blessings. We really do take many things for granted, until we experience their removal. History is filled with examples of individuals and nations who have experienced this in both physical and spiritual arenas. When we become Christians, we are assured a place in heaven and a struggle to get there. Jesus told His disciples, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” – Jn. 16:33 (ESV). Sometimes we focus too much on the struggle. Yes, there is a struggle, but we walk with the victors along our unique individual spiritual journey. We should not take the Holy Spirit’s guidance for granted. We should ask Him to help us and look for opportunities to follow His guidance. Sometimes this guidance may come from warnings or possibilities from others.

Conscience

How often do we think about our consciences? A good description of one's conscience is: "a part of our thought process which helps us make decisions based on personal understanding of our core beliefs." It may also constantly remind us of any poor choices; it may seem like a constant thought about something that 'just won't go away.' Without a God-centered base, one's conscience may consider ungodly actions as normal and expected. When one accepts God's plan and the Holy Spirit lives within them, their conscience also undergoes a cleansing transformation; actions that displease God become no longer considered as acceptable. "Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins." Heb. 9:14 (NLT). Our conscience is one way the Holy Spirit leads us along our unique individual spiritual journey of sanctification.