The Borne Identity

04.30.13

Psalm 68.19 19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. (ESV)

Uzzah (2 Samuel 6.5ff.), wasn't an enemy of God – he just took it upon himself to do something he shouldn't have been done: touch the Ark of the Covenant. Uzzah decided to steady the Ark when the oxen which were pulling the cart upon which it rode, stumbled. The Ark rocked slightly and Uzzah, good citizen he was, reached out to steady it. God struck him dead. (BTW the Ark wasn't ever supposed to be on a cart… see Exodus 25.10-15)

Yes, you heard me right, I said, God struck him dead. Uzzah wasn’t an enemy of God but he was completely unauthorized to do what he did and it was punishable by God’s Law by the penalty of death. (I’m pretty sure the priests weren’t even authorized to ‘touch’ the Ark. I’ll have to look that one up and comment sometime down the road.)

Part of our theology these days is: God won’t do anything to us that might be misconstrued as mean or hurtful; God loves beyond our furthest imaginations would never do anything to make us feel bad. Too bad we think that way. God loves, but He is not stupid, nor does He flex or bend to our wishes or waywardness. Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up…

We are borne up because we fall down. We do stupid things that we aren’t authorized to do. And sometimes our stupid fallen things have consequences that are way more than they should be and we (and others) suffer dearly for them. We need to be borne up. We need to be helped. We need to be saved and that’s why the remainder of this verse says: God is our salvation. If God didn’t bear us up we’d be destroyed because God is serious about our getting it right.

Think of the lengths God has gone to secure our salvation – doesn't that merit a little of our thanksgiving and humility. Think of the things God has saved us from and we know it; and we know if He hadn't we would've and everybody’d be the worse for it. Imagine the things God has saved us from and we don’t know it – I know, they don’t hold as much charm as the things God has saved us from that we do know about.

One of the infinite blessings we have in Christ is simply this: Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.

I know Uzzah done did a dumb thing and paid dearly, but I don’t think Uzzah was God’s enemy and I don’t think we’ll miss Uzzah in Heaven. Uzzah got caught up in the moment but I don’t think Uzzah wasn't God’s child. Uzzah was borne up by the grace and greatness of God. And you and I are born into God’s family as well where we are borne up by God on a daily basis. God is more for us – infinitely more – than He’ll ever be against us.

We may do some really stupid things and there may be some really serious consequences but thank God that He daily bears us up and is our Salvation. I need some saving – how ‘bout you?

What God Said

04.29.13

2 Samuel 5.2 2 "In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’” (ESV)

I suppose it is normal to go through moments of identity crisis: Who and I and what does it really matter? I’m sure David went through those times, when Samuel had anointed him as the next King while Saul, the current king, was still in power. That might’ve seemed a little uncomfortable – especially when it became apparent that the current king was insanely jealous and sought to murder him. David probably wondered if God had made a mistake. Other gods seemed to do so, maybe his did the same.

This morning on Facebook there was a discussion about the true self and The dichotomy of how our true-self is sometimes confused with our false-self. The true-self is the new-self created and cast into the mold of our Savior and indwelt with Spirit of our King. That sounds well and good (because it is) but the confusion comes when the false-self “escapes from its cage” and terrorizes the village. Our reaction must be couched in what our Savior and King calls us and reject the wild wallowing of our dead nature that keeps claiming it is alive. No wonder things get confusing at times.

What saved David was what God said: ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.’ Had he believed his own press David would have failed miserably… and for sure David went on to do some things he shouldn’a done (Bathsheba, Absalom, Amnon, Tamar, the census, etc.). But God never took back His word and David was king over God’s people until the day of his death. Despite his stumbling’s David believed God.

In my current crises of: “Who the heck am I, and what the heck am I supposed to be doing?” I have to lean on my identity in Christ, and my calling before God. Romans 11.29: God never changes His mind about the people He calls and the things He gives them. (NCV) I may be in the process of waiting for the next set of orders but I am by no means to give ground to what my old self might cough up (‘cough’ in the sense of vomiting) as an excuse that I am somehow on God’s B-list or Junior Varsity.

Whatever comes next is up to God – in the meantime there are people to love and encourage, prayers to be prayed, friendship to be shared, a family that needs cared, disciples who need prepared; a church to be served, and a course that needs swerved away from telling me there isn't anything else to do but feel sorry for myself that I’m not in the midst of more… Paul, how stinking, dang much more do you need?

Hints Explained

04.28.13

Matthew 15.18-20 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (ESV)

To an ancient Jew these were very powerful words because to him it meant a change in the Law. To an ancient Jew it was always important what you did, not so much who you were; you were what you did because you followed the rules – and keeping the rules kept one clean. Even converts knew that.

But Jesus stood right there that day and said, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (ESV) I can almost hear the gasps today. Jesus said keeping the rules didn't deal with what was in the heart; and what was in the heart was the issue.

Consider what Paul called the believers in the early church: Do you not know that you [collectively] are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3.16) Jesus never called the Israelites of His day a temple, they wouldn't have understood – they had a Temple. The Jews had Law, the Gentiles have grace. The Jews were held to faithful obedience to God; the Gentiles are held to faithful relationship with God.

We are not held to Jesus’ commands because we are temples of the Holy Spirit: “Or do you not know that your body [singularly] is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6.19-20 ESV) Our association with God the Father is through Christ the Son. But we are not held to changes in the Law because for us there is no law…but there is fruit of the Holy Spirit (Cf. Galatians 5). What comes out of us may be wrong, inconsiderate, or downright evil, but the believer is a temple where the Holy Spirit dwells and where the Holy Spirit dwells and is honored there is fruit that will last; fruit that will make a difference in the world.

To the Jew then there was the command: I desire mercy, not sacrifice (Matthew 9.13) There was to be heart in the execution of the Law. For the Gentile believer there is to be fruit borne from association with the Spirit Who dwells within.

Jesus hinted at this; Paul explained it. Jesus was sold out to the Father of Mercy; Paul tells us of the Father of grace. For the Jew it is merciful law; for the Gentile it’s faith by grace.

Father, forgive me of my stupidity and ignorance of Who, What, and Where Your Spirit is; help me to better understand Your grace and my relationship to You through Your Son by the presence of Your Holy Spirit… Amen.

Two Word Answers

04.27.13

2 Samuel 2.1 1 After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” (ESV)

Again with the dice – or the straws, or whatever they were using. David inquired of the Lord and God responded. We ask the questions, God gives the answers. Our questions may be detailed, but God doesn't need to give long answers or big explanations. Our question frame the details, God’s response gives the answers. Two word answers… Or a single word – as in the case of St. Peter who said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” (Matthew 174.28) Jesus responded, “Come!” Peter, I accept your challenge, get out of the boat and believe!

The conciseness of God’s answers leave room for our thought process and creativity. David needed to know if he should move to Judah and the Lord said, “Go up.” David got more specific, and asked, “Which one?” And God answered: “To Hebron.” That gave David, with the skills and abilities he had, enough to go on to go to Judah and settle in Hebron. David went in the skills and gifting he had.

Are we asking God questions? For example, my question would be: Lord, do You want me to go to Africa with my son next year?  A one or two syllable answer would suffice. Then I know the Lord has covered all the bases and the provision will be there.

Are we satisfied with the Lord’s answer? When God says no, do we keep rolling the dice until we get a ‘yes’? One or two word answers are one or two word answers. The rest is faith built upon His promises, presence, and the things He’s enabled us to do. And what He’s enabled us to do we’re to do with excellence, skill, and a happy and grateful heart as unto Him.

I think we like to dream about the things we’d like to accomplish. I think many of the dreams we have are dreams the Lord gives. Where the waters get muddied is when we begin to doubt the dream or get distracted by other dreams. David moved to Hebron – he didn't start toward Hebron and wind up in Jericho. David followed his dream and sought the Lord in the process.

I believe many of the details the Lord leaves up to us. He gives us the ability to choose a head of lettuce. But I think the Lord would rather us to eat lettuce than to consume unhealthy amounts of things we know are not good for us: Take care of yourself child, use moderation, and whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for My glory.

Our questions form the details, the Lord gives the answers. Life isn't (or doesn't have to be) more complicated than we make it out to be. I think the quick answer is simply and honestly: inquire of the Lord, then simply and honestly accept His response. Where we get into trouble is when His response doesn't meet our approval. We know we’re in trouble then. Demanding our way may get us just that, and then it hits the fan.

Father, I am a simple man with a simple life. Lead me in simple ways that I may reliably offer all of what I do to glorify and magnify You… amen.

Plain as Day

04.26.13

Matthew 13.35 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” (ESV)

We hear Jesus’ parables tend to and want to interpret them. His parables were as plain as day. Jesus used illustrations from everyday life to explain how the Kingdom worked: “The kingdom is as plain as day – it’s like…” And then He’d explain it to them.

Most of Jesus’ parables were very simple. Most of what He explained to them what something that was right in front of them. He said, “I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” Everything He talked about was right out of ordinary life. Sometimes the most miraculous is found right in the middle of the most mundane.

For most of us, religion and relationships tend to get messy. Then we compound these things with rules of engagement: it’ll only work if I do this and don’t do that. God will love me if I can just quit doing that and just start doing this. Personally, I think most folks would rather follow a list of rules than embark on a friendship with God because they think rules are easy to follow and God is not; rules are easy to see and God is not. Rules are written in my language and God seems to speak another.

What was hidden to the folk of Jesus’ day was the possibility of friendship with God. Not many of them then understood what it meant to be God’s friend; not many today do either. So, Jesus made it simple and plain – and obvious – to them. If life with God is complicated, it is only because we want to complicate it with rules: you can only achieve this if you only do that.

The funny thing is what scared most of them then is what still scares most of us today: we fear what friendship with God will do to us. We fear it will make us pariahs. We fear it will make us odd. We fear God will peer into our lives and point out our junk and make us deal with it. We fear God’s supposed motive of unconditional love really does have strings attached.

It’s not complicated to the one who takes God at His word: I love you! It’s not complicated to the one who is relieved to find God has removed the rules and doesn’t want them either. God understands that if we just hang out with Him our lives will change in remarkable and creative ways. He wants us to understand that too!

What seems so hard to do is right in front of us: what has been hidden since the foundation of the world has been revealed and it’s as normal and obvious as everyday, ordinary life. Will we allow God to be our Friend? Will we cease mistrusting His motives fearing He wants to take something from us we don’t want to give or make us do something we don’t want to do? Do we really want life to be better? Do we really think with God it could be?

Jesus said it was as plain as day…

Lord, help me to see as You see and to love as You love – Amen.

Epilogue

04.25.13

1 Chronicles 10.13-14 13 So Saul died for his breach of faith. He broke faith with the Lord in that he did not keep the command of the Lord, and also consulted a medium, seeking guidance. 14 He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse. (ESV)

Yesterday, I had breakfast with a friend of mine and we discussed what kind of old men we wanted to be. We didn't recount our sins but we sure acknowledged we’d racked up a pile of them over the years. We both agreed we wanted to be remembered for our faith and decided that was best. This morning I read: Saul died for his breach of faith.

King Saul’s life seemed to get worse as time went along and probably the main characteristic of his life was relying on himself…instead of God. Saul just didn't seem to get it. I don’t want to be like Saul: self-reliant and faithless. His successor David, had his share of troubles but he seemed to always come back to the Source of his strength: the Lord.

If you are a man and you’re reading this today: what kind of old man do you want to be? Our culture says, in life, you’re to work hard, amass a personal fortune, and then play when you get to that age. Is that your goal? If you were to die today, what would be the epilogue written about you? There is a time to put aside one career but as long as we have breath, there’s always room for one more…

The epilogues of the faithful in Scripture resonate with these words: they lived long and died full of years… implying they lived on purpose in fellowship with their God. Sometimes in life it isn't what you do, it’s Who you know in what you do. Living life on purpose in fellowship with God seems best. Continual, constant, complete: those are words that look good in an epilogue.

In life there is a way all men go: death. We can die full of years: full of purpose, intention, and always looking for the next gig; or we can die unfulfilled. We have a grandson coming any day now and it appeals to me to pour as much of my life into that child as I can, while I have time. I don’t want to be a nuisance but I do want to help that little boy get started living a long intentional life, full of years.

It is often sadly and cynically said the good die young; I would add: the old die good. Or at least they ought to. My life is to be: begin well, live well, and die good. My life is to be lived in faith in God Almighty (not His last name, but fitting if it was). And the epilogue of my life shouldn't contain words like broken faith.

I may not be in control of all of the events of my days but I am in control of where I put my faith and how I live my life: under God’s rule and in His care…all of my days. Today, I pray for the courage and strength to live life well, faithfully; and with intentional purpose accepting the things I cannot change and acting upon the things I can. And I want to try to replicate these days into a tapestry that adds up to a life well-lived with an epilogue well-written and oft recited. It beats the alternative…

The Wrong Question

04.24.13

1 Samuel 29.8 8 And David said to Achish, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” (ESV)

David, in a season of despair, fled to Philistia to escape Saul’s attempts to take his life. In Philistia, David made himself comfortable under the leadership of a man named Achish; so much so, that Achish made David and his men his bodyguards. Achish was comfortable with David and the David with Achish. But not so the rulers of the Philistines, they saw David as an enormous threat; they remembered what was sung about David when he killed their champion, Goliath.

So the Philistine leaders told Achish, “Get rid of David! No way is he going to fight with us and be on our side!” And in 1 Samuel 29 Achish says to David, “As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you. So go back now; and go peaceably, that you may not displease the lords of the Philistines.” (Vv. 6-7) (They’re not that into you…)

So David asks, “But what have I done? What have you found in your servant from the day I entered your service until now, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?” Funny, David asked King Saul the same question. David seemed good at asking the question: What have I done? The question is not what have I done, but what is God doing?

Sometimes our own reasoning leads us to justify what we do even when it’s diametrically opposed to what God is doing. God appointed David as king and David was acting like a criminal fugitive. David had even gone over to the enemies of Israel to live among them because he’d lost his faith in his own people: if I can’t have my way, I’m going to take my ball and go… Without God such foolish thinking may fly, but with God it is utter insanity!

David asked the wrong question from the wrong mentality: everyone’s picking on me; he’d forgotten that God never picks on anyone. God was shaping him because as king he would face enormous things and he’d have to rely on God’s wisdom and not just his own reasoning to overcome them.

So, what’s happening in our lives: are we learning from God’s seasoning, or leaning on our own reasoning? Are we asking the right question: God what are You doing? The beauty of today’s lesson is God didn't leave David to his own devices and thinking: God saved David from ruining his kingship by fighting against his own people. And God used Philistine bosses to get His message across: David, you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time and nothing good will come from this.

Father, keep me from being in the wrong place at the wrong time because I’m listening to the voices in my head that say You are anything less than faithful. Help me to ask the right question and to be effective for You in all I do – amen.

Our Own Clouded Thinking

04.23.13

1 Samuel 27.1 1 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” (ESV)

For sure David was depressed – and I think here in 1 Samuel 27 is the height of his depression: his move to Philistia. The problem was David began to believe his own press. Surely the trouble with Saul had escalated but David believed, sooner or later, Saul was going to get him. What about the anointing as the next king? What about the promises of God? What about the deliverance of God? David seems to have reached a point where he couldn't see those things because of what Saul did to him. And he could justify it as self-preservation.

I know people who believe their own press. The writer of this blog is one of them. Sometimes the situation is just so intimidating that it is hard to believe anything else. Maybe it was because it was risky that David moved his band of men to Philistia; the Philistines could have turned on them at any moment. Maybe for a guy like David it was easier to burn the candle at both ends: Saul on one side and the Philistines on the other. David’s depression closed his eyes to all other possibilities.

It happens to us – sometimes the situation takes on a life of its own and we fall prey to thoughts that are dictated to us by our own clouded thinking…believing them to be the only way out. Such is the danger of going it alone.

So what do you do? I don’t know. I can’t come up with a canned answer that works for everybody. One thing I did observe is: nowhere in this story is there any indication that David inquired of the Lord. Nowhere is there a Psalm David wrote when he was faced with this decision. So, maybe prayer and crying out to the Lord is part of the answer. It sounds to me like it is the ONLY option, but maybe there’s more to it than that. Maybe there’s just one question that needs to be answered: Lord, what do You think?

Over my lifetime I've become somewhat of a master at shooting from the hip – not carefully taking aim but just knee-jerking into the next decision. I can’t tell you the toll it has taken on me personally and on my family. But now in my later years, I have learned there is something about asking: Lord, what do You think? And then waiting for His answer.

Sometimes the situation just blows over and comes to nothing. Sometimes an apology is necessary and more than once, my humbling myself, is vital to the solution. But asking God, what do I do; what do You think – is incredibly important.

Whatever we’re facing today, let’s discipline ourselves to bring it before the Lord and seek His opinion first before knee-jerking into the next phase of the solution. Let’s ask for courage and remember what the Lord has already said before we let our own clouded thinking guide the way… Amen?

Doing the Saul

04.22.13

1 Samuel 26.19 19 Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the Lord who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering, but if it is men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ (ESV)

Again, Saul is consumed with capturing and killing David. Fact: Saul knows his kingdom ends with him (1 Samuel 15.24-26). Fact: Saul knows David has been anointed by Samuel as the next king (1 Samuel 16.1-13). Fact: Saul becomes insane (1 Samuel 16.14). Fact: Saul becomes insanely jealous of David (1 Samuel 18.616). Fact: Saul’s son Jonathan (the heir apparent) knows Saul has lost the kingdom and David will be the next king (1 Samuel 23.17). David is a threat to Saul and Saul knows his days are numbered (1 Samuel 26).

In 1 Samuel 26, Saul was again chasing David to kill him, but we notice David’s tone has changed from the last attempt: David demands justice before the Lord. David impeached Saul’s motives by asking, “What have I done!?” In other words, what is my crime? And then David presented his defense: “If this is God, then I ought to be able to offer a sacrifice for atonement. But if this is men, I’m not buying it because they are unjustly trying to take away my share of God’s inheritance as an Israelite. They are chasing me away from worship of the true God to worship other gods who are not true!” David’s defense was his belief in what God was doing for Israel as a people. Saul didn’t seem to believe that; he was what we would call, secular.

I have a choice: I can go spiritual or I can go secular. Simply put, to go spiritual is to accept God’s Lordship in my life and live by His grace and love. As Paul said in in 2 Corinthians 12, “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (Vv. 8-10) Paul went spiritual.

David said (in essence) “You can kill me if you think you need to, but my defense is my conscience before God!” David went spiritual – he laid himself before the Lord and made it clear that if he was going to die, he wasn’t going to die as a foreigner, but as a fellow Israelite; and they’d have to accept the consequences from God. Murdering “threats” was against their law.

The next time I get miffed at my fellow Christian I have a choice: going spiritual or going secular. Do I take my motives and inner thoughts to the Throne of Grace where they have as equal access as I do, or do I go all secular and act as if there is no God? Because that is what it boils down to! David knew where he stood as a believer and he challenged the king to do the same. What I do with what happens to me shows where my heart is with the Lord and others, and what I truly believe about both. David believed and rather than kill Saul, he appealed to the truth and challenged his king to do the same. I need to learn from David and not do the ‘Saul’…

The Sufficiency of Faith

04.21.13

Matthew 8.10 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. (ESV)

One of the hallmarks of Jesus’ ministry was the healing of the sick. This was especially important because the Levitical Law said, “…None of [Aaron’s] offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the bread of his God. For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles. No man of the offspring of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the Lord's food offerings; since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God..." (Leviticus 21.17-21 ESV)

God healed His people. God made them pure and He made them whole; He took away their infirmities, and healed all of their diseases (Cf. Isaiah 53.5). It was part of the Divine relationship with Israel. There were no other cures, there were no hospitals, or medicines, or health insurance; when one got sick, most of the time it ended in death. So, according to the Scriptures Jesus healed the children of Israel.

But when a (Gentile) Roman army officer showed up and asked Jesus to heal his servant, Jesus rewarded the Gentile because of his faith. All along God had asked the people of Israel to trust Him. It takes faith to do so. The centurion in Matthew 8 knew what Jesus was capable of and believed He would heal his servant (apparently from afar); just say the word, Jesus.

Faith puts no limitations on God. Faith trusts God when He is present and when He is afar. Faith knows confidently God will do as He has said. The centurion was an example to the people of Israel that God had come to make them whole and clean so they could come into His presence without fault or blemish. They just had to believe that truth. It required faith.

In these days of grace it is no fun to be sick. In these days of grace it is no fun to be diseased or crippled, or lame, or afflicted. But in these days of grace faith is still the most important thing because in these days of grace, relationship with God is steadfast and enduring in sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, for better or for worse; until death do we go home forever. Faith still puts no limitations on God; but faith doesn't waver in the face of sickness or affliction: what God has promised, He has promised and no thing or no one will ever take that away.

Yes, when I am sick I want to get better but it doesn't mean I have failed God or that He loves me less if the sickness persists. It doesn't mean I have been defeated even if I die as a result. I cannot and must not put such demands on God to make me better because He said to Paul (and I think to us): “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12.9a ESV) It takes faith to believe that, and God rewards those who do (Cf. Hebrews 6.1ff).

Father, I am forever Yours in sickness or health, in poverty or wealth; for better or worse until I get to come home forever. Your grace is sufficient and Your power is made perfect in my weakness…  Amen.

I Wonder if I Should (or The Divine Gamble)

04.20.13

1 Samuel 23.2 2 Therefore David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” (ESV)

It is not curious to me that David asked permission to attack the Philistines and save the town of Keilah (see 1 Samuel 23 for the whole story) – about that I’m not curious. History shows us that asking the Lord’s permission is a good thing. We, in these days of grace, ought to get that – Lord, may I … ?

What I am curious about is how David got his answer. And it’s not that it bugs me, it’s just that there is something here I don’t quite follow. Consider: Proverbs 16.33 says: The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord. My question is: why don’t we cast lots?

It was common practice in the culture of those days to throw the lot (not sure how they went about this) and I assume it was something like rolling the dice or Keno, or something along those lines. If the lot went one way they had their one answer; if it went the other way they had their other answer.

If our modern belief is that the Lord is firmly and fully in control, why don’t we cast lot(s) more? It would seem to simplify things enormously. Should I marry so and so? Ask the Lord, and cast the lot. Should I make this career move? Ask the Lord, and cast the lot: the lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord… It strikes me as a kind of divine gambling of sorts: using some method to determine what God really wants us to do – but in the process, asking permission.

How do you determine what God wants for you to do? Do you ask? Does He answer? Have you ever cast lots to figure it all out? It is okay to buy a lottery ticket? Do the dice give you permission or denial? Are they worth listening too?

Determining God’s will is certainly a process and in my estimation it requires consulting God and (perhaps) asking His permission. Ecclesiastes says, Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. (11.1 NKJV) It’s a risk; it’s a gamble, but it is risking it all for God and gambling He’ll come through because of His promise and His faithfulness. There is something required of us but for sure, we cannot exclude His presence or permission.

Father, I want to know You more. I want to know what You have for me, and in this latter part of my life, how I am to finish the race You've set before me. You know I have never cast the lot before You and today, I wonder if I should. For sure, I want to ask You and seek Your face and trust that lot or no, there is an answer for Your servant and a path I am to follow. I pray for guidance and believe every decision is from the throne of Your grace – Amen.

People Who Know

04.19.13

Psalm 35.27 27 Let those who delight in my righteousness

shout for joy and be glad

and say evermore,

“Great is the Lord,

who delights in the welfare of his servant!” (ESV)

There are those who delight in our righteousness; there are those who are glad the our lives validate their own. It is human nature but the walk of the Christ follower can be a source of tremendous discomfort to those who just don’t get it. But to those who do it is a relief that SOMEONE understands.

Yesterday, I read a blog I like to read because the writer gets it and then puts into the written word things I sometimes struggle with; and whether or not there is an answer, it just seems to resonate with me – I can empathize. She wrote about having the blahs; being in a funk. I've been there. I've done that. Not every season for the believer is an awesome display of courage, valor, and vanquish – sometimes y’just get the blues. And you have to work through them. Call it a spiritual brown-out or whatever – stick with it and eventually the power comes back on full-force!

But you know what? People who know delight in the fact that you aren't a pervert. People who know delight that you care about goodness and love. People who know care that you care about justice and mercy. People who know delight that you stand with them against the evils of this world, and the schemes of a common enemy. People can look at your life and say honestly: “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”

And friends, great is the Lord Who delights in the welfare of all of His children! That’s a big statement. It doesn't matter what we’re facing this day: “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of all of His servants, all of the time!” All of us who name the Name are under His immutable care and endless, infinite love. How good is that! God cares for His people.

I needed a reminder of this truth today. I needed to remember that such true statements are in the Bible about a true God who truly cares for me on this level. Family is great and friends are good but no one cares for me as my Father in Heaven does, and no one gets tickled at my welfare.

So, let’s shout for joy and be glad and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of all His kids!” Amen?

Have a good weekend and whatever your hands find to do remember: Great is the Lord who delights in the welfare of His servants...

God-Afflictions

04.18.13

Psalm 34.19 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

but the Lord delivers him out of them all. (ESV)

Yesterday, someone dear to me went through a difficult time which was exacerbated by words spoken in frustration that should’ve maybe been left unsaid. Y’ever do that? I sure have.

Sometimes our afflictions are self-generated. Sometimes they are because someone else has decided to rough us up a bit. Sometimes they’re the result of sickness (another friend of mine is recovering from triple-bypass surgery.) And sometimes (hear me carefully) they come at the hand of God. The difference between God-affliction and all else is God uses affliction to teach us and reach us; it is okay to use proper corporal discipline to lovingly keep a child from doing harm to himself. Really.

The difference with God-afflictions is they are always, always, always redemptive: Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. (ESV) If God afflicts me then I know the outcome will be deliverance. Always. This is pure grace. Always good.

Well, how then do I know that it is God who is afflicting me? Probably a little self-examination is necessary: am I doing something I need to stop doing? Am I harboring thoughts I need to get rid of? Am I listening to the voices of enablement? Where am I in my opinion of myself: victim or victor? Am I thinking more highly of myself than I ought (Romans 12.3)? Self-inspection is vital in discerning the seasons of our lives. Will others around me honestly lend credence to my conclusions?

Affliction isn't a bad thing necessarily. It helps immensely if it arrests our attention and helps us to focus on God rather than the affliction. God isn't a Meanie, but He is all-wise and knows exactly what it takes in our lives to help us get some of His wisdom, comfort, and love.

Not so the wicked: Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. (Psalm 34.21) The one who rejects God’s hand is in for a rough ride. But here is the answer to such mentality: The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. (V. 22) It is far better to go through the worst with God, than without Him.

My conclusion: I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! Psalm 34.1-3 Am I teachable? Am I reachable? Will I turn to others and exhort them to join me in the Lord’s presence celebrating His goodness?

Father, may I trust You at all times and may the words of my mouth – even in affliction – be those of praise and invitation that others may taste and see that You are good – all the time!

Singing Like There is a Tomorrow

04.17.13

Psalm 59.16 16 But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. (ESV)

We who follow the Lord are called to confidently sing of God’s strength in the morning: after (or during) the night of distress. Stuff happens. Trials come. People at work are idiots. The kid blows his hand off. A bomb detonates in a crowded public place. Criticism comes. Gossip flows. All of this stuff can hang like a rock around the neck in the evening – at the end of the day when we’re tired and just want to shut it all out.

David was the target of a jealous (insanely so) monarch. When a king go whacko, watch out! Every time David succeeded at something, Saul the king wanted to kill him – so affected was he by David’s success.

So, Saul decided he had to enlist the help of his servants to kill David which he did; there’s usually some sick sycophant willing to do dirty deeds done cheap. And David initially ran to his house to hide but quickly realized: home may be where the heart is, but the street right outside is where the killers are. So he escaped. And he sang.

It takes a strong person to sing in the midst of trouble – the kind of trouble where life is at stake. Some sing when they’re mourning. Some sing when they are rejected by a lover. But to sing when there is no one else to turn to but God; well that’s singing on another level. And David didn't just sing, he sang confidently of the Lord’s deliverance in the morning. You have to be pretty confident to sing of the Lord’s morning deliverance when the killers are right outside the door tonight. So confident was David in the Lord, he sang.

Part of my everyday life is to still the voice of doubt: will God really come through for me? The very fact I even acknowledge God in the first place says something. But I’m to learn to acknowledge God in all things: in all [my] ways acknowledge Him and He will direct [my] paths. Confidence in the Lord when the battle is just beginning is seeing the battle already won. That’s why David could sing: I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning – even when they were right outside to kill him. David knew morning would come and he’d be there to enjoy it.

I’m encouraged today to start singing. There aren't any major fires at the moment, but one never knows what the day will bring, and to sing when it is quiet is to prepare for when it’s chaos. And I am to sing confidently of the Lord and for all the times He’s come through for me; and those around me who've called on His Name. I’m to sing as if there is a tomorrow even though today is all I have.

“I will lift my voice to worship You my King. And I will find my strength in the shadow of Your wings. Your love, oh Lord reaches to the heavens. Your faithfulness stretches to the sky. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains; Your justice flows like the ocean's tide*…” (*Third Day)

My Hippie Name

04.16.13

1 Samuel 18.26-27 26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law. Before the time had expired, 27 David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife. (ESV)

Some time back I was talking with my sister and we were joking around as we are wont to do and she asked me if I knew my “hippie” name. She said our sister-in-law had her name and it was Willow, or Spring Rain, or something like that. I laughed because whatever it was she picked out fit her perfectly. I decided I would come up with a hippie name.

For years I struggled with just exactly what hippie name would personify yours truly and it finally came to me recently: BC. My hippie-name is BC (which stands for Border Collie). Border Collies are smart dogs and they are really good at herding cattle. Also, because they are so smart, they have a tendency to get themselves into trouble because they get bored; nothing worse than a bored Border Collie. The best way to treat a Border Collie is to give it something to do – put him to work. My hippie name is BC: Border Collie.

Saul certainly wasn't the dumbest king in Israel’s history, but he was dumb because he tried continually to outwit God. That’s dumb. More appropriately: that’s stupid. Saul’s biggest enemy was himself. And Saul, because of his own stupidity, lost the kingship in Israel and watched as it was given to his perceived enemy: David. Saul hated David and was scared spitless of him.

But David wasn't your everyday Joe, he was a Border Collie. David was smart, skilled, and more than anything: he had a servant’s heart. So when Saul offered for David to become his son-in-law, rather than leap at the chance to be on the inside, David went against convention and humbly declined. Sorry, my lord, I am not worthy to be your son-in-law; but thanks for the offer.

So Saul does the wrong thing: he gives David a way to earn his way into the family: a hundred Philistine foreskins. And David, ever the eager, over-achieving, Border Collie brings two hundred Philistine foreskins. Just give me something to do.

Many in the Family of God are Border Collies: smart, skilled, and have servant’s hearts. Many, because they don’t have something to do, get themselves in trouble: at home, at work, and at play. They’re bored. They’re bored with Church, bored with God, and bored with the Christian life: it isn't exciting; it doesn't get their motor going. David needed something to do. I need something to do. And you do too.

Saul did the worst thing he could do in combating David: he gave David something to do that was perfect for David: success. That’s why the right use of our gifts is so vital in the Body of Christ. But whatever we find ourselves doing let’s remember that we are smart, skilled, and have been given (by God) servant’s hearts. God needs Border Collies to guide His sheep right where He needs them to be… even with an old (hippie) Border Collies like me.

I Can Do That

04.15.13

1 Samuel 17.25 25 And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” (ESV)

A pastor friend of mine said this recently: If you don't know who you are, you become like everybody else. I thought hmmm, and then this morning I read about David in 1 Samuel 17 where he takes on the Philistine champion, a big dude named Goliath.

David was the kind of man who understood who he was and he understood who God was. A man without God is just a man at the mercy of physics and nature. But a man with God, who knows God is a man equipped with all the resources of Heaven. (Just a point in case you were wondering: all the Resources of Heaven are God.) David knew who he was and who God was. And the Philistine champion had one fatal flaw: he was a man without God.

David was intrigued by the prize offered to the one who defeated Goliath: “…the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” David thought to himself: I can do that! David’s resume’ included killing both a lion and a bear for stealing his dad’s sheep. David seemed to be the kind of man who looked at the prize and decided it was worth winning.

What is worth fighting for in your life? What is worth winning? Goliath’s are a dime-a-dozen. They’re big, they’re intimidating, but they aren't God. And the person who knows God knows they can be defeated. God defeats them.

The prize in my life is consistently following God whole-heartedly – in doing that there is great reward – eternal reward. It isn't riches, it isn't a trophy-wife and becoming an in-law of the king; it’s sonship with God and an inheritance in Heaven. (Just a point in case you were wondering: the inheritance in Heaven is God.)

David said no to convention and took on somebody who scared the crap out of everybody else. And I think David did it because he knew who he was – and he wasn't like everybody else. The true measure of a man is his relationship with God – all else is just periphery. One might be talented, creative, clever, strong, handsome, polished – any one or number of the things this world values. But a man can have all that and still miss the Prize: sonship to the Lord of Glory and inheritance in Heaven.

Today, I look at my life and tell myself, son, remember who you are and for what it is you’re fighting: the Prize worth winning. I don’t think I was ever intended to be a headliner; I’m to walk after God and live according to His grace, bringing honor and glory to His name by staying close to Him. Not performance – if it was that, I've already failed – but sonship, I am called a son of God and that’s who I am. And winning the prize? With His help, I can do that…

In View of the Big Picture

04.14.13

1 Samuel 15.22-23 22 And Samuel said,

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

    as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

    and to listen than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination,

    and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,

    he has also rejected you from being king.” (ESV)

From their earliest days as a nation, a people, God expected obedience from the Israelites. Just because the nation had gone through several centuries of apostasy didn’t mean they were exempted from the Law; they were still expected to obey and performance was the name of the game.

The sins of Israel were simply rebellion and presumption. It is one thing to presume: doing my own thing aforethought. It’s another to assume: doing my own thing on the spur of the moment: making an a** ought of you and me. Rebellion is plain old disrespect. And Saul was guilty of both.

Saul’s life was momentary in that he seemed to live with a knee-jerk approach: if it seemed good to him in the moment, he did it. Samuel however, wanted Saul to live more circumspectly: in view of the big picture. Good leaders live circumspectly. Saul wasn't a good leader.

As believers we are called to live circumspectly with a clear view of the big picture. We’re to care for one another and to bear one another’s burdens. We’re to forgive and forget as we've been forgiven, and our own sins forgotten. Today is a day of abundant grace that enables us to live differently in view of God’s love for us. When we view His love we tend to be a little easier on others who struggle with it. That doesn't mean condoning sin, but it does mean living with courage for the safety and security of others in spiritual matters: their lives are a reflection of the power of God’s grace.

Saul’s life was a reflection of God’s choice; God chose him to lead His people and He expected Saul to do so willingly, and obediently. Where Saul failed was in the realm of disobedience (rebellion) and presumption (deciding to do his own thing). The difference with us is God won’t reject those who accept His grace. We’ll stumble and fall, but lovingly, He picks us up and gets us back on the right path.

I’m not excused to sin by grace; I’m to be motivated in the midst of it to live freely. My relationship with God is not based on performance but on love: truly loving God, and truly loving people. Grace enables circumspection.

Father, help me to live with your grace in view and to love as You love – amen.

The Theology of Circumcision

04.13.13

1 Samuel 14.6 6 Jonathan said to the young man who carried his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” (ESV)

It’s interesting to me to read the accounts of the saints in the Old Testament and think about their theology: how they viewed God. How do you view God; what is your mental picture of Him? Is God a strong warrior or a gentle Shepherd? Is He near or is He far away? How we think about God sums up how we relate to God.

Jonathan strikes me as someone whose relationship with God was more than superficial or superstitious. Jonathan seemed to know God personally whereas his father, Saul, seemed to know God corporately: according to the party-line. Saul was superstitious. Jonathan’s words bespeak a depth of understanding that his father didn’t possess: “It may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.”  Jonathan understood the power and presence of God and he acknowledged it.

How do our words about God bespeak our theology of God? What beliefs do we have about the Almighty that are expressed in our words and, more importantly, in our actions? Jonathan’s life is described as courageous (if not just a little risky); he was a loyal, loving friend of David’s. He was the heir-apparent yet he seemed to be aware if such was to happen, it would only happen because of God’s doing. Jonathan understood the theology of circumcision: being set apart for God. Jonathan understood serving God was evidenced through a life of action. Jonathan may have been a great king in the history of Israel.

What about our lives and our theology? Do we know, experientially: “…nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” You see, it makes a difference in how we live by what we say, and if what we say is backed up by what we do. What is God calling us to do? How is God using the circumstances of our lives to shape the theology of our lives? Would we be bold enough to take on the modern equivalent of a Philistine garrison? Would we trust God on the level of picking a fight, in some arena of modern life, to show the unbelieving (as portrayed by the uncircumcised Philistines in this story) the reality of the power and presence of God? That’s a Jonathan life – that’s a theology we’re being called to and supposed to live out.

I have a friend who has taken on human trafficking. Her passion against the evil of this trade is remarkable. She is relentless. I admire her and want to emulate her. She understands the theology of circumcision being set apart to fight for good. What motivates my friend to do what she does? It’s the same motivation of Jonathan: God said do something about it.

Today, I look at my comfortable life and wonder, Paul, what’s it gonna take before you accept the theology of circumcision? How mad do you have to get before you stand up and say, “ENOUGH!”? That’s how Jonathan lived. That’s how David lived. That’s how those who understood the theology of ‘set apart’ carried themselves.  Do I see? Do I care? Do I pray? Will I act? O Lord, put within me the theology of standing fast, standing apart and standing against – I pray in Jesus’ Name, amen.

The Killer Instinct (Part 1)

04.12.13

2 Corinthians 12.10 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (ESV)

There is a difference between external weaknesses: those caused by forces outside of us; and internal weaknesses: those of our own invention. And really, both are absolutely necessary because if we cannot determine our weaknesses, then we cannot determine our strength.

Paul’s argument to the Corinthians was that he was leaning (living, loving, and leading) on a strength not his own – unlike the super-apostles (as he calls them) who seemed to possess a strength that helped them to get to where they were by their own cunning and ingenuity and what made them who they were. Self-strength always rejects external help.

Now then, Paul’s contentedness with externals weaknesses is the key: God uses external difficulties to help us to rely not on ourselves but on Him: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The currency (if we can carefully use such a term) of the Kingdom is weakness, not strength. Which is harder: leadership or submission?

Paul allowed God to use difficulties in his life and mission to keep him from himself: the seat of all that is opposed to God within humans. If the Super-apostles rejected difficulties as a sign of weakness (and thereby criticized Paul because of his) then they only did so in cowardice and cunning: you can have whatever you want so long as you get it from us. Society today is no different…at all.

Paul was content with what he had to put up with because it helped him to see where real strength came from: outside of himself in the presence and power of the Lord. Paul’s killer instinct, much like that of a world-class athlete, came from finding God in the midst of his difficulties and rejecting self’s desire to escape trouble of any kind and just skate by unscathed. Jesus reminds His disciples that ‘just skating by’ equates to rejecting Him. Paul’s attitude toward that was he’d rather be torn apart by wild beasts than to reject the strength of Christ.

And Paul’s attitude toward external difficulties – those beyond his control – was they were absolutely vital for his spiritual survival should he cave and try to get (skate) by on his own: his own abilities and cunning. If all I depend on is me, then I don’t need Jesus. The more I am content on getting through difficulties with, and only with Jesus, the more I show myself to be submitted to His leadership and find the godly fruition of His true spiritual life. If I’m not striving for truth, I am just settling for something not worth the effort.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change or control and so give my natural defense mechanisms over to You – finding You in my difficulties; and thereby finding my True Strength: You. Save me from trying to be the master of my own destiny and to develop the killer-instinct to ruthlessly give over everything in me that doesn’t want anything to do with Your life, Your love, and Your leadership – even in the worst of circumstances – amen.

He wrote Letters

04.11.13

2 Corinthians 10.6 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

Apparently Paul’s gift was not eloquence – Apollos had that. Apparently Paul’s “stage presence” was commanding – Peter had that. I’m not sure if there is ever an instance where Pricilla and Aquila are mentioned in Scripture where they did public speaking – that wasn’t their gift. Paul’s life – outwardly – looked as if he stumbled from one trial to another mishap (see 2 Corinthians 10:22ff). Paul’s outward-ness appeared messy, but he knew of what he spoke; and so much so that he planted more churches and reached more people than anyone else in the early days of the Church.

Paul’s teachings were lofty and sometimes distorted by people who made fun of his presence and lack of public speaking skills. But one thing Paul did: the boy could write: he wrote letters. He wrote in such a way as to make up for what he lacked in stage presence and verbal skills. He wrote in such a way as to take the majestic themes of God and make them understandable to dummies like me. His letters are the most widely read documents to this day. So, who cares that he looked (and maybe sounded) like George W. Bush when he spoke publicly? What he said and what he had in his heart came out in what he wrote. And what he wrote he knew.

Right now I have a friend who is going through what may be the toughest time in her life – and the girl can write. She has a way with the written word that captures the essence of her pain and helps her funnel it in such a way that many people are helped and blessed by her insights. I have another friend who knows how to get kids to have a wild and crazy time together and then just when they’re worn out from fun can eloquently communicate the gospel in ten minutes of sharing what captures the essence of what he knows about Jesus.

God will use anyone, anywhere, anyhow. God isn’t limited by what we don’t have; He capitalizes on what we do have: a willing heart. The New Testament is the Seminal Document of all human history and much of it was written by a guy we’ve never seen who was much maligned because he fumbled around verbally. What’s your gift? What are you good at in communicating what you know?

Father, Help us to share what we know and to remember there’re people out there who need to know what we know. Help us to find our gift and to share it faithfully – not necessarily skillfully; skill is icing on the cake. Put us all in places today where our gift shines and where we can make the most influence for who You are and for what You’ve offered. Thank You for the gifted people I know and for what You’ve brought them through to get to where they are with what they know! You’re so good at that!

A Wondrous Thing

04.09.13

Psalm 72.18-19 18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.

19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen! (ESV)

In today’s reading is the account of the Ark of the Covenant’s return to Israel. Israel’s enemies, the Philistines, had captured the Ark in battle and superstitiously thought they’d taken away Israel’s power and strength by stealing their idol. Little did they know What or Who they were messing with.

Often in Scripture God comes across as an angry Parent defending His children from bullies: You can mess with me but you touch My kids and I go crazy… Of course the bullies never get it because they never get God. Sadly, Israel didn’t get it much of the time either.

So today, in the reading in 1 Samuel 6 and 7, the Philistines return the Ark to Israel because they’ve been plagued by tumors brought on by an infestation in their towns of diseased rats. I’m guessing it was some sort of bubonic plague. They thought it was because they had the Ark that they had offended some Israeli God and were being punished. They thought right.

Not every time we get sick is it God’s punishment. Actually, I think it’s: not very often is the case. I think more often, sickness ought to get our attention and turn our focus to God for whatever He is trying to teach us. Sickness is a part of our fallen world and not every disease is punishment for something we’ve done wrong. Sickness is a sign of our weakness and is a clear indicator of our need for the Almighty. And that applies even today for the enemies of God.

Here’s a thought: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. The Philistines had never messed with a god this powerful. They didn’t know what to do. They knew they’d offended him so they did the only thing that seemed reasonable: the sent the “idol” back with a sin-offering included – all that and a bag of chips. The Lord did a wondrous thing in their midst and they responded. And when they responded, He relented. It’s that simple.

Where does our mind go when we get sick or experience some misfortune? Can we summon the courage to trust God and proclaim: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things? Or do we rush to judgment that we’ve peeved the Lord and now what we’re in is payback? God uses even icky things like sickness and death to communicate His love, power, and presence. He’s that good.

Sickness can be wondrous and a good conversation starter: Lord, what are You trying to teach me and during this, what can I learn? And who can I tell? And even if I die, may it be for Your glory that Your glorious Name will be known throughout the whole earth… Amen and amen!

With that kind of attitude, how bad can it be?

The Space

04.07.13

2 Corinthians 7.1 1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. (ESV)

In the story of Samuel, in 1 Samuel 1 and 2, it doesn't take long to see who is and isn't genuine. At this point in Israel’s history, there is a priesthood, but it had become corrupt. Samuel was the beginning of God’s judgment on the priesthood of Eli.

Eli sinned by not disciplining his sons Hophni and Phinehas for their antics and corruption as God’s representatives. Samuel is the stark contrast of goodness and faithfulness to these two criminals who were supposed to be leaders of God’s people.

Samuel’s mother gave him to the Lord out of gratefulness to have a son in the first place. She’d been barren and poured out her complaint to the Lord; and God heard and answered by giving her a son, the young man Samuel. She was resolute in her asking and God was gracious in His giving. And Samuel was guided into holiness (I think) by his mother’s godly influence and by the retelling of the circumstances of his birth. Samuel understood he needed to make the choice to follow God, and reject the uncleanness of the situation he was introduced into.

Paul compared the majestic magnitude of following God to the puny selfishness of giving into earthliness and urged the Corinthians to make the right choice: to cleanse themselves from every defilement of body and spirit by living in fear of the Lord. Choosing to follow God will enable one to reject the pull of the world. Paul told them to allow God to have such a place in their lives that they would reject the things that would encroach into such a space. That was Samuel’s defense: God held such a place in his life.

My behavior and choices are a direct reflection of the size of the place I have given to God in my life. My holiness (if I read this correctly) will be brought to completion as I live more and more in the fear (the respect) of the Lord. If I respect Him, then I’m not as inclined to give ground to the antics of a corrupt society around me. Living in respect for God kills living for self.

My life’s mission is to live for God and to protect the space I have for Him in my life – the bigger the space the more I am safe from the things that want to take that space away from Him. Protecting my God-turf is simply allowing everything I do to be filtered through the Space. And when I do, the promise is holiness will be completed in me.

The world around us (whether it knows it or not) is dying for a relief to what it has to offer. It doesn't know that, and probably doesn't want that, but it does want fair, and equity, and all that. What will our world think as it watches holiness being completed in us? That’s a thought worth thinking…

God’s Buddy

04.03.13

Psalm 89.1 I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. (ESV)

"We're a team

Me and God" - Josh Turner*

When I read the Psalms I am overwhelmed by the depth of relationship portrayed therein – the authors of the psalms knew God. They knew God in a way that makes most modern thoughts of God pale in comparison. If there is such a thing as a God expert, the writers of the psalms come close.

The Psalms are sort of the Greatest Hits of Israel’s music charts. They were written over a long period of time and capture the essence of man’s relationship to his Creator. Every man is called to know God and every man is mystified by such a relationship. Knowing God is more – way more – that knowing about God. The Psalmists knew God.

There’s a catchy little C&W song entitled, Me and God. Josh Turner wrote the song and the lyrics above capture the essence of his work. I have a hard time with his theology when I compare it to what is written in the Psalms – especially this one that I’ve quoted: Psalm 89. But there are many who look at their relationship with God and see themselves as only as God’s buddy: jus’ me and God. Don’t care what happens, it’s jus’ me and God. I don’t think the writers of the Psalms saw themselves as God’s bud.

We can be God’s bud if we choose to be; but should we do so, I think we do at the risk of missing out on knowing God by just knowing about God. I think most of the writers of God’s Hymnal would probably roll their eyes at our modern view of God.

Psalm 89 is written to proclaim God’s greatness but also the mystery of what appears to be His absence. God is never absent, but I think sometimes He is cataclysmically quiet. His quietness ought to get our attention. I quit singing Me and God when things get quiet. Quiet happens for a reason and if I’m deaf to the quiet then I might miss out on what God is saying by His silence.

And so Psalm 89 ends with this thought: How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man! What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of [the grave]? (Vv. 46-48) Sometimes wondering why God seems so absent may mean understanding He’s stopped, and we’ve kept on going like He was never there.

If God is just my Buddy then I’ve a shallow view of Who He really is and what I’m really supposed to be. I want to be more like the writers of the Psalms: bountifully blessed and morbidly mystified by the presence of God…

*January 24, 2006, MCA Nashville, (C) 2005 MCA Nashville, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

Hay-Bales and Handbags

04.02.13

Judges 13.9 9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her. (ESV)

The Book of Judges ought to clue us in on just how much God intervenes in our lives when we don’t ask or expect Him to. There is so much fuss these days about freewill and free agency it seems the popular thought is: freewill is to God what kryptonite was to Superman; that God will only go so far in our lives. Only those who don’t know God think this way.

And so, in Judges 13-16 we have the account of Samson. God intervened in the lives of the Israelis through Samson’s parents when Israel was being afflicted by the Philistines, and God had had enough of Israel’s weaniness and whininess. Whether they realized it or not God stood by His promises to them and called them His people.

We have to factor in God probably wasn’t pleased with the way things were going in Israel, and in His sovereignty He chose to take things in another direction. God can do that. God can take our lives any direction He chooses; He doesn’t need our input, or permission. He sees and knows what is best and sometimes takes us there…despite our kicking and screaming.

Samson’s parents weren’t overly religious but they did pray and God heard their prayer. Samson’s father wasn’t sure what God was up to but he prayed and God answered. Sometimes it just takes the intervention of God to remind us that we are where we are for a reason (or a season) and God is completely in control; and we need to believe and trust Him. So Manoah, Samson’s dad, prayed and asked God: “O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born.” (v. 8) The rest of the story plays out from there.

This Easter Sunday, we were driving home from Eastern Idaho and before we left we asked God to protect us as we drove and to remove obstacles from our path. Two minutes into the trip down Interstate 15 a guy lost control of his rig and dumped a trailer load of hay right in front of us and wound up facing northbound in the southbound lane. With several other drivers we all stopped and helped clean up the mess and got back on the road in less than 10 minutes.

Last night at a friend’s house we learned his wife had misplaced her purse. As we left we asked God to help her find it and within the hour came the report via Facebook: her purse turned up. God heard our prayer. It doesn't matter what is happening in our lives – hay-bales or handbags – God hears and God cares. And God intervenes sometimes when we can’t (or won’t.)

The history of Israel in the Old Testament is a testament to me of God’s gracious intervention into our lives and to His awesome responses to even the simplest prayers offered in faith. Our land needs God’s intervention and I suspect He is intervening in ways that if we realized it, we’d be astounded by what He’s doing without our knowing or asking.

Father, thank You for Your intervention in Samson’s parent’s lives and that You are the God who intervenes on behalf of His children. May we, Your kids, celebrate Your presence and providence when things seem impossible or unpredictable. Amen!

Death Sentence

04.01.13

2 Corinthians 1.9 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. (ESV)

I remember the sentence of death: our oldest child was born with severe complications and was given two hours to live. I remember the sentence of death: I once made a serious administrative mistake at work and was suspended for two weeks without pay. I remember the sentence of death: the economy tanked in 2008 and I quit the ministry and took a just better than minimum-wage job. I remember the sentence of death: our home foreclosed in 2011.

Now granted, all of these things weren’t the end, they were just the beginning. Our oldest child lived fourteen years; I got over the suspension and went back to work. I left vocational ministry and have taken up lay-ministry in its place. Our home foreclosed and we didn’t die and there wasn’t a parade that I had to walk in with a sign around my neck proclaiming, FOOL! All these things happened to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who gives us dignity and takes away the sting of death and the power of death.

Life happens and stuff happens…period. Sometimes it is a diagnosis that claims the life of a loved one. Sometimes it’s a car wreck, or a pink slip, or a foreclosure. Sometimes it’s a fire that wipes out everything. But God uses all of these things to help us rely on Him and not on ourselves.

Last week a friend of mine told me he was losing his long time position with a non-profit organization and he was scared about how to face the future in an economy that’s sluggish and with a resume that only says ______________. (I’m limited in the details I can share.) But I told him, dude, relax, you’re a gifted and creative guy and God is on your side. The only way to face the death sentence is with God.

Another friend of mine is suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). His attitude is: Damn the disease!! I’m living for the glory of God! Who’s with me!? These things happen so that we will quit relying on ourselves but on God who takes away the sentence of death. We might even die – but with God how bad can that be?

Relying on God is the only true, wise thing to do. After all, He’s the Only True Wise God. Relying on God builds weak faith and allows God to do what He does best: get us to settle down, trust Him, and focus on what is really important. So much of our identity is wrapped up in self-reliance and it tragically keeps us from seeing God at work in our everyday lives. And I don’t think God dishes up doses of dastardly dirt so we’ll get back in line…but He sure does use the hard stuff to crack our hard hearts.

Today, I am rejoicing that hard stuff has happened and it will happen again, but it will help me to remember to quit trying to rely on myself and my pathetic weakness; and rely on God who walks every step of the way with my through the hard times and wonderfully changes my perspective to what is right and good and important: my trusting Him! A – flippin – men!