He Blinked

08.31.13

Revelation 5.4 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. (ESV)

Sometimes, even in Heaven, according to our brother John, there is a strong sense of hopelessness that prevails. It’s not because there is hopelessness, but because there is the perception of hopelessness. You see, someone asked the question in the throne-room of Heaven: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” and no one was found who could 1) answer the question, and 2) open the scroll or break the seals.

At this point, John is overwhelmed with hopelessness – even in the throne room of God – that all is not as he expected it to be: no one could open that dang scroll! But like the rest of us who struggle with the mysteries of God and the mysteries of life, John overlooked the fact that just because no one (creaturely speaking) could open the scroll or break its seals, God could, and would. And did.

John’s tears are a picture of us and our weak perspective. We are the ones who repeatedly look to God for miracles (or just to come through on our behalf) and when they don’t happen the way we want, or believe they should, we deem God to be less than what He presents Himself to be. One day the in-your-face-ness of earth will be revealed for the lie that it is in the presence of Heaven, and the majesty of God.

I’m not trying to put John down – he got the invite to heaven, not me – but he admits that even in the throne-room of God he momentarily lost sight of the glory and majesty of the Glory and Majesty – he blinked. But I’m not in Heaven and I blink all the time because the in-your-face-ness of earth fools me again and again. All I get to do is read of John’s momentary lapse and remember that despite my best efforts, I get fooled, and in reality, there may really be tears in Heaven.

That doesn’t mean I’m not saved. That doesn’t mean I’m weak. It just means that the calling of faith is far greater than I usually go. That means the need for my taking my relationship with God to a new level is constantly before me and I need to give that some serious effort.

Listen, if John was fooled (even momentarily) and he wasn’t exposed to the level of information I/we are exposed to, then who am I/we to sit back and criticize him for reaching a conclusion – even in Heaven – that things aren’t always what they appear to be.; at least he was honest enough to admit to all of us that he blinked.

I blink. I duck. I jump to conclusions over things that are not important and yet distract me from the real reason I live. I read John’s revelation and think: man, I do that stuff all the time! But like John, even when it appears to be the worst, I have someplace to turn and Someone to help me: “…the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” Jesus Christ the Risen Lord, who knows when I blink and jump to stupid conclusions about my life and the in-your-face-ness  of the world around me.

Help me Jesus, help me today! Amen.

Falling Down

08.30.13

Revelation 4.9-10 9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying... (ESV)

The puny little sophomore in me has always had trouble with the mental image of these elders falling down in worship and casting their crowns at the feet of Him who lives forever and ever; I’ve always thought it it looked kinda silly; why would grown men in the throne room of God, act so weirdly? I’ve always stumbled a bit at this image – until today.

In John 18 it is recorded that a mob of men went into the garden of Gethsemane to find Jesus and arrest Him; and when the Lord inquired as to Whom they were looking for, they said, Jesus, the Nazarene. When He responded I am He, they all drew back and fell on the ground. Why would grown men fall all over themselves, armed with swords and clubs in the presence of this Person – after all, in their eyes, He was only a criminal and a troublemaker? When God says, I am He, He means, I am He. Had we been there, you and I would’ve fallen down as well.

I think you could say at this point: overcome. The men in the mob were overcome by the presence of God. They couldn’t stand it – literally. The elders in Heaven, too, are overcome when they witness the glory and honor and thanks given to Him who is seated on the throne who lives forever and ever. Overcome.

Falling down in the presence of God is somewhat of a lost art today, but I think we need to get more used to it because in Heaven, it’ll happen all the time. We’ll be overcome with the enormity of the place and the price that was paid through grace. Overcome.

Father in Heaven and Father of my heart, I don’t fall down as much as I need to; as much as I should. It’s because I don’t spend as much time thinking about the place and the grace You’ve given to me. I’m too busy doing what I think I’m supposed to be doing and when I stop and realize that what I’m doing doesn’t very often include falling down and casting my crown, then I conclude maybe what I’m so busy doing isn’t all that important. I ask for deeper revelations of Your presence and majesty and that when I do, I appropriately respond by doing what I ought: fall down in worship and thanksgiving. So, I ask for Your help, and I ask for more sight.

And when before the throne

I stand in Him complete,

I’ll (fall and) lay my trophies down

All down at Jesus’ feet.* Amen.

*Jesus Paid it All - Elvina M. Hall, 1865

The Cords of God

08.29.13

Ezekiel 4.8 8 And behold, I will place cords upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the days of your siege. (ESV)

Just over a year: 390 days. 25 days over as a matter of fact. I groan every time I read Ezekiel 4 because every time I do I’m reminded of Ezekiel’s having to lie on his side (his left side) for 390 days. And when that was over, he had to roll over onto his right side and do it again for forty more days. Yuck. Sometimes God makes us do the weirdest things…if we’ll let Him; if we’ll obey. (Ezekiel only protested when God told him to use human excrement as fuel for the fire to cook his food.)

And then God said, “And behold, I will place cords upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the days of your siege.” In other words: Ezekiel, don’t even think about getting comfortable, I’m going to paralyze you to get my point across. God does what God does and Ezekiel obeyed.

Recently, my bride and I went tent camping. It only took two nights on the ground with little padding under our fat and spoiled bodies to remind us why we don’t go camping… both nights my hips and knees were killing me! Campfire coffee never tasted so good in the morning!

So I thought: do we have cords in life that keep us from getting more comfortable? Do we find ourselves in the weirdest places doing the weirdest (and often harmful or inane) things? Has God bound us up in a location, a vocation, or some other “ation” to get His point across? Where is God when day 321 (of 390) comes around? Where am I in my heart and mind? (That’s probably the more important question…)

What seems to be hard for most of us to accept is how God deals with us to get His point across. The point may be for us: I tend to think that what Ezekiel went through was somewhat based upon what was in his heart about his nation and their apostasy from God. And the point may be for others: as they watch helplessly as the cords of God paralyze or cripple or prevent us from living our/their view of the American Dream; maybe the Church Dream: How can God do that to him; he must’ve done something really wrong!

God does what God does and we’re to cooperate with Him as He does what He does. This may call for patience. This may call for a renewed contentment. This may call for humility and this may call for submission. God does what God does to get His point across.

This made me think about my current age and stage in life. This made me think about my ministry and my vocation. This made me think about the things God is asking me to deal with (and no, He hasn’t asked me to lay around for 390 days!) This made me ask, God, are we getting somewhere in all this – and if we are is there something else I must do (besides whine, moan, and groan about where I am and what I do?) What would I willingly do for God to get the point across to my family, my community?

Father birth in Your servant a new level of contentment and trust and may I get the point, or may others get the point as they witness Your interaction with me – Amen.  

Faithful Unto Death

08.28.13

Revelation 2.10 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. (ESV)

Statements like these bug me: Do not fear what you are about to suffer… Really! Do not fear!? Suffer!? I get fearful just hearing those words. There is a tone of surety to those words that doesn’t flinch: Oh, and by the way, you’re about to get it…

But then, I have to think about such words and come back to the place where I understand Who said them: Jesus did. And when Jesus says, do not fear, then there is nothing to fear as long as He said those words. And when Jesus says, be faithful unto death, then what He is really encouraging us to do is this: be faithful like you always are beloved; this time though, it’s gonna be tougher than normal, but you can do it ‘cause I’m right there with you.

I believe that what the Lord had John write to the seven churches got written, and delivered. I believe those people in those churches heard and understood what was written and Who  it was who said it. I believe they accepted the words for what they were. I think they did their best with what they knew and what they knew was true: Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

I notice that Jesus didn’t give them too much detail but did give them a lot of encouragement. That’s our Lord: short on details, long on relationship. The details of earth aren’t usually as important as we make them out to be. I think that’s why God, over and over, simply says: trust Me, I’m with you and because I am, you don’t need to worry, just be faithful – even to the death if necessary. Death is overrated.

And whether or not the details ring of big trouble or small, I’m to remain faithful. On an everyday basis here in the modern world, I’m to be faithful. When my thoughts go south or my attitude loses altitude, I’m to remain faithful – and even to the end of my days whether in jail or just at ACE (where I happen to presently work) my life’s mission is to be faithful to Him who is always faithful to me. Good news or bad, He’s faithful.

Lord, I know there are those who are going through some tough times because they’ve chosen to be faithful and cling to You. I ask that You give them strength and help them when fear tries to creep in – help them to be faithful. And for all of us who are Your kids, may we be faithful in the face of an imminent death or an ultimate death because Your word says: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116.15 ESV) Amen.

The Right Place

08.27.13

Revelation 1.9 9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Had I been John, with my personality and preferences, I might’ve said: this is the thanks I get for believing in Jesus and talking to others about Him? Not John – no, he understood a thing called partnership and another called patient endurance. He acknowledged those things as from Jesus, and because he did, he won a one-way ticket to a penal colony on a rocky barren island in the Mediterranean Sea. Lucky you, John.

John wasn’t bitter. John wasn’t pouting. John understood he was right where he needed to be at the moment; and of all places for Jesus to show up, dang it, it was right there on old Patmos amongst all the other prisoners and the guards and the seagulls.

John understood persecution; he’d seen a lot of it in his pre-Patmos days. He took Jesus at His word: “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.” (John 16.33) In other words, “Friends don’t fear where circumstances take you, just believe that I am greater than your circumstances, and I am with you in the midst of them.” John, on Patmos (an ugly barren, unfair place) regularly talked with the Lord and praised His name. Who knows how many prisoners came to faith in Christ through this old man’s testimony?

And John knew he was where he was because he believed what he believed. He’d heard of Paul and Peter’s deaths. He was right there in town when Herod ran James through with the sword. John knew and John believed. And John kept believing.

Jesus will meet us in the weirdest places. Jesus isn’t limited to where or how He chooses to show up. Part of the process is keep believing. And that’s hard especially when circumstances take a wrong turn and we wind up in a Patmos-like experience. Patmos was gruesome, cruel, and ugly. Circumstances pay no attention to our personalities or preferences.

But God does. And God cares. And God does it His way and we can always trust that. Even when it runs counter to our personality and preferences. That’s why training in righteousness is for right now today when Patmos is still off in some other universe. Saeed Abedini is in an Iranian prison for his faith. Fox news reported: An Iranian court rejected an appeal from Saeed Abedini, the American Christian pastor held in Iran for his Christian faith, and refused to reduce the eight-year prison term his supporters believe is tantamount to a death sentence, according to his family and lawyers.

I believe I ought to pray for Saeed. But I think, right or wrong, Saeed is where he is because Jesus Christ is with him and Jesus Christ is greater than an Iranian court. I think Saeed may even have had visits from Jesus. Is he wrongly jailed? Probably. But I think despite what has happened to him, Saeed is in the right place at the right time for the right reason. Either that, or Jesus lied when He said He’d overcome the world…

Those Questions

08.25.13

Psalm 74.1 1 O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? (ESV)

Psalm 79.5 5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire? (ESV)

I love the songs of Asaph. I think had I lived in his day I would’ve liked to have been his friend. Asaph’s songs make me think of men I know on Facebook whom I’ve never met, but consider to be some of my better friends. Shallow, I know. The digital age – I know. But I like the way Asaph wrote and the way he thought (as expressed by the way he wrote). He’d be a great Facebook friend.

My first response is to answer Asaph and say: Asaph, you know exactly why God has cast you off forever. You know precisely why God’s anger smokes against the sheep of His pasture: they deserved every dang thing they got! You know how long!

Of course my pathetic little attitude is only based on what I read about Asaph and the people of his day. They’re not based on my own experience. I don’t think I’ve reached the point where I ask God those questions. Although I’m thinking of some people right now who might be asking those questions. How long O Lord; why is this happening; why is this happening to us?

Not everyone in Asaph’s day was an apostate toward God. God has always – even in the worst of times – had those who’ve trusted in Him without too much question. There were the faithful in Israel who died right alongside the faithless. Why God!? What’s up with that!? The faithful went to their eternal reward; the faithless went to their eternal consequence. The sum of our lives is not our death, it’s what we did in life with what God gave us that matters.

There’s a curious remark in Psalm 74 that caught my eye. Asaph said: Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild beasts; do not forget the life of your poor forever. (V.5) The dove is Israel; His poor is the people who love Him and trust Him even in the worst of times. I heard echoes of Jesus in these words: Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5.3) Those who trust in God despite their circumstances have the Kingdom of Heaven.

Today, I’m not asking those questions, but I am glad someone did. I’m glad that Asaph had to work through what he had to work through and asked those questions so that I could be reminded that no matter what, God never forgets His faithful ones. Ever.

Father, You love Your poor and Your dove. You love those who love You and show it by their trust in You and even in the hard times when they ask those questions. Thank You for Your grace and for the days that You use in my life to escort me home to my final presence with You – thank You! Amen.

Practice, Practice, Practice

08.22.13

1 John 3.7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. (ESV)

It seems to me it's all in the heart – in some manner or another. What we believe is who we are and how we behave is based upon that belief. John’s first epistle is a helpful contrast of either making it… or faking it. And it’s not just behavior that matters because belief is what guides behavior. We’ll do what we believe we can do… Right or wrong.

The practice of righteousness has a willful component to it: we volitionally do what we think is right. The purpose of the Bible is to help us to know what is right. And nothing we do is in a bubble – everything we do, think, and say is tied to something else. John is merely trying to help us understand that if we do what is right (always, always, always) according to God’s measure of right, then we’re on the right track. It isn’t rocket science; it’s as easy as being kind to someone.

The practice of righteousness has to have a knowledge of righteousness: we have to know what is right and wrong (again, according to what God considers righteous). So we have believe, we have to choose, and we have to know.

Then we have to practice. We have to stay in tune with God and learn from Him. We have to practice: just try to be good. We have to view others in the light God has shown on us; and then we have to try, try, try, to walk in that light. But we’ll get nowhere without God. That’s why John also said: No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning… (V. 6) Living in God has to be part of our belief about God.

John also said: No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. (V. 9) If God’s seed – His nature; His presence – abides in us, there is a powerful effect upon us…unless a) we stifle that presence; or b) we simply do not believe. Or, I suppose c) we just don’t know. But the presence of God, if it is truly there, has to do something in us, to us, and for us. His presence ought to be evident in who we are, how we live, and in what we say, do, and think.

And so, practice, practice, practice. Practice makes perfect may not apply to my hand-writing, but it should have an effect upon my life as a Child of God; it should have an effect upon my relationships; and it should have an effect upon my conduct and conversation.

Lord, it is not my effort that amounts to anything, but Your presence (and how I respond to it) that makes all the difference. Today, may I respond well to Who You are and where You are: King of Heaven, and King in my heart. May my heart be the place where Your Spirit moves and Your presence proves that I am Yours, and do what You say. Help me Lord! Amen.

Trust Issues

08.21.13

Psalm 118.8-9 8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. (ESV)

Jeremiah 21.3-7 3 Then Jeremiah said to them: “Thus you shall say to Zedekiah, 4 ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands and with which you are fighting against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the walls. And I will bring them together into the midst of this city. 5 I myself will fight against you with outstretched hand and strong arm, in anger and in fury and in great wrath. 6 And I will strike down the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence. 7 Afterward, declares the Lord, I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his servants and the people in this city who survive the pestilence, sword, and famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of their enemies, into the hand of those who seek their lives. He shall strike them down with the edge of the sword. He shall not pity them or spare them or have compassion.’”

Psalm 118 is worth paying attention to. The entire Bible is worth paying attention to, but Psalm 118 is the focus of my attention today because it is bordered by Psalm 117 which is the middle and shortest chapter in the Bible, and by Psalm 119 which is the longest chapter in the Bible.

Now, the Bible has 1189 chapters in it and the central verse of the Bible is this: It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. (Psalm 118.9) Whodathunkit? Coincidence? Perhaps. But with God there is nothing coincidental. Ever.

All that to say: Jeremiah had the unpleasant task of telling Israel, an arrogant, self-centered, and hard-hearted people, that they were about to be overrun by another nation – a nation of pagans. The Israelis who survived the sword would die by pestilence and famine. And this was a pathetic nation that had adopted the obnoxious habit of trusting in princes (their leaders) instead of trusting in the Lord. Their habit was so bad it merited invasion by an evil foreign power to stop it.

Today, I thought about God’s use of a foreign power against His people to break the bonds of the present power which had overpowered their belief systems. I thought about the present powers we face today that help us deal with our own obnoxious habit of trusting in leaders (our modern version of princes) instead of trusting in the Lord. It seems sometimes the Lord allows higher powers and stronger armies to defeat weaker powers and smaller armies to enable His people to quit trusting in princes and start trusting in Him. There is power in trusting in the Lord.

And that takes me right back to Psalm 118: It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. Psalm 118 also says: Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. (Vv. 5,6,7) Can I walk in that confidence today? I know I need to…  

Lord, I know I have trust issues – help me! Amen.

No Residual Effect

08.20.13

1 John 1.9 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (ESV)

There are people who want justice – they think. They want justice because the one percent is the one percent. They want justice for Trayvon. They want justice because they readily accept: life is unfair. The problem with their pursuit of justice is it usually has these bounds: for me, but not necessarily for thee.

I think justice is what we all want and because of our fallen world, it doesn’t take us long to see that our world is often unjust. We hear things like: Why can’t we all just get along? Why can’t I be accepted for who I want to be? You must accept my sexual preferences! Single-mindedness is narrow-mindedness.

Today, I read 1 John 1 and saw that the God of all creation (the seen and the unseen) and beyond, is not only faithful to forgive our confessed sins, but He is also just in doing so. Wow! A faithful and just God: what a concept! God is faithful and just and will give everyone what they think they deserve. (That really is true if you think about it… I know, I know, some of you won’t go there…)

Justice is comforting in that it makes us feel better when we’ve been wronged and the wrongdoer gets what he deserves. But justice equally makes us feel bad when we realize we are held accountable for wronging others and we get what is coming to us. To the one who won’t confess the only justice is consequence for the crime; to the one who does confess there is justice in accepting God’s way of dealing with one’s transgressions. God knows we can’t take care of things on our own: justice in this case is abiding by His decree of confessing our sins to Him so that He may deal with us for who we are and what we’ve done. He is just in doing so.

And He is also just in cleansing us from all unrighteousness because we did it His way. I don’t know how He does it, but if I abide by His rules there is faithful forgiveness and justice in His so doing. That’s a deal I can accept.

I know it’s not a deal, it’s His grace and it’s His divine wisdom that is above and beyond our ways (and my ways when I’m demanding justice for me, but not necessarily for thee). I don’t think God is into deals, I think He wisely rules in perfect righteousness and perfect justice and those who don’t understand don’t need to know – He’s God, and last I knew He wasn’t accountable to us for anything.

But He is faithful and just and that’s especially helpful to me: one who doesn’t deserve either. I’m just glad He is, and I’m glad that I can come to Him and come clean on the things I’ve done that I know are wrong – and when I tell Him about it, He’s faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse – there ain’t no residual effect.

Thank You Lord for saving my soul. Thank You Lord for setting me free. Thank You Lord for giving to me, Your great salvation so full and free. Amen.

Waiting to Exhale

08.18.13

John 20.22 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (ESV)

Enough of the Law and the prophets: receive the Holy Spirit. Enough of trying to impress God with your efforts and pride: receive the Holy Spirit. Enough of pretending and jockeying for position: receive the Holy Spirit. Enough of trying to be good and doing it to show God how much you have to offer: Receive the Holy Spirit!

This may have been a private moment with Jesus and His followers (save Judas Iscariot who’d killed himself.) This may have been a moment of tenderness when Jesus told His men, “Lookit guys, all you’ve been told and taught in your religion is wrong – you really need Me!”

Later, in Galilee He told them, (according to Acts 1): “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Vv. 7&8) The Missing Link was God’s personal presence within the heart of each one who believed: Receive the Holy Spirit.

I failed so miserably yesterday – I was rude and disrespectful to a man because I ignored the personal presence of the Holy Spirit and like an undisciplined child, reacted in the moment, and failed. I didn’t get thrown out of the Kingdom (that would've occurred long ago); no, I just opened it up and let it rip – much to my own shame and remorse – I ignored God.

I wonder how long Jesus waits to exhale and tell some of us: Receive the Holy Spirit: quit pretending you have your spiritual act together, and live in the personal presence of Him who was sent to indwell the cesspool that you are and make you into something new – completely different. His personal presence is inside of us. He wants to transform human cesspools into rivers of living water…just sayin’.

I don’t think Jesus’ breathing was in exasperation, nor perspiration, nor desperation – it was in anticipation of His doing yet another work in them, and us, preparing us all for the next phase – the next in an endless stream of phases.

So here’s what I think: Paul, receive the Holy Spirit. Really receive Him. Quit pretending and throw yourself in perspiration and desperation upon Him who’s come to dwell within and trans form the stagnant smelly pool of waste into a beautiful, crystal-clear stream of life and refreshment. (The guy at the yard sale needed that, not the crap you threw at him…just sayin’.)

So, Lord, help me receive again today, not salvation, I have it; not the presence, I have that too; but respect and reverence for the One who came to live in me and show me the better way. Thank You for Your Gift – I need Him! Don’t wait to exhale, but bring it Lord! Amen.

Define Truth

08.16.13

John 18.38 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” (ESV)

Well, what is it!? Truth, to many, is just a state of flux – a fluidity of thought or perception that keeps on changing and changing like the surface of the water on a rushing stream. There’s the stream; there’s the water; there’s the surface, but the surface keeps on changing in variations on a theme, but never the same way twice. Truth to them is fluid.

How would/do you define truth? What is it to you? If your version of truth isn’t founded upon the standard common to man, then your truth remains like most everyone else’s: fluid.

Truth however, is static, never changing. Truth is the stream that never runs dry. Truth is a constant thought or perception based upon a single standard and despite the changes in circumstances and time – and perception – truth remains. It our time and space, gravity is truth, there is no changing it and it is founded in the specifics of physics – the revelations and knowledge of things in our physical state in this universe. What goes up must come down.

So when Pilate (I’m thinking sarcastically, cynically) asks Jesus, “What is truth?” he was asking with a resigned heart, a heart that could not comprehend what truth really was to him. To him there was no truth. To many the thought of truth is simply this: there is no truth; there’s no way out, and things are always going to come to some miserable end… (unless, of course, I win the lottery).

Preceding Pilate’s sarcastic rebuke was Jesus’ statement: “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” In other words, truth is only found in God. And Jesus told a hard-hearted man that very thing and the hard-hearted man retorted: What the (bleep) is truth!?

Pilate knew Jesus was in deep weeds with the priests and Pharisees but he didn’t recognize his own peril and cynically denied the truth: there is a God and I don’t know Him. Some don’t know to know – all they know is what they’ve been told and they have no means of measuring the validity of the information they’ve come into contact with. That was Pilate – all he knew was what he’d been told and Jesus rebuffed it: “Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice.”

Either you’re of the truth or you’re not, and the only way to be of the truth is to respond to the encounters with God. That happens through our interactions with nature. That happens with our interaction with the Bible; and that happens with our interaction with God. And God is interacting with us all the time.

Truth is only from God and it could be called a divine perspective that is only given to those who listen to God in the general ways of nature, or the specific ways of the Bible, or bumping into the Holy Spirit – note: when you bump into Him you usually know it…

Father, thank You for the truth that You are God and we are not. Help me to hear the truth, to live the truth, and to share the truth with those I encounter every day. Starting today. Amen.

A Prayer for the Ages

08.15.13

John 17.21-21 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (ESV)

Life is hard: there are bills to pay, kids to raise, jobs to keep, food to be sought, water to be drank, sickness to be healed, schedules to be kept – and on and on and on it goes. Life is hardness punctuated with seasons, days, and moments of joy and glorious light. Then the joy fades and the light dims and the routines carry on – one footstep after another.

But here’s the deal: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” A prayer for the ages. A prayer of hope and change (sorry there’s only One Source for that, and it isn’t American politics); a prayer that doesn’t in any way ever fall of deaf ears or show up on the desk of an incompetent bureaucrat.

Life is hard but it isn’t without meaning if one knows Who prayed the prayer and why the prayer was prayed.

The point of all life is this: “…that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” The point of all life is the union and communion of mankind and God. There is no other point to life, and there is no greater calling for men, and there is no other prayer. Jesus prayed it all when He asked God, “…that they may all be one…” one in spirit, one in mind, one in purpose throughout all the earth. And, “…that they may be in Us…” in the Father, in the Son, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

I know I don’t know what all of that means but I do know this: I want it. I don’t want the leftovers of mankind and its value systems because when it is all over that’s all there is. But with God, there is infinitely more of everything good forever. I want that. I hope in that. And it changes me. And nothing and no one else can deliver except the One who prayed: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

The point of life is spelled out in the prayer for all the ages: that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You: that they also may be in Us…so that… So that God’s perfect plan and design will be fulfilled, and His eternal purposes will endure forever and ever. Yeah, I want that.

Father, You are the End of all things for all things find their meaning and purpose in You. Find in me a willing heart to partner in Your eternal doings so that the world may believe (willingly or otherwise) that Jesus Christ was/is Your Gift to us to show us and give us the perfection we so desperately desire… Amen.

I Like You

08.14.13

Jeremiah 16.13 13 Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’ (ESV)

One of my favorite Bible words is grace. Grace simply means: unmerited favor. The implication of that is there is nothing I can do to earn grace; it is simply (and wonderfully and majestically) the free gift of God: He likes us!

Over the years I’ve heard people try to redefine grace. How silly! You can’t redefine unmerited favor. You might not use the word favor, but you can’t redefine it – it is what it is. Now, I know, anyone can do anything they want to do: they can call up, down; the can call wrong, right. They can make evil good and good evil. But that is deceptive and destructive. Somewhere, somehow, there has to be a standard by which all things are measured and God says that is His Word. Like it or not, it’s true.

Over the years I’ve also seen the abuse of grace, reducing it to the level of a hall-pass to allow us to live any way we want without worrying about the consequences of our actions. Wrong. That is a misuse and abuse of grace: God’s favor.

What makes me laugh is when people say things like: he fell from grace. Or they say grace over their meal. Or they call some religious mucky-muck, “Your Grace”. How stupid. But what makes me tremble a bit is when I read words like this: ‘Therefore I will hurl you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’

No grace. It wasn’t a matter of falling from grace; it was grace removed – or: “I don’t like you anymore!” Wow. Those are terrifying words to hear from the Lord of Grace and Goodness and mercy and kindness, and, and, and… There is no fall; but there is removal.

I don’t know how this fits into New Testament theology. I don’t know how to square this with what I’ve been taught about God’s love and mercy. But I do know this: if one (me or you or someone else) persists in peeing on God’s leg and telling Him it’s rain, he’s only tragically fooling himself. I believe there is supposed to be a holy (and Holy Spirit empowered) response to the words from God: I like you.

God has chosen to show this pathetic little man His favor. I didn’t earn it; I don’t deserve it: He just gives it. And because He does, I need to respect it. And Him. But it is more than respect it’s love: He loves me despite how dramatically I deserve His judgment and if He can set aside all the things I’ve done and do, then it is worth my time investing in a relationship with Someone who could remove grace at any time but chooses not to so that I may succeed in the life He’s given me – a life beyond my highest imaginations of goodness, peace, and purpose.

Father, with You it isn’t tentative – it’s fixed: Your grace is Your gift and I’m not to dwell on whether or not I deserve it, I’m just to live gratefully in it, and faithfully tell others about it. May I do just that… amen.

Figuring Out Jesus

08.12.13

John 14.8-11 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. (ESV)

According to John 1, Philip was one of the first disciples called. Philip had been with Jesus from the beginning and Philip was the one who called Nathanael; Philip was a believer. But Philip had belief issues – he’d tried since the beginning of his calling to figure it all out – that’s what we do: we bump into Jesus, take Him at His word, become part of His company of believers and then spend most of our Christianity trying to figure it all out rather than faithing it all out.

Jesus’ question to Philip was probably a follow-up to many like-questions Philip had had in his walk with Jesus: “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? (Are you still trying to figure it all out?”). How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?’ (“Don’t you, Philip?”) I notice Jesus never once said to any of them who were trying so hard to figure Him out: What’s wrong with you!?

So what is wrong with us? Why is it we struggle so hard to let go and let Jesus? Why is that even a well-worn, lame cliché? Because, methinketh, we concentrate so hard on how Jesus is going to pull off some wonder-work and cannot, or will not, accept Him for Who He really is: in the Father and the Father in Him. Jesus is, was, and always will be: God.

Today, I have a good old case of the Monday Blahs. I played hard all weekend (playing meaning doing stuff other than work) and today I am just blah. But I have to rattle my cage a bit when I see how much time I spend trying to figure Jesus out rather than spending time honoring Him, praising Him, and emulating Him. (Emulating Jesus is a big, big deal…). I have to stop and consider how, like Philip, foolish I am in trying to analyze Jesus and just walk in a manner of complete confidence and trust, doing what He did and living like He lived: completely sold-out to the Father in Him, because He was in the Father.

Following Christ means living like Christ: in the Father because the Father is in me – if ever there was a cure for the Monday Blahs, it’s that: God in me and me in God. I’ll have to take a few deep breaths and get my act together, but the truth is, today I am in God and God is in me. There is no greater calling on a person than that, and there is no greater waste of time than trying so hard to figure it all out…

Lord God, bring on the day: here we go!

Pathetically Human

08.11.13

John 12.37-38 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times. (ESV)

And here at this point of John’s narrative Peter remarks: “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Bold question Pete. Bold statement as well.

In Jeremiah 7 are these words: "For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’" (Vv. 22,23)

As I thought about Peter’s statement and Jeremiah’s, I thought: Peter, Jesus doesn’t need you to lay down your life for Him, what He desires is that you (and everyone else) obey His voice. What Peter failed to see (and I think we do the same) is that only God can do and we can only obey. And that is where the rub comes in humanity’s relationship with God: we want to do for God and we ask Him to obey us.

Why do I need a God anyway? Why can’t I just live life all by myself and do what I think I ought?

What a huge question. What a huge misunderstanding of who I am (and Who He is) when I even ask such a question. I was created by God for God. God made me all on His own and all He ever asks is that I obey Him. I didn’t ask to be created, He did that all on His own. Why did He create me? Only He knows the answer, but all indicators point to the fact that He simply wanted to. Not capriciousness. Not purposeless. But intentionally.

And so when Peter proclaims what he’s going to do or not do for God, he just looks stupid; he just looks religious; he just looks so pathetically human… just like the rest of us who ask big questions and make bold statements to God of what we’re going to do or not do for Him. God never asks us to do for Him anything other than obey.

Jesus replies to Peter, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.” In other words: Peter you will fail in all you do in life for Me if you don’t obey Me. Will you lay down your life for Me? Yes, Peter, you’ll try but you will fail miserably because you think you have something to offer. You don’t. And all I ask of you is that you obey Me.

God equips me to do His will in obedience, and He never asks me to do anything I’m not capable of – all I need do is obey. Where I get into trouble is when I try to take charge and make God do all the obeying. Me and my fellow men have been trying to do that since the beginning of our relationship with Him.

Father, today, may I simply, joyfully, and truly obey. Amen

Ancient Seventy

08.10.13

Jeremiah 6.16 16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. (ESV)

Yesterday was my birthday – F.Y.I.: I turned 58. Forty years ago I thought 58 was a long, long way off. Yesterday it showed up right on schedule. Time flies when you’re having fun…

So, today we (my bride and I) began getting some stuff ready for a garage sale which we intend to hold in our yard (not our garage) next Saturday. The older I get the more amazed I am at the stuff we’ve been lugging about for all these years; stuff that reminds us of the old days, and stuff that should’ve been dealt with in the old days – I think we call it ‘crap’.

70, is now twelve years off and it’s a heckuva lot closer than it was twelve years ago. Twelve years ago I might’ve even toyed with a thought of (perhaps) immortality. (Just kidding – but I sure wasn’t thinking about 70!) And now birthday 58 has come and gone and 70 is eleven years and three-hundred-sixty-four days away.

The word, Seventy, has an ancient ring to it. Just saying it makes me feel older. But ironically, the seventy year-olds I hang around don’t seem all that old to me. But seventy is a time of wisdom and reflection on life lived and experiences gained. (Not every seventy-year old is that wise or experienced, but they’ve all seen many days and they are who they are as a result.) Some of the brightest people I know are seventy…just sayin’.

In Jeremiah 6, God calls His people to seek the ancient paths; the paths that are proven true and the paths that we give them rest. The problem was they had sought new days and new ways that had led them to the brink of overthrow by foreign powers and impending disaster. It was a call of mercy to get them to quit being stupid about the future and invest in what had already been established and what would lead them safely through the storm that was coming.

So… birthdays and garage sales. Birthdays come and birthdays go, it’s what we do with them that shows what we know. Garage sales are a reminder – at this age (58) of what is really important and what isn’t. Garage sales are a way to say good-bye to 58 and a view toward 70…and a real reminder to invest in what is important as the end becomes brighter and brighter like the sun coming up on a new day.

And more than anything, those ancient paths are the only promise of future peace and rest for my soul. Seventy isn’t so bad and doesn’t sound so bad if God is my God and His established ways for me are in fact, my ways. It’s worth thinking about as one begins to think more and more about finishing well…

When Pigs Fly

08.09.13

John 11.14-15 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (ESV)

John 11 is one of my favorite chapters in Scripture. It’s not the top ten, but it’s in the top. Jesus received word that His good friend, Lazarus (lah-zaw-roos) had died. And He decided He was going to go and do something about it. When pigs fly. Who raises someone from the dead? Who decides to do something about someone who has died? When pigs fly.

Jesus’ men, His personal band of disciples, objected because He’d just left Jerusalem where He was about to be stoned, and now, He was heading back into the fray – or at least in the vicinity. Jesus’ men were astounded first, because He was heading back and second because He was going to do something about Lazarus’ death? Who does that!? When pigs fly.

You could say this about Jesus: He invoked, evoked, and provoked. Jesus is an all-around Savior. He invoked praise. He evoked wonder. And He provoked His enemies. I think He did the latter just to make sure they really hated Him. He wanted them to be sure they really knew they really hated Him. It’s all there in John 11.

The world cannot handle a Savior; they’re too busy saving themselves. A Savior? When pigs fly! And the world really doesn’t want a meddling Savior: let the dead be dead… who wants to wake them anyway?

The reaction to Lazarus’ resurrection was anywhere from invoke, to evoke, to provoke. Who makes a dead man come back to life!? When pigs fly!!! But He did, and he did – Lazarus, dead as a doornail, came right out of that tomb to the stunned amazement and wonder of the crowd and the disciples. So they can fly??

The account of Jesus and Lazarus is an odd story, not in the compassionate sense, nor in the awesome sense, but in the belief sense – people just couldn’t believe that it really happened or that Lazarus was really all that dead or that it wasn’t some hokum that Jesus had come up with… the prevailing judgment was: yeah, right, when pigs fly!

Well, you know what? Pigs don’t fly. Never have, never will. But God raises the dead. Some are going to be raised to glory and some are going to be raised to face the music for, well, yeah, right; when pigs fly! Unbelief is as odd as a flying pig.

I wasn’t there; I didn’t see it happen. BTW, I’ve never seen anyone come back to life from the dead. I do know a lady whose husband died and she and her family left his body in the bed upstairs and prayed for three days asking God to bring him back, to resurrect him. Didn’t happen, but I think God smiled on a family who believed it could and acted like it would.

I want my faith to include the truth about pigs and the power of God to raise the dead. By the way, that family will all one day see their risen father and husband. Pigs don’t fly but God raises the dead. Lord, whether it was a one-time thing or not, I believe…pigs don’t fly, but death is no match for You… 

Remarkably Stuck

08.08.13

John 10.28-29 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (ESV)

Jesus was good at remarkable statements. He was/is the Son of God so it is no surprise that He would say things that would make one stop in his tracks and listen.

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish… The gift of Jesus Christ is life. Primarily. The cost and the pain of sin is death – eternal. The unrepentant will not see life beyond this one because the great separator of life and death is sin. However, the great Separator, the Lord Jesus Christ, gives eternal life to those who believe and they are safely held by Him and no one will snatch them out of [His] hand. No one. Not even ourselves. (Though sometimes we try.)

So Jesus’ gift is life. The Father’s Gift is us to Christ. We, who believe, are given to Jesus by the Father. For God foreknew who would believe. And no one, not even ourselves, can snatch us out of the Father’s hand. We are safely – eternally – held there.

Remarkable. Not because there is weakness or arrogance (which is a form of weakness) in the Godhead, but that we don’t always live as if we believe such remarkable statements. The remarkableness of Jesus’ words are simply (and powerfully) that there is no room for wiggle. There is no room for equivocation: 1. In Christ, we have eternal life, we shall never perish, and no one can take that away. 2. We are God’s gift to Christ, God is greater than all, and no one can take that away. Period. Done deal.

Today my purpose is to live in the light of these remarkable words. It’s easy for me to read John 10 where they are found, and to look down my nose at the unbelieving Jews and somehow think of them poorly because they chose to argue rather than believe. But in my arrogance I then go and live my days thinking about non-important things that try to rob the remarkability of Jesus’ words from me. In this case it is truly an either/or: either what Jesus said is completely true, or it’s not: I must choose to live in one light or the other.

What I also must do is quit living as if I had the strength or wherewithal to snatch myself out of God’s hand; no one includes me.

I think what this boils down to today is belief and thinking clearly; and a sharp, sharp reminder of the Bible says to me about me: I am one of God’s sheep, given eternal life by the Only One who can give that, and no one can take that from me. The Bible says I am safe in the Father’s hand and no one, not even me, can take me away or take that truth away.

And this all is a firm reminder of why I read God’s word and communicate with Him: I tend to fool myself at times that there are other options of truth out there…there aren’t. I try to fool myself that I am vulnerable…I am not. But sticking with God is not an on-again/off-again thing – it’s a done deal and I need routinely and regularly to remind myself I’m irremovably stuck...

He Worshiped Him

08.07.13

John 9.38 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. (ESV)

In the Bible in several (no, many) places it says things like, he bowed down and worshiped Him; or they bowed and worshiped; or he worshiped leaning on his staff; and I have wondered what that meant. Does worship mean bowing? Does it mean raising one’s hands? Does it mean prostrating oneself? Or does it mean giving God a part of us we would not otherwise give unless His presence pulled it out of us?

In John 9, the blind man who had been healed of his blindness believed in the power and presence of God in Christ and he worshiped Him: he gave that part of himself to Jesus that wouldn’t have otherwise come out aside from his healing and the Lord’s acceptance.

In Zephaniah (zef-fon-ee-yah) the prophet says: Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the Lord. (Zephaniah 2.3) In this verse worship looks like seeking (or going after), humility, obedience, and righteousness (doing what is right in God’s eyes). I think humility is the key ingredient in worship. It is the key ingredient in all successful relationships.

The blind man healed in John 9 humbled himself before God and admitted his need and when he discovered the Source of his supply, he worshiped Him. The calling of God in Zephaniah is: humble yourself before the Lord and when the day of His wrath comes, perhaps you may be hidden from the terror unleashed on the arched-backed arrogant. Humility is key to worship.

No matter what happens to me in life, humility is one of those things I need. Humility will allow me – enable me – to accept all as from God’s hand and worship Him in every situation and season of life. There is a higher calling on you and me and we won’t get there without humility. (And selflessness, and submission, and a host of other graces given to the one who humbles him or herself in the presence of Almighty God.)

Lord Jesus, help me learn the lessons of humility, and thereby worship You in spirit and truth. You said that is what the Father seeks: those who do just that. And may I give You what comes as a result of encountering You, as I am oiled by the majesty of Your presence and power, my worship whether it is the simple bowing of my head, the lifting of my hands, the leaning on my staff, or the whispering of Your Name. Help me Lord to learn and to worship… Amen.

Remember Mercy

08.06.13

Habakkuk 3.2 2 O Lord, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

I love the little prophecy of Habakkuk; not because it has a happy ending but because of statements like the two above. Personally I want to rise to the level of Habakkuk’s faith and echo: O Lord, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, do I fear. And secondly, I want to plead for my own land, the people of my land, and the rich heritage of my land – In God We Trust – because like Habakkuk’s land we are heading for a change and it’s gonna hurt. So I pray, Lord, in the midst of the years revive Your works; in the midst of the years make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

In John 8 Jesus has an argument with the unbelieving Jews who demand to know: “Who are You!?” (John 8.25) We cannot be saved from ourselves if we cannot know who He is. The offer is on the table but time is running short. Jesus’ answer to them was simply: “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning…” He went on to say, I am who I Am (His reference to deity which they would have fully understood if they hadn’t be so prejudiced against Him.)

My job, my life, my energy is to be invested into understanding who He is to me, for me, and through me, that I would faithfully pray in our day and time: Lord, in wrath remember mercy.

We, today, are not much different from them back then: we just don’t believe. Many are crying out: Jesus, if You are who You say You are then why are things so bad? Many simply cannot believe that even God can do anything about the mess we’re in. Many don’t believe we’re in a mess. So let the end come… 

As an aggressive nation was embarking to overrun Israel, Habakkuk said this: Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. (3.17-18) He prayed that because He knew in the midst of wrath, God will be merciful to the faithful.

Come what may God remembers the faithful and the faithful must pray: O God, in Your wrath, remember mercy. Amen.

A Special Occasion

08.04.13

2 Chronicles 34.19 19 And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes. (ESV)

I’ve often wondered about this clothes-tearing thing – was it a learned behavior or did they just happen to do it when something big happened? It seems more like an ism than an act. Clothes-tearing seemed to be reserved for special occasions. Clothes-tearing seemed to mean: THIS IS A BIG DEAL!! I wonder if when they heard the news they threw a clothes tearing ceremony, or if it was more spontaneous than that?

Josiah was the last great king in Jerusalem; the whole thing fell apart after he died; the nation of Israel collapsed. As David had set the tone for kings during his reign, Josiah was the last one to rule in that manner.

Josiah had a heart to restore the Temple and set about to do so; his officers and the high priest got about the business of sweeping out the Temple, making repairs and attempting to restore some of its original glory. One day they found a copy of the Book of the Law, and brought it to the King. This was like giving food to a starving man, water to one dying of thirst, or a gentle touch to the lonely and bitter – King Josiah, was blown away and as a result, tore his clothes.

The significance of such an action is huge because in those days clothing (and modesty) were very important in such societies. (A rich man would have more than one pair of socks…). For the king to tear his clothes meant something momentous had happened; everyone in the city would know about it. Man! Something big has happened to get him to do that! It was a big deal. Clothes-tearing was reserved for very special occasions.

I think it meant something like: I cannot hide myself in the face of such news (or events). I think it was a response of utter self-rejection to something bigger and beyond. (Not necessarily, but usually bad.)

We don’t tear our clothes these days. We shout, we clap our hands, we cry out, we weep, we moan. But we don’t tear our clothes. We don’t do something so big that everyone knows about it. We don’t make a big deal about big deals. (Okay, not everybody, but I include myself in that group.)

Nowadays, we have to go to great lengths to make a big deal about big deals. We organize a walk. We write books. We get on the radio. We go to Washington, D.C. It’s not exactly clothes-tearing but it gets the job done. (Thank you Bo and Nita)

But what happens when we are utterly broken by God? What do we do then? When is the last time that happened? To you? To me? To what lengths are we willing to go to show God has clobbered us with such news that it overwhelms us in sorrow and remorse? And we repent?

Father God,

Heal my heart and make it clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like You have loved me

Break my heart for what breaks Yours

Everything I am for Your kingdom's cause

As I walk from earth into eternity*… Amen

*Hosanna – Hillsong United

The Pool

08.03.13

John 5.6 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” (ESV)

Sometimes, it’s a comfort zone thing; it’s all in what we get used to. However He knew it, whether through divine omniscience, or that He’d just seen him there often, or someone had told Him, Jesus knew the dude had been there a long time. That’s what the text says: [Jesus] knew that he had already been there a long time…

And knowing what He did, Jesus asked, “Do you want to be healed?” Sometimes we’ve been where we’ve been for so long we can’t conceive of any other reality; we might’ve even forgotten why we’re there at all. It’s a comfort zone kind of thing. I don’t know why I’ve been this way for so long, but now I don’t even know what to do about it.

The lame man’s problem was he was so focused on getting into the pool that he couldn’t seem to see anything else; all that mattered to him was the pool and the frustration of trying to get into the water before someone else did to steal his chance at healing. He’d been doing this for a long time – thirty-eight years to be specific. You’d think after thirty-eight years he’d have figured it out. Apparently he hadn’t.

I think maybe, just maybe, Jesus’ question caught him off-guard: do you want to be healed? (I’ve been here so long I don’t know what I want!) The Lord knows how long we’ve been where we’ve been, the pain we have, the grudges we hold, and the unforgiveness right over there living on the couch of our heart. To the man there was no God – only a pool. To the man there was no solution other than that stinking pool. The man was a Jew and for him there was no Savior… only a pool of water and a fiercely held belief that in that pool was the answer to his dilemma.

I often dream of a different life with a different meaning and a different outcome. I dream and regret. There is one thing about regrets, (and the what if’s); they’re not real. At this age and stage the only thing I have left is God. You’d think the man at the pool might’ve come to that conclusion as well. I realize that the next few years of my life may present some challenges, but they will also present some opportunities: Do you want to be healed? In one regard it’s a rebuke, in another it’s a relief. It all depends on how we look at it.

I have little faith in the systems of men: they promise a bunch, but deliver little. I don’t want to be left holding that bag. In a sense, God is asking me: Do you trust Me, and believe in My promises? (Do you want to be healed?) Or are you trying to get into that pool? Do I find my solutions in God? My peace in God? My rest in God? Or, am I trying to get into some scheme to do it all on my own. I’ve run out of solutions; I don’t trust myself anymore.

Father, this story makes me think about the pools I so value as the answer to my problems (which are few; a lot fewer that I think). I want to be healed and after fifty-eight years, I want to be healed by You. The road to the end may have some twists and turns, but I’m going to believe in You and remind myself of Your promises; and trust You have what I need. Help me to believe and to live accordingly – amen.

Such People

08.02.13

John 3.23-24 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (ESV)

You know what God is seeking – I mean besides the lost? God is seeking such people to worship Him in spirit and truth. Wow! God is looking for those who will come to Him spiritually – that is, to come to Him outside of the norms of earth: form, ritual, rite, rote, and religion. The Father is seeking the non-religious to worship Him honestly and openly without a bunch of fanfare and flare: just spirit and just truth.

Now, to be sure there isn’t just spirit for just spirit is really only true spirit; and true spirit transcends everything else. Just spirit isn’t a benchmark or a merit badge, it is a hallmark of true faith. God seeks true worship, not religiousness.

So the Father is seeking those who really truly are seeking Him. And they seek Him in spirit, which means by means of the Holy Spirit (God within) and through their spirit: the place of communion inside us which connects with God. True seeking begets true spirit and true spirit is what the Father is looking for.

Jesus was proclaiming a new world order in which the old ways of rituals, sacrifices, and form were replaced by a seeking heart indwelt and enabled by God’s own Spirit. That’s the only way spirit and truth are going to happen – if God is in the midst of it; all else falls short. No sense in settling for less when one can have it all, right?

The new world order is not for the world, but for the ones who accepts it as it is: spirit and truth. True worshipers know this and run after it. True worshipers won’t settle for anything less. True worshipers know there is only one air to breathe: the breath of God in true truly spiritual worship.

Father, it isn’t form You’re looking for, it’s heart. A true heart is an indwelt heart, and from it flows true worship of Spirit, and truth: the kind You like, and the kind that enables the worshiper to connect with You on Your terms, not his own. Find in me true worship of spirit and truth – may I be such a person… amen.

Shhh…

08.01.13

Psalm 62.1-2 1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. (ESV)

There’s something to be said about being composed in the face of great calamity and composure comes from waiting for God in confident silence, not in whining and moaning and acting like He hasn’t a clue about you.

For from God alone comes salvation – no one else. He alone is our Rock and Salvation and fortress of defense against what ails us and bugs us and frightens us. I might be somewhat shaken by circumstances and situations but I won’t be greatly shaken because God is all of the above. There is something to be said about composure, and there is great solace in silence before Almighty God, honoring His majesty, His grace, His power, and His presence. From Him is our salvation.

I tend to be a whiner. I need to learn to stop whining and remember Psalm 62, especially this little statement of faith. I need to learn to say to my soul: shhh… He is in control and from Him comes salvation even if I have to go through the worst imaginable times to get there. Shhh… be confidently silent before God!

What a refreshing statement. What a relief: I needn’t worry about who I am, or what I have or don’t have; and I don’t have to give up my faith because God doesn’t do something about it all this very moment. He is my salvation. Period. He is my Rock and my Fortress. Now and forever.

A mighty Fortress is my God; a bulwark never failing.

My Helper He amid the flood of all my ills prevailing.

If that’s what He is, and Who He is, then shush up my unbelieving and small soul and silently, gladly, joyfully behold your God!

Thank You Father for this word today and for the invitation to be still and know You are God; let all the earth be silent before You! Amen.