A Profile in Courage

01.31.14

Acts 7.1-2a7 1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?” 2 This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me.”

This morning, a friend of mine posted this: Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. (Proverbs 29.25 NLT)* I love that! I think most people are afraid (in one way or another) of other people. Fear-mongering is the calling card of much of life – the media does it, advertising does it, and people in general, fear something, or someone.

I love Stephen’s answer to the High Priest (who was sort of the chief justice of the then Jewish High Court (called the Sanhedrin)). The priest demanded: Are these accusations true!? (For the list of accusations see Acts 6.11-14). And Stephen didn’t blink, he simply shared the Gospel.

People everywhere these days think evangelical Christians are on par with Tea-Partiers – somewhere along the line of anarchists, or worse, terrorists. The answer to the false accusations of Christians is not to address the accusations but to share the Gospel. And Stephen did just that.

I have heard glib teachers make sport of Stephen’s answer by implying he answered with the history of Israel to buy himself some time but I don’t think that is anywhere close to the seriousness of what Stephen believed and the opportunity he took. He gave them a history lesson to remind them of where they came from and to where they had drifted: “You stubborn people! You are heathen [unbelievers] at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!” (Acts 7.51 NLT) There wasn’t a silly, cowardly bone in Stephen’s body.  

I am not called to defend the actions of people in and around the Church. I am not called to make excuses for anyone. I am called to share the Gospel to the naysayers because “…It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes…This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight.” (Romans 1.16b-17a NLT)

Stephen courageously shared the Good News because that was his only defense to someone who demanded: Are these accusations true!? Stephen’s reply was not to answer the question but to share the truth. I am no different. The accusations will come but the truth will prevail. There is saving power in the Gospel even if one gets executed violently for sharing it…look what happened to Saul of Tarsus who happened to be there that day when Stephen gave his life for the truth. Stephen’s story is a true profile in courage…

Father, You are my only defense and in the sharing of Your Gospel there is power to save the accusers who think we children of Yours are up to no good. I am not to get fooled into fearing men but I am to persevere in sharing the truth no matter what others think of me. Your word is truth. And truth has the power to save. And truth is worth dying for – Amen.

*Thanks Jim Stephens

Pretense

01.29.14

Acts 5.4 4 The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” (NLT)

This story has always mystified me – there are so many things to consider. First, how did Peter and the other apostles know that Ananias had lied? Second, Peter said, “…Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself." (Acts 5.3) Then Peter said the statement above, “You weren’t lying to us but to God!” Ananias was in a bad way. He was in such a bad way that he died. Wow!

I wonder how the Church of today takes this passage of Scripture seeing as others (including myself) have routinely lied to the Church about how things are in life, and they aren’t consistent with the culture that is spelled out for the Church in Acts. We are a secretive people and the good news for most of us is we don’t drop dead at the front door of the meeting place because we’ve allowed Satan to fill our hearts with pretense and lie to God!

Here’s a typical greeting exchange at the meeting on Sunday morning:

Bill: Hey Ted! Good to see you, how’s it going?

Ted: Fine! You?

Bill: Fine. Hey, we need to grab coffee sometime.

Ted: Yeah, we need to do that. Catch you later.

Bill: Yeah, man, catch you later…

We have to take Bill and Ted at their word: they’re fine. But what happens when Bill says to Ted, “Ted, haven’t you been having issues with your job and your marriage? How could you allow Satan to fill your heart and make the proclamation that you’re fine? You’re not lying to me but to God!” I think Ted would avoid Bill after that.

Does that mean we need to spill our garbage at every meeting? Does that mean we need to walk on eggs whenever we’re together? Does that mean we pretend things are good when things are not? No. But we do need to quit pretending that we’re doing better when we aren’t. We can never do better. The lie of Satan is: we can.

Last night, I was at a meeting of Christian friends and the speaker said this: Christianity isn’t about me doing better and being the best I can be. Christianity is about Jesus being the best He can be through me. I was floored. I mean, I understood what he was saying and where he was coming from; but I was guilty as sin: I’m always trying to be the best I can be. And the worst place to do it is in the company of my Christian family when we meet and we tell each other, “I’m fine.” (Especially when we’re not.)

The church gathering isn’t a place for pretense. The church gathering isn’t a place for masks and hiding. The church gathering is a place where Bill takes Ted at his word, but makes sure they have that coffee sometime that week so Ted can take off his mask and be forthcoming about what’s really going on. And Bill and Ted can speak the truth, pray, and seek the presence of Jesus for healing and real-life transformation. Help us, Lord!

Beyond

01.26.14

Exodus 16.15 15 The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “What is it?” they asked each other. They had no idea what it was.

Acts 2.12 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.

The Apostle Paul wrote this in his letter to the Ephesians: Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (Vv. 20,21 NLT) Paul wrote this for two reasons. First he wrote to them to tell them of God’s unspeakable power, and then, to tell them of God’s indescribable provision. We all need God’s power and provision. The fact that He is omnipresent is just icing on the cake!

When the people of Israel left Egypt they had no idea of who God really was; Moses had to tell them who He was. (Moses had spent 40 years in ‘seminary’ in a desert herding sheep. He learned how God displays His power and provision to men like a shepherd does for sheep.) The Israelites were God’s people, but after 430 years in Egypt they weren’t sure of His power and provision. They (like us) had to learn that on a daily basis.

Later, when Jesus ascended into heaven the people of God had to find out all over again of God’s power and provision. When they exclaimed, “What can this mean?” they were far from God and unsure of who He was. And Paul wrote: Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Usually, I take this verse to mean God will provide whatever I need, and do it infinitely beyond what I can ask or imagine. But a more careful reading shows that God’s power is at work within me to accomplish infinitely His purposes beyond what I might ask or think. It’s not about paying down my debts or providing money to live on; it’s God fulfilling His purpose in me beyond the expectation I may (or may not) have. Like the people of old, often, I haven’t a clue.

God’s purpose for taking Israel out of Egypt was that they would get to know Him, depend on Him, and ultimately find their Savior from Him (from among them!) God’s purpose for the rushing wind, the flames of fire, and the tongues on Pentecost was to openly communicate that the old was done and the new has come; that Israel’s purpose was to cooperate with the infinite plans of God in providing for, and empowering, His people to accomplish His will.

What does it mean? It means accomplishing His will is above and beyond and better than anything we can ask or imagine because it is done through His mighty power at work in us…

Father, for all of the stupid stuff I have done, and am currently doing, I am sorry and I ask for Your help to fix it. But more than anything I pray for a changed heart and a perspective that is beyond anything I can ask or imagine. Accomplish Your perfect will through me as I learn to cooperate with You – Amen.

The Existence of Pillars

01.25.14

Exodus 13.22 22 And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people. (NLT)

In all of Scripture the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire are only mentioned in the exodus of the Lord’s people from Egypt to the Promised Land. There are no pillars once the people cross the Jordan into Canaan. I find that oddly comforting but oddly odd.

Nowadays, there are no pillars at all; there is only truth – the truth that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, has ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of God in glory in preparation for His imminent return. (Of course, Jesus isn’t preparing for anything – He’s already ready.)

I think about the presence of the pillars and think to myself: I wonder what those people thought of the pillars and why (it seems) they weren’t more awestruck than they were. Of course, one has to factor in four hundred and thirty years of living in a particular place and the generations of Israelites, who were born, lived, and died in Egypt before there was the “present” Pharaoh (in the record) who treated them so poorly.

So, here comes this Moses guy who says, “All right everybody, get ready, we’re moving!” The nominal response being: Moving? Where? Oh, and why!? The nominal answer being: “Yes, moving.” “To Canaan.” And, “Because God said so.” There must’ve been some historic cultural belief in that fact because of the Patriarchs. You’d think.

So, the people are led out of Egypt by a pillar of cloud (during the daylight hours) which turns into a pillar of fire (throughout the nighttime hours). The Bible doesn’t say much about this other than the fact they there and were never removed during their journeys. I just wonder what they thought of that because, like us, they’d never seen such a thing before. (Of course, they did see it, and we never have; but we today have other indicators of the Lord’s presence with us… if we’ll accept them by faith.)

I get the feeling that after a while they took the pillars for granted (the narrative sure seems to indicate so). But, I suppose, it’s one thing to take the boy out of Egypt, it’s quite another to take Egypt out of the boy. I wonder just what I’d do with pillars of cloud/fire if they showed up today…

Faith is the divine requirement, pillars or no. They were given a tangible sign of God’s presence which never left them in the days of their travels. We on the other hand have the testimony of the Bible (which says there actually were pillars) and the gift of faith (which the Bible says we are given, if we believe). And we are to believe.

This morning, there are no pillars, but I do have the record of the pillar’s existence. I also have my thoughts filtered through my present existence that I might react differently with pillars if they were around today – but I feel they were a once-in-a-universe deal, and I am left only with the choice of believing they existed – or not. That is the demand of faith: to accept the whole record as it is presented, and then to live a life of belief in response from then on. 

The Wiggles and Giggles

01.24.14

Luke 24.32 32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” (NLT)

Today, I did some catching up on my reading – I missed a couple days so I read it all from the demands of God on Pharaoh to the trial and crucifixion of Jesus and His resurrection. Whew! What a read!

I landed on a verse in Luke 24 where the two disciples from Emmaus reflect on their visit from Jesus and what they said about themselves as they realized what had happened. I think it safe to say they were excited beyond belief and the heartburn they felt was from the realization that everything they’d been taught from the earliest time in their life all came into perfect focus at that moment when Jesus talked with them on the road and explained the Scriptures to them. There is much in the Scriptures that I don’t understand and would love to have Jesus open my mind to really what was said and what was going on; I think I’d get heartburn too.

The heartburn in question is the realization of truth in a way that makes the body react in indescribable excitement – you might also say: wiggles and giggles. One can only hear the truth and then have the mental ability to confirm the truth. When this confirmation happens, the brain releases endorphins into the body that cause a physical reaction. Now then, heartburn is not for everybody, nor is it proof that one is saved – but heartburn (or more likely wiggles and giggles of happiness) can happen to a captive who’s been suddenly set free.

The other day, my Pastor was called to help a woman who was suspected of spiritual oppression. Thinking he had his hands full, he approached the situation by simply telling the woman how to be born again. I don’t know if I’d call it heartburn, but when she realized how close salvation was, and how it was a free gift to her without strings attached, she experienced relief on a level that simply brought about joy and happiness and the witnesses there said her face visibly changed from doubt, fear, and confusion to relief, joy, and happiness that her life had changed because of the realization of the truth of Jesus Christ and the freedom that accompanies that truth.

 She was the captive that had been set free and she was happy about that. She thought it was all up to her and when she realized it wasn’t she was tremendously relieved. Peter, later in his life said, You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1.8-9) That’s some kind of happy; it’s enough to give someone the wiggles and giggles…

Father, Your truth sets the oppressed, miserable, and frantic captive free; and with that freedom and realization that the chains are finally broken and the burden is marvelously lifted, a human being can feel happiness and joy physically. It’s just the result of really understanding  Your love! Help me to remember the joy I felt when the veil was opened for me, and to remember that there are still those out there who long for the truth that will cause them to (maybe) wiggle and giggle in relief, joy, and exuberance that only a true encounter with You will bring. Help me to live it today I pray, amen.

Where Goes the Heart

01.18.14

Luke 18.22 22 When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

One day Jesus was asked by a “rich young ruler” (as he is referred to in other versions of this account in the other Gospels), “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” I think Jesus didn’t even blink: “Why do you call me good? Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. (Vv. 19-20)

The rich (young) man said, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” (V. 21) So, Jesus answered him one more time: “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (V. 22) The narrative says, the man went away sad because he was very rich.

The unspoken is not what the man did, but what he didn’t do – he didn’t care for the poor; his riches insulated him from that.

Where goes the heart when times are good and the coffers are full? Where goes the heart when religion is all about health, wealth, and a fat 401K? Where goes the heart when there is success and few worries?

The man was concerned about eternity, hence his question: what should I do to inherit eternal life? Many want to know that. Many want to know what will happen to them when they die. The rules apply the same to everyone: give up everything that owns you and follow Jesus. Sometimes it is a bridge too far.

In the west, we understand success. In the west, we know that hard work pays dividends and paves a way for fewer worries (at least we think that to be true). But in the west, like everywhere else, it’s hard to put up with the poor because they are poor…and unsuccessful. Who wants that!? They just need to work harder and they’ll be successful like the rest of us. And Jesus says, “No, You help them.” And that is where goes the heart when confronted with the true meaning and purpose of riches: share with those who don’t deserve it.

Father in Heaven, help me to love with my stuff as well as with my heart. May my love for You and for others be evident in sacrificial generosity. Help me to have the right attitudes about wealth and poverty. And above all else, may I eagerly follow You wherever You lead me – in poverty or wealth. Amen.

Helping God Out

01.11.14

Genesis 27.13 13 But his mother replied, “Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats for me!” (NLT)

Lest we fool ourselves into believing that our faith ancestors were without fault, all we need do is read the account of how Jacob took the paternal blessing from Esau by pretending to be Esau. The irony – really!

In Genesis 25 Isaac’s wife Rebekah finds that she is pregnant with twins and the babies in her womb jostle violently. She asks God about it and God says, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.” (Ge. 25.23) Rebekah clung to that word for very life – it framed her perspective of her boys and she felt especially drawn to the younger son. Just sayin’…

Genesis 27 is the account of how Rebekah made sure the paternal blessing of Isaac fell to Jacob, the younger and not Esau the elder. Rebekah took matters into her own hands and when Jacob called her on it she said: “Then let the curse fall on me, my son! Just do what I tell you. Go out and get the goats for me!”  Rebekah was sure her plan was going to work – she staked her life on it.

There is much to learn from this passage about the dysfunctions of our earliest faith parents. Their faith, like ours, was holey sometimes, faulty at times, and downright deceptive at other times. They helped God out (they thought). We today are no different than they were then – we too are helpers of God. It’s not rocket science – God doesn’t need our help. He didn’t need theirs then and He doesn’t need ours now.

Interestingly, God factors our help into the fulfillment of His plans. He doesn’t condone our help, but likewise, it doesn’t stop Him from doing what He has planned to do. Usually our helping God out leads to more wrangling and deceiving on our part in order to get free from the consequences of the help we’ve provided to God. What a vicious circle.

Today, I am aware of times I’ve helped God. I think of times when I’ve done the most insane knee-jerk things in order to help God help me. How embarrassed I am. I sit here today at this computer wishing things were different but acknowledging despite my best efforts, God is still in control of His plans for me.

God didn’t need Rebekah’s help. Had she not done what she did, the elder still would’ve served the younger. I need to remember that. I’m to cooperate in that light. And I’m to give over all of my plans and schemes for success to the Lord, and let Him be God.

Father, for all of the times then and now when I’ve helped You out, I am sorry. I’m sorry for the people I’ve hurt and for the messes I’ve made. Today, I do need Your help, and only Your help. Find in me a humiliated but cooperative spirit, and help me to deny the schemer inside by nailing him to a cross to die a criminal’s death. I need You Lord! Amen.

Just Say NO!

01.09.14

Genesis 24.6,7 6 “No!” Abraham responded. “Be careful never to take my son there. 7 For the Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants. (NLT)

Abraham gave his trusted servant instructions to go to Aram and find a wife for Isaac from among his relative. Under no circumstances was the servant to take Isaac to Aram; he was only to find a wife for Isaac and return to Canaan with her. Abraham clung to a specific promise from God Who said he would inherit the land of Canaan and his descendants would live there perpetually. The danger of Isaac going to Aram was he might’ve stayed in direct opposition to God’s promise to Abraham. Abraham said that wasn’t going to happen.

God took Abraham out of a culture that didn’t have much to do with God or, at most, numbered Him among a plurality of gods. God said, “Abraham, I’m going to reverse the trend with you. Here is the land and I will protect you and keep you and provide for you descendants. Don’t doubt me on this!”

We today have doubted God. We think our relationship with Him is an odd mixture of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness according to a man-made document. God has called us to come out and be separate. That means ignoring the perks of Americanism and cling steadfastly to the promises of Heaven. Rather than keeping the Isaac of our faith separate, pure, and holy, we have moved into the Aram of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as if it’s all about us. It’s no wonder society calls us what they do (hypocrites) and ridicules what we say we believe. We want faith at no price and we don’t care where we have to go to get it…

Today, I see Abraham as our example and, as my example. Everyone looks for expedience, the simple way to do things, and what produces guaranteed results. God looks for steadfast obedience. God’s way may be more arduous than taking Isaac to Aram to find his own bride, but God did what God did and Isaac got the perfect mate.

Lord, find in me a willingness to do as You say. Help me to stay put where You’ve placed me, purposed for me, and provided for me. Thank You for the example of Abraham who did what You told him to do and because of it, You called him righteous… Amen.

Desperation and Disrespect

01.07.14

Luke 7.44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. (NLT)

The men were aghast that such a woman was even there. (Personally, I can’t imagine how she even got in aside from the fact that she did – desperate times call for desperate measures.) The men all knew her for who she was: a sinner. (I assume she was of ill-repute, maybe even a prostitute, and all that goes along with that.) But she was miserable, and she was desperate, and she forced herself in amongst the men and threw herself – literally – at Jesus’ feet.

Simon, the Pharisee, dissed Jesus from the get-go; he seemed not to care even enough to do the customary polite things. The woman on the other hand concerned herself only with being at the feet of the Master – the only place she saw herself in her desperation to break the bonds of her lifestyle.

I know this: she went away free and Simon stayed in bondage.

This is a story of desperation and disrespect. This is a story of poverty and wealth. This is a story of “room for God” and “no room for God”. Simon had no room for God – he had his culture, his religion, his title, his position, his house, his wealth, his reputation; and he gave none of it to God – he appears to have kept it all for himself.

The woman had her culture, her reputation, her desperation, and her perfume – and she gave them all to God. Her plea was to be set free. Simon’s was to remain free – free to be who he thought he was with little or no thought for how he got there.

Much of our present-day culture is a Simon culture because we have so much and yet live in such poverty. We possess the world yet don’t have the Kingdom. (The Kingdom doesn’t fit within our value system.) We are truly desperate, but desperate for the wrong things. We long for the present perks of earth yet disrespect the Promises of the Kingdom. Our culture is one of poverty and wealth.

How desperate am I? How far am I willing to go to respect the Master seeking His Kingdom and Righteousness? The woman went away blessed – she came in desperation and left in faith. She came in sickness and sin and left in faith. What a turnaround! What a result!

Father God, may I learn from her and flee from my closely held perceptions of myself. May I recognize my poverty, and earnestly – even ridiculously – throw myself at Your feet seeking Your wealth, the riches of belief. Help me this day to give that which I hold precious in order to gain what I can never lose because I gave it all to You. Amen.

To Believe

01.06.14

Genesis 15.6 6 And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. (NLT)

It is a very simple equation: us + belief (in God, in faith) = righteousness in God’s sight. It is very simple. Abram (who is soon, Genesis 17, to be renamed Abraham) believed God and God saw that belief as righteousness. God said, “This is My man because he believes what I say.”

One day (the Scripture says: Some time later…) God and Abram had a conversation and God told him. “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” To which Abram answered: “O Sovereign Lord, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth. You have given me no descendants of my own, so one of my servants will be my heir.”  (If I can’t have a son, what good is Your blessing?)

So, God responded: “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” 5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” And here’s the catch: And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

And Abram believed the Lord. God promised things beyond Abram’s capacity to believe and Abram believed. What Abram really wanted was a son of his own and God said, Not only will you have a son, you’ll have so stinking many sons you won’t be able to count them – counting the stars would be easier. And Abram believed.

Life is simple when it comes to this: believe only in God in the midst of the most unbelievable circumstances. There is no one else who knows and no one else who cares at the level God does. And God makes huge promises to us regardless of what comes at us. All we have to do is believe. God.

Belief is a process to be sure, it doesn’t all come at once but rest assured, when the time is right, God will open our eyes to His Majesty and we receive the capacity to believe. Abram was convinced and he believed the Lord and it was counted to him as righteousness.

Abram had his eye on natural things but God opened his eyes to supernatural things. Abram was like you and me, trying to make his way in this world. God showed up one day and said, “Son, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” You’ll have so much you won’t be able to contain it! Just stick with Me!” And Abram did and the rest is the history of our faith – the same faith that saved Abram will save us. The same righteousness he got is the same we’ll get when we believe God.

Father, help me not just to read Your word and comment – help me to believe. Help me not to fool myself that a part of me isn’t present in Your dealings with the likes of Abraham, Moses, David, and the rest. Help me to strive for righteousness not because of what I do, but because of Who I believe. I believe in You; and I believe You – Amen.

Big Things

01.05.14

Genesis 12.1-3 1 The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. 3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.” (NLT)

These are the first words recorded of any conversation God had with Abram (Abraham). We might call it a preamble. I don’t know what you do with a statement like that! I don’t want to make Abram into a modern like us, but I do want to look at what any person might do if they heard such a word as what the Lord said to Abram. That’s a big statement.

God didn’t say this to Abram because Abram was someone special; He said this to him because he believed (see Romans 4). One doesn’t need to be a special person to interact with the Living God, one only need believe. And that is exactly what Abram did, he believed.

We say big things to our children. We tell them about what to expect in life. We urge them toward their dreams and try to help them along the way. We do this and watch them fail repeatedly. We see such great potential in them and expect (if ever so secretly) that they’ll have a perfect life – one different from ours – and never have a cloudy day (or some other such nonsense). We want them to succeed. We don’t give up, but we do watch them fail.

God wanted Abram to succeed and he did despite himself. It’s one thing to urge someone on; it’s another to watch them grow into a success (however we define success). God gave Abram words that were possibly bigger that Abram could handle. God knew that. But God also knew that Abram’s life would be a blessing to others as life’s hard-knocks chipped away at the self-image Abram held. Abram like all of us needed to be seasoned by life in order to live into the statement God made about him.

God speaks big things to us. Any kind of hanging out in the Bible reveals that God has big plans for us – plans that may be too big for us to handle at the moment, but plans nonetheless. That’s who God is and why He deals with us men the way He does. The key in life is to get to know God so that we can get to know His plans. And then we live – by trial and error – into those plans (whatever they may be).

It boils down to this: God. God’s plans for me have little to do with me but everything to do with Him. I need to believe that and trust Him. Were God to sit me down and say to me what He said to Abram I might take it as something I need to do. But God only desired Abram go along with the plan, not to carry it out himself. The One who makes us a blessing to others is the One who does what He does through the one(s) who believe. My job is to believe. Period. And no matter how unbelievable it gets at times, I am still to believe. Just like Abram.

Father, 2014 lays before me like life did for Abram that day You spoke Your word to him. He believed You. And so do I that You are up to something in my life for this year and beyond. Help me to rest in what You say and not manufacture something all on my own. And may I be a blessing to others because of what You say and how I live in response to that – Amen.

A Life of Staying

01.02.14

Luke 2.37 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. (NLT)

I think about Anna and think about her life. She was probably a devout Jew and had been brought up according to the traditions. She very likely married young and I assume life was coming together for her as it did for young Jewish girls in the first century B.C. The Scripture says she was very old which simply means she had outlived the normal life expectancy for people in those days. Her husband died after seven years of marriage. I think this is when things began to change for Anna.

When Anna is mentioned in Luke 2 it is says, she never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. I think about that: she never left. I might draw the conclusion that Anna was a church-follower – she only felt the presence of God when she was in the church-building. I might draw the conclusion that she was a wannabe and found a place to hide from the rest of life while avoiding the important stuff. I might.

But it says, Anna was a worshiper. It also says she was a widow and I think the two are connected. I’m gonna bet that Anna was devastated when her husband of seven years died. I’m gonna bet that hopes and dreams and plans fell out of the sky like a plane-wreck. I’m gonna bet that her sadness and grief drove her to the only place she knew to go and dropped her off on the front porch of the Temple – then left.

I’m gonna bet she was looking for comfort and answers and, what was initially knee-jerk, turned into a lifestyle of friendship with (and marriage to) God. I’ve seen it lots of times: God uses the tragic circumstances of life to invite someone into a deeper walk with Him. Anna, I think, was one of those people. And when it says, she never left, I think it means it became her life to pour herself out daily to God and she found that when she did, He filled her with Himself.

Anna wasn’t a wannabe – she was, like the rest of us, a struggler. Life took a turn Anna didn’t expect and she did the only thing she knew to do: run right straight to God for help. Funny though, she didn’t do what a lot of others do, she didn’t get help and then leave and return to her old life. She didn’t remarry. She didn’t have babies. She didn’t settle down and run a household. Anna gave herself to God and He gave Himself to her. Anna stayed with God. In His Temple.

I think the lesson for me today is: stay in His presence. My circumstances are not like those of Anna. But I struggle in life like she did. I don’t think her eighty-four years around the Temple were eighty-four years of fun either; I think she may have fallen prey to those who thought she was a nuisance or crazy (Temple hanger-outers can fall under that stigma you know). But God never thought that of her and when He showed up one day as a wee-little, Anna knew, and she told, “…everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.” (V. 38) Maybe all of Anna’s life was just for a time such as that.

Lord, like Anna, use me to share tidings of great joy to those who think the USA is going down the toilet. May my life be like hers: a life of staying – and fasting and prayer… Amen.

In The Ongoing

01.01.14

Genesis 1.1 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[a]

[a] Or, In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, . . . Or When

Luke 1.2 2 They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us from the early disciples.[a]

[a] 1:2 Greek:  …from those who from the beginning were servants of the word.

Most of the time the footnotes in the Bible get my attention – like this morning: footnote [a] in Genesis 1.1 and footnote [a] in Luke 1.2. In Genesis 1.1 an alternative way of saying this helps us, who live in the realm and constraints of time. The word, when helps give the phrase some color we can identify with. We say things like: remember when…? The, when, gives us a better sense of the past.

In Luke’s gospel there is also an [a]. The Greek rendering of verse 2 reads: They used the eyewitness reports from those who from the beginning were servants of the word. This helps us to know this isn’t just a fanciful tale Luke decided to concoct; it was, in fact, a reporting of the actual eyewitnesses, who, “…from the beginning were servants of the word.” A servant is one who is entrusted with a charge to execute and keep.

You and I don’t live in the beginning, nor are we those who reported from the beginning; we are the people of the ongoing. Our lives are separated from the past by the span of time. We call today, New Year’s Day, because to us, the chapter has closed on last year and the book has opened on this year, the new year with all it has to offer.

When we began last year we probably hadn’t much thought for this year. As we begin this year we’re probably more apt to think about next year like Scarlett O’Hara, in Gone with the Wind: I’ll think about that tomorrow. But you know what, tomorrow never comes; it’s always today. And today is the age of the ongoing.

Two things for me as I begin the New Year and learn again to take one day at a time because it is all I have:

1.    I am glad for the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth and included me in His plans. I am glad for the beginning of my life and all the experiences I’ve had over the years. I’m glad God saw fit to create me in His Own Image and has chosen that I belong to His clan.

2.    I am glad today for those, who from the beginning were servants of the Word. I choose to live my life accordingly. As 2014 has opened and 2013 has closed my responsibility is to live this year, one day at a time as a servant of the Word, doing what it says, and helping my fellow man in the process. I start this new year not knowing all of the answers, but knowing Someone who does. And when He did what He did when He did it, He included me to be a part – awesome!

Father God, as I on-go into this New Year, may I make the most of every moment of every day. I don’t know what is going to happen along the way, but I do know You, and come what may, You love me, care for me, and have promised to provide for me. Help me to live in that knowledge gratefully and humbly, and to leave tomorrow to tomorrow. Amen.