Attitude is Everything

02/28/2014

Mark 7.28 28 But she answered, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table can eat the children’s crumbs.” (NCV)

The cultural magnitude of this account is lost on most of us – Jesus was well aware of what the stooges were going to say to their masters when they told them about this little interchange: a Syrophonecian woman no less! I think the disciples were blown away as well.

We have to be careful with stories like this one in the Bible. It may seem at first that the Lord was being rude to this woman. He sure didn’t want to be noticed – which ought to tell us something about the Master; He wasn’t into celebrity. But she found out about Him because everybody was talking about Him – and she had a need! So she went to Jesus to get Him to help and He appeared to not want to help.

The Lord’s reply was something one might not expect: He said, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Whoa Dude, did You just say what I thought I heard; are You calling her a dog!? You know, in situations like this, attitude is everything.

She kept pestering the Lord – it says so right there in Mark 7.26: And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And Jesus kept coming right back at her: “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she kept it up and He said He was only going to take care of the children (the Jews) first. And then she says: “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table can eat the children’s crumbs.” Attitude is everything.

She could have accused Him of being bigoted. She could have accused Him of being insincere. She possibly expected the cold shoulder – but she didn’t scream at Him: you worthless piece of crap, HEAL MY DAUGHTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She played along and gave it right back to Him. And He did what we all expect anyway “Go home to your pathetic situation you miserable wretch, the demon is gone!” (Oh, I guess He didn’t say that did He?)

Jesus was under orders from the Father and on mission. Her faith was tested and she pleased God who abundantly rewards those who earnestly believe He is who He says He is (Hebrews 11.6)

Again, I see holy desperation rewarded. I see humility and true compassion on the part of a mother for a child and God was pleased. And Jesus healed. Attitude is everything and hers was a sweet smelling aroma to the Lord.

Lord, I know she didn’t take anything for granted but the woman believed. And You rewarded her belief and met her need and the need of her child. Help me to walk persistently in faith and to trust You when things don’t seem to be going the way I need them to go. Like employment. Like Africa. Like the rest of it. My attitude toward You is everything. Father, I trust in You for there is no other option – Amen.

What God Sees in Me

02.27.14

Numbers 23.21 21 He has found no wrong in the people of Jacob; he saw no fault in Israel. The Lord their God is with them, and they praise their King. (NCV)

Say what you will about the people of God: in the final analysis, it only matters what God says about His people.

An ancient, and desperate, king once called upon a then celebrity shyster psychic to come and curse the people of Israel. It didn’t work. At least the psychic part didn’t. What is interesting is what the people of God did to God before all this happened. And what is really interesting is what is said in this account of God’s attitude toward His people.

The people of God are not perfect, but they are forgiven. That is a source of great consternation among those who don’t know God. To most unbelievers, God is a stern Meanie who makes harsh demands upon His people, and then when they don’t live up to those demands, He punishes them sternly – usually in the form of some kind of sickness or loss. (Kind of a: you-had-it-coming, sort of retribution.)

What a pagan prophet said about the people of God is what God says about His people: I have found no wrong in the people of Jacob; I see no fault in Israel. I, the Lord their God am with them, and they praise Me! The pagan prophet only knew what he knew, and he only knew just enough to know that the Reason Israel could do anything at all was because God made it happen. And whether we believe it or not; whether it makes sense to us or not, God loves His children fiercely despite what may or may not be their behavior: His kids are His kids and He doesn’t kick them to the curb because they screw up from time to time.

That’s why the Bible quotes a foolish pagan who said of God: He has found no wrong in the people of Jacob; He saw no fault in Israel. The Lord their God is with them, and they praise their King. I’m glad my God doesn’t hold my wrongs against me; and brother, have I pulled of some doosies!

The lesson for me today is not what I was, not where I was, not who I was. My friend Jim says: I may not be yet who I want to be but [because of Christ] I am no longer who I once was. My God corrects me, comforts me, and especially in my worst moments: calls me His own. It isn’t performance; it isn’t possession, it isn’t position; it’s my Dad calls me His son. And that’s enough.

God has found no wrong in me; He sees no fault in me. The Lord my God is with me, and I praise my King. As hard as that may be to comprehend, it’s as simple as that.

Father, I am confident of this one thing: You love me and call me Your own. That’s enough. And from that one thing peace flows like a mighty river and my life is Yours. You call me Your own. That’s enough. Guide me, direct me, and help me to see over and over and over again, You call me Your own. Amen.

Getting to Give

02.25.14

Numbers 18.7 7 But only you and your sons may serve as priests. Only you may serve at the altar or go behind the curtain. I am giving you this gift of serving as a priest, and anyone else who comes near the Holy Place will be put to death.” (NCV)

I read the Bible every day. If I miss a day because of schedule or circumstances, or lack of discipline, I go back and make up the day. It’s just how weird I am. Weird or no, however, I do what I do. I don’t tell you this so that you should do it; it’s what I do.

This year I’ve decided to read a different translation of the Scripture each month. I decided, several years ago as a custom, to read a different version of Scripture each year; but this year, I decided to read a different version each month. This month I’m in the New Century Version. I like the way it says things. The NCV is not scholarly or sophisticated and that appeals to me.

Today I read what God told Aaron the priest: But only you and your sons may serve as priests. Only you may serve at the altar or go behind the curtain. I am giving you this gift of serving as a priest, and anyone else who comes near the Holy Place will be put to death. I don’t think I’ve ever picked up on this before: a gift from God may look like serving. Wow! That puts a new perspective on ministry and working in and around the Church.

Typically we usually think of God’s gifts in the form of God’s blessings, which we translate to mean, more of something: like family, a wife, a promotion, an inheritance healing or something like that.  And for sure, every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above (James 1). But there are gifts that don’t look like gifts and today in Numbers 18 we read of such a gift: the priesthood, serving the people, and the Levites who served the priests.

Serving is a gift. Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10.45 NIV) Jesus came as a Gift from God to give us the Gift of Himself. God gave His only Son… (John 3.16). Giving gifts is a Biblical theme. And today through a not-so-scholarly source, it is said that God gave the Priesthood the gift of serving.

I serve in my church, but I’ve never, before today, seen my service as a gift from God. That makes me think differently about what I do, why I do it, and to whom. It also makes me think differently about serving the Body of Christ both in my local fellowship, and in the Church at large. Serving others is a gift, and it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20.35).

I’m not sure of his theology, but the singer Zac Brown produced an album entitled: You Get what You Give. I think there’s a measure of truth there. We get from God what we’re to give to others. That may be why God gave the priestly ministry to Aaron and his family; that’s why the Levites gave their assistance to Aaron and the priests. And that’s why we serve – it’s a gift to be given away and in doing so to be multiplied and uncountable like the sand of the seashore.

Father God, thank You for Your good and perfect gifts given to me and the rest of Your kids that may be given to others that they may receive and give away as well. You are Good! Amen.

Spitting in the Face of God

02.23.14

Numbers 12.14-15 14 The Lord answered Moses, “If her father had spit in her face, she would have been shamed for seven days, so put her outside the camp for seven days. After that, she may come back.” 15 So Miriam was put outside of the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on until she came back. (NCV)

To me, there is a legal aspect to all that is in the Scripture. God operates according to His sovereignty but He allows Himself to be governed by His Divine Code. God plays by the rules – always. That is not to say that God is a legalist. The problem with legalism is that certain rules are developed over time which prevent one from doing this or that, or cause one to do this or that; often with unpleasant consequences if this or that is done, or not done. God operates by the established rules; Satan however is a legalist. Big difference.

God established rules by which His people in the ancient days of Israel were to operate. He selected a leader, Moses, whom He expected His people to follow. Moses was the Gatekeeper so to speak. Like most leaders, Moses was unpopular at times. That didn’t mean he was wrong, it just meant he was unpopular. Leading people is a lot like herding cats – and the hungrier the cats, the harder they are to herd.

At one point Miriam, Moses’ sister, and Aaron, Moses’ brother began speaking against Moses, God’s appointed leader. And of all things, they began by picking on Moses about his wife, a Cushite woman. (I’m not sure if we’re talking about Zipporah here, or another woman.) From picking on Moses’ wife they moved on to questioning his authority. And God called them on it.

And, God was very angry: don’t mess with My appointed leader! So, Miriam and Aaron are chastened by the Lord, and as a result, Miriam appeared to have contracted leprosy (or something that made her visibly unclean. Moses begged God to heal her and God replied: “If her father had spit in her face, she would have been shamed for seven days, so put her outside the camp for seven days. After that, she may come back.” God takes leadership seriously. God takes leadership so seriously that to buck His appointed leaders is tantamount to spitting in God’s face. It is foolish and it is very shameful. And it is serious business.

Today, there is no Levitical Law. The Church today is not governed by the Ten Commandments (as hard as that might be to believe.) We are governed by grace and we are lavished in love. God says the sign that we are truly His is that we love one another. And we love one another so fiercely that others notice and want to be loved like that too! Love is a sign to unbelievers that the Gospel is true, for no one can love like those who love the Gospel do. There is no room for criticism, competition, judgment, or petty crap; love sets the people of God apart.

Miriam spat in God’s face – no, not literally – she spoke out viciously against one of her own. 

Father God, how ashamed I am for having done the same thing! How arrogant I have been for speaking out against my brothers and sisters. O God! Forgive me! I am covered in spit for having spat on those I am to love fiercely. Help me. Mature me. And may I learn to walk submissively to Your Spirit under the leadership of those You’ve appointed as my leaders… Amen.

The Sum of Desperation

02.22.14

Mark 1.40-41 40 A man with a skin disease came to Jesus. He fell to his knees and begged Jesus, “You can heal me if you will.” 41 Jesus felt sorry for the man, so he reached out his hand and touched him and said, “I will. Be healed!” (NCV)

What really matters in this brief account is not the dreadful disease but the desperation. It is the same today: God sees and feels compassion for the one who is desperate. And God feels compassion for those who are desperate. He always has. He always will.

The anatomy of desperation is very plain to see: the voice of desperation is audible; the touch of desperation is firmness in utter weakness; the smell of desperation is fear of the not being heard or helped; the taste of desperation is bitter. The relief of desperation is palpable.

Desperation drives one to call out to God: “You can heal me if You will!” Desperation calls out when there are no other alternatives, or very few. Desperation opens one’s eyes to the reality of God’s presence – and the heart to His existence. Many have been actually been so desperate as to pray. Much prayer is lifted in desperation.

And God listens and hears the song of the heart. And God hears the cry of the desperate; God has compassion on those who desperately seek Him above all else; who know no better, and are to the place where they will perish if He doesn’t intervene.

It isn’t a formula, it is a reality. The question for most is: how desperate are you?

I read an interesting quote this morning: is goes: “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” (G.K. Chesterton) Those who are not desperate will not try. They haven’t yet come to that place where they feel they have no other choice. Our prayer (if we dare) ought to be for them that the circumstances of life so overwhelm them that their focus turns heavenward.

Our desperation ought to drive us to plead with God for every circumstance that will help those for whom we pray, to see truth for what it truly is in all its glory. Desperation plus desperation equals: I will! The sum of desperation is God’s answer: I will!

Father God, I am desperate for You because I see what my life is like when I ignore You. Help me to be rich in holy desperation but dwell in poverty of everything else. I pray for those I love and ask that the sum of their lives would result in the desperation of saying: “You can heal me if you will.” O God, may it be so. And may I pray in desperation for them that Your compassionate answer resounds through all heaven and earth: I will! Amen.

Up Close and Personal

02.21.14

Numbers 9.8 8 Moses said to them, “Wait, and I will find out what the Lord says about you.” (NCV)

In the days of the Exodus, God dealt with the Israelites through His servant Moses. The Scripture tells us that God spoke to Moses face to face like a man speaks to his friend. It was a one-time deal. That isn’t to say that other saints like David, Samuel, Elijah, and others didn’t hear from God directly, but it is to say there once was a time when God spoke directly (and I assume audibly) to one person – and that person was Moses.

I know Moses heard God’s voice because the Bible tells me he did. I’m not sure how the rest of God’s subsequent leaders heard the word of the Lord, but I do know this: the God who created all of Heaven, the heavens, and earth has no problem communicating with those who will listen and obey; it’s that simple.

 

Back then (in the early, early days) God chose to deal with His people through intermediaries: priests, prophets, and kings. That lasted up until the Day of Pentecost after Jesus was crucified and resurrected (see Acts 2). When that day came, the middle-man left and the Holy Spirit became the Divine Resource and Presence for every believer. No longer did someone have to inquire of the priest for a directive from God – he had full access to God’s throne, and full permission through grace, to ask God for whatever he needed.

God spoke of that Day and said, "They shall be My people, and I will be their God; and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them..." (Jeremiah 32.38-39)

And today is that Day. In Jeremiah, the context was the children of Israel; today it is the believer.

Full access – what a privilege, what a responsibility! Religion seeks intermediaries; relationship/friendship seeks a face to face encounter with the Living God and directives straight from Him. No more does the believer have to come to the priest and hear, “Wait, and I will find out what the Lord says about you.”  Today, the believer has full access to God up close and personal: “Lord, tell me, what shall I do?”

I need God’s help in my life. I don’t want to use God just to help me get out of tough spots and then go along my merry way; no, I want to walk with Him and talk with Him as is my privilege as His child. Yes, I need the guidance and counsel of wise Christian believers, but I need to mature to that place in life where I simply talk to God face-to-face: I ask, He responds, I obey; for my own good and the good of my children and grandchildren.

Father, You know my needs before I even speak them. But I need to know my needs and to deal with them according to Your wise and eternal counsel. Help me to attune my ear to Your voice and then eagerly obey whatever You say. I need You – up close and personal – Amen.

About Me

02.16.14

Acts 23.11 11 The next night the Lord came and stood by Paul. He said, “Be brave! You have told people in Jerusalem about me. You must do the same in Rome.” (NCV)

When the King of Heaven comes to stand beside someone, it only means good things. In Acts 23 Paul was currently under arrest for the accusations of the Jews, which were a complete mystery to his Roman captors. The Romans were mystified as to what Paul had actually done and why the Jews were so stinking mad about it. And so, in jail, captive, Paul is visited by the King of Glory who told him: “Be brave! You have told people in Jerusalem about me. You must do the same in Rome.” God had a heart not only for the people in Jerusalem, but for the people in Rome as well. God has a heart for people everywhere.

Interestingly, God didn’t tell Paul it was going to be easy, nor did He release Paul from jail in the middle of the night like He did for Peter (see Acts 12). No, the Lord simply said, “[As] you have told the people in Jerusalem about Me you must also tell people in Rome.” God only expects us to do as we’re told – nothing more, nothing less. And we’re to tell them regardless of how they treat us as we do. Some will listen, some won’t, and some will get very hostile over it, accusing us of terrible things to boot!

But it’s about Him. It’s always all about Him. Paul understood that and so must I.

This morning I heard of a pastor in Nigeria who’d been burned to death this past week for telling people Jesus Christ. Just a hunch, but there will probably be more glory in that pastor’s death than there was in his life. You might wonder, what kind of nonsense is that!? It’s not nonsense but obedience to the One who calls us to do as He asks whether in life or in death. The result of that obedience does wonderful things even if the obedient is put to death or put in prison.

Though it isn’t described fully in Scripture, Paul did eventually arrive in Rome where he lived and taught and probably founded a church or two or three or four (or a hundred, who knows); and only tradition tells us that he met with the Roman Emperor Nero. God used this saint to share about Him. As Paul had shared in his own homeland, he also shared in the homeland of the occupants: the Romans.

Lord, today I am reminded of what You have called me to do: You’ve called me to tell people about You. Rich, old, young, poor, it doesn’t matter – You’ve called me to tell them about You and that’s what I want to do. May I be found obedient and may I surrender my agenda to Yours in order to tell others about You – perhaps even before a king if you so choose. Help me to be faithful God. Amen.

Who Else Will?

02.15.14

Psalm 25.4-5 4 Lord, tell me your ways. Show me how to live. 5 Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Savior. (NCV)

Today, is the first of my two days off. Yesterday was a whirlwind of: off to the gym early (I get up around 4:20 a.m. to do so), in to work early (earlier than my norm) making for a longish work day, going to a missions fundraiser (heavy on the ‘fun’ part of fundraiser: we babysat nineteen children (ages 1-ish to 10-ish) so their respective parents could have some parental Valentinian relief), and then sat up talking with my wife for an hour or so when I got home, and dragged my sorry self off to bed around 11 p.m. – I’m just not used to that kind of schedule so it goes w/o saying I slept like a little lamb – but woke up to this: Lord, am I missing something here?

The missions trip I’m taking is to Africa (specifically to Nairobi, Kenya) and, at one brief juncture in the p.m. fun-fest last night, I happened upon some pictures that were posted in the building where we (a team of about seven of us) looked after the kids. The pictures were of where we’re going in June – a place called Madoya where nearly 80,000 people live in a slum just over a quarter mile (squared) of land in size. One of the pictures shows a sunny “street” where there are some people milling about. One needn’t look too carefully to see that down the middle of that “street” is a gutter of sorts filled with who knows what. It doesn’t look sanitary at all, and it doesn’t seem to be bother those standing near it.

And then this morning I read: Lord, tell me your ways. Show me how to live. Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Savior. I need to learn how to live, and really live as Jesus promised: "...I came to give life—life in all its fullness!"  (Even in full sewers.)

There are things in my life that resemble open sewage: wrong attitudes, selfish motives, stupid actions, impure thoughts, etc., etc., etc. I ought to assess how comfortable my life is to those who visit – am I concerned about the obvious cesspool that I am, or am I content to just let be what is, and will be? Lord, tell me your ways. Show me how to live. Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Savior. God isn’t the Lord of the Cesspool although He seems to be comfortable dwelling in the human versions of such and be our Change Agent.

My adventures in Madoya, I’m sure, will include being around cesspools: the human, and the other kinds. I will have to look for God in those places and share Jesus in those places. But I will have to look to God to help me remember it is only by Him that I am taught and only by Him that I am shown how to live. If He doesn’t, who else will? If I don’t ask, will He?

Father: tell me your ways. Show me how to live. Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Savior. Amen.

Tied Up in Jerusalem

02.14.14

Acts 21.13 13 But he said, “Why are you crying and making me so sad? I am not only ready to be tied up in Jerusalem, I am ready to die for the Lord Jesus!” (NCV)

In Acts 21, we begin to see a change in the direction of the wind so to speak: things are about to be very different for the Apostle Paul (whose life has been different since he miraculously entered the ministry from sitting on his butt on the Damascus Road (see Acts 9)). There is danger in Jerusalem for Paul and everyone knows it. But Paul addressed the concerns of his friends by saying: “I am not only ready to be tied up in Jerusalem, I am ready to die for the Lord Jesus!” Tied up in Jerusalem was the least of his problems.

I read a quote one day that goes:

If there’s a remedy when trouble strikes,

What reason is there for dejection?

And if there is no help for it,

What use is there in being glum?

That’s a great statement! What’s the big deal with death? If there is a God, why worry about death? If there is no God, what then is the use in fretting about death? At some point all of us must realize that what is going to happen is going to happen and there isn’t much we can do about it. The other side of that coin is this: God is in charge of every moment of our lives, and because He is what reason is there for dejection?

Many fear death because they don’t know what is going to happen to then when they go, or how they’re going to get there when the moment arrives. If it’s to be a fiery car crash or a tragic accident, then it’s going to be – and if God is in charge, so what! (Or, rather, so be it!) Paul said something like: “Lookit folks, if all of my ministry and effort culminates in my being killed, then so be it – I will love and serve and trust the Lord for the outcome! (Now, quit pestering me about what is going to happen, trust God, and let whatever happens, happen!)” The other question for us may be: If all of our love and energy for the Lord results in our dying for the Lord is that bad - or failure?

The big deal with death is that most of us are afraid of it. We’re afraid for our loved ones; we’re afraid of being missed; we’re afraid of how the ministry will continue without us. But the silliness of all this fear and worry is the reality that all of us are going to die some time or other, and some way or other; there just ain’t no stopping it. So, if we die in the Lord: GREAT!

Being afraid of death is a waste of time: if there is no God, what’s the use in fearing death? Ah, but there is a God; and a better use of your and my time is to serve Him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength letting the chips fall (whatever they include, and however they are played) where they may – it’s gonna happen anyway!

Father, You are in control of everything in our lives – we must not fear. Help me to say with Paul, “I am not only ready to be tied up in my own life, but I am also ready to die for the Lord Jesus!” Thank You Father – Amen!

Special Handkerchiefs and Used Clothing

02.12.14

 Acts 19.11-12 11 God used Paul to do some very special miracles. 12 Some people took handkerchiefs and clothes that Paul had used and put them on the sick. When they did this, the sick were healed and evil spirits left them. (NCV)

I’m a Pentecostal. My first excursion into Pentecostalism was in Boise, around 1984 or so. Admittedly, I’ve been up and down with Pentecostal Theology over the years – even to the point of thinking it was hogwash XLT. (Sigh) I’m still a Pentecostal. Now, I’ll admit (also) we have issues in the Pentecostal Church but we also have some non-issues as well. Probably one of my biggest issues with Pentecostalism is the whole business of infatuation with miracles.

If we were to have something happen today like what happened to Paul in Ephesus then, we’d probably have a run on handkerchiefs – in Eastern Oregon it’d be bandanas (red ones please). The issue I have with Pentecostalism is the amount of attention we pay to miracles and how much we seem to insist that miracles are some sort of validation of our beliefs. It is true that God is the God of miracles but God doesn’t use miracles to validate my faith – I’m to believe in Him regardless of whether there are miracles or not; God doesn’t need to prove Himself.

Now, back to handkerchiefs… I realize people were maybe desperate back then for some sign that God was different than all the other gods out there – Grecian, Roman; who knows what else. So I think, okay then, whatever worked, worked. But miracles didn’t always bring about people growing closer to God. Usually miracles drove folks farther from God because hearts that aren’t right with God might be impressed with a miracle, but not necessarily impressed as to give God the credit and to draw close to Him. Miracles are a mystery and most people just can’t handle mystery.

The problem with handkerchiefs and used clothing is what we make of them. In reality, they have nothing to do with miracles. God does the miracles and however He chooses to dooses is up to Him. Whatever the means, the biggest miracle is still: a sinner, dead in his trespasses and sins, turning to Christ and finding life.

I won’t deny miracles; I’ve seen plenty – really. But the miracles I’ve experienced were more for the building up of my faith, than for impressing those who want God to whip something up for them to believe… Jesus said they wouldn't believe if God sent someone back from the dead to tell them – it ain’t miracles, it’s faith – and without faith, it is impossible to please God let alone find Him.

Father, You have, for whatever reason, drawn me into the Pentecostal realm and it seems like it’s there I fit. May we, as believing servants be faithful to believe in the right things, at the right time, and for the right reasons. I really don’t want miracles to validate who I am but to remind us that nothing is impossible for You.  May Your works always find a home in believing hearts. Thank You for who You are and what You do – Amen.

Aaron Must

02.11.14

Leviticus 16.3 3 “This is how Aaron may enter the Most Holy Place: Before he enters, he must offer a bull for a sin offering and a male sheep for a whole burnt offering. (NCV)

I hate to admit it, but Leviticus is one book of the Bible I have trouble with. It’s not that I don’t understand it; it’s just that some of what is in Leviticus 10-15 makes me squeamish. Actually, for me it’s kind of gross: bodily fluids, discharges, menstrual cycles – thanks, but TMI. I have to make myself read Leviticus.

Today, as I read chapter 16 I think I saw a change in the way things were to be done. God told Moses to tell Aaron, “Don’t just go into the Tabernacle any old time you get a hankering too – My tent is a holy place and it must be entered with a holy posture; in spirit and truth if you will.”

Although the record doesn’t mention Aaron’s comings and goings around the Tabernacle, it seems maybe he began to get comfortable and take things for granted, and so God said, “Enough!”

Aaron’s life seems to be a lesson in poor leadership – it’s not that he was a bad guy, he just made some bad decisions. I see some of Aaron in me – I too, have made some bad decisions. Leadership calls for a higher standard and that requires a passion for God that drives one’s discipline. And if there is anything a leader needs it is discipline. Aaron seemed to be a wee bit undisciplined and it weakened the community.

Hanging around with God will reveal our foolishness. But hanging around with God will bring some measure of cure to our foolishness. God really, really, really wants His children to get it. And He will work with them to perfect them but sometimes he has to step in and say, “Here’s how you’re gonna do it from now on! Got it?” Aaron may have felt like someone threw a bucket of cold water in his face.

If we are to follow God we must do it with our whole heart and we must do it by confessing our foolishness and seeking God for wisdom and discipline. We must. Aaron had to must; so do we. Granted, I’m building this from an Old Testament passage but Jesus says in the New: apart from ME you can do nothing. (Cf. John 15.4) We must follow God with all our heart and we must abide in Him – live out our lives with His life in us.

I wish I could take some things back. I wish I could re-write the past…but I can’t. But I firmly believe that God is the God of the second, third, fourth, and umpteenth chance. God never gives up on me and He will never give up on you either. He may re-write the rules and make us do things differently, but it is always all for our good and our growth.

Father, help me to get it by hanging out with You and humbly accepting Your will however it comes. O that I may be wise and compliant and humble in Your sight – help me God, Amen.

Where He Leads Me

02.09.14

Acts 12.6-7 6 Paul and those with him went through the areas of Phrygia and Galatia since the Holy Spirit did not let them preach the Good News in Asia. 7 When they came near the country of Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not let them.  (NCV)

Nadab and Abihu attempted to offer unauthorized incense before the Lord and God dealt with them immediately: they died. That day. On the spot. Dead. (See Leviticus 10) God will deal with His people in the manner He deals with them, when He deals with them, and how He deals with them. I must never forget Who is in charge, and Who it is who deals with His people His way.

Luke recorded that Paul and those with him went through the areas of Phrygia and Galatia since [or for the reason of] the Holy Spirit did not let them preach the Good News in Asia. Then when they came near the country of Mysia they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not let them. Wow! W’as going on here? We go where God sends – period.

Jesus said, “…you cannot produce fruit alone but must remain in me.” (John 15.4) And it’s true, we can’t. Oh sure, we can try, but without Him in all of our trying in whatever we’re doing, it is just a waste of time. In Leviticus 10 and Acts 16 God made His point: You will do only what I tell you to do and you will go only where I tell you to go.

The difficulty at times is our understanding of what to do and where to go. I think this is amplified in the modern Church where, more often than not, we ask God to place His stamp of approval on our doings and goings because we’re His and that ought to be good enough. But we must cede the decisions to God. After all, don’t we want to do all of what He asks?

I am going to Africa in June – or at least that is the plan. I didn’t see a vision of a man in Macedonia, so I’m not going there. I didn’t see a cloud formation that caused me to say, I’ll go. What happened was a pastor friend of mind said, “You should come with us…”. And I thought, I should. So, now I am in the process of doing what is necessary to get from Baker City, Oregon to Nairobi, Kenya. I’m trusting in God’s hand in this as much as Paul and Timothy were trusting in God’s hand to get into Bythinia. The narrative in Acts doesn’t say how they were prevented from entering, it just says they were. AND, it says the Spirit of Jesus did not let them.

Okay then. If God changes my plans then so be it. But I think about Kenya every day. I’m not sure exactly what my part is in all this except to go alongside a young pastor and his team from a Church that is not even my own. I think I should and I am moving in that direction.

Father, where You lead me I will follow.

If the door slams shut I may hard swallow.

Put me in fields of grace that appear fallow.

And go with me, with me, all the way.  Amen

Jesus Plus

02.08.14

Acts 15.10-11 10 “So now why are you testing God by putting a heavy load around the necks of the non-Jewish believers? It is a load that neither we nor our ancestors were able to carry. 11 But we believe that we and they too will be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus.” (NCV)

The Law was never intended to be an addendum to grace. The problem in our fallenness is we often seem to insist that salvation is: Jesus, plus… (fill in the blank). The minute we go there we set aside grace as insufficient and tell God He needs help and will get it from us if only we do thus and such.

Loving God is not an issue of smoking or chewing or going with girls who are doing; loving God is seeking Him earnestly, listening to Him carefully, and then, obeying Him entirely. Well, Paul, what about obeying the Law? Damn, son! I’m glad you asked!

The Law is all about my performance and how much I can impress God by keeping the rules. Love has nothing to do with law, but obeying God is all about lovingly, eagerly doing what God commands: love your neighbor as yourself – no law there, just love. God does not lead us by rules though He is a Ruler. There isn’t a list of do’s and don’ts – there is just a loving Father asking us to love Him and trust Him and do as He says to do: to love Him and love others.

Peter said (something like), “Why the (bleep) do we want to ask the Gentiles to do what neither we nor our ancestors (as good as some of them really were) could EVER DO!? That is insanity!” And Peter was right. The problem is so often our religious leanings demand some mark of performance or achievement which we can wear around our neck, or on our head, or somewhere where it is plainly obvious that we’ve arrived; that we’re good. God isn’t impressed with what we eat or drink or whatever we do so long as we genuinely do it for His glory…not our own.

I am guilty of Jesus Plus. I was raised on Jesus Plus. I have preached Jesus Plus and have tried earnestly to live it. Only. to. fail. miserably. (A new blogging technique: copious periods… You impressed? I am. J) I am ashamed of Jesus Plus living. Today, I only want Jesus’ grace – it is sufficient for me always. I want to learn to seek Him earnestly, humbly, and, oh yeah, desperately, so that I can hear Him carefully, and then, obey Him entirely. Jesus Plus wasn’t working for them and it isn’t working for me.

Dad, I am sorry for every time I have tried to live Jesus Plus. Help me just to love and trust You more and agree that I am really not my own. I ask You what to do, and ask that You help me to quiet my soul that I may hear you fully, and then, in love, just do what You ask. Free me from religious leanings and the propensity to try to impress You. May I just do and just do it all for You – Amen.

Real Miracles

02.07.14

Acts 14.9 9 As this man was listening to Paul speak, Paul looked straight at him and saw that he believed God could heal him. (NCV)

Perhaps the man was just engaged in listening; perhaps he nodded his head and gave some indication that he heard and understood; whatever the case, Paul looked straight at him and saw that he believed God could heal him. And God did.

Miracles are unexplainable movements of God within our midst. Miracles come in all shapes and sizes. Miracles seem to be expressions of God which are used to help those who don’t believe, to believe. The man in Acts 14 needed God to come to his aid; he just didn’t know it until someone (Paul) told him about the healing power of God, and the man was healed because he simply believed. God did for the man what no one else could do: heal him of a condition that was beyond the power of man to perform.

Interestingly, what was a miracle to some was counted as magic by others. Some accepted the miracle, not as God’s power but as superstition and the narrative goes that the crowds thought Paul and Barnabas were Hermes and Zeus (respectively). Not everyone is ready to accredit God with miraculous powers – some are content to consider miracles with superstition and accept them as magic. Man is a such weird creature… The man believed, the crowd couldn’t.

When our oldest child, Marshall, was alive, we asked God repeatedly to heal him from a birth defect and make him well. And God ultimately did: we know Marshall is in heaven with Jesus today. But in this life God never miraculously “healed” Marshall; Marshall lived to his death in a very pathetic way. In retrospect, death was more of a miracle for Marshall than a healing would have ever been. The reality is that God was with Marshall (and my wife and I) through all those years of his life. And God provided wonderfully for us and that young man over and over.

The man in Acts 14 became a circus sideshow. Sometimes that is the downside of miracles; the crowd misunderstands what has happened. I’m glad our Marshall never became a sideshow. We must remember that when representing God and something happens that we don’t understand, there are those who really don’t understand and won’t accept it. The end of the story in Acts 14 is that Paul is stoned and left for dead by a vicious crowd that thought he tried to hoodwink them; people at a sideshow don’t want to know the truth; God is too much for them.

Two weeks ago at our church, twenty people accepted Christ as their Savior. What a MIRACLE! People who were dead in their trespasses and sins, received new life by confessing their need for the Savior. Wow! There is no greater miracle than when the living dead see life for the first time and become the living Living. That friends, is a miracle of God not a circus sideshow. We, as children of God, need to yearn for those miracles because the gift of life in Christ the Lord is really what life is all about, despite the miracles of the lame being enabled to walk…

Father, use me to be part of the real miracle of bringing those You’ve called, to life in Christ; and to live in Him, by Him, and through Him for all eternity. That is the miracle and I pray to be used by You for that! Amen.

The Night Before

02.05.14

Acts 12.6 6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains. Other soldiers were guarding the door of the jail. (NCV)

Today, I’m thinking about Peter and what he thought on the day before his scheduled execution. I’m wondering what went through his mind as the minutes became hours and no help seemed to be coming. I’m wondering what he prayed as he finally, exhausted, drifted off to sleep laying there in chains between two guards. I’m thinking he was thinking: well, this is it – this is what Jesus meant when He told me how I was going to die…

The night before is an interesting time in the lives of people. When our oldest son died, we didn’t think the night before, that he would. The night before, the disciples hadn’t a clue what Jesus was going to go through the next day. The night before, Peter had only his thoughts and his prayers and his hope in the Everlasting God that, live or die, it would somehow all work out.

I have heard testimony from many of God’s people about the night before when it appears the end is close. Sometimes the night before is anxious: wondering what is going to happen when the sun comes up. Sometimes the night before is weeping: wanting so badly for things to go another direction. Sometimes the night before is careless: or maybe clueless that tomorrow is going to bring something big into ordinary old everyday life. Peter probably wondered what tomorrow was going to look like. But the night before, God showed up.

The funny thing about tomorrow is: it never comes; the reality is it is always only right now. So maybe Peter was not fretting or sweating – maybe he was only celebrating the Lord’s presence right now. History tells us there was a night before but really, there was only right now, and that is where we’re supposed to live: right now.

The old Prayer states: “Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace. Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it…” We only ever have right now, and right now dictates how we live the night before when it appears this thing we call tomorrow is going to bring something we don’t want.

The narrative in Acts 12 says that in the wee hours of the night before an angel from God showed up and miraculously led Peter out of that prison; and the only execution that happened was to the guards who were supposed to be guarding Peter. (Herod, the king thought they were in on the escape.) God showed up at just the right moment because, although Peter eventually died, it wasn’t because of Herod, it was because God holds the keys to life and death and our death only comes when God says it does – not a nano-second before.

Lord God, You do hold the keys and in that truth I hope and trust. You are God of the Night Before but You are also God of the Right Now – and when it is time, You are always right on time. Help me not to fret about what may or may not be but enjoy You one day at a time and one moment at a time in these days. My life isn’t my own and I must trust that You are also God of My Moments. Thank You. Be anxious for nothing but in everything with prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus – Amen.

I Hope

02.04.14

Psalm 19.14 14 I hope my words and thoughts please you. Lord, you are my Rock, the one who saves me. (NCV)

Psalm 19 is truly one of my favorite Psalms. It calls me to a higher place. King David sang a good one when he sang this one. This year, I’m attempting to read a different Bible translation every month; and this month, it just happens to be the New Century Version. I chuckle at the names of these Bible translations; I wonder which century they had in mind when they wrote this one. J It was first published in 1987.

One of the things that makes Bible reading easier for some is finding a translation that is easier to read. One of my favorites is the New Living Translation. Another is The Message, by Eugene Peterson. I stumbled across the New Century Version about 13 years ago and fell in love with it. It is not my preferred translation but it is definitely a well presented version and very easy to read. Here is a brief word on the history of the NCV:

The New Century Version of the Bible is a revision of the International Children's Bible. The ICB was aimed at young readers and those with low reading skills/limited vocabulary in English. It is written at a 3rd grade level (from the introduction) and is both conservative and evangelical in tone. The New Testament was first published in 1978 and the Old Testament followed in 1986. The ICB was revised somewhat to be a bit more sophisticated (reading level grade 5) and was dubbed the New Century Version, released in 1987. A gender-neutral edition was first published in 1991, supplanting the original.*  *(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Century_Version)

It appeals to me; it’s written at a 5^th grade level of comprehension – perfect! J

Today, it said (as I read), “I hope my words and thoughts please you.” In America today the word hope is abysmally misused. For the most part, it is construed to mean wishful thinking. When we say, “I hope…” we usually mean, maybe yes, maybe no. But the biblical meaning of hope is: Yes, Yes, a thousand times Yes! Hope is an emphatic in the Bible, not wishful thinking.

To say, I hope my words and thoughts please You means: I’m living my life in full view of You, and all that I say and all that I think are open for You to see. And so may they be pleasing to You! If not, correct me so they will be so. Not: I’m going to put some energy into life and I want my words and thoughts to please You but I can’t guarantee that it’ll happen. Big difference in meaning. I hope means: it is; it will; You are God and You love everything about me: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Father, because of You I live. In You I live and move and have my being. Apart from You it is only wishful thinking. In You it is a fixed hope in the reality of You and the result of giving my life to You only. I hope in You, and I hope the words I say, and the thoughts I think, please You. Your promise is, they do always. Like a mother loves her infant child, so do You love Your children – our hope is in You! Amen.

Suffering for the Name

02.02.14

Acts 9.15-16 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I have chosen Saul for an important work. He must tell about me to those who are not Jews, to kings, and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” (NCV)

Saul’s (Paul) ‘conversion’ was both celebrated and suspected; some were blown away that he was really a believer; others thought he was just trying to infiltrate so he could cause more trouble for the Church. Finally, it took Barnabas, who believed in Saul, to take him in, find out his story, and present him to the Church in Jerusalem to convince them that Saul (Paul) was truly willing to suffer for the Name of Christ. Not so remarkably Saul met with fierce opposition to the truth and those who heard him wanted to kill him for his faith.

What does it mean to suffer for His Name? I suppose the gamut of suffering isn’t truly known for mankind is clever and hasn’t exhausted the possibilities of what should happen to those who don’t accept the accepted religious party line. One thing is for sure, buck the system and the system will buck back; either stand in the system’s line obediently, or the system will find a way to make you stand where it thinks you should.

I used to think that God’s comments to Ananias were somehow used to convince Ananias that God was going to give Saul some of his own back to him. How stupid – that paints God in a pathetically petty light. God wasn’t paying Saul back: God was using Saul to further the Good News; the result would be for Saul (just as it is for everyone else who follows God in this world) to suffer for the Name. (In a small way it was proof of where Saul’s heart really was…)

Suffering for Christ is present with the disciple of Christ because the world fears Jesus (in a pathetically petty way) and hates the light of truth, and will fight against that light. Additionally, the disciple may face push-back even from those who believe but choose to be quiet about it: Shhh! You’re making waves! But we are called to confront, and we are called to make waves; and even when we’re not doing anything, we are suspected of doing everything because of our persistence of standing with the Lord.

That’s how dimly the world views disciples of Jesus Christ. So I will suffer – whether I like it or not. I am in a war – whether I like it or not. And God will show me how much I’ll have to suffer for His Name. It’s not about selfish masochism, it’s about relationship; Saul was viewed with suspicion and contempt because he turned his back on their religion. The same will happen to me. When I suffer I can take it as an indicator I’m on the right track. Above and beyond it all I’m to view suffering for what it is and keep my eyes riveted on the Lord because viewing Him causes my concerns about suffering to evaporate like the fog under the heat of the sun.

Father, like You did for Saul, strengthen me to bear up for the truth diligently despite suffering. It isn’t Your reward – it’s just what naturally happens to those who believe in You in the face of a world that is dead set against You. Help me to ignore suffering and not get fooled by it, but to stay focused on Your beautiful face where suffering diminishes in the light of who You are and what You are about. Amen.