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.