If It’s Law You Want

08.23.14

1 John 4.20-21 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. – The Apostle John (ESV)

There are laws. There are the laws of man – his regulations, statutes, ordinances, and on and on. There are the laws of nature – gravity, energy, mass, density (I especially relate to density), physics, and on and on. There are the laws of God and a good place to start is with the first Ten. There is a reason laws exist. Some find those reasons beneficial and others don’t. One thing about laws: they are at least tangible in the sense that they’re written, and then written down for all to see – God, in this regard, is no different (e.g. Exodus 20).

One thing about laws is remembering, for whom the laws are. All laws do not apply to all men. Certain laws pertain: if you jump off a building whether here or there or anywhere on earth, you go down. One may use a device of some kind to minimize the fall (or jump), but the direction is always the same: down. (Wow! What a downer. I was always afraid as a kid that gravity would fail and I would float off the earth into space. It never happened.)

The Laws in the Bible are both social and spiritual. There is a legal aspect to them and a spiritual aspect: one tangible, the other not so. Many today want tangible because in their mind it gives them something to shoot for or something, by which, to measure success or failure. If I just don’t covet, then I’m okay. If I just don’t kill (murder), then I’m okay. With God. I think. If I just don’t drink, smoke, use bad language, or chew; or go with girls that do, then I’m okay with God, my church, and my men’s group… I reason.

The more I read the testimony of Scripture, the more I see the fallacy of such reasoning. It isn’t by law that I make points with God. (There are no points to be made.) God loves me regardless of who and how I am; He simply urges me to do the same with my fellow man. And here’s how to think about that: St. John said, “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” (Brother, in this sense of the word, is two ways of thinking: proximity and relation.) Loving God is good but it is only real if one also loves his “brother” (proximity or relation).

So, the litmus test is this: if it’s law you want then love God and your fellow man. If you want to live by a “law”, then the one to live by is this: God I love You, and I love those among whom You’ve placed me (regardless of race, color, gender, creed, etc.) whether they love me back, or not. Regardless of whether they behead or not; or bow down to other gods or not. It isn’t about law but if I have to have one it’s this: “…And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.” Brother is not defined…

Father God, the reality of my love for You is the reality of my love for others. You’ve commanded me in this way: Love Me, by loving the ones among whom I’ve placed you. If that’s all there is to law, then I’m in! May I do just that! Amen.

Life Together Forever

08.20.14

Jeremiah 48.7 Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab in the latter days, declares the Lord.” Thus far is the judgment on Moab. –Jeremiah (for God) ESV

In Nehemiah 13 are these words: On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. (1,2) Tell me we don’t have trouble in the middle east where grudges have been nurtured and nursed for centuries…

I read through Jeremiah’s (God’s) judgments of Moab, Ammon; Edom; Damascus, Kedar and Hazor, and Elam this morning. They’re pretty ugly – the outcome of the judgments are ugly. When empires get restless, things get ugly. In Jeremiah’s day Babylon, under Nebuchadnezzar, was restless, and things got ugly. And small countries like Moab, Ammon, Edom, and the like, were overrun by this restless empire leaving horrible death and destruction in the wake.

Yet God (on more than one occasion in these judgments)said, “Yet, I will restore…”

God doesn’t seem to intervene much in the politics of this world. He seems to use the comings and goings of men in His plan, but He doesn’t seem to intervene. (God doesn’t crash parties all that often; He knows where He is not welcome.) But having said that, I’ll say this: God does intervene in the hearts of men who are being jostled about by the clashing of empires, and vast armies on the move. God never takes His eyes off the individual in the midst of all this chaos.

God, it appears, is more interested in friendship than He is with kingship. Oh yes, He is King and His Kingdom is forever and ever, amen; but His Kingship isn’t the issue: our friendship with Him is.

In Nehemiah 13 it is written that no Moabite was allowed into the assembly of the Jews because they didn’t offer help to Israel in her wanderings all those years ago. (Again, the grudges.) But God is more interested in friendship with men than He is with grudges. And God promises – in His word, spoken by His people – that He will restore the fortunes of those who bullied His people, Israel. God is interested in friendship, restoration, and forgiveness.

I ask myself: Paul, what are you more interested in today: friendship or the nursing of old hurts? I like friendship better, but believe me, I’ve maybe got a grudge or two; I’ve sung a somebody done somebody wrong song. God is more interested in the condition of my heart than He is the hurts I’ve endured. (And yes, the hurts have maybe been used by Him to me see how I’ve done somebody wrong; and how I need to change my perspective about friendship, forgiveness, and restoration.) God is all about restoration because He doesn't create junk…

Father, today I sit amazed at the magnitude and profoundness of Your love and Your heart toward all of us who deserve Your judgment and yet receive Your mercy. Thank You for the restoration of the nations; that Your perfect plan is never “B”; it’s always: Hey, you there! Come be My friend, and lets do life together forever… Amen.

With Ya Big B

08.19.14

Jeremiah 45.5 5 And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.” – God (ESV)

God PM'd Baruch, the son of Neriah. Baruch was Jeremiah’s personal secretary, if you will – his scribe, his chronicler. When Jeremiah spoke, Baruch wrote. Call Baruch an old-fashioned recording device, perhaps. It wasn’t uncommon in those days.

It appears from this tiny narrative tucked away in the rest of Jeremiah’s prophecy that possibly Baruch got nervous from time to time and maybe thought about a career change, or even a different employer; after all, his boss got into hot water with the authorities on a fairly regular basis. Maybe Baruch thought what’s bad for the goose is bad for the gander. Can’t blame the guy when your boss has a knack for causing people to foam and groan just at the sight of him.

So maybe Baruch was a little nervous about things. And one day Jeremiah calls for him, and he shows up with pen, ink, and papyrus and predictably Jeremiah launches unpredictably…about …Baruch. To: Baruch From: God. With love.

God knows, God cares. Just when we think He isn’t aware, He lets us know He’s there.

About ten weeks ago (or so) I was in Church and a lady came up to me and prayed for me. She prayed that God would prepare me for what was coming next and that I’d find His blessing in it. It was a nice prayer and could’ve applied to just about anything – except – I was on my way the following Friday for a job interview and was consumed with thoughts about that. She didn’t know. How could she?

But God knew, and God let me know He knew. And whatever fears and anxieties I had seemed to melt away. God knows and God cares. He cares about what we’re doing and where we’re going. He cares about what we’re thinking and what we’re saying. And like old Baruch, He gently reminds us that He hasn’t forgotten us. That’s our God.

God told Baruch that despite the awesome difficulties he was going to go through the thing he prized most – his life – would be God’s gift to him in the midst of it. Baruch didn’t want to die some awesomely horrible death; and I don’t think he did. I think God gave him a long life of dodging bullets – isn’t that the prize of war – to have your life at the end of it?

Father, You know what I think and say, and where I’m going and what I’m doing; and I think You are pleased, and You are with me in all of it. Jeremiah didn’t call me and tell me to write down a prophecy but a lady in church who doesn’t know me all that well prayed and reassured me that You are aware of all that I’m up to and that is enough for me. Thank You! To me today the prize is not just my life, but Your presence in it – thank You! Amen.

Committed Obedience

08.18.14

Jeremiah 35.18 18 Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Rekabites, “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jehonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.’ (NIV)

In a song called, From a Distance part of the lyrics are:

God is watching us. God is watching us.

God is watching us from a distance.

I thought of that song today as I read Jeremiah’s words to the Rekabites; the sons of Jehonadab. It appears God was aware of the obedience of the Rekabites and he sent Jeremiah to use them as a living example of what committed obedience looked like. The sons of Rekab didn’t drink wine because their father told them not to. They honored their father’s word and stayed away from wine. And God saw and God knew.

Apparently, everyone else knew too; committed obedience is obvious to everyone. It may look religious, or it may not; one thing is for sure – if you try to get someone who is committed to obeying to do something they’re not supposed to do – they won’t. And if there’s a group of them, they seem even more steadfast than if they are on their own. There is something to be said for deep conviction. God sees and God knows.

When God looks into our lives, what does He see – after all, according to the song, God is watching us. I’m not sure I buy the whole from a distance part because that, to me, reveals a misunderstanding of what Jesus said about presence. But God is watching us. And furthermore God is acting within us to help us to see what is important in life: HIM. The test for the Rekabites was their abstinence – what is ours? Does it matter?

The Rekabites were God’s chosen examples to the people in those days of committed obedience – something they had a hard time with. Apparently not many wanted to do what God asked. And whenever and wherever the wine was flowing and there happened to be a Rekabite or two present, there was an obvious commitment on their part to not drink the wine. That was their deal. What is ours?

I suppose that is between us and God. As individuals, God is watching us too – and it ain’t from a distance – it’s up close and personal. God is watching us and God may use us as an example if He needs. Are you up to the challenge? Am I?

Lord, I don’t think the Rekabites were into fanfare about their personal commitment to obey the words of their father. You used them to make a point: IF THEY CAN DO IT FOR AN EARTHLY FATHER. WHY CAN’T YOU DO IT FOR YOUR HEAVENLY ONE!? This made me think about my life and my convictions and what I look like to people because of my association with You. Help me to live what I believe and help me to be an example when needed. Father may committed obedience be one of the family traits in me – Amen.

Plans

08.17.14

Jeremiah 25.8, 9, &11 8 Therefore the Lord Almighty says this… 9 “I will summon … my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,” declares the Lord, “and I will bring [him] against this land and its inhabitants …11 This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and [you] will serve the king of Babylon seventy years.” – Jeremiah (NIV)

I’m not sure how long our current trend will last. Sometimes it seems like it’s gonna go on forever; and sometimes it seems like it could all end tomorrow. Jeremiah the prophet was tasked with the task of giving the bad news to his nation. They didn’t believe him. And they hated him for it. He said the trend was going to come to a close; that it was going to end, and for seventy years there would be no Israel, no Judah, and no nation. They would all move to Babylon and serve a pagan king.

To the Jews, this was a complete pile of nonsense; they thought they were too big to fail – after all they had God on their side – see, His Name is painted on the side of their Temple. They thought the current trend was going to last forever.

Today, there is peace, but today there are plans. Today the sun came up in its normal way, and my lawn got watered, and I read my Bible, and tossed a coupla prayers heavenward; but there are plans for all of this to come to an end. Babylon had plans to ruin Judah’s party and Jeremiah preached it.

There is no such thing as too big to fail and God is on our side. We are not immune from failure and God is on no one’s side. Think about it – it’s true. Life on earth would be dramatically different if God chose sides; but He doesn’t. God says, you’re either with Me or against Me. If there are sides to be compared it’s God, and then everybody else.

Well, what about the Church? What about His promises? What about these plans afoot to undermine and destroy the US? Where is God in all of that!? God is right where He’s always been and where He’ll always be: on His throne ruling the nations bringing righteousness into the world and keeping whatever ‘plans’ there are, right on time with His plan.

Pretty quick in our reading Jeremiah quotes the following: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29.11-13) But first the exile, the captivity, and seventy years to think it over.

America is America – she is not Israel nor is the Church within her Israel. And there are plans being formulated against America to cause her to suffer. And amidst her suffering will suffer the Church (just bring to mind the Christians laying slaughtered on the hillsides in Iraq). But here is the clarion call to each of us: Be faithful, persevere, and trust in God just like our money says. I’m not sure how long our current trend will last. Sometimes it seems like it’s gonna go on forever; and sometimes it seems like it could all end tomorrow.

Lord, whether now or later, in the midst of the plans, find me faithful. Amen

The Answer to Handling Wealth

08.16.14

Psalm 112.1 Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. - Anonymous (NIV)

To this dismay of the judgmental crowd, I believe God is a Giver of second chances and do-overs. God is a pass/pass Teacher. God’s ways are higher than our own, and God methods are often anything but intuitive. Our God is an awesome God.

Thursday, I drove home from Boise where I had taken and passed an exam for a new career with Thrivent Financial (more on that another time; look them up at: www.thrivent.com/aboutus/).  

As I drove home, I had a long talk with the Lord. I don’t mean we sat together in the car and talked; I mean I drove and poured out as much of my soul as I could find to Him as we went along. Tears may have been present. I advocate this practice – it seems to work for me to think though things, and be open enough to tell Father what is really on my heart. For a while I only complained and then I changed my tune and began to praise. Praising God doesn’t necessarily straighten things out, but sure does usher in an indescribable peace.

As I talked with the Lord, I shared with Him my lack of success with money – there always seems to be too much month left at the end of the paycheck. I’ve never been that good with money. So, today in Psalm 112 I think I found an answer: Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. (Doing what He says.) This psalm goes on to say that such a man will have: honorable offspring, wealth and riches, light for life, compassion and generosity, confidence, peace, and no fear on bad times. (Psalm 112 is a male equivalent to Proverbs 31). The only man who will enjoy these things is the man who fears the Lord and finds great delight in doing what He says.

So, I read Psalm 112, and then I thought: no wonder it rarely works for me! I don’t fear God! And then I swallowed hard. It’s true. Oh, sure, I love God. I even like God. But mostly I do and have always done what I want or what I think.

Let’s talk about do-overs for a moment. God doesn’t hate me; never has, never will. I am assured of that. But God does expect me to live my life (in all my/its current wretchedness) alongside Him, fearing Him. (As we know, this kind of fear isn’t terror; it’s respect). God will help the fool and his money (which are soon parted) if the fool repents and begins to respect God for Who He is and what He is doing in the fool’s life. Call me, a repenting fool today. And that is why God is so good at do-overs: He wants us to see that with Him is the hope of living life rightly. When we get it, He gives it. That simple. The answer to handling wealth is fearing God!

And that’s why a new career. And that’s why a long talk with God, asking for answers. God is the Solution for every need of every person on the globe. All we need do is acknowledge that and respect Him for it.

Father, it seems again I hear You loud and clear.

May my respect for You grow as You have drawn near.

Thank You for helping a poor foolish fool;

Using his lousiness with money, as an effective teaching tool.

I pray, O God, that my respect for You only grow

And as I walk through this world may I help others to know,

That there is a reward for those who do

Put all of their hope and trust and fear, in You. Amen

PS: Money ain't the the answer: God is.

Jesus and Jeremiah

08.15.14

Jeremiah 20.7 You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me.

Just exactly what was Jeremiah saying? Some are wont to believe that serving God is a bum deal; Jeremiah is one in a long line of those who was obnoxiously persecuted for his association with God and was ultimately killed for it. Where do I sign up?

It seems that suffering is the preferred path by God for His people. It seems the situation in Iraq today against God’s people is only going to get worse before it gets better. St. Paul suffered and died. St. Peter got whacked. St. James, the younger was killed; there’s a pattern here. The pattern isn’t the point however; the point is Jesus, Son of God, suffered for His relationship to God as well. We might be tempted to say, what’s good for the goose is good for the … (well, you get the picture).

The difference between Jesus and Jeremiah isn’t that they suffered, it’s how they suffered and how they responded to suffering. When Jeremiah voiced his complaint to the Almighty, he was speaking to Jesus – the Almighty. And Jesus, just a few centuries later walked the very same path of ridicule, resistance, and rejection that bro Jeremiah did.

Jeremiah’s words in Jeremiah 20 sound like the words of someone who is very agitated. Jesus’ words in John 17 sound just the opposite. Jeremiah complained – and can we blame him? Jesus didn’t – and can we answer why? Jesus followed through and believe it or not Jeremiah did too.

It cost both of them, and innumerable saints down through the ages in the meantime, their lives. But life lost on earth is not life lost in Heaven. Pain and suffering for God is not overlooked in Heaven. And I think God likes it when we complain.

Yesterday, I drove to Boise to take an exam for my new job. I was really nervous despite my best efforts to remain calm, cool, and collected. I prayed out loud most of the way there (about two hours by car). I found myself asking God for success in passing the exam (which He graciously gave me) but I realized at one point I was really praying a shallow and selfish prayer. When I pray for God to give me what I want, that, is pretty shallow and selfish. It’s not about what I want – it’s about what He wants and He wants me.

God wants me to want what He wants. God wants me to quit my complaining and fearing and fretting, and believe He is who He says He is and that His mission on earth is to be the most important thing in my life. Regardless of the pain. Regardless of the obstacles.

Interestingly, Jeremiah in the midst of his complaining began to praise God. I think that was the key. If we want to get our minds off of the selfish and shallow the best way to do that is to praise God and remember all of His deeds and attributes. It worked for Jeremiah who continued to suffer for his faith and it worked for me in the midst of my day yesterday.

Lord, You are good all the time and all the time, You are good! In the midst of suffering You are good and may I and my brothers remember to praise You in the midst! Amen.