Lord, I Believe

8/7/2016

John 9.38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. – St. John

John 9, is a very important chapter in the Gospel of John. In it, Jesus is asked by His disciples, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9.2) It’s a question that is asked all the time when something unfortunate (or misfortunate) happens to someone. I know, my first child was born with severe disabilities and extraordinary inabilities. What happened: Who sinned, me or him?

Well, it couldn’t have been him because what happened to him, happened in the womb; so if he did sin, he sinned in the womb. I don’t know what or how, but if he was guilty of sin, it had to be before he was born, because none of us knew anything until after he was born. So, if we follow that logic, then it must have been me. If God is a God of payback, then it must’ve been because of me. And every misfortune that has happened to me since then, has been God just paying me back – right?

Thank God, Jesus said the question of ‘who sinned’ was faulty logic. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him”. (John 9.3) What happens in life happens because we live in a fallen world, and babies are born with birth-defects because that is part and parcel of the world in which we live. And people sin – that too, is part and parcel of our world.

God, however, is a God of rescue – He desires to rescue and redeem us from this world where it’s easy to ask, ‘who sinned?’ because none of us knows the answer, and there has to be (we reason) some explanation. The explanation is, God knows, and for now we just have to be happy with that – AND – Jesus said (at least in this event), “…this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” God is involved in every aspect of our lives – good, bad, or inexplicable.

And here’s the deal: “Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped”. The man knew it was way beyond him, and he simply bowed his heart in the presence of God. That ought to be the natural reaction of everyone who encounters the presence and power of God: Lord, I believe.

I focused on the word, worship. I wonder, did he fall to his knees? Did he bow his head? Or did he simply reach that place in his understanding that he truly stood in the presence of the Almighty, and he did what was appropriate: he worshiped? Whatever the case, he gave God glory for his situation, and his heart changed. That ought to be the result of appropriate worship whether in the presence of a miracle, or sitting in church, or crying out in prayer: Lord, I worship You!

My child died at age 14. I was in the room when it happened. I worshiped because it was the right thing at the right time, and, for the right reason. I watched as my son breathed his last breath and his spirit was carried to heaven. I worshiped because his tortured life came – mercifully – to an end; and I praised God for the outcome. It was over.

Father, my prayer is this: Lord, I believe. I believe in You, and I believe You. You have said You will take care of Your own and will redeem those who come to You believing; and, Lord, I believe it. My belief doesn’t make it true, but my worship is accepted, because You believe. Lord, I believe. Amen

What Would I Say

8/6/2016

Habakkuk3.5-7 Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. 6 He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed— but he marches on forever. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. – Habakkuk, the Prophet

If you were to write a book of the Bible, what would you write about? If God chose you, what would your heart reveal? Habakkuk (three b’s, 1 u), is only known as ‘the prophet’. Little else is known of him and what he did, or where he was from. But he was acutely aware of the Babylonians and their impending conquest of Canaan. He asks God, “Why are You allowing this to happen!?” And God responds: Because.

God’s answer to Habakkuk is that man has no idea Who he is dealing with. Men are men and they do what they do; but they do with little or no understanding of the presence and power of Him who made them. To them, God is safely a myth, a legend; a story made up in people’s minds. And in His answer to Habakkuk, God says, “Woe to [them]”.

Habakkuk sang a song at the conclusion of his prophecy and the above is what he said; he saw God differently than most of us do. We like to think of God as loving and fair – and He is, but He is also dreadful in that He is all-powerful and not influenced by the whims of His creation. What caught my attention in his song was the phrase: Plague went before Him; pestilence followed His steps…

What can stand before God? Who can stand before God? Nothing, and no one. All will stand before God, but it will be different than we imagine. Some will really want Him to be loving and fair. Some will faint at the thought that He dwells in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6.16). Habakkuk said, “Plague [goes] before Him; pestilence [follows] His steps… God is way different that we imagine. And He is never out of control. (Why, O Lord?)

I think we will marvel at our God at how He is. I know we will marvel at who He is; but He is different than we imagine Him to be. Plague and pestilence are the response of nature in the presence of God. Dem Babylonians bedduh take care who dey messin’ wif.

We will marvel that He does love us, and that He holds His immenseness in check when dealing with us. We will marvel at His patience and compassion with us, and over us. We will marvel at Who He is and what He has done. In His immensity, He will allow us identity, and He will show us how great and grand His plan for us: a race of beings so lost in sin that we could never truly see Him for Who He really is. Would our book mention all this?

And He will show us our Redemption – that He could’ve wiped us all away and started over. But He did something greater: He loved us so much that He gave Himself to be our Ransom, that we could be with Him (plague and pestilence and all) forever, as His friends, and loved ones.

Father God, I marvel at You. I marvel at Who You are, what You do. I marvel at Your presence; that You love me and will accomplish Your plan in me, along with all the bumps and bruises that are mine in this journey You’ve provided for me to come to know You in Spirit and truth. Amen.

That Tombstone I See

8/5/2016

2 Kings 23.17-18 17 The king asked, “What is that tombstone I see?” The people of the city said, “It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it.” 18 “Leave it alone,” he said. “Don’t let anyone disturb his bones.” So they spared his bones and those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.

Several nights ago it was reported on the news that some Pokemon players were chasing Pokemon characters around in a cemetery where some US war veterans were buried A (living) veteran confronted them for disrespect of choosing to play Pokemon in that cemetery. It was an ugly confrontation, and of course, it was all filmed on cell-phones. Cemeteries serve two purposes: a place to lay bodies to rest, and a place to honor the sacrifice of the dead. Aren’t their other places to play Pokemon?

When King Josiah was in the midst of his purge of the evil in Israel and he came across a grave in Bethel where, apparently, the remains were of a prophet from Judah who’d prophesied against the altar that Jeroboam had built. The problem with the altar was: where it was built, and the rebellion against God for why it was built: it was an altar in another place other than Jerusalem. Such was the sin of the northern kingdom: they chose to “worship” God apart from where He had prescribed.

Now, in 1 Kings 13 is the story of the prophet who prophesied against that unholy altar, and his subsequent death. It provides a backstory to what is recorded in 2 Kings 23. When Josiah found the grave, he wanted to know whose bones were there, and the people explained to him about the prophet from Judah. So, Josiah honored the grave of the man of God who spoke out against Jeroboam’s altar.

The insight I gather from this is simply: honor. Honor is a very misplaced and misunderstood concept in much of today’s culture. That’s why Pokemon is played on the graves of US veterans with no thought as to what, why, and where. To the players, it was just another piece of ground. There was no thought to the lives represented there that fought and died for the freedom to play Pokemon in the first place… There is no honor.

Now, we can get superstitious about honor, or, we can remember the why, what, where, when, and how those graves are there, and respectfully play Pokemon elsewhere. We are a culture that misses, and misunderstands, honor. Josiah, according to a prophecy he probably wasn’t even aware of, tore up the graves of those who dishonored his God as payment for their dishonor. How can one dishonor God in their living, and expect to be honored in their dying? Josiah’s point was simply: honor is deserved.

We ought to honor those who gave their all, so we all could have some. We ought to remember why some died and respect the fact that they did die. For us. It’s not just patriotism, but it is remembering what we all stand for (or are supposed to stand for). We ought to remember those who’ve gone before us, and give them the honor due their sacrifice. The right to play Pokemon was secured by those who fought for that right… A little honor is due. Play Pokemon somewhere else.

Lord, help us! Amen.

The Book

8/4/2016

2 Kings 22.1-2 22 Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.

Josiah is a popular name nowadays for boys in Christian circles; I know at least three named such. The ancient Judean king Josiah, was the last great hope for revival in Judea before the collapse of the southern kingdom. King Josiah was sold out to following the Law God had given to His people.

Josiah became king at eight years old. (I don’t know any eight-year-olds I would entrust to be my king.) But surely he had priests and counselors behind the scenes that helped him until he was old enough to take the reins. And when Josiah was twenty-six, Hilkiah, the priest, found the Book of the Law (their Bible) in, of all places, their very own Temple. Talk about irony.

It was a huge find because the Book had been lost for years; and though everyone believed in it (as a Book), not everyone followed it, and it was largely ignored. So, for this king to have the Book, it meant the kingdom would be ruled differently than it had been previously. King Josiah found the key to success: obedience to God’s law.

Just to confirm the discovery, Josiah sent the priest, Hilkiah to a prophet named Huldah asking her what all this meant and she responded: Well, Joey,  ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ (2 Kings 22.16-17) Bummer.

However, she also said to Josiah: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’” (2 Kings 22.19-20)

Josiah acted correctly: he humbled himself at the discovery of the Book and lived to obey it. By that time in their history, the Jews were past the point of recovery, so God proclaimed it would be on future peoples that imminent disaster would come. The key to Josiah’s success was humility and obedience – what about us?

God doesn’t require me to follow a Law, but He does require me to humbly obey Him. As I commune with God and seek Him in my life, I am to inquire earnestly, listen carefully, and obey entirely. His promise as I do, is to commune with me, and use my life for His Kingdom, and the good of others. Pretty simple plan.

Father, use me as I do as You command. I pray for success in life as I obey You! Amen.

Ethos

8/3/2016

John 5.45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set." – Jesus

In John’s Gospel, chapter 5 is the beginning of the religious resistance against Jesus; the Jews begin in chapter 5 to ardently push back against Him and what He said. John’s record of these conversations give us great insight into the beliefs these people held in those days.

Now, the Pharisaic Jews were devout followers of Moses, the Giver of the Law. Their entire worldview was based on everything Moses wrote, and how their teachers and traditions interpreted what Moses said. It’s key that we notice the word, traditions. Their ethos changed, morphed, what Moses wrote, into what they held and viewed as important.

So, Jesus told them: “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set." In other words, what you believe will either save you or condemn you. The question for us today is, what do we believe. Our ethos will either save or condemn us before God.

And that’s what Jesus said would happen.

Now, the difficulty they faced is not too much different than the difficulties we face: our teachers and traditions are mostly the reference points of our beliefs. And there are a lot of teachers and traditions out there.

Nowadays we are taught by our education system. We are taught by the media and their interpretations of the times. We are taught by science and research. We are taught by our own local ethos. But are we also taught by God and the Church, and if so, are we taught correctly? Much of what we’ve been taught in the Church is laced with superstition and tradition. We do what we do because we’ve done what we’ve done.

That’s not to vilify the Church, but have we settled for a religiosity that falls short of relationship with God, as Jesus had? Do we only do what we see Him doing, or are we influenced (heavily) by the interpretations and traditions of modern men? How do we answer for Patriotism and Americanism in the Church? Or is what we believe going to be what judges us on that last and great day? In America we might hear Jesus say, Don’t think I will accuse you before the Father, your accuser will be your constitution (which gave me preeminence) on which your hopes are set, will accuse you…

We live in interesting times.

Father in Heaven, help us I pray. Help us to renew and relive our relationship with You which dwarfs our teachings and traditions. Help us to recognize tradition and superstition and forsake them. And Father, may we do only as we see You doing and be content with that. Help us, help me, Amen.

Love is Like a Hook

8/2/2016

2 Chronicles 33.12-13 12 In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

Manasseh was only twelve years old when he became king. He reigned in Jerusalem 55 years. And he was a jerk for most of those years. He wasn’t faithful to his God or to his people. So at one point the king of Assyria capture him, put a hook in his nose, and led him off to exile. Read 2 Chronicles 33…

While he was there, Manasseh had a come-to-Jesus moment. He genuinely repented of all the crap he’d done, and his heart was changed toward the Lord. And God forgave him and brought him back home; and God restored him as king. Despite all he’d done, Manasseh finished well.

If there is one thing to respect about God, it’s this: He knows our heart. God isn’t fooled by our fox-hole religion: only believing when the crap has hit the fan. God isn’t fooled by the one who has a ‘change of mind’ but whose heart really isn’t changed. God knows when we’re trying to clean up our act just to get Him to change our circumstances, just so we can go back to being the same person we were before the trouble started.

But God was moved by Manasseh’s pleas. Manasseh had changed. God, who knows the heart, saw the change and worked on Manasseh’s behalf. What’s sad is Manasseh’s son, Amon didn’t get it. He decided to pick up where Manasseh left off before his religious moment. Amon was a fool.

It makes me wonder what people see in me when I’m going through tough times. Am I humble and repentant, or am I just waiting for the bombing to stop so I can crawl out of my hole and return to the same kind of life I had before the bombing started? God knows the heart, and others watch our living. We can fool some of the people some of the time, but we can’t fool all of the people all of the time. And we can never fool God.

Difficulties, while difficult, can be beautiful tools in God’s hands in bringing about change to our living. Manasseh suffered the hook in his nose, but the painful, ugly hook changed his heart. Are our difficulties changing us, or are we using them to mask our bitterness and sin? Does God allow us to go through troubling times to get us to see more clearly? Personally, I tend to believe so.

God is not mean, but He is masterful. God’s love may look and feel like a hook in the nose and shackles on the feet, but His love is divinely designed to help us make the necessary changes in our lives for the good of others, and for ourselves. Hooks are painful and ugly, but in the right hands they bring about everlasting good.

Father God, You know just what to do and just when to do it because You love us and refuse to let us sink under the drowning waters of our sin and rebellion. Manasseh (probably the hard way) learned of Your love and it changes his heart – do what it takes in me, and may my heart be forever changed. Amen

Proclaiming Glory

8/1/2016

Isaiah 66.19 “I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations.” – God

It is the job of the believer to evangelize – to share the goodness and greatness of God; to proclaim His glory.

Glory is a funny word that means, weight. We tend to think of glory as brilliance and light, and while those may be part of glory, the real deal is weight, like gold. Gold is heavy. Gold has glory…just ask the guy who hoards it…

To worship a deity, there must be glory or the deity is ethereal. The ancients made idols of gold and silver, because to them, at least their idols had weight; they held them in their hands; they meant something.

God carefully told His people: “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20.4-6) In other words, worship Me even though you can’t see Me; in faith, believe who I am.

And God gave the ancients mighty miracles to back up His words – His works gave Him glory; His works meant something. He did for them what the other nation’s gods could not do. It is hard to hold an idea in your hand – typically, you hold an idea in your head and the fruit of the idea in your hand. An idea held is often an object birthed. But what on earth can adequately represent God? And what can we make to represent God that won’t become superstition; worshiping the image, not the Person?

Glory is what we tell others about: God is glorious. And God does glorious things. God does things no one else can ever do. God is glorious. God works among His people and God does glorious things. Ask the fearful if God brings peace. Ask the hurting if God brings comfort. Ask the blind if God brings sight. Ask the sick if God heals. One of the ancients said: “For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” (John 3)

Goes does because He is glorious. He doesn’t bring trinkets and treasures; He brings Himself. And God is glorious in His presence.

Father, I am stumbling all over my words today. You are glorious because You are present. You are ever-present to those in need, because You are God indeed. You do what cannot be done and are ridiculed by the world for not showing Yourself. But You show Your glory. You mean something. And that is why faith is so important because it underscores Your glory. May I proclaim Your glory today. That is my job. Amen