Somehow He Got It

8/17/2016

John 19.19-22 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.” – St. John

In 1 Samuel 8 the people of Israel gathered in front on Samuel, the prophet and judge, and said: “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” Samuel was greatly upset by this demand, but God instructed him to give into their wishes. So, Samuel went about the task of appointing a king for Israel.

God had always sought to be their King, but they couldn’t handle it, so they demanded a king, like the other nations have, and Samuel bowed to their wishes.

The things that happen in this world are not by accident and even in this instance, the perfect will and plan of God was accomplished by a selfish and rebellious people who attempted to throw off His yoke by making one for themselves.

A king for Israel – to them – meant strength and power and gain. Israel’s king would be a mighty warrior, and a perfect politician. He would provide for them, protect them, and they would produce for him. And his family. And court. He would be a king just like the other nations had.

Their dispute with Samuel was accountability: “…his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.” And no one called them on it. It meant not all were getting their fair share. Someone’s piece of pie was bigger. Such is power in the hands of humans. So, God gave them what they demanded.

God typically answers prayer in four ways: Yes. No. Wait. And, If you insist. They insisted.

Several centuries later God gave them their true King, and they crucified Him. They couldn’t handle a King who was sold out to God. He even claimed to be God. (That was old news by then – many emperors claimed deity; even Caesar himself claimed that…) God’s King showed up, but not in the way they wanted. They still wanted a mighty warrior and politician and they got Jesus. They were disappointed.

So, at the crucifixion, when Pilate plastered a sign above Jesus that read: Jesus of Nazareth – the King of the Jews, they howled: That’s not our King! But kingdoms are not always about earthly might and power, and a chicken in every pot. Sometimes Kingdoms are about God. Theirs, like every other human kingdom, fell short.

Only God can be King. And Lord. And Savior. And Friend. Only God will call His subjects to come and dine with Him and partake in the rule and reign of His Kingdom. Only God can heal the human condition and bring true justice and peace. Pilate was right: “What I have written, I have written.” Somehow he got it.

Lead on, O King eternal, we follow, not with fears.

For gladness breaks like morning where'er Thy face appears.

 Thy cross is lifted o'er us; we journey in it's light.

 The crown awaits the conquest, lead on, O God of might. Amen

Remain

8/13/2016

John 15.7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. – Jesus

My dog Sophie is a smart dog – she can sit, she can shake, she can, Lay down; she can, C’mon! She likes to, Go? And she loves her evening walks. She’s a good dog but she has her moments. If she doesn’t want to do something, she acts as if she’s gone deaf. If she really doesn’t want to do something she gets under one of the end-tables in the living room and sulks, averting your gaze. Sophie is a lot like me.

At the end of His earthly mission Jesus gathered His men and told them: Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. He was telling them to stick around and to keep in constant contact with Him. No wandering off; no going it alone.

Then He said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” That’s a big statement. It wasn’t a blank check, but it was a promise: If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Remain. I can’t teach my dog that – she has to want to. Jesus can’t teach us that either – we have to want it.

Remaining in Jesus is a choice, a commitment. One has to make up one’s mind that remaining is what is going to be done – then done. And when we remain in Him, our lives begin to lose the clinginess that is the world, and we start to become more heavenly. We become so heavenly minded that we’re of no earthly good. We love God to the point that we do whatever we want because of that love.

And we ask Jesus for things out of that heavenly mindedness and guess what? He grants.

But it all begins with, Remain. It begins with eager submission and ends with resolute obedience. And it takes practice, practice, practice. It takes getting out into the world. It also takes being quiet in prayer. But it takes a constant awareness of Jesus and what it is He desires for us in any given moment. And then when we’re attuned – to Him, we ask whatever we wish because our wishes have become His wishes. His wishes are the best!

Jesus isn’t about to start circumventing free-will, but He does know hearts, and He leads us to hearts that are needy. He knows conversations with others and building relationships with them, is how the good news – the really good news – begins to penetrate their needy hearts and bring about change. But it starts with one remaining in Him.

Today, is yet another day of remaining in Him; although, like Sophie, I’m sure it will have its moments…

Lord, may I continue to learn to remain in You. Apart from You I can do nothing. May I learn to let go and let You. May I learn, lead, and love. May I become so You-minded that I am of no self-good. Thank You for grace. Thank You for Your promise. Draw me close to You. Amen

I Will Do It

8/12/2016

John 14.14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. – Jesus

I could go a couple different ways with this statement; I’m only gonna go one way. I’m gonna take Jesus at His word and ask Him for what I need. Of course, it’s not like He doesn’t already know – He’s omniscient. And He knows I’ve already asked it. And I know I’ve asked. But I’m gonna keep asking. Like a little child, I’m gonna keep asking.

My thought process is this: The Lord knows what I need even before I speak it (Matthew 6.8). But I’m gonna ask in His name anyway. I’m also going to thank Him because He said, “I will do it.” I can rest in that – I will do it.

Prayer is getting what I want; prayer is believing in God and believing in Jesus. That belief causes conversation which builds expectation. It builds the expectation that Jesus is doing something on my behalf and has promised: I will do it.

Now, there is a component of this that bears an answer: will Jesus only do for me what I ask if it only fits in with His will? I think that’s a dangerous question, but one worth asking. I think this, without getting into the weeds, I think Jesus already knows what I am going to ask and He is helping me draw closer to the Father. I think that is His ultimate M.O. Just as He was in the Father and the Father in Him, so He desires that I be in the Father with the Father in me.

What is this world after all? This world is the proving ground of our faith – we live here because here is where we grow closer to the Father. Here is the only place afforded us to do so. And with all the stuff we do, have done, and will do, our place in the universe is where we grow closer to the Father – just as Jesus did. The closer we grow to the Father, the less needy we are for the things of this world.

God put us on earth to know Him and live for Him. He’s promised to take care of all the rest.  I can believe that. I believe in God; I also believe in Jesus. What I grow to want are the things God desires for the world of men around me: that they grow closer to Him. In my asking, I am going to change. My faith will be built. My confidence in God will soar. And I will grow closer to Him in the process.

Along the way though, I need some things and I am going to ask because He said: You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. Okay, Lord, if those are the terms, then I am asking…

Thank You Jesus that You have given me this freedom to ask. Thank You that You’ve promised to answer. And thank You that Your ultimate work in me is to help me grow closer to the Father and cooperate in His work here on the planet. Thank You. Amen

The Understanding

8/11/2016

Jeremiah 9.23 This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, 24 but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. – Jeremiah

Maybe it’s just my personality or my way of seeing things, but this resonates with me: boast in the Lord. Boast in the fact that He has revealed Himself to me and I know Him. I suppose in one way it takes the pressure off – that I have to perform to meet someone’s standards. I know the Lord; He has revealed Himself to me.

Religion makes a big deal about human stuff – intellect, experience, knowing, doing, having, being present. And I suppose in one way so does relationship with the Lord. But the big difference is this: religion is man-focused, and relationship with Jesus is friendship-focused between the finite and the eternal. You boast about your friends.

I know, or at least feel, that I don’t have all that much to offer. I can’t show you a resume’ full of credentials to impress you with what I know and who. I just don’t have all that. But I do have Jesus. I do have an understanding of who He is because He has shown Himself to me. And I care about you. Jesus has given me that much.

The Lord delights in those who have the understanding He’s given. Remarkably, He gives it to everyone, but not everyone sees, hears, or knows. I think that’s why His people are called to evangelize and relate to others in a way that they can relate to Him. And hopefully become His friend, His delight.

Paul said in Romans 1: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Vv. 16, 17) Friends boast about each other. The saved boast about their Savior.

What’s wrong with this world? Well, just start talking and we’ll soon see. What’s right with this world? Boast to me about God. Tell me you have the understanding to know Him. It doesn’t make my problems go away, but it enables me to see past them. Problems aren’t the end; Jesus is.

Help me today, Lord, to share and boast about You. In a world full of confused and frightened people, help me to boast that You have given me the understanding to know You. Help me to verbalize that You exercise kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in those things You delight. May I boast in that. Amen

Weird Inside

8/10/2016

John 12.40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” – St. John quoting Isaiah

What do you do around someone you really don’t like? I’ll bet you clam up. I’ll bet you avert your gaze. I’ll bet you get all weird. I’ll bet you try to act all calm and natural, but insider you’re all stirred up. I’ll bet you’re uncomfortable. It’s what we do. The other person may not even acknowledge us, but inside we’re all weird. It’s what they do to us because we let them.

I understand the concept of letting someone live rent-free in my head – I do it all the time. I want to control things and can’t, and, well, there ya go: I get all weird inside. The problem with being weird inside is what happens outside. Isaiah said: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” When God shows up, people get weird.

I find it interesting how the tense of the verse changes from ‘He’, to ‘I’. God really cares about His creation but His creation gets really weird when He shows up. They clam up. They avert their gaze. They try to act all calm and natural, but inside their all stirred up. They think: What does He want, and why can’t He ‘want it’ from someone else!? Why does He want it from me!?

We humans have such a high opinion of ourselves and we can’t believe that God actually wants to be a part of our living. The funny part is God doesn’t push Himself on anyone; the reality is: it’s God’s party. We didn’t ask to be invited, we don’t like the invitation, but we had no control over it and now we pout because God has given us life, and we’d like it if He’d just leave us alone! (Sounds like we’re the ones with the problem, not God.) Weird inside is weird.

God does funny things to people just by showing up. We have such opinions of Someone we don’t really even know. And man, do we want to control Him! No wonder we get so weird.

And all God wants is to free us from our weirdness. He created us without asking our permission and has given us life and this bizarre thing called free-will, and He just wants to be friends. But what reaction He gets from the creatures He’s created with free-will.

What’s truly remarkable is some take Him up on His offer and He heals them. He makes them different. He opens their hearts to realms unknown to the average Joe who wants nothing to do with Him. God is remarkably different than we want Him to be. And He heals those who turn to Him. He drives some nuts just by showing up; but He changes others just by showing up. Our God is an awesome God.

The world will be what the world will be, and men will believe what men believe; but some will turn to God and ask for friendship, and receive from Him abundantly! They will turn, and He will heal them…

Father, You are weird to many, and loved by some. You don’t make anyone do anything, but You do have an effect on the fearful and doubting. I pray that somehow, some way, the people I know that fear You would turn and find You enchanting, engaging, and a Friend. We all need friends, but none is better than You! Amen

Two Words

8/9/2016

Jeremiah3.11 11 The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah. – St. Jeremiah, the prophet

Don’t know that I’ve ever considered the difference between faithless and unfaithful, but leave it to Jeremiah the prophet to give me insight.

When Solomon’s son Rehoboam, became king, he lost the northern ten tribes of Israel because he had the perfect opportunity to become a very great king, but he chose to play small-ball. He could’ve had the nation eating out of his hand but instead, he chose pettiness and petulance. The northern ten tribes said, Eat crap! and left. Israel had become divided.

Now, when Israel became its own kingdom under a guy named Jeroboam, they went all the way – they trashed all of what God had prescribed for the nation. They made their own chief city, they had their own religious holidays and they became idolaters. And not just a little bit; they went the whole way. Israel, the northern ten tribes became faithless. They completely threw out God.

Judah, the southern kingdom under the house of David, was a bit more insidious – they kept all the wishes of God in pretense but became idolaters by adding a bunch of stuff to the laws that God had given them. They became unfaithful. They became half. Half-married is worse than divorce.

Faithless is no faith. Unfaithfulness is pretense. At least faithless is a surety. Unfaithfulness is a ruse. I’d rather deal with someone that I know where they stand, than with someone I am not sure. God said of faithless Israel, at least I know where they stand…Judah, I can’t trust.

In our day, in our way, where do you think we are as a nation, as a people? Are we faithless, or unfaithful? One is worse than the other. Does it matter? As believers, what would someone say about us? They world thinks we are unfaithful because we claim to be one thing, and act another. At least with the atheist crowd, we know where they stand.

And personally, what am I: faithless, or unfaithful? Now, we’re getting down to the brass tacks. What has God called me to be? Where is my heart and my passion? What does my life speak? Am I part of the problem or part of the solution? Two words that tell the truth.

We can pretend and fool each other – for a while; but we can never fool God.

Father, these two words spoke volumes to me today about the nation, the church, and my own faith. If I were to stand in the scales today, would I weigh faithless, or unfaithful? Or would I weigh faithful? You are the Judge and You know the heart. Change my heart O Lord. Make it ever true. Change my heart O Lord, may I be like You. Amen

The Good Hired Hand – Truly My Perspective

8/8/2016

John 10.11-13 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” – Jesus

We have to be discerning when it comes to parables. Jesus was making a point to His listeners about sheep and shepherds. He was also using the example of animal husbandry to describe Himself and His mission. Jesus used examples from everyday life to describe Himself, His mission, the Church, and the Kingdom of God – it was the way He taught.

It is true, the hired hand does not own the sheep, but not every hired hand is worthless and in it just for the pay. Vocation ministry has hired-hands in it, but also there are those with the gifting of shepherd. It’s gifting we must see and value. If, as Paul said, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers…” then Jesus is the Appointer of who does what in the Church.

Now, as far as ownership, Jesus owns the sheep. But Jesus also appoints human pastors (shepherds) to watch over His human flock. A lousy shepherd will run, but a gifted pastor will stand in the gap for Jesus’ people. A gifted pastor will appoint gifted leaders to help him with the administration of the body. A lousy one will try to do it himself. I know, I was a lousy pastor. The weight of building a church was too much for me. I had no idea what I was doing.

But that doesn’t mean I was evil, it just meant I was in so over my head, that I couldn’t do what I thought I was supposed to do.

There are those who are in ministry for perhaps the wrong reason. There are those who hire-on that perhaps ought to be doing something more appropriate for them. And that’s the hard part. How do you know until perhaps after the damage has been done? And how do you tell the guy doing it?

There is a difficult balance in trying to pastor a church and trying to make a living at it. Some pastors just have to take on other work because their vocation pays more than their ministry. (I often thought it might be easier to pastor a church and not take a salary, because the weight of providing a salary for a minister was heavy for a tiny church like mine…)

So, build the church! Well then, the conundrum: am I doing this for the flock or for a paycheck? Am I just a hired-hand? Will I run when the wolf shows up? Or do I care for the sheep because I can afford to, and am I just a better paid hired-hand? It’s no wonder I am not pastoring anymore; I could never get the balance. Not everyone is called; not everyone is gifted...to be a hired hand.

Father, there is more to this parable than what meets the mind. But You designed the church to be cared for by trustworthy shepherds so that the world could be evangelized by trustworthy sheep. I’m happy to be a sheep. I’m happy to do the work of the ministry as I am taught and led by my pastor. I pray for him and the others I know, that they could do what they do without worrying about pay. I know the conundrum, and ask for grace for them in that as well. You are God – You lead Your church – Amen