A Jobian Moment

10/17/2016

Job 2.10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Last week at my men’s group, I was part of a conversation where someone conjectured that the current election cycle was possibly the result of God removing our dependence on our affluence and replacing it with something new and different. His contention was that God is removing our blessings and influence as a nation. I can tell you, the conversation got pretty lively at that point.

The argument between God and Satan in Job 1 and 2 is this: Job only serves You (God) because You give him stuff. Take the stuff away and he will curse you to Your face! (Cf. Job 1.11; 2.5) I think, like my friend, the United States may be going through a Jobian moment; all the stuff we have held so tightly is being removed in order to see where our hearts really are.

Affluence and blessing are not necessarily bad things until they become gods and are taken for granted. As a nation, I think we have fallen prey to thanklessness; we aren’t grateful. I think we think saying: “God bless America” is our right and not our privilege. And this coming election has us on a collision course with judgment: take away all our stuff and we’ll see what our response to God may be…

I have a son in the US Air Force. He is gung-ho and ready to serve this nation and protect our way of life. Have we taken a good look at our way of life lately? We abort millions of babies because we want sex but not the consequences of sex. We are deeply in debt as a people and as a nation because we want the money-wheel to keep turning and cranking out what it gives us: a lifestyle of luxury with no end in sight, and investors betting against our success as a nation.

We have a Church that has been relegated to irrelevance to millions because She cannot seem to stop preaching a gospel of health and prosperity while millions are being deceived at the altar of blessing. Make no mistake, I believe God wants to bless us – I just think He wants us to bless us His way, not ours.

In God’s conversation with Satan the argument was Job was a spoiled brat and feigned righteousness because he was wealthy. God considered Job blameless; Satan considered him a phony.

Where will our country be in four years? Will we have drawn closer to God or will we have drifted farther away? When does the current party of Americanism end? What is the fallout of that? Where will the Church’s love for God be when all of the party favors are removed? Will our love stand? Or are we in it just for the fun?

The Book of Job is a strange story to me of God’s making His point in the life of someone He cared about. The path the United States is on is a strange reality to me of its love affair with affluence and its attitude toward it: we got dozens of friends and the fun never ends, that it as long as we’re buying…

Father, my prayer is to see revival in our churches and to see the tide change. I pray for change in the Church to bring about change in our culture. I ask for wisdom and I ask for humility. And I ask for mercy, and I ask for grace. I pray for a new season of thanksgiving. And I trust You in our possible Jobian future… Amen

The Price of Genuine

10/16/2016

Acts 5.1-2 1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. – St. Luke

I don’t think Ananias and Sapphira were evil; I think they just wanted some attention. I think they just wanted to be well thought of by the local church. I think what they did wrong, was to try to impress people and to be phony – why they died for that, I’m not sure. What happened as a result was the whole church realized how serious the belief and commitment were supposed to be.

Many today have strains of: look at how wonderful I am. It’s human nature. But if we took our place in the church seriously we would only ever say: we are unworthy servants. The hallmark of servanthood is this: it doesn’t seek attention for itself; it just does. Is that worth dying over? It depends on how you view it...

Yesterday I had a first: I performed a wedding on a dismal rainy day. Fortunately, we were in a tent out of the rain, but it rained hard throughout the day. The good news is not all weddings are rainy day affairs. (Some, post nuptials, may think they are, but not all are.) The Book of Acts is full of firsts: not everyone died for being phony.

But like the irreparable Day of Pentecost, Ananias and Sapphira were – to my understanding – an irreparable occurrence. A point was made, strongly, and that was enough. Everyone got the point. The Bible is full of accounts of phony people. Maybe this time there was more to the story than we’re allowed to know. (I’ll bet phoniness hit an all-time low after that…)

I think part of the point here is genuineness; as in: let’s do a better job in this part of our faith. The early church (as well as the Church today) was surrounded by phoniness.  The Apostles were accosted by phoniness from the religious leaders. There were people who wanted in on the action of the New Church whose motives were less than pure. We have to ask ourselves: where do we stand? And when is the last time someone in our church died for being phony? What effect would that have on the rest of us?

Was the phoniness of Ananias and Sapphira enough to keep them out of Heaven? Or were their deaths a sign to the early believers that God is intolerant of phoniness? I think there was more to the story. But I also think the point was made.

Father, I confess phoniness in my own life. I confess that I get lazy in my belief, and I know You know all this. I pray to be genuine. But I think when I do, You may reply: Paul, why do you ask Me for what you already have? Genuineness is the result of my relationship with You Lord, and my true view of Who I think You are, and what I think You do. When I think of all the shenanigans that happen in modern church, I am surprised that not more of us die for our misuse of faith and abuse of Your grace. But You are gracious and good and there is a reason those two died for being stupid. Help me at least to avoid that. Amen

The Appropriate Nickname

10/15/2016

Acts 4. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”) …

Yesterday, I spoke with a relative who’d been speaking with another relative about your’s truly. Apparently, I, being who I am, was the topic of a portion of their conversation – the bottom line was: I was viewed by each of them (and another relative or two) as someone who was easy to talk to. The consensus was, since I’d been a pastor, I had a gift with people. My response was, being a pastor was the least part of whatever gift or characteristic I possess. I, perhaps, have the gift of empathy.

So, there was this guy in Act whose nickname was Barnabas. Barney was a Cyprian Jew, and he was by ancestry, a Levite. Now, Levites were not necessarily priests, but their heritage was that of Temple administration. They were the guys that did all the other stuff the priests did not do. Priests came through Aaron; I think the Levites came through Moses.

Barnabas was a Levite by birth and his given name was Joseph. But because he was who he was, Joseph picked up the name, Barnabas: Son of Encouragement. Sorry folks, what you have follows you.

Now, gifts are like everything else in life – sometimes they are a blessing, but sometimes they are twisted into something they were never meant to be. Encouragement may certainly be for the building up of others, or it could be used as an excuse to let people continue on a destructive life path. Encouragement may be to help and comfort, or to motivate; but can be done in such a way as to give permission to the encouraged to make choices that may be detrimental to their well-being. But Barney was an effective encourager and probably had been since his youth.

At one point, I came across a Facebook thing that had to do with knowing my ‘hippie-name’. (What silliness!) However, being who I am, I had to think about my hippie-name and what it might be; and I came up with Quakin… as in quaking Aspen. Part of it is the beauty of the trees, and part of it is what they do: they quake – in the least breeze.

I would like to be an asset like beauty and not a liability like fear when the winds of life kick up. I would certainly like to be a resource to others and not a cowering, quaking wimp. My gift of empathy helps me to forget about my own issues and feel for others in the midst of theirs. You are known by your gifts.

Our lives are to be both sources and resources of good for others. That’s why we live in a world full of people whose lives are supposed to be as useful as ours. Everyone has something to add. (Regrettably, we also have the potential to take away.) As believers in Christ, our victory in life is in our ability to focus on the Lord, and then to focus on the ones among whom He’s placed us. We are there for their good.

My “Q” today is just this: What is the nickname others give us? Is it because we use our gifts for their good, or is it because we focus too much on our own issues?

Father in Heaven, You have placed me here on this earth, like Your servant Abraham, to do good to others and contribute to the blessing of their happiness and well-being. Help me to star focueds in the right direction: on You and others, keeping my gift useful, and having the appropriate nickname – for Your sake and glory – Amen.

What Happened Then

10/13/2016

Acts 2.42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. – St. Luke

In Nehemiah 9 and 10, is an account of the Jews who’d returned from exile (to Jerusalem) repenting of their sins and the sins of their ancestors. In chapter 9 is a prayer of confession that is quite detailed and lengthy. They were serious about doing something to get their acts together before God. In fact, they were so serious, they put together a binding legal document and put their seals upon it to show how serious they were. There was lots of crying and weeping and sorrow and signatures.

In Acts 2 is the account of another gathering of people in Jerusalem some 400 years later. They too were repenting of their sins and crying out to God for help. On the day this group was meeting, there were no legal documents, and no affixed signatures; there was however, the presence of God; the Holy Spirit came upon them in such power and presence that they were transformed; the Church was born.

We can look back upon the Old Testament peoples and ask: why did God wait so long? Why weren’t their signed legal documents enough to cure them of their sin, giving them the power to act accordingly? It boils down to this: God does what God does in His own timing and for His own purposes. I do ask why, but it always comes back to what God does.

From Nehemiah’s time to the time of Christ, there was about 400 years of silence; God, apparently, did not speak to the Jews during this period of time as He had in former days. But when God did finally speak, He spoke through His servant John (the Baptiser), and His Son, Jesus, the Christ. And then, on the Day of Pentecost (a big Jewish holiday), He spoke through His Church, empowered by His Holy Spirit.

What happened then was not a document signing. What happened then was not some big cry-baby ceremony. What happened then was a transformation of hearts and a group of people took God seriously because they were empowered to do so: they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. The difference then was the Spirit of God.

The Church’s birth was a one-of-a-kind event; it has never been repeated. But the Holy Spirit has never changed, never gone anywhere, and continues to this day to cause people to devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. The God-born are not looking for legalese, they are seeking the presence and power of God that He, God, has put within them.

Why has God waited so long then; why doesn’t He just come back now and set things in order? I’m not real sure He’s ready to do that, and I’m not real sure we really want that just yet. I think God has it more in mind that we devote ourselves to the apostle’s teaching, and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. And that we continue to do so until He does what He’s going to do next. People who do things God’s way are not caught up in the pushings and shovings of the world; they are content to read the Word together, be together, eat together, and, especially, to pray together. Church like that is effective in ways we can’t imagine.

Father, that I would do as I say, is my prayer. That I would relinquish control over my life to You, is my prayer. That I would fellowship and eat with the saints, is my prayer. And that I would pray –is my prayer; make it so, fill me again today. Amen

True Strength

10/12/2016

Nehemiah 8.10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

In Psalm 29.11 David says: The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Again, while meditating and singing, David said: Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42.5) David seemed to understand two things: he got troubled, and he trusted in God. The issued wasn’t that he was troubled, the issue was what he did with his troubles. David went to God to find strength in his troubles.

In Nehemiah 8, Ezra the Priest (the same Ezra as in the Book of Ezra) read from the Law of Moses, and as he did, the people wept. Nehemiah, the governor said the above: for the joy of the Lord is your strength. David said the Lord gives strength to His people; and Nehemiah said, the joy of the Lord is your strength. I see a common thread.

Is the joy of the Lord His strength, given to us? Or is the joy of the Lord our strength in knowing Him and that He is ours and we are His? As my friend Jim Stephens would say: Yes! It’s not either/or, but both/and.

The strength David sang of is the knowledge of God and the presence of God in my life. The joy of the Lord providing strength to me in my difficult days, or in times of sorrow and repentance is: God is pleased with me. God is joyful over His people and that is our strength – if God be for us, who can be against us? That’s a good question!

The people in Nehemiah were sorrowful when confronted with the truth, comparing it to their conduct. That ought to happen – we ought to be sorrowful when the truth reveals our rebellion. But, we ought also to be glad that there is a remedy, and reconciliation, for us with God when we confront our behavior and joyfully repent. There is an out for the repentant.

With God, there is one thing I think we struggle with: we can’t seem to understand how much He loves us and how much He cares about our everyday lives: the good, the bad, and the ugly. When we become aware of our sins and transgressions, we fully anticipate God to club us for our actions. Has He ever? When in your life has God ever beat you bloody over your poor choices? When in your life have you?

You see, that’s the difference between God and us. God forgives, rebuilds, restores; we on the other hand only expect the worst of consequences and call it pay-back, or karma. God does love the sinner and desires he leave his sin, finding joy and strength to overcome it in the joyful strength that God loves him. The JOY of the Lord, is our strength. Our joy is built upon His joy, and joyfully we accept His ways knowing He is always thinking of us first…

Father, today I accept Your joy over me. Today, I find joy knowing You love me, care for me, and have sent Your Son to die for me. As I go through my bouts of downcast today, may I find strength in the knowledge of Your joy over me. Together we’ll get through this…Amen.

Their Worldview

10/11/2016

Luke 24.25 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” – Jesus

I get it: I too am foolish, and slow to believe what the Bible says about Jesus. I allow the arguments in my mind and in those of others to tell me what I want to hear. Yes, I am foolish and slow to believe.

At this point I could try to start blaming those others: well, they’re slow to believe as well! And yes, others are foolish, and slow to believe. But on that great day when I stand in His presence, not one of them will be with me – I will stand completely on my own. I will account for all I’ve done in life.

I don’t know about you, but my memory is getting worse these days, I can’t remember all of the crap I’ve done. It seems that every time I turn around, someone reminds me of more stuff that I’ve done that I can’t remember and I think: will this ever end!?

The issue is not what I’ve done, the issue is what I believe. The rebuke of Jesus to the unnamed two, was not their actions, but their belief: How foolish you are, and slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken [about Me]! What do I believe?

It’s really not hard to discover what I believe; all one need do is watch what I do. We usually do as we believe we can do. Our actions underscore where our heart really is. We do as we believe we may do. And so as we do, we set a pattern in our lives: sow a thought, reap and action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a destiny. That’s how serious belief really is.

Jesus isn’t into minutiae, He’s into the heart. Jesus is more concerned with the inside than He is with the outside. When He told the two of Emmaus (aim-ah-oos) that they were foolish and slow to believe, He wasn’t looking at their sins, He was pointing out their worldview. Nowadays, with a presidential election looming, we can see where people’s hearts really are – what their worldview really is; Jesus would call us, foolish and slow to believe.

Today, knowing the heart is the issue, I’m taking inventory of mine: what is my worldview, what do I really believe, and do my actions reveal my true beliefs? I know I am foolish and slow to believe. I know my focus today is to endeavor to be wise and quick; and find myself at the throne of grace. I know there are deep things in my life that need dealt with which reveal warps in my worldview.

The outcome of all this is a changed life. The last two sentences of Luke 24 are simply: Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. Their worldview changed. That didn’t mean there was no more messiness in the minutiae, but it did mean their focus and purpose in life changed: they became less foolish and quicker to believe.

Father, You know. You know I am foolish and slow to believe. Help me to be wiser and quicker today. It start right here, listening to the voice of Your word, and putting action to what I’ve learned. Help me to embrace a new worldview today where You are Lord, and I am an obedient child. May we start all over again this morning! Amen

The Subtle Challenge of Just One Word

10/10/2016

Nehemiah 3.20 20 Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. – Nehemiah

In Nehemiah 3 there is a lengthy description of the people who engaged in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. There are a bunch of names and the sections of the wall they rebuilt. And you read along and you find Baruch (not an uncommon Jewish name), son of Zabbai, zealously rebuilt the section assigned to him.

It’s kind of weird that Baruch is the only one in the entire section that is described as zealous. Zealous can mean: enthusiastic, passionate, fervent, ardent, eager, or intense – these are words that might describe Baruch as he undertook his assignment.

I thought it interesting that of all the names listed in this chapter, only one is described as to how he undertook his work. Everyone else is described as to what they did, and of only one, is described how he did it. Baruch, apparently, threw himself into his work.

I tend to imagine and in my mind, I see him eagerly and fervently working. I see him encouraging and motivating others along the way. I see him singing and whistling as he lifted rock and replaced beams. There was laughter and cheering in his section as each part of the puzzle was replaced. Baruch put his whole heart into what he did.

The Bible is comprised of words. Consideration of those words is vital. Nothing in the Bible is in there by accident. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3.16-17) When the only person in an entire list is described as zealous, we might ought to pay attention.

Oh Paul, you’re making a big deal out of nothing! Perhaps, but I thought about my work, and if I was being described, what word would be used to describe me in what I do? Colossians 3.23 maintains: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters… Would that be said of me not only in what I do, but how I do?

Words are important. Well placed words are even more important. And sometimes I think words are there just to see if we get the point. There were many people involved in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem but only one of them was described as zealous. I know, there always has to be that one…

Lord, You are the Observer of all I do. Today I accept the subtle challenge of just one word to describe just one guy and how he did what he did. I ask for zeal today in what I do. Thank You for helping me to see differently today. Thank You for helping me see my work differently today. If descriptors are necessary, may zealous be the word used to describe me. Help me Lord! Amen