God Told Him

04.14.12

Matthew 1.21 21 "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

First the obvious: dreams, and guys named Joseph. In the Old Testament in the beginning was a man named Joseph who wasn’t the firstborn of the family but the eleventh born. He didn’t have the birthright that was normally given to the firstborn – but later he did. He was the most beloved of all the sons. And he had dreams of deliverance. At first it was his dreams that caused friction between him and his other brothers and even with his father but in the end, his dreams vindicated him and the whole family was saved.

So, centuries later in the land promised to them by God was another guy named Joseph who was a dreamer. His dreams were not for others but for himself – not that he dreamed for himself, but that’s the way God got the message across to him that he was part of a much, much bigger story. He wanted to divorce his betrothed because she was – surprise! – pregnant; and not by him. So, he was going to do what he felt he should do but God told him in a dream, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1.21b-22 NASB)

Now the not-so-obvious: Joseph: I know your name and know who you are. God knows us whether or not we know Him. Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. God knows our circumstances and how we feel about them. He knows how to handle the thorny details and that we should trust Him with them: “…for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit (Me).” God takes full responsibility for the difficult things in our lives because He controls them and provides for us in them. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” God uses people to help His people. God has a place for all of us in His plan. And His plan is the redemption of all mankind.

Sometimes, the tough times in life are there to help us look up and see the bigger picture. Sometimes, the circumstances in life are there to help us to cry out to God for help and deliverance. Jesus was the Focus of God’s plan which also included Joseph and Mary and the circumstances around her pregnancy and the impending marriage. What do you do at your bachelor party when you discover your fiancée is pregnant by someone else? Worth thinking about…

Joseph (the second) may also have been a dreamer who dreamed of the deliverance of Israel from Roman occupation. Maybe this baby thing helped him to see that God was concerned about that too – maybe that thought came home to Joseph when God said, “…for He will save His people from their sins.” Maybe Joseph thought about his own sins. Just saying.

God is in the deliverance business and has extended a hand of help to everyone who will accept His hand. Some do, some don’t; some will, some won’t. Joseph understood and did despite what everyone else thought – they could do the math. And Jesus saved God’s people from their sins – at least the ones who put their faith in Him. It’s the big picture that matters and God will help us through the thorny details to see it; like Joseph, we just need to trust Him.

To Somehow Wow

04.12.12

2 Corinthians 12.6 6 For if I do wish to boast I will not be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. NASB

Paul understood the human inclination to embellish. He knew that even he had the tendency to color-in a little more detail to make things appear to be more. He also knew that was, in whatever small way, a deviation from the truth; or a diversion to garner attention to himself in spiritual matters. So, he said, I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. Paul was more afraid of that than anything because for some reason Paul knew if that was the case, he’d be diverting glory from Jesus Christ.

So, what’s the big deal!? Credibility was the big deal – Paul urged them to believe in the message of perfection in Christ spoken by one who was imperfect but who might be the cause of their not getting the message in its entirety because they wanted to see something in Paul that wasn’t there. Paul wanted to make sure their belief wasn’t based on anything but the simplicity of the message of Christ in them. Because Paul knew in the final analysis, it is only a man who stands before his God in judgment alone, not with (or through) anyone else.

That’s why Paul wouldn’t boast of heavenly things. (The implication of Vvs. 1 through 5 being himself (though carefully and purposely unnamed)). Paul said in essence, the message isn’t what I’ve seen or heard, it’s that Jesus Christ is Lord to those who accept Him and He desires to live out His life through every individual who believes in Him. Paul didn’t want to promise anything more or omit anything more from that simple message. And it isn’t a matter of some having experienced more and therefore are more special to Christ; it’s that Jesus Christ is Lord to all who will accept Him and His sufficiency to each individual isn’t to be compared with others; it’s to be celebrated by all.

Apparently the Corinthians were in some doubt about Paul and his experiences. They reasoned, or had been told, that Paul was merely boasting about things he couldn’t prove. And Paul was responding, Look guys, it isn’t about what I’ve done or seen, have or haven’t; it’s about Jesus Christ and His salvation that I even came to you in the first place. So, look at me if you want to but remember it is Christ in me that is important – nothing else! Not even heavenly visions!

Our relationship with Jesus Christ is deeply personal. But our relationship with Christ isn’t to be hoarded or worn as a merit-badge of some sort. Our relationship with Jesus is to be shared with all so that all may be blessed with friendship and fellowship with Him. Paul and all who follow after him are simply vessels from which the Lord of Glory wishes to reveal Himself. Our living in Christ and His living in us is to be proof of the reality of His presence and power even when those vessels seem unfit for that to take place.

So, for me to use my experiences to somehow wow is only a selfish act on my part to share the Lord’s glory and to diminish even in a small way, the majesty and excellency of Who He is and what He does in another’s life. Even the Lord would say, “Don’t do it Billy!” For the person who believes and receives Jesus, the wow starts now.

Blessing in Weakness

04.11.12

2 Corinthians 11.30 30 If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. NASB

Now, I’m gonna tell you that I haven’t always understood the argument of Paul in his letters but I know enough to know that he was under attack by a group of people who didn’t think he was genuine – they, themselves being disingenuous. What they boasted in was human strength in keeping the Law of Moses. What Paul boasted in was his weakness and his need for Christ.

If you compare world religions you’ll find all but one boast of human strength and achievement. But what do we expect; religion is all about what I can do for God in keeping the rules, and what He can do for me because I keep the rules. In my own strength I demonstrate to God and prove to Him that I am worthy of His blessings. This mindset couldn’t be farther from the truth. But that is human religion – an intricate web of thought that demands God reward me for my goodness.

If you contrast faith in Christ with that mindset, the only thing I prove to God is how weak I am, and how desperately I need Him. And that was what Paul was trying to convey to the Corinthians: he was weak, and he needed Christ. In admitting weakness we find strength because in reality our strength comes from Christ alone. Jesus was the Only One who ever completely kept the rules and He did it not to show how good He was but to demonstrate how desperately He needed God – right up to the cross. Paul understood human achievement amounted to nothing and only in complete submission to Christ are we blessed.

Paul’s detractors were people who were caught up in humanism. They insisted humans needed to do something for God to garner His pleasure – kind of a, you-owe-me sort of arrangement. God doesn’t owe anybody anything. That doesn’t mean He doesn’t care, it’s just that He doesn’t owe us anything in response to how we live. God offers friendship to those who will accept it and then He blesses them because He wants to – God takes care of His friends. That’s what Paul was trying to help them understand. And the legalists would have none of it.

So, that’s why Paul boasted in his weakness: he was weak and that’s all he had. And without Christ he knew he was less than nothing. Jesus Christ was Paul’s sole reason for living. Jesus Christ was Paul’s response to living according to the rules. Jesus Christ was Paul’s life and without Him Paul admitted there was nothing left but slavery to the rules and ultimately death.

Boasting in weakness is the cure for arrogance – God gives grace to the humble and opposes the proud. And if grace is nothing more than His favor, then it’s worth finding favor with God because I trust in Him, than finding opposition from Him because I think I can impress Him by keeping the rules. It’s not about rules anyway, it’s about relationship; and I can’t live at God’s level even if I tried with all of my might – my might is never enough; the finite can never become infinite – but the finite can become the friend of the Infinite. 

So, His grace is all-sufficient for me and I am at my best when I admit that. If strength is to be found in anything at all it’s to be found in my devotion to this truth: without Him I am nothing. My weakness before God underscores my dependence upon God; and as long as I am dependent upon God, then I am not depending on myself. It’s that simple. 

So I Can See

04.10.12

1 Samuel 8.18 18 Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.” NASB

I’m not sure how long it was between the time of Joshua and the time of Samuel – it was a long time. I’m not sure how many judges Israel had during that time, but it was a lot. The problem with judges, kings, and presidents is men want them to serve as wise and judicious leaders, taking care of the government, defending the borders and then leave them alone to live their lives in peace. It sounds good, and in theory, it works; but in actuality it doesn’t.

The people approached Samuel and demanded a king. They’d had enough of Samuel’s sons turning aside after dishonest gain, taking bribes, and perverting justice. So they reasoned that if they had a king he wouldn’t do that. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing y

ver and over but expecting different results. I’m sure they thought if they had a bad king, they’d simply get rid of him and get a new one…sounds kind of like the judges. Whatever the case it took God out of the equation. But they wanted what they saw in other countries and decided that Israel was lacking in that regard so they talked and dreamed and they made their demand to Samuel.

Samuel tried to warn them of what would happen but they wouldn’t listen: they were convinced in their minds that the solution they had come up with was the one that made the most sense and they wouldn’t let Samuel talk them out of it. A friend of mine used to say: sometimes with God it’s a ‘yes’; sometimes it’s a ‘no’. Sometimes it’s a ‘wait’; and sometimes it’s a ‘if you insist!’ They insisted and God gave them what they insisted on…

The story of Saul is a sad story indeed. Saul was handsome and tall and looked kingly – but he was a bad leader. The history of Israel’s kings is peppered with bad leadership. That’s because they wanted to substitute a man for God – that’s always a bad idea. I know I bemoan the sadness of the book of Judges, but this is one of the saddest events of the Bible: we want a king whom we can see, not God, Whom we can’t!

Israel’s history is littered with bad decisions and so is ours (nationally and personally). I must be careful of what I wish for because with God, sometimes to get my attention He’ll give me what I wish for. Not because He’s vindictive – He’s not the least bit vindictive. But He will do whatever it takes to get my attention and sometimes that means getting my own way… until my way implodes and I cry out in sorrow and repentance. I know it sounds like I am describing a mean God – but sometimes love is tough. It was for ancient Israel and it is for us as well.

The New Testament perspective of this is found in Galatians where Paul wrote: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6.7-8 NASB) God is not mean, nor vindictive; but sometimes He will allow us to have what we demand so that we can learn to identify what is good from what is evil – that’s love. Today, I am glad for His love and that sometimes what I want and what I need has to be filtered through hardship so I can see what is good and trust God for it…

By Chance

04.09.12

1 Samuel 6.9 9 "Watch, if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth-shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance.” NASB

(It takes more than a verse to get the point, so before you read this, you might want to read 1 Samuel 6 entirely so that you get the whole picture of what is going on.) Now then, what is important is the issue of respect. The Philistines – enemies that they were – understood the importance of the Ark. They also understood (and remembered) history: they remembered what happened to the Egyptians several centuries back… That ought to say something about the pagan view of God; at least back then… They might’ve been pagans, they might’ve been enemies, but they knew they weren’t messing around with just any God – they were messing around with Israel’s God; and they had a healthy measure of respect for Him. The Israelites on the other hand didn’t seem too respectful at times.

So, when the Philistine lords knew they were in deep weeds with Israel’s God (because of the mice and the tumors (the mice had brought upon them a plague of open sores)) they sought advice from their own priests and diviners as to what to do to stop the plague. The diviners and priests said, “Whatever you decide to do, don’t omit sending a guilt offering when you send the Ark back to Israel!” They understood that when a God (or god) gets mad, one needs to appease Him (him) to assuage the guilt. (See 1 Samuel 6.1-9)

So, in order to be respectful to this Deity, the lords did as advised and sent the Ark (on a cart pulled by two cows) on its way. The interesting part was what they said in verse 9: Watch, if it goes up by the way of its own territory to Beth-shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance.” You can bet that they never let that cart get out of their sight. And it did just what they said, they sent the cart on its way and the cows made a beeline to Beth-shemesh. And the lords knew they were, in fact, guilty and had done the right thing in sending the guilt offering with the Ark.

I noticed they placed the golden guilt offering in a box NEXT to the Ark – they didn’t place the offering into the Ark – that’s important. The Israelites on the other hand, looked into the Ark (they weren’t supposed to do that) and about 50,000 of them died as a result. The Philistines despite their paganism and their hatred for God’s people, at least respected Israel’s God. I think part of their gripe was that the Israelites didn’t even respect their own God! I think they were baffled by that as well. I don’t think the Philistines looked into the Ark either (I think they were scared to death of it…). What’s interesting in this chapter is the contrast of how the pagans treated God and how His own people treated Him.

The lesson for me today is to be careful not to emulate ancient Israel – it’s true, people will judge my God by the way I treat Him. And my behavior is a great indicator of my level of respect for the God I insist they ought to get to know. If my behavior doesn’t match my testimony then the unbelievers will simply say, "Watch, if it goes up by the way of its own territory to (whatever the preferred future), He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we will know that it was not His hand that struck us; it happened to us by chance.” There are a lot of people out there hoping, “…it happened to us by chance…” And when they watch us, that sometimes helps them make up their minds hoping by chance is how it’s all gonna pan out.

The Glory of the Empty Tomb

04.08.12

Psalm 77.15 15 You have by Your power redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. NASB

The troubles of Israel were many and persist to this day. Israel has played an important role in the history of the world and there are many enemies of the cherished people of God.

Asaph wrote his psalms during the latter part of the reign of king David. If there was ever a time when Israel was at its peak it was when David was on the throne. It was under David that Israel’s military was at its mightiest and the borders of Israel were protected. The glory of God was once again upon the nation. David’s glorious kingdom was succeeded by Solomon’s increasingly secular kingdom and after that the nation was torn into two kingdoms with a series of progressively weaker and weaker rulers punctuated by a few who stood up in strength and called on God to save them. Israel’s troubles have always been many.

When Asaph wrote he asked this series of questions: Will the Lord reject forever? And will He never be favorable again? Has His lovingkindness ceased forever? Has His promise come to an end forever? Has God forgotten to be gracious, or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? (Ps. 77.7-9 NASB) Asaph wondered if God had forgotten them. In our reading in 1 Samuel today the wife of Phinehas the priest said: “The glory has departed from Israel,” “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God was taken.” She thought the same thing: It’s over; the Lord has forgotten us.

But God didn’t forget them and He didn’t leave them to perish; Asaph said: “You have by Your power redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph.” The Lord saved them from their troubles because He sent His Son to buy them back from the clutches of evil and the ravages of sin. The troubles of Israel, like the troubles in our own lives, are always there to get us to remember the One who hasn’t, and never will, forget us. And that is why on this Easter morning in 2012, we remember the empty tomb.

We don’t go to the grave site of a former king, we celebrate an empty tomb where One rose from the dead, and Israel and all of mankind was not forgotten: they were forgiven. Asaph wrote: You have by Your power redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Asaph looked forward to the redemption of Israel by the King of the Empty Tomb. Asaph knew the troubles of Israel were not in vain.

The troubles we face this day are not few and far between but the tomb is empty and the King is coming again to take His people to be with Him forever. Our troubles are divinely designed to help us remember that we wait for an everlasting Kingdom where death and hell and sin are no more; and our troubles will finally be over. If our troubles help us to remember our Redeemer and that He has already redeemed, then they have done their work and our lives are changed.

We celebrate with joy the glory of the empty tomb that our lives may not fall short but be lived forever in the presence of the One who by His power redeemed His people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph and all who believe.

The Glory of the Empty Womb

04.07.12

1 Samuel 2.9 9 “He keeps the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; for not by might shall a man prevail. NASB

What are you good at? What is your gift? God has endowed everyone with some talent with which He intends to bless the world in some manner. God blessed the world with our birth did He not? Everyone born into this world is a blessing from God and His purposes and intentions will be worked out in that person’s life. Hard to imagine? It’s true.

The principle character in 1 Samuel 1 and 2 is a woman named Hannah whose life was, for a while, made difficult by the fact that she could not bear children. In those days a barren woman was thought to be somehow cursed because of her inability to get pregnant. It was a big deal. What made things worse for Hannah was a rival wife named Peninnah who seemed to get pregnant whenever the wind blew. And Peninnah regularly reminded Hannah of that fact just to make Hannah’s life worse. Everyone is good at something and Peninnah will be remembered for her ability to be a _ _ _ _ _. It was her burden to bear and she bore it well.

Now then, who is in charge of wombs? Well for sure, not Hannah – hers was on hold for a while; for not by might shall a man prevail. If Hannah could have done anything she would have retaliated at Peninnah’s verbal assaults on the fact that she, Hannah, had no babies. I heard an interesting thing yesterday: “if you have to lie to win, you still lose because you chose to lie.” Lying to win is a false win and therefore no win at all, because of the lie. Penninah chose ridicule to win because of her insecurity and her need to find approval with her husband as a wife. (Although the Scripture doesn’t say so, I think Peninnah’s looks matched her attitude: lipstick on a pig is only ever lipstick on a pig). For not by might shall a man prevail.

We might be good at certain things but the humble among us will admit that they are also lousy at other things. Hannah may have tried to retaliate against Peninnah, she may have secretly spit in her drink at times, but Hanna prayed. Her burden of childlessness was more than she could bear and she decided she couldn’t (and shouldn’t) bear it alone: she gave it over to God. Smart move.

Whatever we are good at is a gift from God but: so are the things we are not good at; for not by might shall a man prevail. Only with God does a man (or barren woman) prevail. Hannah may have been prettier and more preferred by her husband sexually, but she didn’t have any kids and culturally she was less in the eyes of everyone: including her husband. What drove her to despair, was also something that drove her to pray – and it was prayer answered that got her pregnant, not retaliation. Her despair was a gift from God as well. Tough times get us to look at life and look to God more than good times…for only by the Lord shall one prevail.

What are you not good at? Do you talk often with God about it? Are you mocked by someone else’s achievements and humiliated by the lack of your own? For not by might – our own abilities and successes – shall a man prevail. God desires to be the One to control our “womb” whatever that may be. For Hannah it was actually her womb – for someone else it is something else; but whatever it may be, our job is to take it to the Lord and watch Him destroy despair by changing our heart to believe in Him through the pain or humiliation of whatever it is we face.