The Burning Question

09.30.13

Luke 13.23-24 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” (ESV)

What motivates a person? What causes them to do what they do, and think what they think? These are burning questions to me. I know why some do what they do – I think. They do things which to me are predictable and therefore I form an opinion of why they do what they do. But the problem is: I’ve not access to the inside of them; I don’t really know what’s going on. I think I know but I don’t know for sure.

Recently, a man spoke at our church gathering and told us: don’t judge people, get to know their story. That made sense to me (a consummate judger). I don’t know people the way I think I do and the opinions I form are really just prejudices that come from within me based on my own world-view, experiences, and beliefs. I really don’t know people.

That’s not to say I can’t be around them – how silly! Of course I’m to be around them; how can I not? But where I need to be careful when I’m around them is when I begin to form those opinions by how they look, how they talk; how they behave.

A “someone” in Luke 13 had a burning question: Jesus, will those who are saved be few? I could form an opinion about that if you give me a couple nanoseconds. I’d say that person was shallow, misinformed, afraid, or uncertain. Truth is: I don’t know those things. I’d know some things maybe if the “someone” was a friend of mine and we had relationship with each other.

The reality was “someone” (whoever he or she was) had a burning question and they sought an answer from Jesus. People all around us have burning questions. We might even have some too. The question is: where do we go to get answers?

As I was driving home this Saturday afternoon past I was listening to a radio program where several Church leaders were talking about the relevance of the modern Church in the modern marketplace (another word for: our culture). One of the speakers said this: Christianity is not about imposition but about proposition and people need to understand that. I think believers need to understand that. I THINK I NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT.

And when those who have burning questions are dealing with impositions they might be more reluctant to ask the burning question and form their own opinions about Christian beliefs and this Christian God who seems to be unflinchingly imposing His will upon us all.

Jesus, in You, may I live in the propositional lifestyle where I attempt to befriend and persuade rather than jumping to judging and feeling as if I need to cram my beliefs down someone else’s throat. Lord, You answered “someone’s” question; You told them the truth. May I be watching and listening and like You, do the same. Their questions represent a need and may I be used to meet some of those needs – amen.

The Motto

09.22.13

Daniel 10.19 19 And he said, “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” (ESV)

I have wrangled this week in my mind; I’ve questioned my place and been embarrassed by my past behavior. I’ve come to that place where I realize I’m not as smart as I think I am, and I don’t know as much as I think I do. In these days of wrangling I’ve done a bit of retreating and I’ve sought the Lord: Father, what is going on here?

I am amazed at the things I’ve learned in just one week and the things I’ve come across in reading, in music, and in Facebook of all places: words of encouragement; words of motivation, and words of peace. I know God is in control; I just need to let Him be.

And so, in Daniel 10 today, I see one of the great saints of the Lord who’d been wrangling over things that had been revealed to him and I think he questioned his place and had been embarrassed by his behavior. I think he understood he wasn’t as smart as he thought he was and didn’t know as much as he thought he did. I think he cried out to God, “Lord! What’s going on here?”

And the angel of the Lord came to him and spoke these words: “O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage.” Wow! Words he needed to hear. Words I need to hear! Words you need to hear!

I think if Israel had had a national motto it would’ve been: Be Strong and of Good Courage. They were the Lord’s people and they were backed up by God in every fight – that is until they decided they didn’t need God’s help. They were called to “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31.6) And Daniel who was caught up in things greater than himself – fearful and dreadful things – needed to be reminded of the national motto of Israel: be strong and of good courage.

Thoughts and feelings are usually not much more than that: thoughts and feelings. But when thoughts and feelings assault and threaten we’re to remember who we are and what we’re called to: faith in our great God and courage to daily fight the good fight. And that requires all of us to be strong and of good courage.

Father, I always go to Hebrews 13 to remember that You will never leave us nor forsake us, but today I’m reminded of Your ancient challenge to Your people through Moses Your servant in Deuteronomy 31: “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” I will learn what I need to learn and I will stand against the thoughts and feelings that would try to convince me otherwise. The motto is just as good today as it was then because You’ve never left Your people nor forsaken Your promises! Thanks! Amen.

To The Willing

09.18.13

Luke 1.15b And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

Luke 1.41b And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit...

Luke 1.67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying...(ESV)

The filling of the Holy Spirit was not new in the days of Elizabeth, Zechariah, and John the Baptist; it just hadn’t noticeably happened in Israel for a long, long time. God, who is Spirit, does nothing apart from His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. And in the days of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus, the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully. Israel had not seen such a thing in many years. And many people paid attention.

I don’t know why God moved in those particular days; I’m not privy to God’s calendar. But God doesn’t do anything apart from His Spirit. And here’s what I think happens when He does:

I think God foretells certain future events by His Spirit. God does move in mysterious ways but He does give some of us some of the details some of the time. Zechariah was told what would happen to Elizabeth and John. Mary was told about her forthcoming pregnancy, though she had known no man.

I think God equips His people for service by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s presence enables men to do great deeds for God. Zechariah and Elizabeth became pregnant in their old age…do the math.

I think God ordains praise by His Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit naturally moves God’s people to praise God for Who He is and thank God for what He’s done, doing, and will do. Praise encompasses the past, the present, and the future. Elizabeth, Mary, and Zechariah sang their little hearts out at the presence of, and the moving of God.

And I think God fills the willing to cooperate with His Spirit. Even outlandishly…

And that is where I think this goes: to the willing. God is predictably unpredictable, but He is always looking for the willing: the willing to listen, the willing to believe, the willing to act, and the willing to sing praise about it. Much of the time in many of our lives we live one mundane day after another; not much new seems to happen. But in reality stuff comes along all the time and the question is, are we willing to engage with God when it does and where it goes? It doesn’t matter what happens to us – big or small – God is a part of it all. Will we; will I, engage Him and be filled with His Spirit to see it through…whatever it is? Am I willing?

Father God, find me willing. Find me diligent. Find me cooperative. Use me to impact this little place in the world for You – I pray in Jesus’ Name…Amen.

Addition and Subtraction

09.17.13

Revelation 22.18-19 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (ESV)

There are many who say, God didn’t say that! There are also those who say, What God really meant was this! I think the warning John gave at the end of his revelation is simply: Be very careful to take God at His word; don’t add to it and don’t subtract from it.

I read the Bible every day. I read through the Bible every year. I started doing this in February, 2002 as a staff-member of a church for whom I worked. In those days we (I did this with other staff members) called our daily reading, S.O.A.P.: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. It worked this way:

Each year we would follow an agreed upon Bible Reading Plan which took us through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice. Each day we read the selected passages for the day and then journal about it according to what Scripture verse (or verses) stood out to us, what we Observed in the verse(s); how it Applied to us (individually); and a Prayer of commitment (or confession) to God about it. That was just the beginning.

I have continued to use the SOAP method in my Bible reading since then. I’ve also learned to read the Bible with a keener eye because (to me) it sometimes says things that fly in the face of conventional thinking. The above is one of those times.

Just because I SOAP, I’m not at liberty to bend the word of God any way I want. I’m not to add to it, nor am I to subtract from it. John specifically said what he said about what he wrote in his revelation; we’re not to add or subtract from it. But the principle relates to all of Scripture as well. It is a dangerous thing to add or subtract to what God says. That’s why we’re to spend our lives reading all of His word and asking Him to teach us from it. Our lives are the whole package and God’s word is too.

The Bible is the most important document in the universe. And so, we humans should spend our lives reading it, observing it, applying it, and praying about it. Life on earth would be better if everyone sat down with God and had a conversation with Him every day. In those daily conversations we’ll find ways to live life better as we pass from here to eternity. Not everyone believes that, but the ones who don’t ought to see a difference in the lives of those who do.

Father, help me and the people I know, and the ones I don’t, to give attention to the MOST IMPORTANT DOCUMENT IN THE UNIVERSE. May we learn to see what You say, observe it, apply it, and talk to You about it. May we be careful to keep the conversations within the boundaries You’ve laid out for us, and learn from You. Thank You for Your word and despite the innumerable times we’ve all messed with it, You still get Your point across: to love You and to love others. It really is that simple. May I walk in Your way today. Amen

No Need

09.16.13

Revelation 21.22 22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. (ESV)

In our reading plan we’ve spent some time in the prophecy of Ezekiel and the revelation of John. In today’s reading we see the restoration of the Temple and in John’s we see the new heaven, the new earth, and the new Jerusalem. Ezekiel’s prophecy reminds the Jews of their special place in God’s heart, and John’s revelation reminds the rest of us that all mankind will be restored to that place of sinless perfection which preceded the fall in the Garden of Eden.

Mankind fell in that garden. Israel fell in their apostasy from God. The rest of us fall everyday. But God never breaks His promises and the faithful will be saved and restored.

In the grand finale however, there will be no Jewish Temple; there won’t be a need for it. There will be a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem but no temple. The need for temples will be replaced by the presence of God. “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God." (Revelation 21.3) And the God-fearing will finally and eternally be blessed with the granting of their greatest desire: God Himself. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. (Psalm 128.4)

As I read this I think about the things I’ve clung to over the years that will be no more. As I think about this I realize that Heaven will be directly attached to the new earth, and there will be Sonshine forever (…and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. Revelation 21.25)

God chose to reveal Himself to mankind through the Jewish race but He never intended for us to live according to Jewish laws and regulations; Revelation 21 pretty well closes the chapter on that. Ezekiel’s Temple will be restored sometime down the road, but God really has no need for temples – His desire is to be up close and personal with everyone who believes in and desires Him.

My desire is to be with God. My desire is to live in the glorious light of His presence. God doesn’t want temples or rules or laws – He just wants me. And in this present age I need to give Him what He wants: Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! (Psalm 128.1) (Emphasis mine.)

Father, there will be no need for a Temple because there will be Your presence, up close and personal. Help me to live today as I will ultimately live then: not distracted, not deceived, not bored, but alive and well in Your glorious presence. Thank You for Your Spirit until that day – amen.

Reality

09.15.13

Revelation 20.15 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (ESV)

Life is often like a cold, wet, and blustery day trying to find that one piece of dry wood in order to start a fire, hoping the matches aren’t wet as well. It’s not a downer (although we in the west might think it so), it’s just a challenge. The colder it gets the bigger the challenge.

The challenge of this life is finding the reality of it in the midst of a resounding chorus of voices which chime, on key and in perfect timing, there is no reality except what we presently have. And that would be true if there was no God. If there is no God then life is merely a series of events which we go through as we plod along toward a reality of death. And it’s over.

And there are those who believe that. And there are those who are not moved by the wonder of a sunset, or the birth of a baby, or the roar of the ocean, or the majesty of the night sky. There may be moments of happiness but for them there is no joy.

In the verse above, we understand it’s not an end, but more like a next phase: the dawning of realization. Revelation 20.10 reads: and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. We all understand day and night – we’re used to it because it’s our reality. And the lake of fire is the lake of the realization that God was right all along; and those who dwell in that fire realize, day and night for eternity, that He was right … and they were wrong.

Our reality is we experience reality, and some are led to believe in God in the midst of the human experience, while others dismiss Him as impossible because they perceive life just is what life just is. For them there is too much evidence against the purpose and plan of Someone who is looking for a dry piece of wood on a cold, wet, and windy day and wants to start a fire.

Life is not what happens to us but what we do with what it does to us. Some, in the midst of it, celebrate God while others curse Him until they plunge into the lake where their biggest fear finally dawns on them: God was true and right all along. God deals in realities. Unbelief denies them.

Today (it’s all I ever have), I’m to live in reality because no matter how bad life seems to get, I have the promise that it isn’t without plan, and it isn’t without purpose; even though it doesn’t make sense to me and I don’t have all the answers. God has revealed Himself to me and that’s enough. I suppose that’s why I won’t have to go swimming where I have to admit, night and day forever, that I was wrong… and He was right – I’ve already reached that conclusion. Now my reality is to live cooperating with Him in His plan of trying to reach those who’ve already made up their minds, that there might be an alternate reality worth their time and effort.

BTW: It isn’t warm on the beach of the lake of fire. It’s cold, wet, and windy; the matches won’t light and the wood is soaked… forever.

Belief

09.14.13

Psalm 110.4 4 The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.”  A Psalm of David (ESV)

Ain’t too much to be known about Melchizedek save what we read in Genesis 14, Psalm 110, and Hebrews 5, 6, and 7. And even then the details are somewhat sketchy. God seems to make a big deal about it despite not much information.

As I read Psalm 110 this morning, I thought about belief. Although we don’t know much about Melchizedek, we do know he believed, for Genesis 14 says he was: Priest of the Most High God. (V. 18). It doesn’t say he was a priest, just that he was priest of the Most High God. This Melchizedek, in the days of antiquity, believed. That’s very important. Relationship with God is all about belief. And Melchizedek believed in God. And Abraham (who also believed in God) brought offerings to Melchizedek. And Melchizedek blessed him. (Also very important.)

Then David writes in Psalm 110 about Jesus: The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,

“You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” (emphasis mine). We might paraphrase it: You are a priest forever after the order of Belief. In our world it’s always about belief.

For us to make it in this world has nothing to do with this world’s systems and values; it has everything to do with belief in God. For the godly who is entrusted with worldly wealth comes a God-given ability to handle it. For the godly who is entrusted with worldly governmental power and authority comes a God-given ability to handle it. It doesn’t matter what we do it matters what we do with what we do. And we do what we do because God is God over what we do and we’re to do what we do as if we were doing it for God Himself.

That’s why there was another order apart from the Aaronic (Levitical) order which preceded the Levitical priesthood described in Exodus. It is the everlasting order of Belief. God chose His method of dealing with the Jews as He did; but to the rest of us He has said: just believe.

And that’s where it comes down to for a little person like me, living in a little place called Baker, working as a little clerk in a little hardware store: belief. Through Jesus Christ I am called to follow in the Order of Melchizedek, the Order of Belief. There are no trinkets, or titles, or rituals, or regulations, just the clothing of the righteous: plain white linen (which is, according to Revelation 19.8) “…the righteous deeds of the saints.” It is the clothing of belief. It means little on earth, but everything in Heaven.

Father, Your word is a reminder to me today that things of infinite measure and worth are associated with a little person like me living in an insignificant city like Baker. What matters to You most is belief, and You have staked Your entire God-ness on this truth: … they shall be my people, and I will be their God. And it will be so because they believe. I believe. I sometimes believe poorly, but I believe. Help me to walk in that stature today and to wear the righteous deeds of a saint as a result – in Melchizedek’s Name I pray, amen.