1 Peter 2
"Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God."
(see blog post of 9/29/08 for Paul's assertion of the same topic to the Galatian church).
The paradoxes of the gospel are, as one might expect, simultaneously compelling and repulsive. As a good American, I know that freedom means I don't have to do nothin' for nobody and if anyone so much as tries to say otherwise, I can punch 'em in the mouth.
In the gospel, though, we see our true freedom lies in servanthood (slavery). Freedom, first and foremost is freedom from self...self-awareness...selfish concerns. As free people, our identity is completely swallowed up in that of Christ (Galatians 2:20). As we come to understand that our best life starts with death - that our ultimate freedom is being shackled to the risen Christ - we can begin to love as he loved.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Content or contempt?
1 Timothy 6
"But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." (v8)
It was tempting to write only about verse 9 and the dangers of riches, but that would have been to skip the dangers of want. Notice shelter is not in the list. I'm not saying we should all be homeless, but even things we consider absolute necessities really aren't (something about foxes and holes comes to mind here). Could I see God's provision in only food and clothing? Can I see God in Kenya or the shores of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala or the coast of the Dominican Republic? I'm stung particularly because some of the most seemingly contented people I have ever met live in one of those three places. I say seemingly contented because I only experienced brief flashes of time with them. This past week in conversation, I said to someone that there appears to be an inverse relationship between what we have and gratitude. It's odd. If someone with nearly nothing is grateful for food and clothing, why can't I be? Rather, why won't I be?
"But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." (v8)
It was tempting to write only about verse 9 and the dangers of riches, but that would have been to skip the dangers of want. Notice shelter is not in the list. I'm not saying we should all be homeless, but even things we consider absolute necessities really aren't (something about foxes and holes comes to mind here). Could I see God's provision in only food and clothing? Can I see God in Kenya or the shores of Lake Atitlan in Guatemala or the coast of the Dominican Republic? I'm stung particularly because some of the most seemingly contented people I have ever met live in one of those three places. I say seemingly contented because I only experienced brief flashes of time with them. This past week in conversation, I said to someone that there appears to be an inverse relationship between what we have and gratitude. It's odd. If someone with nearly nothing is grateful for food and clothing, why can't I be? Rather, why won't I be?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Better late than never
Psalm 110
"The LORD says to my Lord" v1
It would be very wrong to skip Psalm 110 without any reflection. David witnesses a conversation between two members of the Trinity. David sees the declaration of the coming priest-king (v4). Priesthood and kingship did not mix, but there was one coming who would unite the two. Luther called this psalm the main one relating to Jesus.
"The LORD says to my Lord" v1
It would be very wrong to skip Psalm 110 without any reflection. David witnesses a conversation between two members of the Trinity. David sees the declaration of the coming priest-king (v4). Priesthood and kingship did not mix, but there was one coming who would unite the two. Luther called this psalm the main one relating to Jesus.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Syrup on that waffle?
1 Kings 18
"How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." v21
See, sometimes God is God, but a lot of the time I am. Do I want a God who offers transactions or do I want to take the risk with a God who cannot be made a debtor? Baal is so much more appealing when I want to think I have control or make myself the center of the universe. God is too intent on showing me reality. Ignorance is bliss for sure.
"How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him." v21
See, sometimes God is God, but a lot of the time I am. Do I want a God who offers transactions or do I want to take the risk with a God who cannot be made a debtor? Baal is so much more appealing when I want to think I have control or make myself the center of the universe. God is too intent on showing me reality. Ignorance is bliss for sure.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Continuing Ed, anyone?
Psalm 86
"Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name." (v11)
This stood out to me today. Here, God's greatness and mercy is being extolled. He does great and wondrous things (v10). What, then, does the psalmist ask for from this wonderful Fount of Every Blessing? In the first verses, an answer, life, grace, joy (gladden the soul), listening. In the last verses, grace and a sign. In the middle, though, are are six verses of praise and one request: teach me obedience.
Now, I'm ok with asking for life and grace and joy, but who would actually ask to obey? Only the person who is convinced that obedience is best for his own soul. If we believe God is arbitrary or cruel or aloof, we would never ask and seek obedience. If we, on the other hand, believe God is just and merciful and loving, we're fools to do anything else. Obedience is not about pleasing God (something accomplished solely on the Cross), it's acknowledging that his pleasure is our pleasure; that love overflows in love.
So, am I ready to set aside my own pursuit of death and decay and latch onto the only real hope for lasting peace? Help me in my unbelief.
"Teach me your way, O Lord,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name." (v11)
This stood out to me today. Here, God's greatness and mercy is being extolled. He does great and wondrous things (v10). What, then, does the psalmist ask for from this wonderful Fount of Every Blessing? In the first verses, an answer, life, grace, joy (gladden the soul), listening. In the last verses, grace and a sign. In the middle, though, are are six verses of praise and one request: teach me obedience.
Now, I'm ok with asking for life and grace and joy, but who would actually ask to obey? Only the person who is convinced that obedience is best for his own soul. If we believe God is arbitrary or cruel or aloof, we would never ask and seek obedience. If we, on the other hand, believe God is just and merciful and loving, we're fools to do anything else. Obedience is not about pleasing God (something accomplished solely on the Cross), it's acknowledging that his pleasure is our pleasure; that love overflows in love.
So, am I ready to set aside my own pursuit of death and decay and latch onto the only real hope for lasting peace? Help me in my unbelief.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Wow...has it really been that long?
I may be the only person to continue reading this, but writing these posts actually helps me stay up on the reading...so, paint this a selfish exercise.
Galatians 5
"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" Galatians 5:13-14
Here we have one of many declarations of true freedom. True freedom is not the ability to gratify ourselves. When Jesus flips our economics upside down, we find freedom in service. What? I had to read that again...use your freedom - serve one another. We are no longer desperate people trying to draw life from the dying world...we are able to draw life from eternal things so that we are a source of light to the world.
Galatians 5
"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" Galatians 5:13-14
Here we have one of many declarations of true freedom. True freedom is not the ability to gratify ourselves. When Jesus flips our economics upside down, we find freedom in service. What? I had to read that again...use your freedom - serve one another. We are no longer desperate people trying to draw life from the dying world...we are able to draw life from eternal things so that we are a source of light to the world.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
It made good sense at the time.
Numbers 14
But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the Lord, when that will not succeed? (v41)
This chapter is not a proud moment for Israel. Their complaining against God presumes a higher wisdom and a better purpose. Then, Moses asks the question that absolutely has to be asked (and asked of us). This is not about some quest for self-righteousness in order to make God unnecessary. This is not about a set of rules laid out as some sort of twisted test...like God is playing MouseTrap and we're trying not to get caught.
Why are you sinning when it doesn't work?
It doesn't make God unnecessary - it makes him, if anything, more necessary. It doesn't display higher wisdom or better purpose. It is folly. You don't have to be on a quest for your own righteousness to work for obedience. Those quests end poorly. At some point, you look up and realize that obedience is the only thing that makes sense.
But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the Lord, when that will not succeed? (v41)
This chapter is not a proud moment for Israel. Their complaining against God presumes a higher wisdom and a better purpose. Then, Moses asks the question that absolutely has to be asked (and asked of us). This is not about some quest for self-righteousness in order to make God unnecessary. This is not about a set of rules laid out as some sort of twisted test...like God is playing MouseTrap and we're trying not to get caught.
Why are you sinning when it doesn't work?
It doesn't make God unnecessary - it makes him, if anything, more necessary. It doesn't display higher wisdom or better purpose. It is folly. You don't have to be on a quest for your own righteousness to work for obedience. Those quests end poorly. At some point, you look up and realize that obedience is the only thing that makes sense.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Two ears, one mouth. Do the math.
Ecclesiastes 5
"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words." v(1-3)
God is in heaven, and you are on earth. How often do we pray as people who believe we know what God should do in our lives?
Rougly paraphrasing Tim Keller:
Prayer is not about changing God - it is about being changed by God. It is not about getting God to do what we want - it is about letting him have access to our hearts so that we do what He wants.
What if we approached our petitions and requests in that attitude. "God, you are in heaven and I am on earth. There are circumstances in life I do not understand. Please enlarge my faith so that my trust and obedience increase. You told us there would be suffering and pain in this life, and you promised us your sufficiency in them. Thank you that I am not alone. Thank you that circumstances are not outside your sovereignty - you are never surprised."
Closing story:
A journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Wailing Wall to pray, twice a day, every day, for sixty years. The journalist went to the Wailing Wall and there observed the old Jew.
The journalist enquired, “What do you pray for?”
The man replied, “I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims. I pray for all the wars and hatred to stop, I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults, and to love their fellow man.”
“How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?” asked the journalist.
“Like I’m talking to a brick wall”, he replied
(closing story pulled from this timely blog entry.)
"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words." v(1-3)
God is in heaven, and you are on earth. How often do we pray as people who believe we know what God should do in our lives?
Rougly paraphrasing Tim Keller:
Prayer is not about changing God - it is about being changed by God. It is not about getting God to do what we want - it is about letting him have access to our hearts so that we do what He wants.
What if we approached our petitions and requests in that attitude. "God, you are in heaven and I am on earth. There are circumstances in life I do not understand. Please enlarge my faith so that my trust and obedience increase. You told us there would be suffering and pain in this life, and you promised us your sufficiency in them. Thank you that I am not alone. Thank you that circumstances are not outside your sovereignty - you are never surprised."
Closing story:
A journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Wailing Wall to pray, twice a day, every day, for sixty years. The journalist went to the Wailing Wall and there observed the old Jew.
The journalist enquired, “What do you pray for?”
The man replied, “I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims. I pray for all the wars and hatred to stop, I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults, and to love their fellow man.”
“How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?” asked the journalist.
“Like I’m talking to a brick wall”, he replied
(closing story pulled from this timely blog entry.)
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Delusional
Ecclesiates 4
I must admit that this one of my favorite books. Today's reading is an example of why that is:
"Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind." (v6)
Here is someone refusing to be fooled by the deception of wealth. He redefines "achievement". He values incorruptible things. He recognizes wordly gods and calls them wind.
1 Timothy 6
"But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction." (v8-9)
"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, " (v17-18)
Some days are more thematically connected than others (at least in appearances). Often, as Americans, we take Jesus' warnings about money as a challenge. Jesus says it's hard for the rich to enter the kingdom - well, I'll have to be really mindful of that as I get rich. I like a challenge aynway, right? What we read here, though, is harder to swallow. I'm not going to get on a soapbox. I'll just let the text be what it is.
I must admit that this one of my favorite books. Today's reading is an example of why that is:
"Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind." (v6)
Here is someone refusing to be fooled by the deception of wealth. He redefines "achievement". He values incorruptible things. He recognizes wordly gods and calls them wind.
1 Timothy 6
"But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction." (v8-9)
"As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, " (v17-18)
Some days are more thematically connected than others (at least in appearances). Often, as Americans, we take Jesus' warnings about money as a challenge. Jesus says it's hard for the rich to enter the kingdom - well, I'll have to be really mindful of that as I get rich. I like a challenge aynway, right? What we read here, though, is harder to swallow. I'm not going to get on a soapbox. I'll just let the text be what it is.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Steadfast Love
Psalm 5
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in the fear of you. (v7)
חסד - Chesed
Here's a rather beautiful definition:
"Chesed can be properly described as an act that has no 'cause.'" It carries a covenental weight. Maybe loyalty, duty and love, is a good synonym. Another, grace.
But I, through the abundance of your unmerited, promised love, will enter your house.
Beautiful.
But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
in the fear of you. (v7)
חסד - Chesed
Here's a rather beautiful definition:
"Chesed can be properly described as an act that has no 'cause.'" It carries a covenental weight. Maybe loyalty, duty and love, is a good synonym. Another, grace.
But I, through the abundance of your unmerited, promised love, will enter your house.
Beautiful.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Faithfulness
So, no...we're not to the Psalms yet. But I've found that reading a section of Ps. 119 before I get going has proved to be a good way for me to wade into the waters.
After singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" twice this past weekend, the below stuck out to me:
Psalm 119
75I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
After singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" twice this past weekend, the below stuck out to me:
Psalm 119
75I know, O LORD, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Blood and guts
You can't read Leviticus without being struck by how visceral worship is. Fat and organs, meat and fire. This is no mental exercise. This is no mere attempt to understand and rationalize and get the right answers into the right blanks. This is reality slamming you in the face. All of the senses are engaged. Your eyes and nose and ears and hands are all aware of sin and God and judgment and sacrifice.
So. Here we are. No fat and organs - bread and cup. No meat and fire - wood and nails. I want this to be academic. I want to have Truth on a page for reference as needed. I don't want to smell sin, so I avoid the stink of need around me until I actually convince myself I don't stink. I don't want to hear the cries of the innocent sacrifice, so I deluge my ears with noise until I drown out even "It is finished". I don't want to look at the blood running down the altar, so I avert my eyes and miss the glory.
Then, finally, I can "worship" the way I like. Sterile. Clean. Safe. Dead.
So. Here we are. No fat and organs - bread and cup. No meat and fire - wood and nails. I want this to be academic. I want to have Truth on a page for reference as needed. I don't want to smell sin, so I avoid the stink of need around me until I actually convince myself I don't stink. I don't want to hear the cries of the innocent sacrifice, so I deluge my ears with noise until I drown out even "It is finished". I don't want to look at the blood running down the altar, so I avert my eyes and miss the glory.
Then, finally, I can "worship" the way I like. Sterile. Clean. Safe. Dead.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Now THAT is a building campaign
Exodus 36
"The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. (v 5-7)
Sort of speaks for itself. Amazing.
"The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do.” So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, “Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.” So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more. (v 5-7)
Sort of speaks for itself. Amazing.
Monday, March 24, 2008
So close yet so far
John 14
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (v 8-9)
This is a stunningly familiar scene. Jesus, if you would just do this one more thing for me, then I would believe you. I'm waiting for the personal invitation to faith accompanied by just one more sign. Did you really mean what you said about loving one another, Lord? Did you really mean that stuff about money? Did you really invite us into a life of fruit-bearing through death? If you would give me one more sign - then, surely, I would believe it.
Ephesians 4
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (v4-6)
How can a fragmented church represent the unified trinity to a watching world? Where increased knowledge should lead to increased humility in oneself and increased confidence in God so that differences become tolerable, we have turned "doctrine" into a tool for division. This is not because doctrine is bad per se, but we have lost the worship sense of orthodoxy and contented ourselves with orthopraxy. People have written books on unification, so I'll leave it at that.
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (v 8-9)
This is a stunningly familiar scene. Jesus, if you would just do this one more thing for me, then I would believe you. I'm waiting for the personal invitation to faith accompanied by just one more sign. Did you really mean what you said about loving one another, Lord? Did you really mean that stuff about money? Did you really invite us into a life of fruit-bearing through death? If you would give me one more sign - then, surely, I would believe it.
Ephesians 4
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (v4-6)
How can a fragmented church represent the unified trinity to a watching world? Where increased knowledge should lead to increased humility in oneself and increased confidence in God so that differences become tolerable, we have turned "doctrine" into a tool for division. This is not because doctrine is bad per se, but we have lost the worship sense of orthodoxy and contented ourselves with orthopraxy. People have written books on unification, so I'll leave it at that.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Savior King
John 6
14When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said,(N) "This is indeed(O) the Prophet(P) who is to come into the world!"
So long, Moses
Hello, Promised Land14When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said,(N) "This is indeed(O) the Prophet(P) who is to come into the world!"
15(Q) Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus(R) withdrew again to(S) the mountain by himself.
So Long Moses - Andrew PetersonSo long, Moses
It was a long, long road
But your people are home
But your people are home
So long, Moses
Goodbye, Canaanites
We're coming to townTwelve tribes and no crown
No crown, Oh LordWe want a king on a throne
Full of power, with a sword in his fist
Will there ever be, ever be a king like this?
First king of IsraelYou were foolish and strong
So you didn't last long
Goodbye, Saul
Hail, King David
Shepherd from Bethlehem
Set the temple of God
In mighty JerusalemYou were a king on a throne
Full of power, with a sword in his fist
Has there ever been, ever been a king like this?Full of wisdom, full of strength, the hearts of the people are his
Hear, O Israel, was ever there a king like this?Hello, prophets
The kingdom is broken now
The people of God
Have been scattered abroadHow long, O Lord?
So speak, Isaiah
Prophet of JudahSo speak, Isaiah
Can you tell of the One
This king who's going to comeWill he be a king on a throne
Full of power with a sword in his fist?
Prophet, tell us will there be another king like this?Full of wisdom, full of strength,
The hearts of the people are his
Prophet, tell us will there beanother king like this?The hearts of the people are his
"He'll bear no beauty or glory
Rejected, despised
A man of such sorrow
We'll cover our eyesHe'll take up our sickness
Carry our tearsFor his people
He will be piercedHe'll be crushed for our evils
Our punishment feelBy his wounds
We will be healed.""From you, O Bethlehem
A ruler will come
Ancient and strong."
Friday, March 7, 2008
The Story
Been a week that's been hard to sit and post, but found this in the Rabbit Room. Amazing excerpt on The Story from Eugene Peterson.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Healing versus Changing
Exodus 14
"For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." (v12b)
How often this sentiment dominates our actions. We say to God, "Why are you out to kill us? We're better off with you in more of an advisor role rather than director." Of course, nobody says that verbally. Rather, we go and read scripture. We hear it preached and taught. We are exhorted to lives of hospitality, generosity and selflessness, and we leave thinking about how idealistic that all sounds and how life just isn't like that (if we bother thinking about it at all). Yesterday, we heard this called "sluggishness". In addition, I call it spiritual inertia. We are a stubborn people when it comes to making real change. We'll spend huge amounts of time and energy rationalizing every aspect of our lives until it makes sense to us (we would call that wisdom, right?), and then we'll dare anyone to tell us we should change. Leave Egypt for the wilderness? Are you crazy?
Luke 17
Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (v17-18)
This is where the title comes from. Ten were cleansed. One was changed. Gratitude is a powerful force. It requires a level of humility. If I think I'm owed something, why would I be grateful upon receiving it?
And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” (v 19)
This is an interesting statement considering the physical healing took place for all ten. Could Jesus be talking about a different kind of wellness?
"For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness." (v12b)
How often this sentiment dominates our actions. We say to God, "Why are you out to kill us? We're better off with you in more of an advisor role rather than director." Of course, nobody says that verbally. Rather, we go and read scripture. We hear it preached and taught. We are exhorted to lives of hospitality, generosity and selflessness, and we leave thinking about how idealistic that all sounds and how life just isn't like that (if we bother thinking about it at all). Yesterday, we heard this called "sluggishness". In addition, I call it spiritual inertia. We are a stubborn people when it comes to making real change. We'll spend huge amounts of time and energy rationalizing every aspect of our lives until it makes sense to us (we would call that wisdom, right?), and then we'll dare anyone to tell us we should change. Leave Egypt for the wilderness? Are you crazy?
Luke 17
Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (v17-18)
This is where the title comes from. Ten were cleansed. One was changed. Gratitude is a powerful force. It requires a level of humility. If I think I'm owed something, why would I be grateful upon receiving it?
And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” (v 19)
This is an interesting statement considering the physical healing took place for all ten. Could Jesus be talking about a different kind of wellness?
Friday, February 29, 2008
When it comes to, matters of the heart
Exodus 9
15For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. 16But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.
34But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
Luke 12
1In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
29And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
1 Corinthians 13
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
The heart is an interesting and revealing thing and has a way of surfacing no matter how hard we may try and hide it. What's going on in yours and mine today?
15For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. 16But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.
34But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.
Luke 12
1In the meantime, when so many thousands of the people had gathered together that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.
29And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
1 Corinthians 13
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
The heart is an interesting and revealing thing and has a way of surfacing no matter how hard we may try and hide it. What's going on in yours and mine today?
Thursday, February 28, 2008
You can't be serious
"So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33)
This is one of those passages (verses 25-33) that obviously can't be taken at face value. I mean, certainly we must understand that what Jesus was saying had many layers of meaning. Simply reading his words and accepting their denotation is far too simplistic an approach to scripture. Jesus didn't even speak english, so we really must take passages of like this and place them in the larger context of his life. You know, enduring the cross and despising the shame. Oh, wait.
This is one of those passages (verses 25-33) that obviously can't be taken at face value. I mean, certainly we must understand that what Jesus was saying had many layers of meaning. Simply reading his words and accepting their denotation is far too simplistic an approach to scripture. Jesus didn't even speak english, so we really must take passages of like this and place them in the larger context of his life. You know, enduring the cross and despising the shame. Oh, wait.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Check in
How's everybody doing w/ the reading/relating to God? We've been at it together for almost 2 months, so no doubt the "work" of this has more than become evident. How are yall? Have you fallen off the horse? Is God doing stuff in your heart? What's up, folks?
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Blue pill, red pill time
Exodus 4
This is one of those passages that has a very Matrix feel to it, if I may. It's God changing the very state of matter and declaring lordship over reality itself. If God says the stick is a snake, it's a snake in reality. You know you're on the edge of something wonderful and scary and awe inspiring and potentially deadly when God begins to pull back the cover of "reality" to show us Reality.
So, when we hear Jesus say that least is greatest and death is life, it is an echo. He is not merely speaking in moral platitudes. He is peeling back the same cover and giving us a glimpse of the same reality, and it's every bit as wonderful and scary and awe inspiring and potentially deadly as picking up a snake by its tail.
1 Corinthians 8
Had to hit this one too.
"This 'knowledge' puffs up, but love builds up." (v1b)
This is a killer in the "information age". You get here the warning of Jesus against the "leaven of the pharisees". Puffing gives something the appearance of being bigger than it is without any substance being added. Building up, on the other hand, means you're adding actual "stuff" to something to make it bigger. If we could learn to despise knowledge without love (not in casting off knowledge but in adding love), we could stem the tide of our puffing and begin actually building.
We read and study and learn, and then we imagine we know something (v2). Let's not be prideful of our puffing or deceived by the puffiness of those who seem to have great knowledge. Rather, love God (v3).
This is one of those passages that has a very Matrix feel to it, if I may. It's God changing the very state of matter and declaring lordship over reality itself. If God says the stick is a snake, it's a snake in reality. You know you're on the edge of something wonderful and scary and awe inspiring and potentially deadly when God begins to pull back the cover of "reality" to show us Reality.
So, when we hear Jesus say that least is greatest and death is life, it is an echo. He is not merely speaking in moral platitudes. He is peeling back the same cover and giving us a glimpse of the same reality, and it's every bit as wonderful and scary and awe inspiring and potentially deadly as picking up a snake by its tail.
1 Corinthians 8
Had to hit this one too.
"This 'knowledge' puffs up, but love builds up." (v1b)
This is a killer in the "information age". You get here the warning of Jesus against the "leaven of the pharisees". Puffing gives something the appearance of being bigger than it is without any substance being added. Building up, on the other hand, means you're adding actual "stuff" to something to make it bigger. If we could learn to despise knowledge without love (not in casting off knowledge but in adding love), we could stem the tide of our puffing and begin actually building.
We read and study and learn, and then we imagine we know something (v2). Let's not be prideful of our puffing or deceived by the puffiness of those who seem to have great knowledge. Rather, love God (v3).
Hello, my name is...
Exodus 3:
13Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" 14God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
There's something in knowing a person's name. What does it mean to you when you learn a new person's name?
God introduces himself as "I AM WHO I AM". What?!? Mysterious. Mind blowing. Think about it and send your brain on overdrive.
13Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?" 14God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
There's something in knowing a person's name. What does it mean to you when you learn a new person's name?
God introduces himself as "I AM WHO I AM". What?!? Mysterious. Mind blowing. Think about it and send your brain on overdrive.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Lepers' Deliverer
The correlations between Exodus and Luke are yet again amazing. What struck me were people of both OT and NT crying out for a Deliverer.
This gives me chills in light of the Gospels and today:
God Hears Israel’s Groaning - Exodus 2
23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
Here's a great Rich Mullins song that so well captures the essence of this thought:
My Deliverer
Joseph took his wife and her child and they went to Africa
To escape the rage of a deadly king
There along the banks of the Nile, Jesus listened to the song
That the captive children used to sing
They were singin'
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
Through a dry and thirsty land, water from the Kenyon heights
Pours itself out of Lake Sangra's broken heart
There in the Sahara winds Jesus heard the whole world cry
For the healing that would flow from His own scars
The world was singing
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
He will never break His promise - He has written it upon the sky
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
I will never doubt His promise though I doubt my heart, I doubt my eyes
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
He will never break His promise though the stars should break faith with the sky
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
________
Jesus Cleanses a Leper - Luke 5
12While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." 13And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him.
Thank you Jesus for this passage which combats a heart that tends to wander to pride. My leprosy may not be on the outside as this man, but inside I am a dirty leper looking to live in hiding and shame. Maybe it's easier to hide an inner leper (which may not be an advantage), but when it comes down to it, this passage cuts me to the quick. Not only does Jesus approach me willing to speak/listen to me, but at his own peril, he reaches out to touch me...something that "clean" people never do to contagious lepers. I am being humbled a day at a time...God's word humbles this leprous heart.
This gives me chills in light of the Gospels and today:
God Hears Israel’s Groaning - Exodus 2
23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
Here's a great Rich Mullins song that so well captures the essence of this thought:
My Deliverer
Joseph took his wife and her child and they went to Africa
To escape the rage of a deadly king
There along the banks of the Nile, Jesus listened to the song
That the captive children used to sing
They were singin'
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
Through a dry and thirsty land, water from the Kenyon heights
Pours itself out of Lake Sangra's broken heart
There in the Sahara winds Jesus heard the whole world cry
For the healing that would flow from His own scars
The world was singing
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
He will never break His promise - He has written it upon the sky
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
I will never doubt His promise though I doubt my heart, I doubt my eyes
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
He will never break His promise though the stars should break faith with the sky
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
________
Jesus Cleanses a Leper - Luke 5
12While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." 13And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him.
Thank you Jesus for this passage which combats a heart that tends to wander to pride. My leprosy may not be on the outside as this man, but inside I am a dirty leper looking to live in hiding and shame. Maybe it's easier to hide an inner leper (which may not be an advantage), but when it comes down to it, this passage cuts me to the quick. Not only does Jesus approach me willing to speak/listen to me, but at his own peril, he reaches out to touch me...something that "clean" people never do to contagious lepers. I am being humbled a day at a time...God's word humbles this leprous heart.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Mysterious ways
Exodus 1
God is truly omnipotent. His will is not thwarted by our sin or "the world" or anything else. Jesus' lineage is protected by Egyptian midwives. Amazing.
Luke 4
"he was hungry" In light of the sympathetic high priest from Sunday's sermon, can there be any doubt that Jesus faced the exact temptations we do? Power, prestige, independence.
God is truly omnipotent. His will is not thwarted by our sin or "the world" or anything else. Jesus' lineage is protected by Egyptian midwives. Amazing.
Luke 4
"he was hungry" In light of the sympathetic high priest from Sunday's sermon, can there be any doubt that Jesus faced the exact temptations we do? Power, prestige, independence.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Anything but cowardly
Genesis 49
"8 Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
your father's sons shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion's cub;
from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He stooped down; he crouched as a lion
and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?"
The Lion of Judah. Amazing image.
Luke 2
You cannot easily get past the humility in this story. From being seated on a throne to being born in a stable. Born in a stable in the shadow of a cross. He was driven from cradle to grave and out again by love.
Job 15
OK, at this point I'm not sure what motivates the OAF to continue berating Job. Bring back the silent companions of chapter 1!
"5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth,
and you choose the tongue of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
your own lips testify against you."
Gee, thanks, Eliphaz.
1 Corinthians 3
God is working on my heart on the subject of unity. Unity is, after all, our eternal destiny. Jesus prays for it in John 17. May God deliver us from the shackles of our individualism into the freedom of service and sacrifice.
"19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God."
Amen.
"8 Judah, your brothers shall praise you;
your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;
your father's sons shall bow down before you.
9 Judah is a lion's cub;
from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He stooped down; he crouched as a lion
and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?"
The Lion of Judah. Amazing image.
Luke 2
You cannot easily get past the humility in this story. From being seated on a throne to being born in a stable. Born in a stable in the shadow of a cross. He was driven from cradle to grave and out again by love.
Job 15
OK, at this point I'm not sure what motivates the OAF to continue berating Job. Bring back the silent companions of chapter 1!
"5 For your iniquity teaches your mouth,
and you choose the tongue of the crafty.
6 Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
your own lips testify against you."
Gee, thanks, Eliphaz.
1 Corinthians 3
God is working on my heart on the subject of unity. Unity is, after all, our eternal destiny. Jesus prays for it in John 17. May God deliver us from the shackles of our individualism into the freedom of service and sacrifice.
"19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God."
Amen.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
As The World Turns
Genesis 46
This whole story reminds me of a soap opera, and we are cheering on the characters. The family has been revealed. And now one final moment. The moment between father and his son whom he thought was dead. You can feel the intensity. You can hear the dramatic music. Joseph sees his daddy, and throws his arms around him, and they weep for a very long time. Israel finally speaks and says, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive." Fade to black.
On a serious note, Joseph is a role model for those of us who have a soap opera family, friendship, church, work environment, etc. I am still amazed at his willingness to forgive. And not just forgive, but to provide for his family who sold him into slavery. How many of us can say that we would forgive our family 100% if they did that to us? I honestly can say it would be really really difficult. But I am called to do just that. To truly live out our Lord's Prayer: "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." would be such a lifting of my spirit. God has forgiven me... who am I to not do the same.
This whole story reminds me of a soap opera, and we are cheering on the characters. The family has been revealed. And now one final moment. The moment between father and his son whom he thought was dead. You can feel the intensity. You can hear the dramatic music. Joseph sees his daddy, and throws his arms around him, and they weep for a very long time. Israel finally speaks and says, "Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive." Fade to black.
On a serious note, Joseph is a role model for those of us who have a soap opera family, friendship, church, work environment, etc. I am still amazed at his willingness to forgive. And not just forgive, but to provide for his family who sold him into slavery. How many of us can say that we would forgive our family 100% if they did that to us? I honestly can say it would be really really difficult. But I am called to do just that. To truly live out our Lord's Prayer: "And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." would be such a lifting of my spirit. God has forgiven me... who am I to not do the same.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Part Deux
Today has greatly impacted me. The Story is so evident when something like Genesis 45 is laid out alongside Mark 15. Joseph was a normal person whose life God used to point to the Story and bring a taste of restoration. But no matter whether it's Joseph or Paul or even ourselves, it all points to Jesus and brings Him glory. Once again, how is God calling us to immerse ourselves more fully in His story? Are we doing it?
Gen 45
:3 "I am Joseph!" - What's our reaction when Jesus reveals himself to us...the first time or the endless times following? Joseph was ready to bust before he said this...he wept so loud the whole court heard him. How much more so is the One who was utterly forsaken for your soul?
:5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
:7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive many survivors. :8 So it was not you who sent me here but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
God is at work for good - for life preservation - for keeping his covenant...always--throughout the whole of the Story.
:11 There I will provide for you for there are 5 years of famine to come, so that you and your household and all that you have do not come into poverty.
The brothers came to Egypt driven by their belly and in total need. But deeper than physical was the spiritual guilt and hunger they carried with them over what they had done to Joseph. Joseph could have had the revenge of a lifetime to his family or "slave-traders". But mercy and pardon and compassion and testimony of God's goodness are all that flow from this man God has spent years humbling. Not only does Joseph's family find food for their bellies, but also they find restoration and family and provision beyond their wildest dreams ("the fat of the land") in a time when famine and death were a way of life. Apply this to your life and Jesus!
Our lives as a backdrop of the Story...just like Joseph's. It's just around the corner. As we were reminded, it's within arms length of the world around you…the real estate you tread daily. It's something as simple as putting a month's worth of pride aside to drive up and ask forgiveness from a bank teller for jumping all over them because you thought they lost your license (ahem...personal? yep). Not tooting any horns here...I was way in the wrong. But after doing something as simple as that, not only have I felt incredible freedom and joy, but it makes me want to see where else I can be used to bring a little more restoration. B/c being a part of this story is just way too addicting.
Gen 45
:3 "I am Joseph!" - What's our reaction when Jesus reveals himself to us...the first time or the endless times following? Joseph was ready to bust before he said this...he wept so loud the whole court heard him. How much more so is the One who was utterly forsaken for your soul?
:5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.
:7 And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive many survivors. :8 So it was not you who sent me here but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
God is at work for good - for life preservation - for keeping his covenant...always--throughout the whole of the Story.
:11 There I will provide for you for there are 5 years of famine to come, so that you and your household and all that you have do not come into poverty.
The brothers came to Egypt driven by their belly and in total need. But deeper than physical was the spiritual guilt and hunger they carried with them over what they had done to Joseph. Joseph could have had the revenge of a lifetime to his family or "slave-traders". But mercy and pardon and compassion and testimony of God's goodness are all that flow from this man God has spent years humbling. Not only does Joseph's family find food for their bellies, but also they find restoration and family and provision beyond their wildest dreams ("the fat of the land") in a time when famine and death were a way of life. Apply this to your life and Jesus!
Our lives as a backdrop of the Story...just like Joseph's. It's just around the corner. As we were reminded, it's within arms length of the world around you…the real estate you tread daily. It's something as simple as putting a month's worth of pride aside to drive up and ask forgiveness from a bank teller for jumping all over them because you thought they lost your license (ahem...personal? yep). Not tooting any horns here...I was way in the wrong. But after doing something as simple as that, not only have I felt incredible freedom and joy, but it makes me want to see where else I can be used to bring a little more restoration. B/c being a part of this story is just way too addicting.
Part 1
More to come later tonight. Only got through Gen. 45 this morning, but oh my is my heart doing backflips! (my heart...not my body...that would be scary and painful). The story of Joseph has been like a multi-day "to be continued" story and it climaxes today with Joseph's revelation.
God did it...God did it...God did it...to preserve life.
Mark 15 still to come...wow...exclamation point!
God did it...God did it...God did it...to preserve life.
Mark 15 still to come...wow...exclamation point!
Monday, February 11, 2008
I do not know this man of whom you speak.
Genesis 44
An elaborate test. Are the brother's sorry for their betrayal? Joseph has to see their hearts. Ligon Duncan says of the close of the chapter:
"It is interesting, isn’t it, here, the guilty [Judah] offers himself as a substitute for the innocent [Benjamin]. But there would be another lion of the tribe of Judah who was innocent, but who would offer himself as a substitute for his guilty brothers. And that substitute would be accepted and He would live and die in their place that they might experience His glory."
Mark 14
The beautiful mystery of communion. The ugliness of betrayal. The shame of denial. How dark that night must have felt. I can't imagine the confusion.
Job 10
Job walks a tightrope. On the one hand, he maintains God's position over all of creation:
"Remember that you have made me like clay;
and will you return me to the dust?" (v 9)
On the other hand he seems to assert that God is not acting "fairly".
"And were my head lifted up, you would hunt me like a lion
and again work wonders against me." (v 16)
This whole conversation between Job and his "friends" continues with both sides not ultimately getting it.
Romans 14
God is ultimately about reunifying his people. We ought to be working tirelessly for unity in the body, and yet we continue to create labels to describe how different "they" are from "us" (and ultimately, we must be right).
An elaborate test. Are the brother's sorry for their betrayal? Joseph has to see their hearts. Ligon Duncan says of the close of the chapter:
"It is interesting, isn’t it, here, the guilty [Judah] offers himself as a substitute for the innocent [Benjamin]. But there would be another lion of the tribe of Judah who was innocent, but who would offer himself as a substitute for his guilty brothers. And that substitute would be accepted and He would live and die in their place that they might experience His glory."
Mark 14
The beautiful mystery of communion. The ugliness of betrayal. The shame of denial. How dark that night must have felt. I can't imagine the confusion.
Job 10
Job walks a tightrope. On the one hand, he maintains God's position over all of creation:
"Remember that you have made me like clay;
and will you return me to the dust?" (v 9)
On the other hand he seems to assert that God is not acting "fairly".
"And were my head lifted up, you would hunt me like a lion
and again work wonders against me." (v 16)
This whole conversation between Job and his "friends" continues with both sides not ultimately getting it.
Romans 14
God is ultimately about reunifying his people. We ought to be working tirelessly for unity in the body, and yet we continue to create labels to describe how different "they" are from "us" (and ultimately, we must be right).
Saturday, February 9, 2008
When is a penny not a penny?
Genesis 42
Here is the faithfulness of God. Man's evil is just as subjected to God's sovereignty as are man's good deeds. There is nothing that is somehow beyond Him. Take heart and be encouraged.
Mark 12
This chapter is another rapid-fire series of quick exchanges. The parable of the vineyard is certainly an indictment of Israel. We can't simply leave it there, though, can we? We have the words of the very same servants and we have the life of the Son. What do we do with them?
The chapter ends with yet another hard lesson. It (money, stuff, relationship, everything) really does belong to God. Oh how we hate that. Surely my wise decisions and hard work have made the difference. Then again - not so much.
Job 8
It seems that Bildad has joined the local Orthodox Ass Fellowship and sits next to Eliphaz. It seems that they were looking for a televangelist gig as well.
"If you will seek God
and plead with the Almighty for mercy,
6 if you are pure and upright,
surely then he will rouse himself for you
and restore your rightful habitation.
7 And though your beginning was small,
your latter days will be very great."
Says who? They've turned back to our old friend "religion".
Romans 12
I don't know exactly what it is about this chapter. It's a tug of war within. Picture the old Frosted Mini Wheats commercials. The moralist in me loves the talk of 'sober judgment' and patient suffering, but then I read 'Let love be genuine' and I'm slapped back into the reality of my complete inability to live this life apart from Christ.
Here is the faithfulness of God. Man's evil is just as subjected to God's sovereignty as are man's good deeds. There is nothing that is somehow beyond Him. Take heart and be encouraged.
Mark 12
This chapter is another rapid-fire series of quick exchanges. The parable of the vineyard is certainly an indictment of Israel. We can't simply leave it there, though, can we? We have the words of the very same servants and we have the life of the Son. What do we do with them?
The chapter ends with yet another hard lesson. It (money, stuff, relationship, everything) really does belong to God. Oh how we hate that. Surely my wise decisions and hard work have made the difference. Then again - not so much.
Job 8
It seems that Bildad has joined the local Orthodox Ass Fellowship and sits next to Eliphaz. It seems that they were looking for a televangelist gig as well.
"If you will seek God
and plead with the Almighty for mercy,
6 if you are pure and upright,
surely then he will rouse himself for you
and restore your rightful habitation.
7 And though your beginning was small,
your latter days will be very great."
Says who? They've turned back to our old friend "religion".
Romans 12
I don't know exactly what it is about this chapter. It's a tug of war within. Picture the old Frosted Mini Wheats commercials. The moralist in me loves the talk of 'sober judgment' and patient suffering, but then I read 'Let love be genuine' and I'm slapped back into the reality of my complete inability to live this life apart from Christ.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Don't Listen, Just Talk
I know, I know..it's not my day...but did you hear what Eliphaz was saying to Job? Eliphaz (from now on simply E) presumes upon Job's sensibilities..invades his safe place.. because Job needs to be set straight. Starting in Job 4, E begins to explain to Job how he needs to "buck up and accept the inevitable." You are a good man, but no one is completely innocent...accept this pain as simply the inevitable result of being just another sinner! Essentially, E is saying, "Job, you are suffering because you have sinned." He backs this up..4:8-you reap what you sow; 4:17-is any man more righteous than God? 5:6,7-trouble doesn't just happen, it is the result of man's sinful actions! "Job, what you need to do is take responsiblity for the fact that you are a sinner, God is righteous and His judgement on you is justified. In fact, you deserve what you are getting and the proper response should be to be grateful that God cares enough to discipline you, because, as Hebrews teaches us: God disciplines those whom He loves!" It goes on..."Quit complaining..5:1..call out! Who's going to pay attention to you? 5:8-Quit complaining and start praying!!! Job you need to repent, realize that this is for your good, to get you to love God more, to get you to turn loose of those idols in your heart, to get you to be more righteous. Your suffering is God's discipline and when you see that you will really be blessed!" Wow. You know what? On the surface, this is all true! We do suffer because we live in a fallen world. Man does sin and God will not allow sin to go unnoticed. He does discipline those whom He loves. The votes are in: E is orthodox! But E is an orthdox ass.
In Job 3, Job wishes that he had never been born. How would you respond to that? E decides to rebuke Job. Job's honest, soul-bearing rants don't fit E's theological grid. E is more interested in correcting than empathizing. He's defending God's integrity! How dare Job be so honest and up front and..and..sinful!?! E is sorely lacking in compassion and wisdom.
We all tend to forget that discipline is not the only purpose for suffering. Remember John 9..the story of the man born blind. The disciples asked Jesus who had sinned and brought this on the man. Jesus points out that no one's sin was the cause of this. Now, to be sure, fallenness is the source of blindness, but the blindness was not retribution for sin...it was not the consequence of this man's parents' or his own waywardness! This man was blind so that God's works could be put on display in the present and future and people would be able to see those works and praise His holy name! He was blind to be a blessing to future generations who would be given eyes to see and ears to hear!!!!
We must remember that God is always telling a story much bigger than our own. Paul tells us in 2 Cor 4 that death may be working in us, so that life may be produced in someone else!
What about Joseph? In Genesis 39 he is being completely upright. In v. 9 he is determined to please God. He refuses the advances of Potiphar's wife, not because he is fearful of the consequences or because he doesn't want to be a nasty fornicator. He refuses saying, "How could I do such a wicked thing and SIN AGAINST GOD!" Now tell me...wouldn't that make God's heart soar!? Here's one of His creatures saying, "I don't want to sin because it would offend God." I would have written the story differently...by defending Joseph's AND God's integrity! Potiphar's wife's nose would have fallen off. She would have been afflicted with hiccups and farted non-stop for the next 40 years. Potiphar wouldn't have laid a hand on her! Instead, God let's her get away with a grand deception and Joseph goes to prison! But in verses 2, 3, 21 and 23 there is a beautiful set of parentheses..."the Lord was with him." Huh? What does that mean? It means that God was not abandoning Joseph (or Job..or anyone else) but was writing a grand story that puts His majestic glory on display! God had a plan...Joseph would tap into that later..."What man intends for evil, God intends for good."
Job and Joseph experienced great pain, pain that boggles our imaginations. In the course of this pain they were losing dreams and hopes and aspirations. This exposed their hearts. We hear of both of them ranting and raving, weeping and wailing. They questioned God, argued with God, disagreed with Him. And through it all, God listened. He didn't get His feelings hurt. He didn't turn His back. "The Lord was with him....." And you and I get a reminder that God's hand of providence, though not always pleasant, is always merciful and good and purposeful. He is always writing a bigger story than ours and we are getting to be a part of "telling it to the generations to come."
In Job 3, Job wishes that he had never been born. How would you respond to that? E decides to rebuke Job. Job's honest, soul-bearing rants don't fit E's theological grid. E is more interested in correcting than empathizing. He's defending God's integrity! How dare Job be so honest and up front and..and..sinful!?! E is sorely lacking in compassion and wisdom.
We all tend to forget that discipline is not the only purpose for suffering. Remember John 9..the story of the man born blind. The disciples asked Jesus who had sinned and brought this on the man. Jesus points out that no one's sin was the cause of this. Now, to be sure, fallenness is the source of blindness, but the blindness was not retribution for sin...it was not the consequence of this man's parents' or his own waywardness! This man was blind so that God's works could be put on display in the present and future and people would be able to see those works and praise His holy name! He was blind to be a blessing to future generations who would be given eyes to see and ears to hear!!!!
We must remember that God is always telling a story much bigger than our own. Paul tells us in 2 Cor 4 that death may be working in us, so that life may be produced in someone else!
What about Joseph? In Genesis 39 he is being completely upright. In v. 9 he is determined to please God. He refuses the advances of Potiphar's wife, not because he is fearful of the consequences or because he doesn't want to be a nasty fornicator. He refuses saying, "How could I do such a wicked thing and SIN AGAINST GOD!" Now tell me...wouldn't that make God's heart soar!? Here's one of His creatures saying, "I don't want to sin because it would offend God." I would have written the story differently...by defending Joseph's AND God's integrity! Potiphar's wife's nose would have fallen off. She would have been afflicted with hiccups and farted non-stop for the next 40 years. Potiphar wouldn't have laid a hand on her! Instead, God let's her get away with a grand deception and Joseph goes to prison! But in verses 2, 3, 21 and 23 there is a beautiful set of parentheses..."the Lord was with him." Huh? What does that mean? It means that God was not abandoning Joseph (or Job..or anyone else) but was writing a grand story that puts His majestic glory on display! God had a plan...Joseph would tap into that later..."What man intends for evil, God intends for good."
Job and Joseph experienced great pain, pain that boggles our imaginations. In the course of this pain they were losing dreams and hopes and aspirations. This exposed their hearts. We hear of both of them ranting and raving, weeping and wailing. They questioned God, argued with God, disagreed with Him. And through it all, God listened. He didn't get His feelings hurt. He didn't turn His back. "The Lord was with him....." And you and I get a reminder that God's hand of providence, though not always pleasant, is always merciful and good and purposeful. He is always writing a bigger story than ours and we are getting to be a part of "telling it to the generations to come."
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Whoa....
I am overwhelmed by today...it is so crammed full of good stuff.
Genesis 38 is a most bizarre and sordid story. One of those where I found myself scratching my head and thinking, huh...really?...did I need to know about that? But Judah and Tamar's story, as messy as it may be (messy=hope for me), is another piece in fulfilling the covenant and a step closer to Christ and redemption. God is relentless to keep his word and his covenant...and we are a part of that covenant. Security, much?
Romans 8 - can I just put the whole thing here? AMAZING chapter.
15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our Father...Our Father...lemme say that one more time...Abba...Daddy. Think about and dwell on what that means! We, wretched and dirty sinners enslaved to our flesh, have been adopted and grafted in as full heirs and children. And we can NEVER be separated from that. I can't even begin to wrap my arms around it...Abba, help lead us toward understanding of that! We are yours!
Mark 8
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
I must give props to ChitChat for drilling v.34 into our heads. Lose your life...die to self...suffer. Not pretty and comfortable...but to follow Abba and truly live...does that not make your soul groan?
Genesis 38 is a most bizarre and sordid story. One of those where I found myself scratching my head and thinking, huh...really?...did I need to know about that? But Judah and Tamar's story, as messy as it may be (messy=hope for me), is another piece in fulfilling the covenant and a step closer to Christ and redemption. God is relentless to keep his word and his covenant...and we are a part of that covenant. Security, much?
Romans 8 - can I just put the whole thing here? AMAZING chapter.
15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our Father...Our Father...lemme say that one more time...Abba...Daddy. Think about and dwell on what that means! We, wretched and dirty sinners enslaved to our flesh, have been adopted and grafted in as full heirs and children. And we can NEVER be separated from that. I can't even begin to wrap my arms around it...Abba, help lead us toward understanding of that! We are yours!
Mark 8
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
I must give props to ChitChat for drilling v.34 into our heads. Lose your life...die to self...suffer. Not pretty and comfortable...but to follow Abba and truly live...does that not make your soul groan?
Monday, February 4, 2008
Putting the fun back in dysfunctional
Genesis 37
So, we've got a dad who plays favorites, a son who loves to tattle and is quick to bring up dreams demonstrating his superiority, and the other sons who despise the one son because of the father's obvious bias.
Recently, Frodo Jr (hehe) brought this passage home as a perfect example of the maxim: We are all both victims of and perpetrators of sin. As long as there have been families, there have been dysfunctional families (ahem, Cain and Abel). It is important to identify areas of victimization, not to bemoan them or use them as crutches, but to trace them into our own hearts and lives. Sins we commit today likely have roots in earlier life. Without careful consideration, prayer, and mortification, they will inevitably become the sins of the next generation as well.
Mark 7
The first half of the chapter deals with the basic question: Am I clean or dirty? The pharisees had concluded that they were basically clean so long as they kept the dirty world far enough away. Jesus is fairly direct in his rebuttal: "There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him." What a startling statement that must have been. You are not clean so long as you avoid dirty things - you are dirty until you are cleansed by something outside yourself. This is one of those conversations where I wonder how much the cross was on the mind of Jesus. He knew the hearts of those men and he knew ours. He knew the cost of cleansing us even as he said the words.
Job 3
Job finishes the first chapter (losing most of his family and possessions) with worship. He finishes the second chapter (losing his health) with silence. Now we see the first chink in the armor (losing his sense of purpose). No longer does he celebrate the creative and destructive power of God as he did in chapter 1. The hedge that God put around him was a blessing in chapter 1, now it is seen as God's way of blocking Job's path.
It is hard for any of us to judge Job harshly for his downward spiral. May God mercifully spare us from even a taste of his hardship. However, we can even now see how much bigger God's purposes are than we can imagine. It is not so much (in my opinion) that we are to be wary of complaints because Job's circumstances are so much words (that is certainly true). The question on my mind is: what does this say about purpose? Job's purpose did not change from chapter 1 to chapter 3 - only his circumstances.
Romans 7
"The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me." (v 10)
Sin perverts law until we die. John Owen warns us that if we are not daily engaged in the work of killing sin, it will kill us. Sin does not overtly contradict the law by saying something like "murder is good." No. Sin takes the law which we acknowledge is "holy and righteous and good" (v 12) and twists it into a weapon with which to kill us.
You can feel the frustration of Paul who sees his body held captive to a force his mind knows is evil.
"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (v 24-25a)
So, we've got a dad who plays favorites, a son who loves to tattle and is quick to bring up dreams demonstrating his superiority, and the other sons who despise the one son because of the father's obvious bias.
Recently, Frodo Jr (hehe) brought this passage home as a perfect example of the maxim: We are all both victims of and perpetrators of sin. As long as there have been families, there have been dysfunctional families (ahem, Cain and Abel). It is important to identify areas of victimization, not to bemoan them or use them as crutches, but to trace them into our own hearts and lives. Sins we commit today likely have roots in earlier life. Without careful consideration, prayer, and mortification, they will inevitably become the sins of the next generation as well.
Mark 7
The first half of the chapter deals with the basic question: Am I clean or dirty? The pharisees had concluded that they were basically clean so long as they kept the dirty world far enough away. Jesus is fairly direct in his rebuttal: "There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him." What a startling statement that must have been. You are not clean so long as you avoid dirty things - you are dirty until you are cleansed by something outside yourself. This is one of those conversations where I wonder how much the cross was on the mind of Jesus. He knew the hearts of those men and he knew ours. He knew the cost of cleansing us even as he said the words.
Job 3
Job finishes the first chapter (losing most of his family and possessions) with worship. He finishes the second chapter (losing his health) with silence. Now we see the first chink in the armor (losing his sense of purpose). No longer does he celebrate the creative and destructive power of God as he did in chapter 1. The hedge that God put around him was a blessing in chapter 1, now it is seen as God's way of blocking Job's path.
It is hard for any of us to judge Job harshly for his downward spiral. May God mercifully spare us from even a taste of his hardship. However, we can even now see how much bigger God's purposes are than we can imagine. It is not so much (in my opinion) that we are to be wary of complaints because Job's circumstances are so much words (that is certainly true). The question on my mind is: what does this say about purpose? Job's purpose did not change from chapter 1 to chapter 3 - only his circumstances.
Romans 7
"The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me." (v 10)
Sin perverts law until we die. John Owen warns us that if we are not daily engaged in the work of killing sin, it will kill us. Sin does not overtly contradict the law by saying something like "murder is good." No. Sin takes the law which we acknowledge is "holy and righteous and good" (v 12) and twists it into a weapon with which to kill us.
You can feel the frustration of Paul who sees his body held captive to a force his mind knows is evil.
"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (v 24-25a)
Saturday, February 2, 2008
A Prophet Without Honor and Job's Three Friends
Mark 6
1Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph,[a] Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
4Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." 5He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6And he was amazed at their lack of faith.
This passage breaks my heart. My first reaction is defensiveness for my Saviour. My next reaction is condemnation for his hometown. My third reaction is questioning myself if I would react the same. My fourth reaction is understanding that I would..."And He was amazed at their lack of faith." I have always said it would be so different, "it" being my faith in Christ, if He was walking in my midst, talking in my church, eating at my table. BUT, you know, He is, and I am not... but I am getting there.
47When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 51Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
This passage is another one of those 2X4's that I seem to be coming across here lately... my head is really starting to hurt. Once again, a simplistic story that is a reflection into my life. The first time I read this when I became a Christian, I didn't quite understand why Jesus waited for so long before going out and helping. He waited, and waited, and waited through four watches. He finally went out, not to the boat, but walking almost right pass them. The disciples had to scream out for Him to respond.
But I think I understand it now. He was waiting for them to call out to Him, always so watchful never leaving. But they didn't. So, He made Himself more visable and accessible, and they responded in a scream. However, our patient God didn't criticize them for taking so long or screaming at Him, He responded immediately with words of encouragement, and calmed the turmoil occuring around them.
So my "aha" for today: He is waiting for me to call out to Him, and frankly, I wait until I have exhausted all of my own abilities. Prayfully, as I continue to grow in my faith in Him, I will "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)... and I won't wait until I am screaming.
Job
11 When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.
Friends like these, it would be such a different world! Reread verse 13 and let that sink in.
1Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.
"Where did this man get these things?" they asked. "What's this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! 3Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph,[a] Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
4Jesus said to them, "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor." 5He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6And he was amazed at their lack of faith.
This passage breaks my heart. My first reaction is defensiveness for my Saviour. My next reaction is condemnation for his hometown. My third reaction is questioning myself if I would react the same. My fourth reaction is understanding that I would..."And He was amazed at their lack of faith." I have always said it would be so different, "it" being my faith in Christ, if He was walking in my midst, talking in my church, eating at my table. BUT, you know, He is, and I am not... but I am getting there.
47When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. 48He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, 49but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, 50because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 51Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.
This passage is another one of those 2X4's that I seem to be coming across here lately... my head is really starting to hurt. Once again, a simplistic story that is a reflection into my life. The first time I read this when I became a Christian, I didn't quite understand why Jesus waited for so long before going out and helping. He waited, and waited, and waited through four watches. He finally went out, not to the boat, but walking almost right pass them. The disciples had to scream out for Him to respond.
But I think I understand it now. He was waiting for them to call out to Him, always so watchful never leaving. But they didn't. So, He made Himself more visable and accessible, and they responded in a scream. However, our patient God didn't criticize them for taking so long or screaming at Him, He responded immediately with words of encouragement, and calmed the turmoil occuring around them.
So my "aha" for today: He is waiting for me to call out to Him, and frankly, I wait until I have exhausted all of my own abilities. Prayfully, as I continue to grow in my faith in Him, I will "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)... and I won't wait until I am screaming.
Job
11 When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.
Friends like these, it would be such a different world! Reread verse 13 and let that sink in.
Wait till the midnight hour
Romans 3:
For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
This passage has captured me all over again. The fact that God is just and my justifier blows me away and has been on my mind for the past day. What perfection...what mercy...what a plan that undeserving doesn't even begin to describe. My soul bows low.
For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
This passage has captured me all over again. The fact that God is just and my justifier blows me away and has been on my mind for the past day. What perfection...what mercy...what a plan that undeserving doesn't even begin to describe. My soul bows low.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
And in this corner...
Genesis 32
In Genesis 31:3, we see Jacob being told to go back to his homeland. To comply, Jacob must face two situations where he could very well die (i.e. Laban and Esau). Why, then, do we expect obedience to be easy? Why do the things we know represent freedom and worship always have to fit into our schedules and budgets? I know, I know, we have to be wise, etc, etc. Is it not the height of foolishness, though, to demand God make life pleasant as a precondition to our obedience?
So, we wrestle.
It seems silly when we see Jacob do it - how can you wrestle with someone you know is God? Then again, how can we?
Mark 3
To highlight just how foolish it is to accept the wisdom of the world, Jesus is thought by his own family to be insane. This is the family of the virgin birth. This is the family of the angelic messengers. And now Jesus fails to conform to the world and he's crazy? Well, they said he was then, and we say he is now. If we don't think he's crazy, then our failure to follow should be enough evidence to have us committed.
And to close the chapter, Jesus really gets under the skin of good ol' American Individualism. Family, it seems, doesn't exist to provide comfort and security. Family has the same purpose as everything else, to point us to grace and obedience. "For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother." (v 35)
Esther 8
"But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked." (v 8)
This has echoes of Matthew 18:18:
"Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
There is a reason that obedience appearing foolish is really wise - the God we obey has infinite power. He creates, He sustains, He destroys. No other power exists that is not given from Him. Be encouraged! He keeps his promises. He loves his children. He works ALL THINGS for the good of those who love Him.
Romans 3
Wow. Paul writes a few hundred pages worth of theology in a chapter. " no one seeks for God" (v 11b) - isn't that contrary to the basis for 75% of new American churches?
In Genesis 31:3, we see Jacob being told to go back to his homeland. To comply, Jacob must face two situations where he could very well die (i.e. Laban and Esau). Why, then, do we expect obedience to be easy? Why do the things we know represent freedom and worship always have to fit into our schedules and budgets? I know, I know, we have to be wise, etc, etc. Is it not the height of foolishness, though, to demand God make life pleasant as a precondition to our obedience?
So, we wrestle.
It seems silly when we see Jacob do it - how can you wrestle with someone you know is God? Then again, how can we?
Mark 3
To highlight just how foolish it is to accept the wisdom of the world, Jesus is thought by his own family to be insane. This is the family of the virgin birth. This is the family of the angelic messengers. And now Jesus fails to conform to the world and he's crazy? Well, they said he was then, and we say he is now. If we don't think he's crazy, then our failure to follow should be enough evidence to have us committed.
And to close the chapter, Jesus really gets under the skin of good ol' American Individualism. Family, it seems, doesn't exist to provide comfort and security. Family has the same purpose as everything else, to point us to grace and obedience. "For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother." (v 35)
Esther 8
"But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked." (v 8)
This has echoes of Matthew 18:18:
"
There is a reason that obedience appearing foolish is really wise - the God we obey has infinite power. He creates, He sustains, He destroys. No other power exists that is not given from Him. Be encouraged! He keeps his promises. He loves his children. He works ALL THINGS for the good of those who love Him.
Romans 3
Wow. Paul writes a few hundred pages worth of theology in a chapter. "
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
God's Righteous Judgment
Romans 2
1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?
So, we have all read the Bible on many occassions, and I know as popular as Romans is, we have all read it more than, let's say, Nahum. It still amazes my simple mind what stands out. Personally, I struggle with this topic. I find myself passing judgement on others, and then nudging God saying, "See, see, what did I tell you? I'm right, right?" But now, maybe it is where I am at in my life, I get knocked in the head with:
4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
Aah, see, now that's just not fair. (I kid). I have read and re-read that line about 10 times, and am speechless. So, I went to a reliable resource, Wikipedia, to re-educate myself on the the word contempt... bad idea.
1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment?
So, we have all read the Bible on many occassions, and I know as popular as Romans is, we have all read it more than, let's say, Nahum. It still amazes my simple mind what stands out. Personally, I struggle with this topic. I find myself passing judgement on others, and then nudging God saying, "See, see, what did I tell you? I'm right, right?" But now, maybe it is where I am at in my life, I get knocked in the head with:
4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
Aah, see, now that's just not fair. (I kid). I have read and re-read that line about 10 times, and am speechless. So, I went to a reliable resource, Wikipedia, to re-educate myself on the the word contempt... bad idea.
- Contempt is an intense feeling of disrespect and dislike. It is similar to hate, but implies feelings of superiority/superciliousness. A person who has contempt for another individual looks down (condescends) on that person. The "recipient of contempt" is deemed unworthy, beneath redemption.
Verse 4 is such a powerful life changing verse. To honestly answer that is very hard. Do I show an intense feeling of disrepect and dislike to God's kindness, tolerance, and patience leading me to a true changing of my mind and heart?
It is definitely the one line that I will take from today's reading and really let it sink in.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Life Changing Catch Up
First off...this reading is life changing. Wanna hear your Father speak directly to your heart? This is a key way it's done.
Next...I think I've been caught up one or two days this month. So...not based on "today's reading" but rather thoughts from a couple recent days:
Mt. 26:
51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his(A) sword and struck the servant[a] of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For(B) all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53(C) Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me(D) more than twelve(E) legions of angels? 54(F) But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?"
Acts 26:
31And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another,(B) "This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment." 32And Agrippa said to Festus,(C) "This man could have been set(D) free if he had not appealed(E) to Caesar."
Esther 4:
16"Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for(I) three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law,(J) and if I perish, I perish."
1) From Mt 26 - how many times do I draw the sword when I see things getting out of control? I wanna take charge and fight off the bad guys. Who am I to think that I can do what 12 Legions of angels are being held back from? I am such a Peter. I am rash and impatient and controlling and need to think of how Jesus handled this situation...even in the face of death.
2) Jesus, Paul and Esther all have the same air about themselves in these passages. They all know what the Story is and what must be done for the Story to be carried out and God to be glorified. They abandon the easy way out (from denying legions of protection, to forgoing proper court defense procedure, to cowering in fear of the king's laws) and rather choose the way of the Story. Humility, submission, unselfishness...Father, make this my approach to everyday life! Even as radical as "If I perish, I perish" (hello, scary). Tell me your Story and open my ears that I may hear It and move fully into It.
Next...I think I've been caught up one or two days this month. So...not based on "today's reading" but rather thoughts from a couple recent days:
Mt. 26:
51And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his(A) sword and struck the servant[a] of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For(B) all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53(C) Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me(D) more than twelve(E) legions of angels? 54(F) But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?"
Acts 26:
31And when they had withdrawn, they said to one another,(B) "This man is doing nothing to deserve death or imprisonment." 32And Agrippa said to Festus,(C) "This man could have been set(D) free if he had not appealed(E) to Caesar."
Esther 4:
16"Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for(I) three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law,(J) and if I perish, I perish."
1) From Mt 26 - how many times do I draw the sword when I see things getting out of control? I wanna take charge and fight off the bad guys. Who am I to think that I can do what 12 Legions of angels are being held back from? I am such a Peter. I am rash and impatient and controlling and need to think of how Jesus handled this situation...even in the face of death.
2) Jesus, Paul and Esther all have the same air about themselves in these passages. They all know what the Story is and what must be done for the Story to be carried out and God to be glorified. They abandon the easy way out (from denying legions of protection, to forgoing proper court defense procedure, to cowering in fear of the king's laws) and rather choose the way of the Story. Humility, submission, unselfishness...Father, make this my approach to everyday life! Even as radical as "If I perish, I perish" (hello, scary). Tell me your Story and open my ears that I may hear It and move fully into It.
Monday, January 28, 2008
One story in the whole universe.
One big encouragement for me in following this reading pattern is to see the unity of scripture. Today, we have the beginning of the tribes of Israel. "When the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren." (Gen 29:31, ESV). What a weird way to kick off a "chosen people"! Deception and hatred. Already, we see the need for redemption.
And, oddly enough on the same day, we read about the empty tomb. So, deception and hatred have now been swallowed in victory. These two stories span a couple of thousand years. How can it be that we suffer at the hands of insecurity and fear with such a faithful God? We are, in fact, free. All that remains is to live. And what is living except to die (Philippians 1:21)? What is it to seek the best and greatest except that we seek out and serve the lowest and most despised?
We hear Paul's stinging rebuke of the religious establishment:
Go to this people, and say,
You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.
Dull hearts, deaf ears, closed eyes. I think these belong to those for whom the world has clouded their vision. They see only the dead things and call them life. They are blind and deaf to the reality just below the surface.
If you've never read up on Purim, now is a great time. It will add some depth to the story of Esther to see how these events are remembered even now.
And, oddly enough on the same day, we read about the empty tomb. So, deception and hatred have now been swallowed in victory. These two stories span a couple of thousand years. How can it be that we suffer at the hands of insecurity and fear with such a faithful God? We are, in fact, free. All that remains is to live. And what is living except to die (Philippians 1:21)? What is it to seek the best and greatest except that we seek out and serve the lowest and most despised?
We hear Paul's stinging rebuke of the religious establishment:
Go to this people, and say,
You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed;
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.
Dull hearts, deaf ears, closed eyes. I think these belong to those for whom the world has clouded their vision. They see only the dead things and call them life. They are blind and deaf to the reality just below the surface.
If you've never read up on Purim, now is a great time. It will add some depth to the story of Esther to see how these events are remembered even now.
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