Advent Day 5: The Waiting Room

Most of us do not like to wait, especially in our mostly "instant" society.  Advent, though, is all about waiting for the Messiah to be born, looking forward eagerly to Jesus' birthday. Concurrently, as Christians, our resplendent walk is about walking by faith, in all of the year's seaons.  Today's Scriptures are Genesis 15:1-6, Luke 2:25-38 and Psalm 18:30.

Abram was the earlier name of Abraham.  He lived in a land called Ur, among the Chaldeans.  God called Abram out of that land and in Genesis 15 made him a tremendous promise, one which flew in the face of reason.

1 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward." 2 But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir." 4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." 5 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Abram had no trouble believing God when this promise, this agreement, this covenant was made - - - a covenant initiated by God and agreed to by Abraham.  But, as time went on, he and his wife got older and older, with no "heir  apparent".  No baby boy was appearing on the scene, to be the start of those "descendants who cannot be numbered".  Later on in his life, Abraham began to doubt the goodness of God, the truth of God, because of his life circumstances.  Have you "been there"?

Similarly, the Jews of Jesus' day had heard nothing but "God silence" for about 400 years....no prophets, only aseemingly endless, tiresome parade of false messiahs...until John the Baptist came on the scene.    Many of the Jews had begun to doubt in the face of their circumstances, namely, being subject to the Romans. However, the gospel account of Luke (who was extremely diligent about interviewing eyewitnesses), records two faithful Jews who had tremendous faith that God's promise of Messiah would come. Luke 2:25-38 - - -

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." 33 The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:"This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." 36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. 

Simeon and Anna, what giants of faith!  In a day of tremendous doubting and, yes, even great apostasy, they were found in "the waiting room", seeking God, being faithful.  Not sitting and waiting, but instead, watching, working, worshipping and waiting!  As such, they are role models for us as we wait on God's promises in our own lives.  As a result of their faith, God allowed them to see His Christ, the Messiah, the Promised One.

 Oh, don't tell me it is difficult to believe God's promises.  How well I know!  But, look at these two - - - Simeon and Anna.  They saw God's promises fulfilled in the very dusk of their lives, shortly before their own deaths.  God's timetable is not our own!  We also see this with Abraham, whose wife Sarah conceived after Abraham and Sarah's faiths drooped, flagged, withered.  God fulfilled His promises in His own time, for His own glory, not ours.

When I was a teen, I greatly admired the mother of one of my childhood friends.  Martha was a jovial, peaceful, godly woman.  I can remember her pounding this verse into my head, and at the time, I didn't understand what was so great about it, truly.  Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I realize anew how wise she really was.  Take a look at Psalm 18:30 - -

As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD's word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.

If, like me, you are struggling with God's promises today, during this season of waiting, let's encourage one another to draw near to God, and just hold on!  Pray and trust, dear ones!  Let's ask Him to make His glory evident in marvelous ways in us, whether we see promises fulfilled and prayers answered today, or whether they are not fulfilled in our lifetime.  We serve the One, True God, and His ways are perfect!

Dear Lord, You see each one of our hearts.  Speak to each of us today as we draw near to You in prayer, in thanksgiving for how You are growing our faith.  Thank you for Your precious promises and for those times you allow us to see them come true.  Thank you, Lord God, for teaching us to wait, in patience and faith, until Your glory is revealed.  In Jesus' name, amen.

A Very Big, Very Bad Deal

Our POTUS (President of the United States) is well-known for the business deals he has made over his adult years.  Those deals have added to his inherited wealth, building for him an "empire".  All of this preceded his ascension to the US presidency.

Have you ever made a bad deal?  There's an expression that goes "made a deal with the Devil". Goodness gracious!  I hope none of you have made a deal like that!

We find deals struck in the Bible, some of them good ones, others not good.  One of them, in fact, the writer of Hebrews calls "unholy".  That deal was not only detrimental to the one who made it; it had long-lasting, far-reaching consequences.

15See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.  

Hebrews 12:15-17 NET

The story can be found in Genesis 25, and though the story won't be reproduced here, do go read it.   The gist of it was this:  Esau had been given by God the privilege of being firstborn of twins.  The Bible records Esau emerged from the womb first, but that his twin brother Jacob came out holding on to Esau's heel!  So, it was "Esau for the win, by a hair", so to speak.

Being the firstborn son was "a huge deal" (pun intended), in Old Testament times.  It carried with it many rights, privileges and wealth not accorded the younger children.  As a young man Esau lacked judgment and was full of pride.  When he made his very bad deal, he did not think it was such a BIG deal (sorry...my "punnishness" is punishing you, I know.)

24When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, there were twins in her womb. 25The first came out reddish all over, like a hairy garment, so they named him Esau. 26When his brother came out with his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

27When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. 28Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29Now Jacob cooked some stew, and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 30So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)

31But Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” 32“Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” 33But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” So Esau swore an oath to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.

34Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. So Esau despised his birthright.

Genesis 25:24-34 NET

The Hebrew word "despised" in verse 34 is  way-yi-ḇez and is found in only one other place in the OT Bible (Esther 3:6), where it is applied to Haman.  It is variously translated in Genesis 25:34 as "showed contempt for" or "belittled".  Essentially, Esau believed that he did not need his God-given birthright - - - that he could do just fine without it.  Or, perhaps he believed that his bad bargain with his brother could be undone.  Regardless, all of his reasoning in this life-changing situation was faulty.  He made an unholy deal from an unholy heart, because he did not value the gift God had given him.  And, the course of human history was completely changed, as a result.

As we examine our lives today, Christians, what gift or gifts has God given you that perhaps you have allowed Satan to convince you are worthless?  Satan loves to do that, you know - - - to convince us that our gifts aren't worth spit.  He loves to deceive us into believing we don't matter, that God's calling on us is insignificant.  If he can keep us in that mindset, then we accomplish little for God's kingdom, which makes room for Satan to create more havoc among those in God's kingdom and beyond.  We can look at unholy Esau and "tsk tsk".  But, are we any different when we reject God's calling on our lives?  Not really.  The consequences may or may not be as earth-changing. Remember: Esau did not think selling his birthright was significant either.  After he ate and drank (vs. 34), he "got up and went out" - - - apparently thinking no more of it.

I heard Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, say last week that we need in this country a "guaranteed minimum salary", that is, a minimum salary that is paid to every citizen, regardless of whether they work or how much they work.  What an unbiblical idea!

We tend to think that, if something is not easy, it is then neither holy, nor valuable.  We view opposition, trials and roadblocks as God's "no".  What inaccurate, unholy thinking!  God ministers to us in difficult times.  He grows and matures us then, as long as we don't wiggle out from under his tutelage, choosing an easier path. Difficulty (extreme hunger) compelled Esau to make his very bad deal, after all.  God's grace was available to him in that situation; yet, he chose the easy way out.  

God does not always spare us the consequences of our unfortunate trades, our costly deals with the deceiver.  I am thankful that, on the contrary, sometimes He does.  But, do we really want to play such a game of "Russian Roulette"?

Sacrificing the long-lasting, even the eternal, on the altar of the immediate has ruined millions of precious souls!
A far better mindset and attitude is to keep our hearts as attuned to His as we possibly can, seeking Him in every decision.  How can we know which of our choices will forever change the world? There is one choice which, as long as each of us has breath, can be changed for the better.  If you, like Esau, have persisted in unbelief concerning Jesus Christ, you can, as long as you draw breath in this world, change that terrible decision for the better.

At the heart of Esau's mistake was his unbelief and his brother, Jacob's, belief.  Jacob believed God's promises and esteemed them; Esau did not.  According to the Bible, the grandaddy of bad deals is the "deal with the Devil", because that is a deal which leads to an eternity in Hell.

God's number one gift to you, His number one promise, is that if you call on the name of His Son, Jesus, as your Savior and accept Him as your Lord, you will make the best deal you can ever make. Now, THAT is the deal of a lifetime!

And, if you have already taken advantage of God's offer of salvation, if you have already surrendered to the lordship of Jesus Christ, search your heart today to find the additional gifts He has given you. Then, believe Him!  Don't despise your gifts!  Embrace them and work them, so that God through you can change the world!

Seeing is Not Believing

You have probably had an experience similar to this one.  You are out with a friend and the friend sees something amazing.  "Look over there!"  Perhaps the stupendous sight is in the woods.  You hurriedly scan the area with your eyes, but are unable to see what your friend sees.  Instead your eyes and brain are processing, focusing on other distracting things.  And.....you miss it.  Too late.  It's gone.  Sigh!

A similar thing occurs with skeptics of faith.  They focus on the wrong things, namely, "proving" the truths of God.  The whole point is that, even though powerful evidences exist to verify them, God never designed "fact" to take the place of "faith".  He never intended for "seeing" to be the basis of "believing".  You don't need faith when you have all the facts.  You don't need God when you have all the answers.

My last post was about the mark of the Christian: a faith that perseveres.  This echoed the last verse in chapter 10, verse 39.  The writer of Hebrews goes on from there, then, in chapter 11, to list various people from the Old Testament who evidenced that type of faith.  All along, God has proclaimed that it is faith which makes a person right with God - - nothing more, nothing less.  Hebrews 11:2 is just one verse affirming that truth.

2For by it the men of old gained approval.

(NASB)

Whole books have been written on the persons mentioned in Hebrews 11.  I won't attempt that, lol, for which I'm sure you are grateful!  This chapter has been called "the roll call of faith", but I want to mention "the preface" to the roll call, verses 1-3.

Verses 1 and 3 contain one of the best definitions of faith in the Bible.  Let's look at vs. 3 first, because it expounds on verse 1.

3By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (ESV)

What a wonderful model God gave us!  He created our entire "reality" out of nothing, out of things not "visible".  In other words, the very foundations of our world cannot be seen.  Such is the relative unimportance of our powers of "sight".

Unbelieving scientists rely completely on their senses, their "powers of observation" in order to make their scientific findings, which has led, in the past, to some truly bone-headed theories (later enshrined as "facts").

Faith is God's way, the superior way.  Faith is not ignorance; rather, it is a reasoned belief/trust based on the revelations given to us in God's Word.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

(ESV and NASB)

We can trust that what God's Word, the Bible, tells us is true, because it is grounded in the very character of God Himself.  Godly faith is tethered securely and irrevocably to the One and Only, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

To claim we understand all of the Bible's revelation would be, not only foolish, but also contrary to the ways of God.  He desires we NOT understand it all.  If we did, we would misplace some or most of our faith - - putting it in ourselves, rather than in Him.

Faith is the calm assurance, the rock-solid certainty that God will do as He promised.  Whether we can "see" it....is irrelevant.  To Christians, faith is the firm foundation that undergirds our every area of life.  The Message version of Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as "our handle on what we cannot see."

How powerful is godly faith?  Well, it ....

• makes the unrighteous, the sordid and soiled, clean and in perfect relationship with a holy God (vs. 4)
• cheats death completely (vs. 5-6)
• saves entire families....and through the Great Flood, saved the entire human race. (vs. 7)
• creates missionaries, takes faithful ones to new lands in order to fulfill God's calling on their lives (vs. 8-10)
• brings about physical miracles in our bodies, supernatural healings (vs. 11-12)
• creates entire people groups (vs. 11-12)
• conquers governments (vs. 23-30)
• makes a harlot a princess (vs. 31), because Rahab married into the royal Messianic line
• can change the topography of the Earth (Matthew 17:20)

I'll take faith over sight, any day.

In closing, let's meditate on these verses from The Message Translation (vs. 32-28 and 13-16), and follow the examples of those who have gone before us, our exemplary examples.

Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection. Others braved abuse and whips, and, yes, chains and dungeons. We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless—the world didn’t deserve them!—making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world.

Each one of these people of faith died not yet having in hand what was promised, but still believing. 

How did they do it? They saw it way off in the distance, waved their greeting, and accepted the fact that they were transients in this world. People who live this way make it plain that they are looking for their true home. If they were homesick for the old country, they could have gone back any time they wanted. But they were after a far better country than that—heaven country. You can see why God is so proud of them, and has a City waiting for them.

Hallelujah!

The Mark

We are going to finish up Hebrews 10 today!  That being said, let's start with a look at Romans 10.

9that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

Romans 10:9-10 (Berean Study Bible)

Belief, that essential, foundational act of becoming a Christian, is such a mystery!  On the one hand, it is a simple acknowledgement of the truth of Jesus Christ, a trusting in His finished work on the sinner's behalf, an acceptance and surrender which seat Jesus on the throne of one's heart.   On the other hand, it is a profoundly complex act, with eternal consequences.

There is no such thing as "easy believism", as far as Christianity is concerned.  Belief is quite complicated, far from superficial.  In fact, when adults come to Jesus Christ, their belief is accompanied by costly repentance, the giving up of other idols they have accumulated and worshiped along their life's journey.

I wrote in a recent blog post on Hebrews 10:23 that it is impossible for Christians to "keep themselves saved".  In other words, it is God's faithfulness that "holds on to us" and keeps our salvation secure.  With the duality of our carnal and our redeemed natures, it is impossible for us to do this for ourselves, because of the constant warring of those two natures in our lives!

Today, I was at a birthday party with my two-year old great-nephew.  (The party was for his older brother.)  The little boy was dressed in a gorgeous Noah's Ark "shortall" , with smocking on the front. (You mamas out there know what I mean).  But, as beautiful as his outfit was, it became smeared with icing from the cookie cake, the red sauce from the pizza.  It was all over his mouth, hands.... everything he touched bore the mark of grease.
Even Christians get their royal robes dirty! We sin from time to time (let's be honest - - DAILY), and we have to run to our Lord for confession, forgiveness, cleansing, restoration.  Hopefully, along the way, we grow in our faith as we learn more of the heart of our Savior through His Word.
This process is not the same as walking in sin, wallowing in sin - - apostasy.

Saving faith, true belief, is especially complex from the standpoint of identifying who is Christian and who is not.  We can observe a person's life, but only God knows that person's heart.

However ...
I have come to believe that the strongest indicator of a true Christian (that person claiming allegiance to Christ, claiming that He is Savior) is this: steadfast, persevering faith.
Honest, authentic faith endures.  The true Christian's "belief" is so strong and pure that it refuses to capitulate to apostasy when confronted with worldly philosophies or when that belief is challenged by the direst persecution.

Take a look at today's passage, Hebrews 10:26-39 (ESV).  It's long, but so important that I'm choosing to reprint it here.

26For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 29How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37For,

“Yet a little while,

and the coming one will come and will not delay;

38but my righteous one shall live by faith,

and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.”

39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

Don't worry --- I won't exegete every verse.  We'd be here for hours.  But, let's start with verse 39. The apostle John says something very similar in 1 John 2:19 (ESV).

 19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

It could be argued that many (if not most) Americans have heard the gospel message of Jesus Christ. In other words, they have "received knowledge of the truth" (vs. 26).  Many of those who "heard" might have gone so far as to profess allegiance to Jesus Christ, yet without a true belief. They may have walked the aisle, parroted a prayer that someone led them in, etc. - - maybe because it was what their family expected, or what their friends were doing.  But, there was no sincere, deep belief in the heart.  It is these folks who are spoken of in Hebrews 10:26-31.  SO many across the world have never had a chance to hear the message of the gospel!  How much worse it will be for those who have had a chance to hear, perhaps over a period of years and years, and still have not believed, truly believed to the point of a changed heart.

The evidence of a true heart change, a supernatural transformation, is the "fruit" which genuine belief, authentic faith, produces.  After all, as Jesus said, "a good tree produces good fruit" (Matthew 7:17 NLT).  You will not see apple trees producing figs.  Or, as the Lord also said, "You will recognize them by their fruit" (Matthew 7:20 NET).

You can resemble a Christian believer and not be one; but you can't be a Christian believer and not look like one.

On the flip side, ...
Verses 32-36 describe the true converts of the first century, and the 20 centuries since.  Because of their faith (vs. 38), they endured sufferings (whether ridicule or physical torture or great loss) with JOY!  And, they endured to the end.

Do you see that the actions of these true believers inexorably flowed from their belief, from their saving faith?  The same is true today.  Those who do truly take God at His word concerning Jesus, the Son of God, will not commit apostasy.  They may be enticed and deceived by some false doctrine; but, once shown the truth they will renounce error. They do not "shrink back" (vs. 39)  or eventually reject the eternally saving gospel of Jesus Christ.  Their actions don't "keep them saved"; their actions PROVE they are saved.

Saving faith endures.  This is true belief - - the unmistakable mark of the disciple of Jesus Christ.

Recommended further reading:

https://www.gotquestions.org/perseverance-saints.html
I did not take any material from this site in the writing of this post.  But, the article linked above goes on to expound upon the doctrine called "perseverance of the saints".

The Safest Place

Spending a few minutes in Ezekiel this morning, I came across in chapter 11 today's key verse, verse 8:

"You have feared a sword; so I will bring a sword upon you," the Lord God declares.

Ezekiel 11:8 (NASB)

In this passage the Israelites were in one of their infamous bouts of disobedience to their God.  They had strayed from His ways, substituting the ways, methods and "ordinances" (vs. 12) of the pagan people groups that surrounded them.  Their rulers and leaders were evil, in this regard.

The rulers' rationalization and justification to the people for doing so was, "If we don't do this the nations around us will ravage and conquer us!"  The bottom line was: they were trusting in their own power and in pagan methods to preserve their safety, instead of trusting in YHWH, their God.

There are many circumstances Satan uses to tempt us to fear.  If He can, after all, scare us out of following God boldly, then he has handicapped our effectiveness for the kingdom of God.

Is there a circumstance, or several, making you fearful today?  What is a Christian's antidote to fear?

And, what does it mean to be "safe" anyway?  Does it mean no harm will ever come to you?
No.

While walking resplendent (according to Jesus Christ's example) yields a life of peace and joy, it is not a life free of challenges and sometimes downright pain.   Why?

Let's tackle these questions.

1.  The Antidote to Fear
Simply, the antidotes to fear are prayer and trust in the One who "holds all things in His hands".  If we trust, committing ourselves and our circumstances to God, we can be certain, absolutely certain, that He will:

• do what is right
• guide us
• be with us through every adverse condition
• use all of our situations for His glory and the advancement of our kingdom
• work things out "for our good" (especially when things seem like crap all around us).  (Romans 8:28)

It may not be that He "works things out" the way we'd like, but we can have bedrock, rock-solid trust in His goodness and His sovereignty.
Where is room for fear in that?  No room.  He, and He alone, is our "safest place".

2.   The Answer to Pain
Why must good people suffer?
First of all, there is no one truly righteous, except God.  Christians know this, as it is the first step to becoming a Christian. (Romans 3:10)
But, I'm talking about Christians, those who love God (to the best of their flawed ability) with all their hearts, minds, souls...
Why do Christians, God's family suffer?
Apart from sinful choices which bring suffering down on our own heads, the answer is hinted at in #1 above - - -
All of our life conditions, phases, seasons, circumstances are allowed us so that we can:

• grow in our faith
• be drawn closer to His heart
• become more like our Savior
• bring about the advancement of the gospel message, be instrumental in "His kingdom come, His will be done" (Matthew 6:9-13)
• bring Him glory

So, we must not adopt the methods of the Jewish leaders in Ezekiel 11.  Their methods were to be deceived by and yield to worldly strategies and pagan philosophies to solve spiritual problems (such as dealing with fear and pain).  God's solutions trump and are superior to man's (Satan's) counterfeits every.single.time.

The question is: will we, God's beloved people, be bold and fearless, moving forward in faith and courage, to follow our King in all of life's circumstances?  Are we willing to follow Him and His ways obediently, according to the Word of God, no matter the personal cost?  Is the battle worth it?  Is HE worth it?

Yes, and so be it.   I believe He is worth it all.

Heavenly King and Father God,
"Give us wisdom.  Give us courage, for the facing of this hour....for the facing of this hour!"
In Jesus' name, amen.

Jesus Wept, Then and Now

"Hear my prayer, O LORD!

Listen to my cry for help!

Do not ignore my sobbing!

For I am dependent on you, like one residing outside his native land..."

Psalm 39:12 (NET)

Being somewhat dense and obtuse about such matters anyway (my intuition IQ is low), it was not until this morning that I realized a contemporary of my older son had passed away suddenly over the weekend.

22 years old.  Handsome.  Smart.  Kind.  Dead from a massive heart attack.  Sudden death.

What are we supposed to do with that?

The Christian response tends toward the philosophical at such times, whereupon we hear (and spout) such platitudes as:
"It was just his time to go."
"God is in control."
Etc.

Non-Christians look at us at such times with incredulousness and horror.  And why not?  Our theology has eclipsed our humanity.

Theology, even good theology, is no cure for the broken heart of loved ones who cry out from the depths of devastation, "How can I now go on?!"

It is so very, very easy to believe God and to believe IN God when your children are safe and healthy, when things are rosy all around.  But, when they are not, we humans generally choose one of two paths:

• We either run to God for supernatural comfort that only He can give.  Or... 
• We harden our hearts against Him because of our deep pain and walk away.

It is never harder to turn to God than when in our pain because, at some level, we all have to deal with the temptation to "blame Him" for what happened. Our limited minds are unable to make sense of it.  As Martha and Mary said to Jesus, who arrived just a few days after her brother, Lazarus, had died,

"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died!" 

(John 11:20, 32 ESV)  

We, too, are prone to question, like those gathered around Lazarus' tomb, while Jesus stood there and wept with those he loved:

"See how he loved him!"  But, some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?" 

(John 11:36-37 ESV) 

In our current study of Hebrews we see the negative example of the Hebrew people given in chapters 3 and 4.  When times turned very ugly for them, after leaving Egypt, they questioned God and turned away from Him in unbelief (Numbers 14:33-34).  With every hardship, their hearts became harder against God, until finally, He removed His hand of blessing from them.

What does God long to do in our times of pain?  Punish us by pushing us away?  No.  He longs to gather us to Himself where He can pour out the miraculous comfort that only He is capable of giving. Like when Lazarus died, He knows our pain and weeps with us.  The only bit of theology He imparted on that sorrowful occasion was this beautiful promise:

"I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,

and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"

John 11:25-26 (ESV)

Belief.  Faith.

As His children, Christians, we are the only Jesus that an unbelieving world sees.  No one wants to hear your sanctimonious words of false comfort or your theological platitudes in a time of unimaginable pain.  What is needed is for His true children to represent Him as He would if He were still here on earth, instead of sitting at God's right hand, where He is praying for us, interceding for us every moment.  What is needed is for us to live out Romans 12:15 - - 

"...weep with those who weep."

Father, our hearts are broken over the sudden loss of this precious young man.  We are just stunned, reeling.  We don't understand why this had to be.  Lord, I pray for all who loved him and will go on loving him until the day of their own death.  In this time of deepest grief, be real through us your children, who love you and trust you with all of our lives, the good, the bad and the ugly.  I trust you, Lord, because I know that your ways are perfect.  But, that knowledge is not enough right now.  So, Lord Jesus, weep with us.  I pray your immense love will shine forth, be poured out in abundance over this family and these friends today and in the many days to come.  In Your holy name I pray, amen.

I've Heard of You!

It feels good to sit here at my desk, starting the book of Colossians.  I began Philippians nearly six weeks ago, and being immersed in that book sustained me through some of the more difficult spiritual circumstances of my life, lately.  I'm grateful for God's sustaining grace and for His empowering direction during troubling times.  Miracles are more apparent during those times; faith is strengthened.  God is good!

At any rate, the next Pauline letter in the chronological study we've doing is Colossians.   So, onward!

4because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—

(1:4, NIV)

9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.

(1:9, NIV)

There are a couple of mega-churches of which I have heard and would love to visit.  One is the Brooklyn Tabernacle, in New York City.  Those of you who know I'm a musician understand my fascination.  The choir there has, for years, been glorious!
The other is John Hagee's church, in San Antonio.   I ALMOST got to visit it when I was in that town for a reading convention a few years back; but, to my misfortune, Dr. Hagee was out of the pulpit that Sunday.  Bummer!

In the verses above, Paul says he has "heard of" the church at Colosse, because he never visited there, at least, he had not to this point, nor is there any record that he did later.  By this time, A.D. 60, he was nearing the end of his ministry and his life.  Paul did not plant the church at Colosse either.  It appears from chapter 1:7 that the church was started by someone named Epaphras.  Who was he?

In his New Testament Commentary1 Warren Wiersbe notes that the Colosse was a small town.  The Colossian church, a predominantly Gentile church, was started by two converts from the church in Ephesus.  Those two converts were Epaphras and Philemon.  We can reconstruct this from comparing Acts, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon.

Acts 19:10 tells us the scope of the Ephesian church's influence.  Ephesus was a large town, large church, which "planted" smaller churches all throughout Asia.  One of these was the Colossian church, which was probably about five years old at the time Colossians was written.

"We have heard of your faith...."

What a tremendous compliment!  Here was the renowned apostle Paul, writing to this little po-dunk church to say that their faith had come to his attention.

Another point that is key here is that this (seemingly) little "nobody" church was a key player in "spreading the gospel to every creature", as Jesus had commanded.  We are often deceived into believing that the big, flashy ministries are the ones that matter.  Just this morning I was thinking about Beth Moore, for instance.  There is no doubt in the world that her ministry has been and is continuing to be mightily used by God to save souls, release Christians from spiritual bondage, and so forth.  She has been used by God tremendously in my own life!  But, my next thought was something akin to this:  my little ministry is worth less than nothing.  That was a devil-thought sent like a flaming arrow to my spirit, right there!

I assure you that neither you nor I can comprehend the scope or influence of this ministry or any other, for that matter.  Only God knows.  I believe we will be shocked and amazed if and when God reveals to us in Heaven which ministries He used the most to further His kingdom!  Most of them we probably will never have heard of!

One of my college roommates lost her father a couple of weeks ago.  He had been pastor of his church, one church, for over 60 years!!!  Yes, you did read that right!
Or, I think of my friend, whose ministry is under tremendous spiritual attack at the moment.  Who KNOWS what God wants to do with that ministry of his, in the future, when Satan is defeated in his current attempt to destroy it!
Or, there's Jim Elliot2, whose name came up in Sunday School yesterday.  Jim's ministry to the natives in Ecuador, on the face of it, looks like a terrible tragedy.  Yet, God has used that ministry to not only bring many of those Ecuadorian natives to salvation in Jesus Christ, Jim is famous around the world today for his witness and his martyrdom.

So, my fellow believer, don't think that you are a "nobody" for the kingdom.  God knows you.  He knows your heart.  He knows the extent of your love for Him.  He wants to use you in ways that you cannot even imagine or even see with human eyes.

Be faithful.

"We have heard of your faith...."

Father, You know the name of each of us, Your children.  We may believe that what You have called us to is insignificant or, even....silly!  But, only You know the true impact of our callings, faithfully fulfilled, to Your kingdom.  Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven!  May each of us shrug off the enemy's arrows and re-affirm in our hearts the spiritual callings you have placed on our lives today.  Grow our faith exponentially, Father!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Sources:

1   Wiersbe, Warren W., and Warren W. Wiersbe. The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete New Testament in One Volume. Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2007. Print, p. 658.

2  End of the Spear, 2005.

A Hob-nail Boot

Does that look like a boot to you?  Does to me.  It's a seashore scene from South Africa.  Do you know what a hob-nail boot is?  It's a boot with short nails inserted into the sole in a regular pattern. The primary purpose for these nails is to give the sole more durability, but they also serve to give traction to the boot.  No slippery soles with hob-nails.  You step on something with a hob-nail boot and whatever you step on isn't going anywhere.

I figure there are situations in most of our lives, Christians, which frustrate us.  In my case, I get very aggravated when I see .... well, let's just call it "evil prospering".  I do not like to see evil prosper. When the anti-God side wins, it makes me mad, especially when I've poured heart and soul into what "should" have been "the winning side".  Are you feelin' what I'm feelin' this morning?  Can you point to an area like this in your life and say, "uhm-hm, yeah...."

It SEEMS like God is oblivious, at times like that, doesn't it?  Paul must have felt this type of consternation because he often referenced it in his letters.  Today's text is Ephesians 1:20-23.

20which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

In a moment I'm going to reference some other places Paul echoes this same theme.  But first, look at Psalm 110:1 - - 

Of David. A psalm. The LORD says to my lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."

Yes, this verse has dual applicability, like a lot of OT prophetic scriptures.  It referred to David's reign, first of all, but also to God's speaking to Jesus, in one of those intra-Godhead conversations. You may recall that Jesus tied the Pharisees up in knots over this verse, in Matthew 22:41-46.  In that exchange, by the way, He was declaring his Messiahship to them; but, they were too obtuse to either see or embrace Him as such.  In Acts 2:34-35, Luke referenced this same verse from Psalms, recounting Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost, the very day the Holy Spirit was given.

Here, now, are the other Pauline references:

 For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.

1 Cor. 15:27

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Ephesians 4:15

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Colossians 1:18

12but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, 13waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET. 

Hebrews 10:12-13

The last enemy to be eliminated is death.  

1 Cor. 15:26

This plan of God's, to give Jesus Christ the spot of King Jesus, has been going on long before Jesus was ever born as a human baby.  The same Person of the Triune Godhead who was the Creator-of-all is the same One who put on flesh (Greek: sarx) and the same One who now sits at the right hand of God the Father, advocating for us, interceding for us ... and ruling over the Church as well as this entire world.  Death - - the last enemy to be destroyed.  Oh, He triumphed over death when He rose from the grave, but He will not totally destroy death (as it still serves His plan) until "the end of time", as described in Revelation.

So, why can't we see it?  We are not designed to see God's master plan, unfurled outside of the bounds of Time.  If we could, we would not need faith, would we?  But, even then, our humanity limits our understanding.  Even in those times when God peeled back a corner of Heaven and revealed to one of us His ways, we dealt with that knowledge in incredibly imbecilic fashion, generally speaking.  He is "beyond us" - - far past our limited understanding.

Still, He rules.  He reigns.  Even when it does not look like it around here.  Even when it appears as if evil is crowing triumphantly, evil is a pawn in God's mighty hand.  Ephesians 1:21 emphasizes that NO spiritual entity or power is superior to Christ Jesus, NO matter how things appear.  Christ's "hob-nail boot" is on Satan's neck.  It is finished, Satan.  You.Are.Done.

Seeing is not believing, unless you are looking with eyes of faith.  That's what I have resolved to do, today.  How about you?

Father, Son and Spirit, You rule over all.  I choose to trust You and even to praise You today, even in the face of discouragement, disappointment and fear.   Keeping my eyes fixed on my Head, Jesus, banishes those negative, incapacitating emotions.  King Jesus is on the throne!  He has it all in His hands.  Hallelujah for that.  What a truth worth praising!  What a King worth worshipping!  In Jesus' name, amen.

Bless Me Indeed!

Yesterday's post I began with a song.  Let's do that again today.

'Bless me Lord! Bless me Lord!'
You know, that's all I ever hear.
No one aches, no one hurts,
No one even sheds one tear.
But, He cries, He weeps, He bleeds
And He cares for your needs
And you just sit back and keep soakin' it in...

The ground-breaking Christian musician, Keith Green, wrote these words back in the 1970s.  The song, a powerful anthem to the Church, was titled, "Asleep in the Light".  Keith's point is that, when we communicate with God, our usual aim is to get His "blessing" on our lives.  "Oh Genie God, gimme this and this and, oh...especially THIS!"  Everyone wants that, right?  Even those who do not worship and follow Jesus Christ want that!  God's blessing.

Today, I was reminded of a Biblical character who also desired God's blessing, but not for selfish purposes as Keith described in his song.  Let me introduce you to him. His name was Jabez.  The only mention we have of him in scripture is from 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NKJV).

⁹ Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez,^[a] saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” ¹⁰ And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

So, we see here that Jabez asked for the Lord's blessing.  In fact, he asked for a heaping helping of blessing!  He asked that God would give him more "territory" (land) and that God's hand would be on him throughout his life. Finally, he asked that God would keep him from the pitfalls of evil so that he would not cause pain to others or bring it on himself.

About that last part: the Hebrew verb is translated as "do grieve" - - so that evil might not "do grieve" or "wreak havoc".  Some translations say "cause pain to me" and others say "cause pain to others".  I believe the actual language indicates both.

Regardless, God granted Jabez his request.

Now, it is clear that Jabez had a relationship with God.  If you have never talked to God or don't have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ, this is the #1 blessing God is longing to give you. Before you can receive God's additional blessings, it is required that you come to know Jesus as Savior.  This momentous, life-changing decision was the topic of yesterday's post.  But, Jabez was already a follower of the one, true God.  The remainder of my post today, then, is to believers, Christ-followers.

Some would say that Jabez was praying selfishly.  A careful examination of the passage though indicates that he wanted to "be more and do more for God".  He wanted God's hand to be on him.  His desire was to serve the God of his fathers, the Israelites.  His desire was so great and the blessings God gave him so massive that Jabez became clearly distinguished from his many brothers. We see these 2 verses in the middle of a monotonous roll call (a chronicle, if you will) of many dusty, dead Hebrew people.

What application does Jabez's example have for Christians today?  We can learn from him the following:

1.  Your starting point is unimportant.  Look at the four remaining GOP presidential candidates (if you are reading this in "real time").  One was "born with a silver spoon in his mouth": born into great wealth.  The other three were not.  One had a father who was a postman.  The parents of the other two came to this country as immigrants. Yet, all four are running for the highest office in the land.  Who do you think put them in the running?  That's right!  God did.  He is the one who sets kings on their thrones (Daniel 2:21).  So, my point is that Jabez came from humble beginnings.  He was one of several brothers, probably not even the firstborn son.  His mother had such trouble birthing him that she gave him a somewhat derogatory name to commemorate the experience.  "Hello!  I'd like for you to meet my son, Pain!" Jabez was, in the world's eyes, a "nobody."
Names tend to define a person.  Having a name that meant "pain" did not paint a rosy future for Jabez.  Did he let his name limit his future walk with God?  No.

2.  God wants to be asked.  He has, of course, all earthly blessings in His hands, at his disposal.  He wants us to ask Him for them.  Jabez boldly asked and that he was deemed "honorable" because he did!  Jesus said in Luke 12:32 that "it is God's good pleasure to give you the kingdom". That does not mean He will give us anything we ask for.

3.  God wants our hearts to be turned toward Him, in line with His priorities, bonded to His mission for the salvation of mankind.  When we ask with a sincere heart that wants to expand His kingdom, to make a bigger impact for Him, He opens His hand.  Beyond asking God to "enlarge his territory", Jabez didn't get more specific.  By faith, he trusted God to direct and use him as He saw fit.

4.  We must be watchful for and desirous of avoiding the traps and trappings of evil, even as we ask God for His supernatural protection.

I got to experience this recently, actually this morning!  You may think that I'm going to mention the directions this blog has taken, as I referred to that a day or two ago.  But, no.  God has opened another door of opportunity for another avenue of ministry in which I'm privileged to serve.  It was such a miraculous occurrence that it has been obvious it's a work of God and a blessing from Him! How thrilling is that?!

God's blessing is not just for Christians who are "in ministry".  (All of us should be in some sort of ministry; but, that is a whole 'nuther blog post!)  When our hearts are Christ's, He wants to use our everyday endeavors, our jobs, our family life, our hobbies - - - all of it, to bring Him glory!
Christian, if your heart longs to do more for God, ask Him.  God longs to use you to make His name glorious, through all the Earth!

Father, we so often put hindrances on our lives...fear is a big one.  May we learn from Jabez's example and boldly lay our lives at Your feet, for Your glory.  Enlarge my territory today, Lord. Make Your name famous!  Please keep Your hand on me so that evil doesn't wreak havoc in my life to cause pain to me or to others.  In Jesus' name, amen.


Source:

Bruce Wilkinson wrote a short, little book about 16 years ago.   I highly recommend it!

Wilkinson, Bruce. The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking through to the Blessed Life. Sisters, Or.: Multnomah, 2000. Print.