The Shiloh Guy

ONE FLOCK! ONE SHEPHERD!

2010-01-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (John 10:14-16)

When Jesus speaks of being the good shepherd, he is saying a lot. I know my sheep and my sheep know me. Jesus says that he knows those who belong to him, those who have been given to him by the Father. Just as sheep respond to the voice of their shepherd, those who belong to Jesus hear his voice and respond. Please notice this: Jesus’ sheep already belong to him before he calls them and they hear his voice! These are the ones for whom Jesus died. His sheep are already his before they answer his call! Those of us who are Christians already know this to be true. How did we ever come to faith in Christ? We heard his voice and responded. But how could we respond unless we already belonged to him?

Jesus goes on to say, I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. Jesus already had many sheep who were not part of the Jewish sheep pen. He had sheep from all the nations and peoples of the world. These would have to come to him as well. But Jesus never went to those nations to call his sheep! How would they come? His followers would go in his place and they would call out the good news Jesus gave them. Listen, this is amazing: When we call people to come to follow Jesus, it is his voice that they hear! They recognize the voice of the Master…not ours!

There will be only one flock with one shepherd. This is the kind of teaching that is speaking powerfully to me in these days. One flock. One shepherd. Not a flock of white sheep and a flock of black sheep and a flock of Asian sheep and a flock of Mexican sheep, just one flock! We are all to be one as Jesus prayed in John 17. There should not be a Baptist flock and a Methodist flock and an Anglican flock and a Reformed flock and a Pentecostal flock. Just as there is only one shepherd there can be only one flock; yet we continue to try to pull ourselves apart to form our own flocks! When will we learn to begin to do the work we must do in order to be the one flock Jesus leads? When will we stop pointing out the flaws in the other sheep of our flock as if we are the only perfect sheep? One flock. One shepherd. These are the words of the Good Shepherd.

Please keep an eye on the bookshelves in your local Christian bookstore. My dear friend, John Armstrong, has a book coming in the next month or so that is a must read on this subject. It is entitled Your Church Is Too Small and will be in your bookstores soon.

NEW DAVIDS

2010-01-13T11:32:00.001-08:00

David and Goliath
1 Samuel 17

Sometimes I am surprised by the things that come to my mind when I am reading my Bible. I see things I have never seen before and think thoughts I’ve never thought before. At times my ideas seem so outlandish that I’m afraid to talk to anyone about them. I recently read 1 Samuel 17, the account of David and Goliath.

Goliath was challenging and opposing the army of Israel on a daily basis. Saul and his army sat behind their front lines and listened to the challenges and did nothing. They were afraid. No one was willing to stand up and fight this enemy. They waited and waited while not knowing what it was they were waiting for. And so the church has stood behind the lines for generations while the opposition has strengthened its position and hurled its challenges. The American church has stood on its history while waiting for something to happen. It has become increasingly isolationist and irrelevant as the years have passed.

David arrived on the scene at the front lines and began asking inconvenient questions. Surely older experienced warriors resented his questioning. He showed no fear of the Philistine and wondered aloud why nothing was being done. But David was attacked by his brother for being conceited and wicked. And so some Davids arose in the church and began asking inconvenient questions of church leaders and denominations. Why isn’t the church engaging the culture? Why are we living separately? Shouldn’t we advance in the name of Jesus and listen to what the society has to say and enter into dialogue? But the church criticized the Davids and implied they had become liberal while they were the ones who were holding onto the truth. Suddenly, the opposition was no longer the culture but the church itself.

Saul gave David his armor. “Here, son. Take my armor. I’ve always worn it against my enemies. All the warriors wear armor. It’s the way we’ve always fought.” But David could not feel comfortable in the armor. He was not used to the way the warriors of Israel fought. This was a big problem for the church. The young Davids did not fight in the same way they had always fought. They had their own weapons. They actually wanted to go out and meet the giant without the old armor!

David went forth in the name of the LORD Almighty and confronted Goliath. He went forth in faith. He believed that the battle was the Lord’s and the Lord was going before him to fight for him. It was not the sword or spear that would save him. It was not the weapons of the old ways that would protect him. And so the church has to deal with Davids who fight the battle with different weapons. Perhaps the old warriors shake their heads and sit back to watch thinking the young Davids will be destroyed. Or perhaps they fear that the young Davids will fail because they have abandoned the old ways. They may even believe that the young Davids are not fighting for the church anymore because of the way they fight. But David killed Goliath because the Lord was with him and things were never the same in Israel again.

JUDGING BY APPEARANCES...

2010-01-06T21:39:00.000-08:00

1 Samuel 16

The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king” (1 Samuel 16:1).

Samuel went to Bethlehem to sacrifice and worship. He invited Jesse and his sons to join him at the sacrifice. Samuel saw Jesse’s son, Eliab, and thought, “Surely the LORD’S anointed stands here before the LORD” (1 Samuel 16:6). But God said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

So the other sons of Jesse came and stood before Samuel; Abinadab, Shammah, and four more! None of these seven sons of Jesse was chosen to be king. Samuel knew that God hadn’t chosen any of them. So he asked Jesse if he had any more sons. Jesse answered, “Yes, the youngest; but he is tending the sheep” (1 Samuel 16:11). In other words, David occupied the lowest position among Jesse’s sons. He was the shepherd. He was the dirty, stinky one. Surely the Lord would not choose him! But when David arrived the Lord said to Samuel, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one” (1 Samuel 16:12).

It seems that nobody would have chosen David. He had seven older brothers, some of whom really looked the part of a king. But man looks at the outward appearance, the LORD looks at the heart! We see that more than once in this passage. The Lord tells Samuel to quit the mourning for Saul. Yes, Saul was tall and handsome and powerful and charismatic. But that is all outside stuff. His heart was not with God! David was the least of his brothers. But that was all outside stuff too. His heart was a heart after God’s own!

The church has been deceived far too many times by judging according to appearance. People who dress well and come across as polished and fluent and smart and successful, are given positions of leadership and influence. People who are always in attendance at worship are generally considered to be faithful Christians. Those who give generously are thought of as committed disciples of Christ. While those who are poor or less educated or not very well-spoken are not considered good enough for leadership roles. But all this is outside stuff! We must quit looking at the outside and seek to see the heart!

Aren’t you glad that God does not judge by appearances? Aren’t you glad that he is not fooled by how things look on the outside? I am! But at the same time I realize that what this means is that I need to make sure my heart really is where it ought to be. Oh! That God would give me the heart of David! The heart that is after God’s own heart!

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS...

2009-12-24T09:21:00.000-08:00

Everything that God the Father had commanded had been done. All was very carefully prepared. Gabriel had gone to Mary and explained to her that she had been chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah. Then he had gone to Joseph and calmed his spirit by telling him that Mary’s pregnancy was a miracle of God. On the night before Christmas Gabriel was occupying his usual place near the throne, waiting to see if he would be needed yet again. Caesar Augustus had been prompted to take a census of his empire which caused the chosen family to embark on their journey to Bethlehem. The caravansary in Bethlehem was filled so Joseph was trying to make Mary as comfortable as possible in a stable. The shepherds were in position; camping in the fields outside Bethlehem. The Christ star was prepared as a signal to God’s magi in Parthia. The angelic host was gathered for their approaching mission to Earth and the fields of Bethlehem. All was in place and the fullness of time was at hand.

There must have been a sense of great wonder and awe in heaven over what was about to happen. The citizens of heaven gathered close around the throne to listen to the conversation between the Father and the Son. The Son was preparing to take leave of his Father and he was saying goodbye. He was about to set aside the glory that had been his throughout eternity. He was humbling himself, preparing to take on the form of a human being. The angels wondered to one another, “How can he do such a thing?” They struggled to understand the mind of God and his plan.

The time had come. The angels were in place. The star was ready. Jesus said goodbye. What did Jesus say to his Father? What were his words? The farewell message had been given to King David as a prophecy and David had written them in one of his psalms, Psalm 40. The Son fulfilled the prophecy by repeating them to his Father and they are recorded for us in Hebrews 10:5-7.

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, O God.' "

This is what the Son of God said to his Father on the night before Christmas!

GOOD NEWS OF GREAT JOY

2009-12-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

The Christmas shepherds were in the fields doing what they did every night when the weather was warm and the sheep had been sent out for the season. They rarely went into town during this time of year. Often, even their supplies were brought out to them so they didn’t have to leave the sheep to go get them. It’s important to try to picture the scene in order to grasp the significance of the event that was about to take place. For the shepherds, this night was absolutely no different from any other night in the fields. They weren’t expecting anything at all. That’s when the angel appeared among them. We almost always picture the angel with wings hovering above the shepherds in midair. It may not have been like that at all. He may have simply appeared in their midst looking just like a human being. The dead giveaway was that “the glory of the Lord shone around them.” The very next words in Luke’s gospel can be literally translated, “and they feared a mega-fear.” These men were stricken with a terror greater than any terror they had ever known! Then the angel said his first words, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy…” That was a real relief! There was a superstition that had been hung onto for generations about supernatural appearances. It was believed that any spiritual manifestation was a sign of certain and rapid death. In other words, people believed that angels only brought bad news. These men were terrified because they were sure they were about to die! But the angel continued, “…good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord!” He had brought good news! Good tidings of great joy for all the people; even them! This was good news, not fearful news! By the end of their night’s adventure the truth of the angel’s message had turned the shepherds’ fear into joy! They had met their Messiah, the Christ!

In these last few days before Christmas, let us remember the message of the angel. He brought good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Like that herald angel, we have been given the privilege of proclaiming the good news as well. Let us not be fearful or hesitant to tell it because it is the message of great joy. People around us don’t really know what joy is. All they know is a shallow form of happiness and empty fun. We have the good news that fills a heart with joy. And let us not ever forget that our good news is for all the people! Spread the news widely and broadly. Tell the story of the angel and his news and let them all know what Christmas really means!

TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE

2009-12-18T21:19:00.000-08:00

To obey is better than sacrifice
I don't need your money
I want your life
And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon
But you act like I'll never return

Well you speak of grace and my love so sweet
How you thrive on milk, but reject My meat
And I can't help weeping of how it will be
If you keep on ignoring My words
Well you pray to prosper and succeed
But your flesh is something I just can't feed

To obey is better than sacrifice
I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights
Cause if you can't come to Me every day
Then don't bother coming at all

To obey is better than sacrifice
I want hearts of fire
Not your prayers of ice
And I'm coming quickly
To give back to you
According to what you have done

Remember those lyrics by Keith Green from his album No Compromise in 1978? Keith was a hard-hitting lyricist and singer who had a major impact on my life when I was in youth ministry and I continued to follow his music ministry for years after.

He took the idea for this song from 1 Samuel 15. Samuel told King Saul that God wanted to destroy the Amalekites because of what they had done to the Israelites on their journey from Egypt. Samuel was specific. Saul was to destroy every man, woman, child, infant, cattle, sheep, camel and donkey (1 Samuel 15:3). Saul went on his mission but he and his men saved out the best of the livestock and Saul allowed King Agag to live. When Samuel found Saul after the battle he asked him why he hadn’t done what God commanded. Saul protested that he had done everything God said. And Samuel responded, What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear? (1 Samuel 15:14) Saul defended himself by saying, The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest. (1 Samuel 15:15) And Samuel said, Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22) As a result of Saul’s compromise, the LORD tore the kingdom from Saul’s hands and sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint David king over Israel.

We could use another Keith Green these days. As I look at the American church I fear we are in more danger than ever of making it our own instead of God’s. There are more leaders shaping the gospel into words they find more acceptable. There are more people using absolutely unbelievable ideas on Sundays and daring to call them worship. More and more entertainment and less and less broken obedience.

To obey is better than sacrifice
I want hearts of fire
Not your prayers of ice
And I'm coming quickly
To give back to you
According to what you have done

JOSEPH AND MARY

2009-12-14T23:41:00.000-08:00

I have no text on which to comment tonight. Instead, I’d just like to share what I was thinking about last week and shared during worship yesterday.

Every Advent season my thoughts return to Joseph and Mary, the people. Who were they before the Gabriel came to visit them and change their lives forever? What kind of people were they? Were they serious or lighthearted? Were they popular with others of their own age? Did they have really close friends in Nazareth? Did they ever try to explain to their friends or families that an angel had visited them and revealed that Mary was the one God had chosen to be the mother of the Chosen One, the Anointed One, the Messiah?

Apparently Mary went to Joseph to tell him about the angel’s visit. How else would he have known she was pregnant? There had to have been some time between Mary’s revelation to Joseph and the angel’s visit. Matthew says Joseph took time to consider this. His decision was to quietly divorce her so apparently Joseph couldn’t bring himself to believe her. But what a good man he was! He had no desire to humiliate her any more than she would be humiliated after nine months. What an incredible relief it must have been to this young man when the angel came to reveal all to him!

And how was Mary feeling knowing that her man didn’t believe her? Those days between telling Joseph the truth and seeing him again must have been the most torturous days of her life until Calvary. If Joseph was relieved by the angel’s visit, think what joy flowed out of Mary’s heart the day Joseph showed up at her door and told her the angel had come to him too and they were to get married right away!

Mary was amazed when Gabriel showed up the first time. What a young woman of faith! She said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” God did something to her and she became pregnant. She didn’t ask for it. She wasn’t asked if it was okay with her. God decreed and Mary responded in faith and believed. Then Joseph didn’t believe her. She must have been heartbroken. I would be amazed if she didn’t go home and throw herself on her bed and cry out over and over again, “God! What have you done to me?” The agony preceded the joy.

Again, she had to travel to Bethlehem when she was nine months pregnant. You know what, she was not required by law to go and register. Although women were included in the taxation, their husbands were allowed to register them. So why did she go? Why would she, most likely a middle teenager expecting her first baby, ever leave home, family, and birthing assistance to make an eighty mile trip? And what kind of husband would ask something like that of his young, pregnant wife? I believe these two righteous, God-worshiping young people knew the prophecy that the Christ would be born in Bethlehem and recognized that the registration was God’s providence sending them there to fulfill the prophecy. And again, the agony preceded the joy.

One more thing that seems extremely significant to me at Christmas time. Jesus’ birth is a type of the new birth. Mary didn’t choose to be the mother of the Messiah. She was incapable of making herself the mother of the Messiah. God chose her. God put life into her through the Holy Spirit. God called her to be what he wanted her to be. God protected her and her baby on the long, dangerous journey to Bethlehem and brought forth life.

We are incapable of desiring God or making ourselves Christians. God chose us. He called us to be his children. He put life into us by the Holy Spirit. And he preserves and protects us every day of our lives until Jesus comes in his second advent or until we die and see him face to face!

NOTHING CAN HINDER THE LORD!

2009-12-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

1 Samuel 14

Saul had led the Israelites out against the Philistines and the two armies were encamped on opposite sides of a pass. His son, Jonathan, was inspired to go over to the outpost of the Philistines and see what the Lord might do. He said to his armor-bearer, Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few” (14:6). So Jonathan and his armor-bearer crossed the pass, climbed up the opposite cliff, and with God’s leading, struck down the Philistines. God then put the Philistine army into a panic which resulted in a day of great victory for the LORD and for Israel.

I sense a real need for men like Jonathan in the church today; men who have vision; men who have faith; men who are willing to risk it all for the glory of God. I know men like this. Some of my church-planting brothers are like this. It seems they have God’s vision and enough faith to try anything to reach people for Christ. On the other hand, what good can be done if we sit back and do the same things we’ve been doing for decades, risking nothing? What is it that makes it so difficult for so many of us to step out of our comfort zones?

Jonathan was prepared to return to camp without a battle. Notice he said, “Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf.” Perhaps! In his plan he provided for the possibility that God did not want them to fight that day (14:9). But he took action! He went out to see if God was working that day! Jonathan believed God would show him what he was supposed to do and he knew he had to put himself in a position to be used by God. So many times we don’t put ourselves in useful positions. There is too much at risk.

We need to ask ourselves if we really believe the words Jonathan said to his armor-bearer. Do we believe that “nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few?” Are we afraid that we will fail? Do we think victory and success are up to us? It is the Lord who does the saving. It doesn’t matter if there are just two of us or many of us. God wants men and women who are willing to step out in faith and risk all for the kingdom and his name’s sake! Because Jonathan stepped out in faith Israel won a great victory.

I want to be like Jonathan! I want to have a vision of the church’s victory! I want to act, not just sit back and see what God might or might not do. I want to see a great victory for the church and for the kingdom of God in my community! May God grant me the vision, the courage, and the faith to be like Jonathan. May there be nothing in my life that I love so much that I wouldn’t risk it for the sake of the kingdom’s victory.

THE MOST POWERFUL TESTIMONY

2009-12-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. (John 5:35, 36 )

The Jews were persecuting Jesus and seeking to find a way to put him to death. How was he supposed to prove that he was telling the truth? Who will testify for Jesus? Who will speak up to bear witness that he is who he says he is? No man could testify for himself and expect to be believed. There had to be witnesses.

So Jesus pointed to John the Baptist. The Jews already had his testimony. They had sent messengers to him to get that testimony and he had given it. John was a light in the darkness and for a little while the people had flocked to him to enjoy the spiritual light he brought.

But that wasn’t the greatest testimony to Jesus’ words. The greatest testimony to the claims of Jesus was the work he did. The Father in heaven had given him a mission and Jesus was working to complete that mission. His actions spoke for themselves. Those who had ears to hear and eyes to see would recognize that he was the Christ, the Son of God. But the Jews did not have the ability to hear or see. Jesus went on to say, You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5:37-40)

This made me think about the mission I/we have been given. We want to be missional. We want to be about the work of the kingdom. We want to complete the work that the body of Christ has been given. So what are we to do?

We live in a world of darkness. But Jesus said we are to be light. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14, 16). We are to bear the same kind of light in our society as John bore in his. The light we bear is shown in our deeds, in the things we do. Jesus said that the greatest testimony to the truth of his claims was the work he was doing, the work the Father had given him. His deeds proved his truth. Likewise, our actions speak louder than our words!

What is it that we are doing? What kind of light is shining from our lives and from our churches? Are we acting and speaking in the love of Jesus? Are we pursuing love and unity in the body of Christ? The church of Christ is one. Our creed states, I believe a holy, catholic church. ONE holy, catholic church! Is our light clear and bright? Or is it dimmed by separatistic pride? Is it clouded by an attitude that we are right and they are wrong?

What is our testimony? What do our works say to the world? Will they know we are Christians by our love? Will they know that the claims of Jesus are true because our unity shouts it out? Or will we continue to keep things the way they have been, at least as long as I can remember?

JUST TAKE HIS WORD FOR IT!

2009-12-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death…Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. (John 4:46-50)

Here was a member of the court of Herod Antipas. The gospel writers give us the general impression that people associated with the royal court were not very spiritually oriented. But this man turned to Jesus in his time of desperate need. His son was lying near death. He had heard of Jesus’ power and the miracles he had performed. Perhaps he had even witnessed something Jesus had done. His only hope was that Jesus would take pity on him. He traveled from Capernaum to Cana to find Jesus and then he repeatedly begged Jesus to come to Capernaum and heal his son. Jesus challenged what faith the man had. He did not agree to go to Capernaum but he told the man that his son would recover and live. The sign of the man’s faith is found in John’s simple statement, “The man took Jesus at his word and departed.”

I’m impressed. Here is a man who was a courtier of a wicked king who would participate in plotting the death of Jesus. I’m impressed by the work of the Holy Spirit who cannot be prevented from reaching into the lives of the most unreachable. I’m impressed by the grace and mercy of God, that it would find a man in that court and touch his life. I’m impressed that such a man would “take Jesus at his word.” There was much at stake for him and he believed Jesus and went on his way.

I think there are many Christian people who have a hard time taking Jesus at his word. How much different would our lives be if we could just accept Jesus’ word for things? We struggle with doubt and fear when Jesus has said that he will always be with us. He told us that he came so we would have abundant life yet we wrestle with stress and anxiety. Can we learn to take him at his word?

One other thing. Not only do we have a hard time accepting Jesus at his word, we also add to or take away from his word. We have his word in our Bibles but we sometimes act like Thomas Jefferson and cut out the parts that are hard to understand or that sound harsh to unbelieving ears. We soften his word. We try to make it easier to digest. If only we could learn to let the power of Jesus’ word carry the day! Let him speak to our lives and to our communities in his own words and then just take him at his word!

I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world. I am the way, the truth, and the life. I am the resurrection and the life. I am the Good Shepherd.

GETTING THE BIG PICTURE

2009-11-29T21:37:00.000-08:00

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

Do you remember when you were learning to drive? It was a long time ago for me but I still remember. Our car had a round hood ornament on it and it looked like the crosshairs in the scope of a rifle. I thought it was pretty smart of the manufacturer to put a sight in the middle of the hood of our car! That way I could just line up the sight with the right line of the lane and I would be sure to keep the car going straight. I couldn’t figure out why the big old Buick kept drifting to the right side of the lane and then to the left! My dad kept telling me to look up, to get the big picture. He told me to keep my eyes up and always moving back and forth from one mirror to the next. I thought, “How am I supposed to do that and still keep the car in the middle of the lane? That’s not safe!” But after I was driving for awhile I realized that the thing that wasn’t safe was having tunnel vision and using my scope to focus on the road immediately in front of me! The only way I would really be safe was if I lifted my eyes up and got the big picture of everything around me!

Children of God should not be surprised when they encounter trouble and hardship in life because we recall the suffering that Jesus experienced and he was the only begotten Son of God! But Paul wants to encourage us so that we will remain faithful to God through all the trouble and hardship we encounter. Tests and trials are difficult for us. They cause us pain and we don’t want pain. We lose our jobs and have a hard time finding another job. We suffer severe physical problems or someone very close to us does. A loved one dies. A child causes us deep heartache or a parent hurts or abuses us. A spouse leaves. These troubles cause deep pain and grief. We take our eyes off of God and begin to see only our trouble. We begin to slip away from God. As we slip away from God we begin to think our own way and we begin to have feelings about why God is letting us hurt so much. Sometimes we start looking around trying to find ways to make ourselves safe, to make ourselves feel better, and we slip farther from God.

Paul doesn’t pretend that everything is going to be peaches and cream for Christians. It’s not. Not only does the Bible say that the Christian life will be full of trouble but the history of Christianity is full of accounts of the persecution and suffering of some of the greatest of God’s people. One simple example will do. Jesus said that John the Baptist was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. He lived his life dressed in animal skins and he ate insects and wild honey. What happened to him? He got his head cut off simply because he told the truth. He didn’t get the big bank account and losing one’s head is far from healthy!

Paul knows that we are going to face big trouble in our lives and he doesn’t want us to be surprised by it. He doesn’t want us to think God has turned his back on us. He doesn’t want us to lose our footing and fall away from God. Paul encourages us so we will stand firm and even grow through our troubles.

So there is going to be suffering for us. There is no question about that. The suffering we experience will seem really harsh and difficult. Paul’s word of advice is that we need to get a bigger picture. Remember the lesson I had to learn when I first started driving? We need to step back and look at our suffering as it compares to the glory that awaits us in heaven. Instead of taking our eyes off of God and focusing on our hardships we need to keep our eyes fixed on the bigger thing. We need to focus on the big picture; on God and his glory. This is the hope that will help us stand firm in the midst of our troubles!

HE MUST INCREASE...

2009-11-12T22:54:00.000-08:00

John 3:30
He must become greater; I must become less. (NIV)

He must increase, but I must decrease. (NASB)

I’ve not posted anything for quite awhile. I’ve had some mental blocks as far as writing is concerned. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking. John 3:30 appeared in my last post and I haven’t been able to get it out of my mind. I keep thinking of ways in which Christ must increase in my life while I decrease. Here is a brief list of all the things that have passed through my scattered brain.

His glory must increase in my life while my pride must decrease. No matter how much I try to put Christ and others before myself in the way I live, I still find an incredible amount of myself in everything I do.

His fame must increase while my name must decrease. That is the unofficial motto of New Hope Church; To Make Jesus’ Name Famous in Our Communities. Why does it seem to be so important that people know who I am or give me credit for what I have done? Who cares who gets the credit? George Whitefield said the same thing, “Let the name of Whitefield perish…”

His kingdom must increase while my kingdom must decrease. The church is his, not mine.

His gospel must increase while my own message must decrease. All I need to do is preach his gospel. Who cares about my opinions about things?

His praise must increase while praise for me must decrease. Whatever I am able to do is completely dependent on Christ.

His power must increase while my influence must decrease.

His control of my thoughts and desires must increase while my selfish control must decrease.

My interest in knowing him intimately must increase while my interest in all other things must decrease.

My interest in serving him must increase while my self-interest must decrease.

I’m sure you can think of many more illustrations of this principle and I would love to hear what the Lord puts into your heart and mind. Please share your thoughts as well!

ONLY WHAT GOD GIVES

2009-11-03T21:44:00.000-08:00

A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. John 3:27

John was ministering at the Jordan River when some of his disciples came to him and reported that Jesus was also baptizing and they said, “Everyone is going to him.” That’s when John responded, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.” John knew he was not the Chosen One and he had always said he wasn’t. He said he came to prepare the way for the Chosen One. Then he said, He must become greater; I must become less (John 3:30).

John knew he would see the crowds around him begin to diminish. He knew his would see his own disciples leave him to follow Jesus. And he rejoiced in this just as the best man rejoices to hear that the bridegroom has arrived. It wouldn’t have mattered if he had tried harder to draw crowds. It wouldn’t have made a difference if he had used some gimmickry to get more people to come to him. He knew the truth, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.” Even if he tries to take more, he will only fail, because God is in control.

How does this relate to a pastor? More specifically, how does this relate to a church planting pastor? Do we believe this statement? Do we accept this truth that we can only receive what God gives us? Should we try all kinds of gimmicks to get more and more people to come to our churches? Should we covet the larger crowds who go to the established churches? Or can we take a stand on this truth? God will give us those whom he chooses to give us and there is nothing we can or should try to do about it?

Pride is a powerful thing. It is fundamental in all people to some degree. I think it is the most diabolical aspect of the fall and the curse. It was pride that caused Satan to be cast out of heaven. It is that same pride that makes us think we know better than God knows. It is that pride that makes us want to have more than God is giving us. We desire bigger crowds. We desire different spiritual gifts. We desire power and influence. We desire all the things that make us feel important. Those desires have to be put to death as we grow in our sanctification so we can honestly say that we only want what God gives us. We need to learn that Christ must increase while we decrease!

SAMPSON SLEPT THROUGH IT

2009-10-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

Judges 16:20 [Sampson] awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him.

The story of Sampson and Delilah is a familiar one. Sampson had been plaguing the Philistines for a long time and they were trying to find a way to overpower him and take him prisoner. When Sampson fell in love with Delilah the Philistines thought they had a certain way to entrap him. They told Delilah to find out the secret of his strength so they could take him. Of course Sampson lied to Delilah the first three times. He told her that seven fresh thongs could hold him, that a new rope could hold him, and that if his hair was woven into a loom it could hold him. Delilah whined to Sampson that he was making a fool of her so Sampson told her the truth. If his hair was shaved off he would become just like a normal man. Delilah shaved his head while he slept and when she called out that the Philistines were upon him Sampson awoke and thought he could throw them off as before. But to his chagrin he discovered that the LORD had left him while he slept.

I think of the words of Jesus as he spoke to Peter, James and John in the Garden of Gethsemane. Watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak (Mark 14:38). Sampson was willing to defeat the Philistines but his flesh was weak. Temptation came to him over and over again. He had so much confidence in his own strength that he lazily fell asleep and Delilah was able to rob him of his strength. His unwillingness to say “no” to the flesh and his arrogance led to his downfall.

We can be grateful for this truth: God will never leave us or forsake us. His Spirit will never leave us. We live under the new covenant and do not have to worry about having the Lord depart from us. However, we need to be alert and keep watch! Temptation does not just come once and then leave us. It comes over and over again. If we do not keep watch we will fall into temptation and our ensuing sin will hinder our walk with God. We need to be people of prayer. Prayer is an act of humility and faith. The arrogant do not pray. The faithless do not pray. The arrogant think they can overcome in their own strength and they don’t need to pray. Those who have no faith in God do not waste time saying words that will never be heard. Churches and Christians who fail to pray will be caught off guard by the Enemy. Their self-confidence will lead them to fail. The danger is that one day we will wake up and find that the power of the Lord has left us and that we have become weak.

JESUS AND PILATE AND MY PREDICAMENT

2009-10-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

Luke 23:13-43

Reading about the crucifixion of Jesus tonight. My thoughts are all over the place. I’ve been sitting trying to make sense out of all the things that are flying through my mind. Finally, I concluded that this text gives me a peek at just how evil the human heart can be. I don’t think anyone would disagree when I say that the crucifixion of Jesus was the most heinous crime in all of human history. And when I look at how it was finally accomplished it leaves me with a feeling of frightened discomfort.

Pilate really wants to release Jesus. Now that doesn’t make him a good man. It’s hard to tell why he was so committed to doing the right thing here. I’ve always wondered just how much his wife’s dream affected him. She told him to have nothing to do with “that innocent man” because her dream had caused her great suffering. Perhaps he didn’t want to give the Jews what they wanted. Whatever his reason was, Pilate found himself trying to do the right thing even if it was through bad motives.

He tells the Jews that their charges were groundless. He had examined Jesus in front of the rulers of the people and found that Jesus did not incite insurrection. Therefore he had done nothing against Roman law. Herod returned Jesus to Pilate because he wasn’t concerned that Jesus was going to wrest his kingdom from him. Pilate would punish Jesus and let him go.

But the leaders of the Jews incited the crowd. That is obvious because it says the people cried out “with one voice.” In other words, they had been coached or even threatened. They called for the release of Barabbas. Here is the beginning of the frightening phenomenon called a “mob.” Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate tried to reason with them but you can’t reason with a mob. A mob takes on a life of its own. Pilate tried one more time. “Why should I have him crucified? What crime has he committed? There are no grounds for execution!” No good. The mob continued to shout and threaten and Pilate stopped trying to do the right thing. By this time all he cared about was controlling the situation as best he could.

Pilate released Barabbas. Then he did something that sends shivers up my spine. Did you ever notice these words before? He “surrendered Jesus to their will!” The hatred of the Jews is awful; awful in the truest sense of the word. They abused their power and stirred up the people to cry for Jesus’ crucifixion. They pressured Pilate and bent him to do what they wanted. It was “their will” to kill Jesus! The will of men can be so horrifyingly evil!

Jesus was exchanged for Barabbas who was probably the real insurrectionist. He had blood on his hands and deserved to die for his crimes. In effect, Jesus substituted for Barabbas and died on his cross. In reality, Jesus substituted for me and died on my cross! My heart was no cleaner than the hearts of those who called for his death. I need to be careful to see myself in this event. He who had no sin became sin for us who deserve death. The words of the criminal crucified beside Jesus come to mind, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Jesus died in my place and suffered the justice for my sin so I could know grace and mercy. He gave me his righteousness so that God could be just when he welcomes me into his presence!

THE PATIENCE OF GOD

2009-10-17T22:06:00.000-07:00

The Midianites were impoverishing Israel year after year when the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon. The words of the Lord to Gideon make me smile, “The LORD is with you, Mighty Warrior” (Judges 6:12). The reading of Gideon’s account gives us little to think he was a mighty warrior! Gideon’s response to these words remind me of my last post here on suffering, “If the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian” (Judges 6:13). Gideon equated the suffering of God’s people with abandonment by God.

The Lord gave Gideon the assignment to save Israel from Midian. Gideon’s response? “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family” (Judges 6:15). How often in the scriptures do we see God choosing to use the lowly for his work? Moses, a shepherd in the back side of the desert who couldn’t speak. David, the youngest of his family and a shepherd. A bunch of fishermen and a tax collector. His strength is made perfect in our weakness!

What Gideon does in response to God’s call would really try my patience if I were the Lord. He wants a sign. So God gives him a sign. Gideon brings a sacrificial goat and lays it on a rock and the Lord touches it with his staff and consumes the sacrifice. OK! Gideon gets to work and tears down the altar to Baal and the Asherah pole and builds an altar to God (but he does it at night because he was still afraid of his family and his fellow townsmen.

The Spirit of the LORD comes upon Gideon and he blows the trumpet summoning his tribe to war. But he seems to have a few more misgivings. This is where the sign with the fleece is requested, just to make sure! In fact, he does it twice, “Do not be angry with me. Let me make just one more request. Allow me one more test with the fleece…” (Judges 6:39).

This passage fills me with comfort. Behold the patience of God! God calls a lowly man to do a great thing. The lowly man has many doubts. He hesitates. He wavers. God gives him sign after sign, promise after promise. God will use this man! God will show patience! God will bring about a great victory in spite of the weakness of his servant!

I’m so glad! Aren’t you?

PAIN, SUFFERING, AND STRESS

2009-10-16T22:26:00.000-07:00

When I was in college a girl I loved went to study in Israel, found another guy, and broke my heart. I was going to propose to her when she came back for the fall quarter. For years I longed to go to the mission field but I was never accepted by any missions boards. After I was married for just over two years my wife developed a brain tumor that finally took her life twenty years later. I was turned down as a church planter when I graduated from seminary because the denomination in which I wanted to serve would not accept my eschatology. I was brought up on heresy charges by people in my church because they would not accept that my Calvinist convictions were orthodox. A close friend of mine stole a significant amount of money from my wife and me promising to put it in a safe investment; I never saw it again. I lost all my equity in the last two houses I’ve sold. I had cancer this year.

There are preachers out there who would say that all these things happened to me because I either had unconfessed sin in my life or because I lacked faith. There are many Christians who think life is supposed to run smoothly because they have committed their lives to Christ. Many believe that if we pray with enough faith God will give us the health and wealth we desire. They say that God wants his children to be happy and bad things aren’t supposed to happen. When they encounter difficult trials and tragedy they become derailed and wonder what went wrong with their Christianity. Satan must have done this because God would never do anything like this!

Our Lord threw himself on the ground in Gethsemane and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him . And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. (Luke 22:42-44)

Jesus asked God to set him free from the road to the cross. The Father refused his request and insisted that his will be done, not Jesus’. An angel visually appeared to Jesus and strengthened him but that did not relieve Jesus’ agony. He continued in anguish. The angel’s visit did not relieve his agony. Jesus was under such strain that his sweat ran as blood.

What would those TV preachers say about this? Jesus must have lacked faith or the Father would have answered his prayer. After all, God wants us to be happy. There must have been something seriously wrong with Jesus if an angel couldn’t relieve his pain. Must be a lack of faith. And true believers have so much faith that they don’t experience the kind of stress Jesus had. I know they would never admit to believing anything like this but their teaching contradicts their denials.

Christians suffer. God wills that Christians suffer. He does not intend for our lives to be carefree and problem free. He puts things in our lives that cause us grief and produce stress. Why? Because we have been called to walk in the footprints of Jesus.

What do you think?

(To those of you who have been looking for a new post here at ShilohGuy, I want to apologize. The last couple of weeks have been phenomenally busy. I was out of town to attend classis meetings for both the RCA and the CRC. And I have been sick in bed most of the current week. Sorry for my failure to write. I’m sure you understand. Thanks.)

UPDATES FROM INDIA

2009-10-07T23:37:00.000-07:00

HERE ARE UPDATES ON THE SITUATION IN REPALLE:

FROM EMMANUEL'S DAUGHTER, CHRISTY:

I just got off the phone with my dad about 10 minutes ago and the IREF compound in Repalle is quickly flooding. There are over 3,000 people from surrounding villages that have sought refuge at IREF. All the kids have moved to the 2nd floors of each building for safety. For live coverage of what's happening in and near Repalle, please checkout the following links:

www.sakshitv.com/

http://www.deccan.com/

FROM EMMANUEL'S SON, JOHN:

After countless hours of anticipation of the flood waters, the town of Repalle was hit with 10ft of uncontrolled flooding. While the water came quickly yesterday, the flooding has now ceased, but large amounts of water still remain. Much of the damage will not be assessed until the water has receded and people are able to return to their homes. The government (including the local police and state army) has stepped in and raised its efforts to feed the entire community of Repalle and prevent more water from coming with iron beams and sandbags. Although the overall conditions of the flood in Repalle are bad, some good news is that the electricity has come back. With the power back on again, it is much easier to assess what immediate needs are to be met. The police department is now stationed at Repalle Evangelical Church (our church) in order to distribute food and regulate the relief efforts on their part. As it concerns IREF, the government has moved more than half of the 3,000 villagers that sought shelter at IREF to a different village where the land is dry. Yet, the compound with the Administrative office, the boys’ dormitory, and the schools received 4-5ft of water while the other compound housing the girls sustained minimal flooding. With 4-5ft of water, one of the biggest worries now is the presence of snakes. The IREF staff is tirelessly working to help wherever there are needs to be met including helping the local government. IREF students are doing well. The little ones want to play in the water, while the older students grow restless with nowhere to go and nothing to do. But we thank God for His grace and protection during this time. And we pray that God continues to meet the needs of all those (within IREF and the outside communities) affected by this powerful flood. Thank you for all your prayers and emails, we ask that you would continue to pray for dad and all those involved with IREF.

I AM POSTING THESE UPDATES JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT, WEDNESDAY, 7 OCTOBER, 2009.

FLOODS RAVAGE IREF MINISTRY CENTER IN REPALLE SOUTH INDIA

2009-10-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

FRIENDS: MOST OF YOU KNOW I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN MINISTRY IN SOUTH INDIA FOR NEARLY TWENTY YEARS AND SIT ON THE BOARD OF IREF (INDIA RURAL EVANGELICAL FELLOWSHIP). THERE HAVE BEEN TORRENTIAL RAINS OVER THE LAST FIVE DAYS IN OUR DISTRICT. AT FIRST, FLOODING WAS LIMITED TO THE AREA AROUND THE KRISHNA RIVER, SEVERAL MILES FROM OUR COMPOUNDS. YESTERDAY THE FLOOD WATERS BROKE INTO REPALLE. EMMANUEL REBBA, OUR PRESIDENT AND THE STAFF OF IREF IN REPALLE MOVED RAPIDLY TO TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT OUR MANY HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS FROM CHILDREN TO COLLEGIANS AND TO PROVIDE PROTECTION FOR THOUSANDS OF COMMUNITY PEOPLE. HERE IS THE PRESS RELEASE I RECEIVED THIS EVENING:

Flood Waters Rising;
IREF Providing Food and Shelter

Devastating floods have inundated Repalle and about 30 surrounding villages with floodwater. Emmanuel Rebba reports to us that the Repalle IREF compound is already flooding, and that all of the children have moved to the second floors of each building for safety. The college boys who live in the dorms, closest to the Repalle Church, have been brought in closer to the main compound and are staying on the second floor of the college for now.

In addition there are 3,000 people from surrounding villages who are now homeless that have sought refuge at IREF and are sleeping in the school. Villages are evacuating as the flood waters rise.

Indian newspapers are reporting that this flood has already killed more than 230 people in southern India, and has left close to 1.5 million others homeless. In the Guntur District alone,
where IREF is located, officials have evacuated 27,000 people.

In this rural area IREF is usually the first relief these people receive in a crisis. It is a blessing for recipients of this relief to see the love and provision of Jesus through the people who follow Him. Many homeless are now seeking refuge in the concrete tsunami housing and churches funded and built by IREF donors!

IREF has mobilized to provide rice, other groceries, cooking utensils and clothing to people devastated by leveled huts and loss of belongings.

October 7th Letter from Dee Rebba;

Dear IREF family,

The flood waters have now reached Repalle. Although it is just a low stream of water flowing
through town, it has thrown Repalle into a state of panic. This flood is the worst of any flood related disaster to date in this particular area. It is only matter of time before the water level increases to a potential height of 3-5ft. There is no transportation, no electricity, no clean water, and very scarce shelter. Emmanuel wants to send pictures to you all, but with the lack of power he can’t use the computer; nor can he make phone cell phone calls (although there is the landline that is working at the moment).

At IREF there are a total of 3,000 villagers apart from IREF staff and students staying at the High School. A crucial concern for everyone is the necessity of food. For the past two days the local government has supplied the town with food, but Emmanuel is unsure if that will continue as the water makes it way into Repalle. IREF staff has taken it upon themselves to cook on the roof top of the boys’ dormitory using gas stoves. One of the biggest questions is how to feed more than 3,000 people with limited cooking and food supplies, and how to transport food from one building to another.

The IREF kids are doing well; as stated before they are above ground-level. Their major concern rests with their families in various villages throughout the area. We thank you for believing in IREF and standing with us all these years especially in building these buildings to house children. It is because of your faith and trust that today these buildings are now the refuge for a time such as this.

One of our concerns is that we will not be able to be in contact with Emmanuel because of the
lack of electricity there (and the uncertain use of the landline). We ask that you pray that God
gives the IREF staff strength continue to serve the community in such difficult conditions. And, we ask that you pray for the protection and safety of Emmanuel, the IREF staff and students, and the community as a whole as they patiently wait for this flood to recede.

Sincerely, Dee Rebba

Please Help:
We earnestly ask that you join IREF in providing emergency relief for the families impacted by
the flooding. Please designate your giving as “FLOOD RELIEF.”

Visit us on the web: http://www.irefusa.org/
Send us an e-mail: info@irefusa.org
Send us mail: India Rural Evangelical Fellowship P.O. Box 65 White Lake WI 54491-0065
Send a fax: 847/680-4270

GOD'S PERSPECTIVE

2009-10-01T22:24:00.000-07:00

Joshua 24:1-10

We talk about being “missional.” When we really understand what it means to be missional we recognize that we need to be missional because God is missional. Did you ever wonder how God looks at his mission? We tend to be so man-centered and self-centered that we spend all our time thinking about what we’ve done. What is God’s perspective on his involvement in human history? As I read Joshua 24 today I was amazed at the words of God as he spoke to Israel through Joshua. His message was completely filled with first person singular verbs! Notice them with me…

“Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the river and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from the land…(vs. 2, 3)

"[I] led him throughout Canaan…(v. 3)

“[I] gave him many descendants…(v.3)

“Then I sent Moses and Aaron…(v.5)

“I afflicted the Egyptians…(v.5)

“When I brought your fathers out of Egypt…(v.6)

“I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you…(v.8)

“I delivered you out of his hand….(v.10).”

Here’s how God sees salvation history: I led, I gave, I sent, I afflicted, I brought, I destroyed, I delivered.

I daresay that if we were to make a study of the entire Bible we would find the same thing all the way through. Salvation is something God does, not man. I know this is true in my life. God drew, God convicted, God revealed, God illuminated, God gave repentance, God gave faith, God gave new life. What did I do? I received like an infant.

JOSHUA'S LAST LECTURE

2009-09-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

“A lot of professors give talks titled ‘The Last Lecture.’ Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can’t help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy? When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn’t have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer.”

The above quote comes from the dust cover of the book, “The Last Lecture,” which has become a best-seller for Randy Pausch who has since passed away. This theme of “last words” has become rather popular in lectures, books, articles, and even music. A country band, The Trailer Choir, recently had a hit song that contained these lyrics:

what if the moment came and
you knew your life was down to minutes
ladders flame was all you had to see
and you found a pen and torn up piece of paper
and a note was all you could leave
what would you say?

We pay attention to the last words people say. Often, they are poignant, meaningful, and significant. When we come to Joshua 23, Joshua is nearing the very end of his life. He summons the elders, leaders, judges, and officials of all Israel and begins to give them his last charge. He says basically two things. First he says, “You yourselves have seen everything the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the LORD your God who fought for you. Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations…(Joshua 23:3, 4). Second he says, “Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left” (Joshua 23:6). Two things: remember and obey.

We can find great value and significance in the last words of Joshua. Remember and obey. Remember all the things God has done for us in our lives. Remember the blessings. Remember the answered prayer. Remember the guidance. Remember the protection, the grace, the love, the comfort, the hope, the strength. Remember! Do not forget that it was the Lord our God who has done all of these things for us.

And obey. God has graciously given us his word. All that he requires of us is recorded in the Bible. We need to remain strong and not turn aside to follow after our own wisdom or desires. We must obey the word God has given to us and walk in the way of Jesus Christ who obeyed his Father perfectly.

Joshua’s last words to his people: Remember and obey!

COST OF FOLLOWING JESUS

2009-09-22T21:11:00.000-07:00

Then 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.” Mark 8:34

Jesus is in the process of revealing himself to his followers. They are progressively coming to an understanding of who Jesus is and what he is going to do. And now he is going to make clear to his disciples and to the crowd what it means to follow him. Now that they have heard the truth they need to know what it requires of them. This is really important stuff! If you have ever wondered what it really means to be a Christian, a true follower of Jesus, this is it in Jesus’ own words!

Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself.” What does it mean to deny yourself? It does not mean that we are supposed to deny ourselves things that we like. Jesus is not talking about giving up something for Lent! He is not talking about denying ourselves desserts or red meat. We have to recognize that before we are born again everything is about us! Every interest we have is related to ourselves. Before we become followers of Christ we only pursue the things that please us! Now Jesus is saying that if anyone wants to become his follower then he will have to say no to that self. We must willingly and intentionally say goodbye to that old self. We must walk away from our old sinful paths and follow Jesus’ path. It means we have to give up any reliance on what we are and depend on God alone for our salvation. What else are we going to do? Will we try to reform ourselves? Will we try to be good? Will we try to do good deeds that might make God happy with us? We have to deny all of these things!

Jesus says that if anyone wants to be his follower he must take up his cross. This is the picture of the condemned man being forced to carry his cross to the place of his execution. Not a very pleasant picture! But Jesus is saying that if we want to follow him then we have to consider ourselves as dead. Our old lives are over. We no longer live to serve ourselves. We give up going after the things we want. Taking up the cross means accepting the mockery and hatred of this world because we are following the way of Christ. It means clinging to the ways of love and weakness rather than the ways of selfishness and power. It means sacrificing our own goals and comforts for the sake of advancing the kingdom of God.

Finally, Jesus says that if we want to be his disciples we have to follow him. We look nowhere else for salvation. We trust Christ and Christ alone. We willingly follow in his footsteps. That means we do the same things Jesus did. We love the unlovely. We minister to the hurting. We reach out to the rejected. We pursue justice for the abused. We help the downtrodden feel significant. That’s what it means to follow Christ! We obey his commands without question. We don’t hesitate to follow in his way.

The disciples have been following Jesus for awhile already. Now Jesus speaks clearly, not in parables. He pulls away the veil that has partially hidden who he is and what he is doing. He makes it completely clear what it means to follow him. The disciples now understand that they have to follow Jesus to the very end without question or hesitation. Now there can be no doubts about who they are following or what he requires of them!

THE THINGS OF GOD

2009-09-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Mark 8:29, 31-33

The confession of the disciples only brings them part way to understanding who Jesus was and what he was doing in the world. Now Jesus asks them to believe something that is so radical that it will shake them to the very core of their being! They are being asked to turn around and go completely against the flow of the expectations of almost every single Jew alive! If they were going to follow Jesus they would need to know the truth about the Messiah. They were going to have to accept as true and believe something that they could make no sense of. That is called faith! We are also called to believe and accept things that we cannot explain! That is why so many people think Christians are crazy! The truth Jesus told them was that he was going to be executed. He made it clear that these things must happen. He must suffer. He must die. And he must rise again. The elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law were going to reject their own Messiah and participate in his execution! This was God’s perfect plan for the Messiah. Jesus was speaking clearly. For the first time his truth was not veiled.

All this proved to be just too much for Peter. It just didn’t register! It made no sense at all! Peter knew Jesus was the Messiah. He was the one who had answered the question correctly. And everyone knew the Messiah was not going to be killed! He was going to bring victory over Rome! He was going to restore the kingdom of Israel to its former glory! He was going to lead them out of poverty to wealth! So Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him. “Jesus, we can’t have any more of this kind of talk. People will not want to follow you if they hear these things. You are heading in the wrong direction! You don’t have to suffer and die!” Jesus stepped away and turned on Peter and the rest of the disciples who were apparently with Peter. Jesus rebuked Peter. Peter had become the instrument of temptation. In the wilderness temptations Satan had tempted Jesus to abandon his mission. Now Satan was trying to use Peter to do the same thing. What Jesus says to Peter makes my blood run cold. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” When I look at all the things some churches are doing in the name of God and when I see all the things that are being called “churches” and when I see what some pastors are doing in the name of God and Christianity I tremble. I can hear the words of Jesus, “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men!”

MAKE A GOOD CONFESSION

2009-09-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ." Mark 8:27-29

As Jesus and the disciples traveled among the villages around Caesarea Philippi the Lord asked them a leading question. “Who do people say I am?” This was an easy question to answer and it appears the disciples were anxious to chip in with their answers. “Some say John the Baptist.” “Others think you are Elijah.” “Some others think you are one of the prophets.” Clearly, the people thought Jesus was somebody great but they were wrong about him. They had superstitions. Their misunderstanding of the prophecies in scripture led them astray. The people were unclear about who Jesus was. And we should take careful note that it is misunderstanding about who Jesus was that opens the door to all kinds of heresies and error.

But then Jesus turns to his disciples and asks them the key question. “What about you? Who do you say I am?” This time the disciples don’t step all over each other trying to answer Jesus’ question. Peter, the one who seems to have become the spokesman for the disciples, answers the question. “You are the Christ.” Peter speaks for the group and professes that Jesus is the Messiah. Matthew’s account (16:17ff) says that Jesus blesses Peter for this answer. “Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” Try and imagine how the disciples must have felt at this moment! Finally! All their questions were answered! They thought everything was clear!

Can we put ourselves into the position of the disciples? Can we hear Jesus asking us the key question? “What about you? Who do you say I am?” He wants to hear the same answer from us. He wants us to be bold and to answer the question clearly. A true follower of Jesus is willing to say what is true even if it flies in the face of popular opinion. The Lord Jesus wants us to take a clear stand for him and make the simple profession of faith, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” The kingdom of God is made up of people who have been courageous and bold. Think of them all! Joseph, Moses, Caleb, Nathan, Daniel, Stephen, Peter, Paul. All of them took a stand for God and for the truth even though it put their lives at risk! Many have made the good confession and paid for it with their lives! Will we take a clear stand for Christ in a world that makes a mockery of those who believe in absolute truth? Jesus wanted his disciples to make a commitment to him and he wants us to make that commitment too! Jesus asks us the question. He wants us to say it so that the people around us know what we believe. This is our testimony! This is our witness for Christ in our world! This is how we make an impact on the lives of the people we care about.

COVENANT PROMISES

2009-09-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

So the LORD gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. Joshua 21:43-45

God made a covenant and gave promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He promised them the land. He promised them rest and peace. He promised them victory over their enemies. And after hundreds of years, the promises, every one of them, were fulfilled. God proved himself to be faithful to his covenant. His faithfulness did not depend on the faithfulness of the Israel. Israel was not faithful. They broke covenant many times. Yet God is a God of his word and even the failure of his people could not hinder his fulfillment of the covenant.

What an encouraging truth this is for us! God has made covenant with us. His Son became one of us and announced the covenant to us. He brought the kingdom to us and proclaimed the good news that we could have citizenship in that kingdom. We would have possession of that kingdom. His body would be broken and his blood would be shed, yet he would rise from the grave in victory over all of our enemies. No enemy would be able to stand against the citizens of the kingdom of heaven because God’s Spirit would live within us and would win the victory. Whoever would repent and believe the good news would receive the blessings of the covenant.

And here we are today, recipients of the covenant. We had no hand in making the covenant any more than Abraham participated in the covenant God made with him. God sealed his covenant with us with the blood of his Son and conquered the enemies of sin and death when he raised Jesus from the dead. He gave us his Spirit. He gave us his promises. He will be with us always, even until the end of the world. Those who trust in Christ will have abundant and eternal life. He will always be present among us when we gather in his name. He will continue the work of righteousness in us which he began when we first believed. Jesus will never lose one person whom the Father has entrusted to him. Jesus will build his church and the gates of hell will not overcome it. Whoever trusts in Christ will live even though he dies.

We could go on and on. What assurance we have in our God who always keeps every one of his promises. What promises are dearest to you? What does it mean to you to be able to be confident that those promises cannot fail? How should we, as children of the covenant, respond to our faithful Heavenly Father? I look forward to gathering with my brothers and sisters for worship in the morning.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

2009-09-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

“For a long time now—to this very day—you have not deserted your brothers but have carried out the mission the LORD your God gave you.” Joshua 22:3

These are the words I read today that stopped me in my tracks! I thought to myself, “That is exactly what I would like to hear from the Lord someday!” I would love to hear him say that I have faithfully served him and my brothers and have carried out the mission he gave me.

Joshua originally said these words to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. Although they had been granted lands on the east side of the Jordan River, they were commanded by God through Moses to cross over the Jordan and help their brothers conquer their territories. This is the mission they were given and this is the mission they faithfully executed until all was accomplished. Joshua speaks these words to them as they are finally being dismissed to return home across the Jordan.

I have been given a mission too. I’m not speaking of a calling. I have a calling too; to serve the Lord and the Church as a pastor. The mission is broader. The mission is to make disciples. It is to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. It is to make the name of God famous. It is to serve my brothers as the hands and feet of Jesus. This is the mission every Christian has. It is a God-honoring, God-glorifying mission. It is not the kind of mission from which one retires (even though the two and a half tribes of Israel were released from the mission). It is a life-mission.

This mission is the thing that gives my days direction. This mission is what makes every encounter with a friend or neighbor significant. This mission gives meaning to every appointment and contact. This mission is the reason I am working with brothers and sisters to plant a church here in Shafter, CA.

Our mission is not to get a lot of people. It is not to build a beautiful campus. It is not to run many programs. The mission is simple: focus on magnifying the name of God in our community no matter how much work it takes or how much it costs.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful beyond belief to hear our Lord say, “You have carried out the mission I gave you!”

RICH PEOPLE CAN ENTER GOD'S KINGDOM!

2009-09-16T22:57:00.000-07:00

“How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Luke 18:24-27

Jesus says it is hard for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. He does not say rich people will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Rich people may enter the kingdom but not by their own efforts. The path into the kingdom of heaven is a hard path for rich people to take. Why?

This passage is found in the midst of a series of episodes that have to do with the kingdom. Who can enter the kingdom of heaven? How can one enter the kingdom of heaven? It immediately follows the episode of Jesus calling the infants and little children to come to him and be blessed. Then he says that the only way a person can come into the kingdom is to receive it in the same way these babies and toddlers received his blessing. There was nothing they could do to earn Jesus’ blessing and there was nothing they could offer to merit it. Who can enter? Those whom Jesus calls and blesses by his grace and mercy. How can they enter? By receiving Christ’s blessing.

The passage does not say that Jesus will not call or bless rich people. It simply says that it will be very difficult for rich people to enter the kingdom because they cannot do anything to earn Jesus’ blessing and they cannot offer anything to merit it.

Rich people usually do not know what it means to be in need. They have what they need as well as what they want. Their material wealth makes it hard for them to be aware of their spiritual need. Their physical comforts disguise their spiritual lack. In order to enter the kingdom of heaven they have to be made aware of their need and that can be a very painful process.

Many rich people do not know what it means to be wrong. They are accustomed to being agreed with. They are used to having their own way. Many of them almost live above the law and it has little effect on them. They often think they are good people and they are wealthy because they are good people and God has blessed them. It is hard for such people to recognize that they are sinners who need forgiveness and deliverance.

Rich people buy what they want and what they think they need. Anything can be bought! But the kingdom of heaven cannot be bought. Their wealth cannot buy a place in the kingdom. It would be very difficult for a person who is used to buying everything to be told that they cannot buy their way into God’s kingdom.

Rich people are not automatically bad people any more than poor people are automatically good people. Poor people are a discussion for another time. But rich people are not automatically good or blessed people. The people listening to Jesus made that mistake. “Who then can be saved?” In other words, if rich people have a hard time entering the kingdom, what hope do common folks like us have? Jesus’ listeners seemed to assume that rich people had a way of getting into the kingdom.

Rich people do have a way of entering the kingdom. It’s the same way any of us enter the kingdom. (And many rich people would disdain taking the same road as common folk!) Entrance into the kingdom of God depends on a miracle! It is a miracle that is impossible for men to perform but it is possible for God to perform it. God blesses people with his grace and mercy in the same way that Jesus blessed the babies and toddlers. He reaches into a person’s life and changes his heart! He gives him new life, new values, and new goals.

The rich man must have new life, new values, and new goals. If the rich man in the story had new life, new values, and new goals, he would have gladly sold all he had and given it to the poor. Jesus was showing him that all his law-keeping had not changed his heart. It had not given him new life, new values, or new goals. This is very difficult for a rich man who loves his wealth. It will be painful for him to change. He will enter the kingdom of God the same way anyone enters it; but he will have a much harder time learning to adjust to the life, values, and goals of citizenship in that kingdom!

HELP NEEDED IN INDIA

2009-09-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

In 1990 I went to India for my first time. My friends John Armstrong and Emmanuel Rebba invited me to join the pastoral team for two weeks in Repalle with India Rural Evangelical Fellowship (IREF). We would preach in evangelistic crusades in the evenings and teach the pastors, evangelists, and Bible ladies during the day. We preached some larger evangelistic meetings and we traveled for hours by car to preach in small villages to maybe one or two hundred people. I sat and talked with Indian brothers who were involved in church planting and pastoring. I learned about village evangelism from Prasada Rao, Emmanuel’s father and the founder of the ministry. In short, those two weeks of ministry in Andhra Pradesh, South India, changed my life.

Since 1990 I have returned many times to Repalle to serve with IREF. After several of these trips I was asked to serve on the American board of directors. The ministry has grown. The Lord has blessed in amazing ways. Hundreds of American pastors have taken the same trip and many of them have led their churches to support IREF. A number of years ago we began to partner with Word and Deed in the Netherlands. Word and Deed has done a great deal to help in the support of orphans, education, and building school buildings. When I first went to Repalle there were about 100 students in the school. Now there are several schools scattered around the district, a high school, a junior college, an accredited degree college, a nursing school, a school of evangelism and theology and there are literally thousands of students in these schools.

IREF has a vision to preach the gospel to hundreds of thousands of people who have never heard the good news before. That ministry has grown. Last time I was there we preached for five nights to over 20,000 people each night. But we are still going into villages and preaching to people who have never heard the name of Jesus.

But IREF also cares for the poor and needy. After the Christmas tsunami several years ago IREF got involved in rebuilding hundreds of homes for people whose homes had been washed away. We helped buy fishing boats that were lost and nets that were destroyed. IREF has been involved with aboriginal villages from the beginning. These people are the poorest of the poor and the lowest of the low, even in India. Yet we have planted churches in their villages and provided pastors and Bible ladies for these churches.

I received some heartbreaking news the other day. There have been some awful fires in some of these aboriginal villages. One of them, Nizampatnam, I have been to and preached in many times. The pictures attached to this post are all from Nizampatnam. IREF is trying to do whatever we can to help these people who have not only lost their homes but just about everything they own. We’re doing what we can. But we need help. If you are willing and able to help, please visit http://www.irefusa.org/. There is a link at the bottom of the home page that tells about the fires and shows how you can help. You already know, every little gift matters. Ten American dollars still buys a lot of rice for an Indian family. You can make a difference in the lives of these people. Please, take a minute to go to the website and prayerfully consider what you can do.

Thank you!

YEAST OF THE PHARISEES

2009-09-13T23:21:00.000-07:00

Mark 8:11-15

Jesus and the disciples land on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee and are met by the seemingly ever-present Pharisees. They came to test/tempt Jesus and asked him to show them a “sign from heaven.” Jesus refuses to give them the sign they ask for, turns away from them, and sails back across to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

We can almost see Jesus sitting in the boat as he sails across the lake with his disciples. He seems to be looking off at the horizon, thinking. Things are quiet. The only sound is that of the water brushing against the bow of the boat as the wind pushes it along. Then suddenly Jesus speaks. “Be careful. Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” Then all is quiet again. The disciples look at one another quizzically. What could he possibly mean? Yeast? Pharisees? Herod? Suddenly one of them comes up with an idea. “Hey! I know! It’s because we forgot to buy bread when we were in Dalmanutha! We only have this one leftover loaf. That’s why he’s talking about yeast!” But no. That wasn’t it. And the disciples weren’t getting it.

What was this yeast about which Jesus was speaking? Having come directly from the confrontation with the Pharisees it is not hard to see what he meant. He warned his disciples to watch out for the attitude of the Pharisees who were asking for signs. The kingdom of God was a matter of belief and faith. Those who entered the kingdom entered not because they saw signs and wonders but because they put their faith in Christ. Signs and wonders led to belief by sight. Jesus called people to believe by faith. What was the leaven of Herod? It was probably the same thing. We know that Herod was afraid of Jesus because he feared Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead. (Mark 6:14-16) Later, during Jesus’ trial, Pilate sent Jesus to Herod. Luke reports, “When Herod saw Jesus he was greatly pleased because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him he hoped to see him perform some miracle.”

But here’s my question: If Jesus was among us today, what kind of leaven would he warn us about? What kinds of parallels might we find between our culture and the culture of the Pharisees? I think there are some parallels! At the root of the sin of the Pharisees was the idea that everything was about them. Their religion was all about them and making them feel important. Their religious activities were all about making them look wise and spiritual and significant. God was lucky to have them on his side! Of course God would give them a sign because they were so important to his plan. They wanted to maintain control and Jesus was a threat to their control. These attitudes hardened the hearts of the Pharisees.

Do we see anything like that in the church today? Jesus would say, “Watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees! Watch out for their self-important attitudes!” What is a common attitude of people today toward the church and faith? The church exists to satisfy me! The church and its buildings and its programs and its events are all about making me feel special! Show me how my relationship with God can meet all my needs. Church doesn’t work for me unless it makes me happy and comfortable. I want to go to a church that is successful. A church that will offer more to me and my family. In short, God and church are all about me! Jesus would say, “Watch out for those attitudes!”

09.09.09

2009-09-09T23:11:00.000-07:00

Today I turned 56 years old and began my 57th year. God has been good to me. There have been many difficult ups and downs over all these years but I want to say that he has proved himself faithful, gracious, and patient.

I’ve been in ministry for 35 of those years. Youth ministry, Youth For Christ, and senior pastor ministry since 1981. I’m amazed. God called me to ministry when I was a senior in high school. The call was clear and I went to Wheaton College to begin preparing to answer the call. I always wanted to be a missionary. God never let me be a full time missionary. But he’s let me minister and help plant churches in Brazil, Romania, and India. I’ve been blessed to preach many times in England and Scotland. I’ve tasted the passion of my heart in missions even though God has kept me in pastoral ministry all these years!

I haven’t been alone in my work. My late wife was a great partner in ministry for 22 years. I could never imagine that God would bring me another wife who has supported me in this work for the last nine years! Mia has been a great joy and a true co-laborer as we have now worked on two church plants together. I can’t imagine what my life would be without her and the five fantastic kids she brought to me! Again, we have lived and loved through many tests and trials of life and ministry but God has kept us in the palm of his hand and has led us every step of the way.

Now I have the joy of being involved with the planting of New Hope Community Church in Shafter, CA. God has fulfilled my dream of doing missions without ever leaving the USA! Our community is over 75% Hispanic. Our church is bilingual and multicultural. We are thrilled to be able to participate in the lives of people whose cultures are completely different from ours. We are surrounded by wonderful and godly people who labor at our side for the sake of the kingdom. God has shown us his goodness.

So I’m 56 years old. My mind and my body still tell me I’m 36. God has graciously given me vision for ministry for many years into the future. He brought me through a cancer surgery this past March and I feel terrific! I just want to make every day count for the work of Christ on earth. The scripture says “Your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” I never remember my dreams but I have a vision! So I must still be young! May God grant me strength and energy to live to see those visions accomplished!

Thanks to many, many of my friends who sent birthday greetings today! I love you!

FEEDING THE 4,000

2009-09-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

Mark 8:1-10

If the religious leaders of Israel had no part of God’s kingdom, then who did? Who was the kingdom for? Who was going to have a place in God’s kingdom? In chapters 7 and 8 Mark follows the incident of conflict with the Pharisees with a trilogy of events that is meant to answer these questions. Jesus leaves Galilee and goes into the regions of the Gentiles and performs wonderful miracles and reveals the kingdom of God to the Gentiles

In 8:1-10 we come to the third account in Mark’s trilogy in which Jesus blesses the Gentiles. While he is still in the Decapolis, Jesus repeats his miracle of the feeding of the thousands. This time Mark says there were four thousand men present instead of five thousand. This time there were seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. But all the other details of this account are almost exactly the same as those of the feeding of the five thousand in Mark 6. The radical similarities have caused some scholars to conclude that somehow this story has been accidentally repeated. Some critics point to the repetition as evidence that the Bible has serious mistakes and flaws. But I believe that Jesus intentionally repeated his miracle almost exactly on purpose! I think there are some very important things he wanted to teach his disciples and those of us who would read these accounts thousands of years later.

The miraculous feeding of the thousands was meant to remind the people of God’s feeding of his people in the wilderness under Moses. It was a demonstration of the fact that Jesus was the Messiah and that he was the Son of God. It revealed the power and the character of the kingdom of God on earth. It was Jesus’ invitation to people to come to him and receive the bread of life. The huge difference between the first miraculous feeding and this one is found in those who received food! This time Jesus fed thousands of Gentiles! This time he went to the people who were rejected by the Pharisees and the teachers of the law and offered them the bread of life! The kingdom of God was meant for all people! None were to be excluded! And the fact that the disciples gathered up seven basketsful of bread showed that there would be plenty for all. God’s grace and mercy are not limited in any way!

The Pharisees hated Jesus. They rejected the very thought that he might be the Messiah, the Son of God. They were trying to find a way to kill him! They were concerned about keeping themselves ceremonially clean, as if that would result in true righteousness which would put them in good standing with God. They believed the kingdom belonged to them and they would be the leaders of it! Jesus makes a point by going to the Gentiles. He blesses a Canaanite woman in Tyre, a deaf-mute in the Decapolis, and caps it off with the feeding of thousands in the Decapolis. Isn’t the message crystal clear? The gospel is for everyone! All who come to Christ and cry out to him in faith and humility will be met with love, healing, and forgiveness! This is the good news of the kingdom of heaven!

LIKE A LITTLE CHILD

2009-09-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

Luke 18:15-17

People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Here’s a passage that has been debated far longer than I have been alive and it has been debated throughout my life in ministry. This is the question that I have heard debated over and over again: “What does Jesus mean by receiving the kingdom of God like a little child?” And, “What are people supposed to do to become like little children so they will be able to receive the kingdom like a little child?”

The key here is context, context, context. At the end of Luke 17 Jesus began teaching about the kingdom of God when he was speaking to a Pharisee and said, “The kingdom does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” The context is the kingdom of God and the ensuing episodes all speak of the nature of the kingdom and how it comes to a person, or, how a person enters it. In the case of this Pharisee, Jesus says that the coming of the kingdom is something that takes place within a person. It is not something the Pharisees will be able to discern because it is not a visible event!

The parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8) speaks about continuing in prayer and not giving up. The kingdom is a kingdom in which the king deals justly with his people. But at the end of this episode Jesus says, "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Again, the kingdom of God is a matter of faith, not a matter of visible events.

The Pharisee and the tax collector came to the temple to pray (Luke 18:9-14). The Pharisee was self-righteous. Apparently his belief matched that of the majority of the Pharisees. They believed that they deserved to be in the kingdom because they kept all the laws and the teachings of the elders. They believed they were already righteous. They believed that entering the kingdom was a matter of keeping laws and rules; visible actions. But the Pharisee did not go home justified!

The episode of Jesus and the babies and little children is also a kingdom parable. Who will enter it? Those who receive! The babies were brought by their parents. The little children were brought by their parents. The little ones received the blessing of the king of the kingdom. They had no good deeds or law keeping to recommend them for citizenship in the kingdom. They had no righteousness to offer in exchange for the blessing. There was no visible change in their lives. But they had received the grace and mercy of the king. There was nothing they could do to receive his blessing. It was merely bestowed upon them! They were blessed simply by his mercy and grace.

Who will enter the kingdom? Those who are blessed by the king. Those who are recipients of his grace and mercy. Those who do not try to offer their own good deeds or their own righteousness. Those who do not think they deserve to enter the kingdom. Those who enter the kingdom are those who receive the blessing of grace and mercy.

GOD, HAVE MERCY

2009-09-06T23:40:00.000-07:00

Luke 18:9-14

Parables always tell us something about the kingdom of heaven. This parable speaks to the question of who it is who will be allowed into God’s kingdom. There is the self-righteous Pharisee and the tax collector. They go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee is honored and respected among the Jewish people. He is considered the model of religious propriety. The common man would like to be like the Pharisee. He would like to be treated the way the Pharisee is treated. The Jews looked up to Pharisees and want to find approval in their eyes. They think that surely the Pharisees will be among the first who are welcomed into the kingdom.

The tax collector is scorned and hated by the Jewish people. He was a traitor to the Jews who worked on behalf of the Romans. He was generally considered to be the lowest of the low; a dishonest man who sought to advance himself at the monetary expense of his countrymen. He was disrespected and considered to be a “sinner,” one who was ceremonially unclean. In fact, he was probably not supposed to even be in the temple because the Pharisees considered him a “sinner.” I’m surprised the Pharisee in this parable didn’t turn on him and have him thrown out of the temple!

Jesus tells about the prayer of the Pharisee first. Jesus describes the Pharisee as standing up and praying about himself. Even though he addressed God he was speaking about himself. Thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. There is no sign of humility here. He stands boldly before his God and speaks about the things he doesn’t do and the things he does. He is better than robbers, sinners, and immoral men. He considers himself a worthy candidate for the kingdom because he doesn’t do a lot of evil things. He thinks himself righteous because he fasts and tithes. Everything is focused on his own behavior which he considers to be above reproach. He looks down on the tax collector and lifts himself up.

The tax collector wouldn’t draw near to the place where the Pharisee stood praying proudly. He stayed away, at a distance. His spirit was apparently rather low because he wouldn’t even raise his eyes to heaven. He didn’t talk about the good things he did and he didn’t draw attention to any self-perceived righteousness. Instead, he spoke about the condition of his heart. He beat his breast and said, God have mercy on me, a sinner. This man knew he was unworthy of the kingdom of God. He knew he had no righteousness to offer to God in exchange for citizenship in the kingdom. If he were to be allowed into the kingdom it would have to be entirely based on the mercy of God. He humbly cast himself entirely upon the mercy of God.

Much to the surprise of the disciples and whoever else heard this parable, it was not the Pharisee who would enter into Christ’s kingdom. He was arrogant and self-righteous. He didn’t call on the mercy of God because he didn’t think he needed mercy. If God was just he would be allowed into the kingdom. He would get justice. He would be cast out into outer darkness. It was the tax collector who would be justified. Why? Not because of his good deeds but because of his humility and his cry for God’s mercy. He would receive not justice but mercy because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Oh God, give me mercy, not justice!

PERSISTENT PRAYER

2009-09-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

Luke 18:1-8

Jesus taught a great deal about prayer; more than most people think. Luke tells us right at the outset that Jesus wanted to teach his disciples to always pray and not give up (8:1). He then proceeded to tell the story of the widow who would not give up pleading for justice from the unjust judge. Finally, this ungodly judge gave the woman justice just to get him to leave him alone.

People often misinterpret parables. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people struggle with trying to identify God the Father with the unjust judge. The principle of interpretation is rather simple: If the judge who is ungodly and unjust gives justice to one who continually asks for it, how much more will your Father in heaven who is good and just give you what you ask for?

Have you ever wondered what it is that keeps us from asking and asking and asking God again for his blessing in a certain situation? Some people say that God already knows what we need and that we don’t need to keep asking him for it. Others say that it shows a lack of faith to keep asking and asking over and over again. Some people grow discouraged when the answer to their request does not come quickly and they give up asking.

I think some people come to believe that their request isn’t that important to God. Or that God is not going to answer their prayer. Others begin to wonder if God cares about their need. Or they wonder if God really is good and means to bless them at all.

Jesus wants us to learn to pray faithfully and not give up. Why? The more we pray about a situation the more we will begin to see that the answer is completely out of our hands and that it is in God’s hands. That humbles us. That increases our dependence on God. That builds our faith.

The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. I am a father. I want my kids to love me and I want them to love me a lot! What would break my heart is to hear them say, “Dad doesn’t really care about us. He doesn’t want to help us. He’s given up on us. It does no good to ask Dad for anything because he never gives us an answer to our questions. We have to take care of ourselves!” If I want my kids to love me and to depend on me, how much more does our Heavenly Father want us to love him, depend on him, and come to him with our needs!

A RASH DECISION

2009-09-02T22:40:00.000-07:00

Joshua 9

After Joshua led the people of God to victories over Jericho and Ai, the people of Gibeon realized they were in serious trouble and decided their best hope for survival was to try to deceive Israel. Their only hope was to try to convince the Israelites that they were not neighbors but people who had come from a very distant land to pay homage to the people of the great God who had done wonders in Egypt and conquered the Amorite kings east of the Jordan. If the people of Israel knew the Gibeonites were neighbors in Canaan they would be wiped out.

So they developed a ruse. Their delegation packed things in worn out bags and took along old wineskins. They wore old and patched sandals and old clothes. And finally, they took along moldy bread. All this was to support their claim that they had come from a great distance.

When the Gibeonites arrived at the Israelite camp they asked Joshua to make a treaty with them. At first the Israelites were wise to consider the possibility that these men were actually neighbors. But then they fell for the ruse. The Gibeonites pointed out all their old and worn out belongings and showed them bread that was allegedly warm from the oven when they left home! Joshua 9:14, 15 record the disastrous mistake the Israelites made, The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

A few days later the Israelites learned that they had been deceived. They marched on Gibeon but did not destroy them because of the oath they had taken. Their oath prevented them from obeying the word of the LORD. They were supposed to destroy all the Canaanites so they would not be seduced by their foreign gods. What did the men of Israel do wrong? They did not inquire of the LORD. They took action and ratified a covenant based on their own ability to discern and they were deceived! It would prove to be a costly sin!

This causes me to take personal stock in my own life! I think of all the decisions I have to make day in and day out. Decisions that affect our church. Decisions that affect my marriage and my family. Decisions that affect my relationship with God. Decisions that affect my relationships with people in our fellowship. How do I make such decisions? Am I careful to inquire of the Lord or do I pretty much act on my own experience and knowledge?

Pride tempts us to think we know what is the right thing to do in all kinds of situations. We might think, “I’ve been here and done that before! I know what to do in this case! This is really an easy one!” But this passage warns us we need to inquire of the Lord, seek his wisdom, and wait on his guidance in our lives. When we carelessly act on our own we will be deceived and the damage we do may prove to be very costly!

MANMADE HOLINESS

2009-08-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

Mark 7:1-5

Once again we encounter the Pharisees and the teachers of the law “who had come down from Jerusalem.” We met this group or another just like it back in 3:22 when they came to evaluate the situation in Capernaum and proclaimed that Jesus was possessed by Beelzebub. This time they have gathered around Jesus’ disciples and observed that some of them were eating their food without washing their hands first. In verses 3 and 4 Mark explains to his Gentile readers how the Pharisees, and indeed all the Jews, practice the tradition of ceremonial hand washing. He clearly states that it is a tradition of the elders and that they have many such traditions, washing cups, pitchers, and kettles. The Jewish legalists went to Jesus and questioned him about the careless practices of his disciples, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with ‘unclean hands?’” According to the tradition of the elders, eating with unwashed hands rendered a person ceremonially unclean.

The traditions of the elders were compiled in a book called the Mishnah. The major concern of the Mishnah had to do with ceremonial cleanness. The Law simply stated that priests were required to wash their hands before serving in the temple and before eating their food after serving in the temple. Eventually, the elders came to believe that if washing was good for the priests then it must also be good for them too. And if some washing was good, then lots of washing would be better. About two hundred years before Jesus the practice of washing hands before meals became popular among the lay people who wanted to appear spiritual too. Then by the time of Christ, everyone who wanted to be spiritually considered anyone lived by these rules of the elders. Of course, those who fell under the category of “sinners” didn’t bother to try to live by the teaching of the elders.

There is something very important for us to understand about God’s law here. So often we come to the portions of the Old Testament that talk about God’s laws and we try to read through them as quickly as possible because they don’t mean anything to us. God did give the Jews laws concerning clean and unclean. If a person became ceremonially unclean he was not allowed to go into the temple and worship. In effect, being ceremonially unclean cut a person off from his worship of God! But the thing we have to understand is that these laws, and there were many of them, had to do with God’s holiness, not man’s. A man could not make himself holy by avoiding things that were unclean. Remaining ceremonially clean simply allowed him to participate in worship. God is the one who was holy and the rules concerning ceremonial cleanness were intended to remind his people that he was not to be treated as common. He was not like the gods of the pagans. One could not simply walk into the presence of the Lord with all the dirt of the world upon him. To come into the very presence of God in worship is a holy thing! Yahweh was not like any other god! This is something we have completely lost! We are so accustomed to the freedom we have to come into the presence of God that we have lost the sense of awe that should go along with it! The Jews could not make themselves clean or worthy by ceremonial washing. Rather, it was because God is holy that they had to cleanse themselves and recognize his holiness!

You see, there was a reason for all these laws about ceremonial cleanness. Our first parents in the Garden of Eden sinned against God and a separation was established between God and the people he created. God was holy and man was not. In his holiness, God was completely “other” from sinful man. While at one time God walked with his people in the Garden, now men could no longer come into his presence. The separation between God and men was the very thing that required the ceremonial cleanliness laws. But when God finally revealed to the Hebrews that they were going to be his people he established a means for them to come into his presence and worship him. The ceremonial laws were established to make a way for men to come into the presence of God and pray and bring their sacrifices. They were still prohibited from coming into the Holy of Holies and the immediate presence of God. No matter how clean they were, no matter how long they had remained clean, they could not enter his holiest place. You see, man could never make himself clean enough to actually come into the presence of God. God had to come to him! This was the reason Jesus came to earth! When the Son of God came he transcended the separation between God and men! Because of Jesus, the Messiah, there was no longer any need for laws concerning ceremonial cleanness!

RESCUE THE WEAK AND NEEDY

2009-08-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Rescue the weak and needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
Psalm 82:3, 4

Benevolence: from the Latin meaning “good wish.” The synonym the dictionary gives is “philanthropic.” From the Greek meaning “love of mankind.”

Almost all churches have a benevolent fund. We had one in my little first pastorate but I don’t remember ever having to use it. At my second church, a much larger church, we were on a main highway and we had frequent visits from people who were asking for gas or food. At my third church, a church plant, we used our benevolence fund mainly for our own people who ran into troubles. (We had no building and no phone so nobody else could find us!)

I have rarely met a pastor who enjoys dealing with the weak and the needy. Most churches have their benevolence fund so structured that pastors don’t feel they can be of any real help. Often people in need go from church to church hoping to find help. Our local ministerium has organized with the local grocery store, the gas station, and the police department. They have a shared benevolence fund. If anyone comes to their churches they are sent to the police department to register and then receive script for food and gas. One of the pastors in the group said laughingly, “When I tell them they have to go to the police department they usually just leave town!” I guess with this plan they don't ever have to really get to know the people who are asking for help.

I have sat in so many meetings with elders discussing benevolent needs that it makes me stressed just to think about it. How many times have I heard a leader say something like, “We really have to be careful because this person may be taking advantage of us.” Or, “They really should be working; we shouldn’t help if they’re not working.”

Now I am pastoring in a community where there are some very real needs. It’s harvest season so there are many, many migrant workers in the area to do the harvesting. I don’t know if the farmers need fewer men this year or if there is a surplus of workers but there are a number of people who can’t find work.

We had a family come to church for the first time three weeks ago. The man wasn’t working. They have two little children under the age of three. They are staying with his niece but have to be out of the house by the first of the month and have no place to go. They are receiving aid in the form of food. No car. No car seats for the kids. No place to live. What are we supposed to do? We have no apartment for them to live in. We have no car to give them. We aren’t even an official church yet so we don’t have a benevolence fund!

What would you do? Should we just pass them off to social services? When is the church going to realize that God brings these people into our lives so WE can help them? Mia has spent many hours with the lady over the last few weeks. The woman’s sister invited her and the kids to come and live with her a couple of hundred miles away. The man is staying here, hopefully to find some work. So what did we do? We bought her and the kids bus tickets to her sister’s town. Mia took her shopping this afternoon at Walmart and bought her two car seats and some clothes, diapers, baby wipes, etc. The total for all this stuff came to just over $200.

Two hundred bucks. That's nothing! On the one hand, I feel like we did what we were supposed to do to “rescue the weak and needy.” I think we did what Jesus would have done. On the other hand, I wish we could have done more. I believe we are called to do more. I’m conflicted tonight.

HERE I RAISE MY EBENEZER

2009-08-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Joshua 4

It was time for the Israelites to cross over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan. God told Moses to put the ark of the covenant out in front of all the people. Usually the ark was carried along with the tabernacle and its furnishings in the middle of the procession with tribes in front of it and tribes behind it to protect it. But this time the ark was going to lead the people.

Of all the Hebrews over the age of twenty who left Egypt, only Caleb and Joshua remained. They were the only two who were adults when God parted the Red Sea and allowed Israel to cross over on dry land. Even as Israel was safely delivered out of their bondage through miraculous waters, so Israel would be delivered into their new land through miraculous waters.

For this reason, to show that God was going to lead them and go before them, the ark was to go first. As soon as the priests who were carrying the ark stepped into the flooding Jordan, the waters backed up at some distance to the north and the people crossed over on dry land.

God commanded Joshua to choose twelve men, one from each tribe, to carry a stone from the middle of the bed of the Jordan River. This they did and when the Israelites encamped at Gilgal the twelve great stones were set up as an ebenezer, a monument. Joshua said to the Israelites, In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, “What do these stones mean?” tell them, “Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.” For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the people of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God. (Joshua 4:21-24)

The stones formed a monument which was designed to pique the curiosity of the generations to come. Fathers were charged with the responsibility of telling their sons the story behind the stones. The stones themselves were not important. They were just stones from the middle of the river. It was the story that was important! It had to be told so all the people of the earth might hear about the power of God. It had to be told so God’s people would always remember what he did for them and never wander away.

We celebrate sacraments which are acted out ebenezers. We tell our children what baptism means and why we do it. We tell them about the grace and love of God. We tell them about the bread and the fruit of the vine so they will be familiar with the story of Jesus and his sacrificial death on the cross. Our children and all peoples of the earth must know these stories of God’s power, grace, and love.

But there is more. We each have a story. What is that story? What are the ebenezers, the monuments, in our own lives? What piques the interest of our children and grandchildren and causes them to ask us why we do this or that or what does that mean? We must tell our stories. How did you start being Christian? Why did your life change when you were twenty-four? Why do you wear that cross around your neck all the time? We have stories and they must be told. Every single one of us Christians has a story that tells of the power, grace, and love of God. Telling that story is the work of the kingdom of heaven!

GENUINE COMPASSION

2009-08-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

Mark 6:30-34

Earlier in this chapter we saw Jesus sending his disciples out, two by two, on ministry trips. They went from town to town preaching repentance, casting out demons, and healing the sick. Now they have returned. Mark tells us they gathered around Jesus and reported to him on the things they had done on their missions. But a problem arose. While Jesus was listening to the disciples and ministering to them they were constantly being interrupted by many people who were coming and going and seeking time with Jesus. Things were so busy that the disciples didn’t even have a chance to get something to eat. They were completely worn out and exhausted and Jesus could see that. Instead of neglecting their needs in order to minister to others, Jesus invited them to go on vacation with him. They needed rest and Jesus wanted to make sure they got it. They couldn’t rest in Capernaum because there were just too many people around who wanted and needed their ministry. So Jesus asked them to go camping with him in the wilderness where they would be away from the crowds. They got into their boat and began sailing north along the coast of the Sea of Galilee toward Bethsaida (Luke 9). There they would be able to relax, recuperate, and recreate. They could just rest and have some fun!

Jesus and the disciples sailed north along the coastline of the Sea of Galilee toward Bethsaida. There was a completely unpopulated area near where the Jordan flows into the sea. It is only about three or four miles from Capernaum. As they sailed, many on shore recognized their boat or their sail and began to run along the shoreline. Word began to spread among all the towns and villages that Jesus and his disciples were coming. Before Jesus even came ashore there was a very large crowd waiting there for him. He was trying to get away with his men for a break from ministry. He wanted time to minister to them and allow them to rest and recuperate from their labors. What did Jesus do? Did he tell the people to go away because he and his men were on vacation? Did he get upset with the people and ask them why they can’t just leave them alone once in awhile? No. When Jesus saw the crowds waiting on shore for him he was deeply moved. The Greek word describes a “pit of the stomach,” heartfelt, tender, loving emotion. And why did Jesus feel this way when he saw the people waiting? Because they were like sheep without a shepherd! If sheep lose their shepherd they are completely defenseless. Sheep have no way of defending themselves against predators. Without their shepherd they will become hopelessly lost. They will just mill around and around and wander off. They have no sense of direction and cannot find their way home. They will eventually starve to death. Sheep cannot provide for themselves. If they do not have a shepherd they are condemned to death. So Jesus, seeing their condition, felt deep compassion for them and began to teach them many things for a long time.

Here is what we can learn from Jesus’ care for the crowds. The church is the body of Christ. He is no longer physically present on earth so we are charged to carry on his ministry, to do the things he would be doing if he were here. So we minister to people like he did. We show them his tender, heartfelt love and compassion. When we see people hurting, we hurt along with them. How do we see all the people around us? Do we care about them? Are we concerned with their problems and struggles? Do we look at them like people who are in need of a caring shepherd? How do we look at them and feel about them? If it is in any other way than with deep compassion because they are like lost sheep, then we don’t have the heart of Jesus!

What is the best way to show the love of Jesus to them? In this passage, Jesus shows us two ways: teach them the truth and minister to their needs. This is what Jesus did. The best way to love them is not to entertain them. The best way to love them is not to provide a bunch of programs for them to attend. The best way to love the people around us is to build relationships with them. We can only help them as Jesus would if we can get close enough to them to gain their trust. We need to grow close to them so we can understand their troubles and stand beside them as they face them. This is what Jesus did. He also taught them the truth. The best thing we can give to a person is the truth. Tell them about God and his Son and their love. Share the good news of Christ’s gospel with them. But we can’t tell them the truth until we have built a relationship with them!

GREAT CHALLENGES

2009-08-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

Joshua 1:1-9

Moses was dead. Joshua had known this day would come. It had finally arrived. He had seen so much since Moses returned to Egypt. He saw the plagues and the miracle of Passover. He had passed through the Red Sea. He had climbed Mount Sinai with Moses. He had spent countless hours in the tent of meeting where Moses met face to face with God. He had spied out the land of Canaan and stood firm against the other spies who were afraid to take the land. He had traveled every step of the way with Moses. He saw God meet with Moses and he knew God gave directions to him.

But now Moses was dead. He was God’s appointed leader of Israel. He was the one who was to lead them across the Jordan to take the land. He was the one who would have to deal with all the issues of the people. Was he up to the task? Would he be able to follow in the huge footprints of Moses? Would God meet with him face to face? Would God give him directions like he gave to Moses?

God said, Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses…No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.

So God would speak to him! This was the promise God had given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses! The promise was his too! But he needed more. God knew he needed more and said, As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. That is what Joshua needed! God continued, Be strong and courageous…Be careful to obey all the law…Do not turn from it…that you may be successful wherever you go…Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night…Then you will be prosperous and successful.

God told Joshua to be strong and courageous. Why would he have to be strong and courageous? If God was going to be with him what could go wrong? Even if he obeyed everything God said there would be difficult and trying and fearful times. God told Joshua to be strong and courageous because he would need to be strong and courageous in order to face all the things that lay ahead! It would not be easy! God said, Do not be terrified. There would be terrifying times! God said, Do not be discouraged. There would be discouraging times. But Joshua’s hope was in this, For the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. God himself would be with him and he had God’s word to be with him wherever he would go.

These are difficult and trying and fearful times. These are terrifying times. These are discouraging times. But our hope is this: God is with us. His Spirit indwells us. He is with us wherever we go and no matter what we face. We have his word in the Bible and that is our guide. He will lead us through whatever these times bring our way if we are careful to do everything written in it.

WHAT IS A LEGACY?

2009-08-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

Deuteronomy 34:1-5

Moses climbed up Mount Nebo. He was 120 years old but he still climbed with the agility and strength of a young man. He was going up the mountain to die. He didn’t feel like he was about to die. No, he felt like he always remembered feeling. With God going before him he was ready to take on whatever came down the road. He still had a bright eye and a spring in his step. He still had that inner energy that he felt when he was only 80 and stood before Pharaoh.

But God had told him he was going to die that day on that mountain. He stood on the summit and God opened his eyes to see the entire land of Canaan. This was the land God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This was the land to which God had told Moses to bring the people of Israel. It had been a long road. Forty years of traveling. Forty years of following the fire and the cloud. Forty years of meeting with God, hearing his word, and proclaiming it to the people.

Moses looked out over the land and saw that it was rich and flowing with milk and honey. He could have thought about his life and his legacy. What a life! Put into the Nile as an infant, found by Pharaoh’s daughter, and raised as Egyptian royalty. Forty years spent as a member of the royal family with all of Egypt at his feet. But then came his flight into the wilderness and forty more years of shepherding, marriage, and children. Then that day his life was changed. The bush burned and was not consumed and God spoke to him and called him to his life’s purpose.

What a life! He returned to Egypt with his older brother, Aaron, and called upon Pharaoh to let God’s people go. He called down God’s miraculous plagues on the Egyptians. He led the people out of Egypt. He stretched out his staff and the Red Sea parted and all Israel passed through the Sea safely while Pharaoh’s army was drowned. He climbed Mount Sinai and met with God and received the tablets of commandment. He built the tabernacle. He met with God face to face in the tent of meeting.

What a life! God provided manna and water in the wilderness. He brought quail into the camp so the people could have meat. He led Israel behind the fire and the cloud. God spoke, Moses listened. He told the people what God said whether they wanted to hear it or not.

What a life! What a legacy he would leave behind! But as Moses stood on Mount Nebo in the last minutes of his life he was not thinking about his legacy. He was not thinking about how he would be remembered. He was thinking about his failure. The last recorded words of God to Moses are, This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, “I will give it to your descendants.” I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it. Instead of speaking to that rock in the wilderness; instead of doing what God told him to do; he had called attention to himself and struck the rock! And for this he would not enter the land!

Men think of things like legacies. When politicians and coaches see retirement looming they talk about their legacies. When young pastors wake up and realize that they are old pastors they are tempted to think about their legacies. How will I be remembered? Will I be remembered? Will people talk about me when I’m gone?

At the end of a long and glorious life, Moses was not thinking about his legacy. He was faced with two things: his sin and God’s grace. I remind myself that these are the two things that really matter. I am a sinner and God has been gracious. In light of these things, what is a legacy?

UNAVOIDABLE TEMPESTS

2009-08-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

Mark 4:35-41

The Sea of Galilee lies about 630 feet below sea level and is surrounded by mountains. This geological construction allows for an interesting weather phenomenon. At the end of a hot day the cooler air from the mountains tends to rush down while the warmer air from the lake and the desert rushes upwards. Aided by crevasses and ravines cut into the mountains, on extreme days this exchange of air masses can create gale force winds and air pressures on the lake. When the winds blow down hard off the mountains they can actually depress the water level enough to cause a massive “sloshing” effect across the entire lake. Mark says it was a mega-gale, a furious hurricane force wind that swept down upon the lake that evening. Even with the skills of several experienced fishermen in the boat, it was nearly swamped. Can you imagine what was going through the minds of the disciples as they battled to keep their fishing boat afloat? This looked really bad! They did everything they knew and it wasn’t enough! The water crashed over the gunwales of the boat again and again and they couldn’t bail it out fast enough to keep up. The water inside the boat continued to rise and the boat was beginning to founder.

Let’s pause at this point in the story. Put yourself into their situation. What is going through your mind? What are your thoughts? Do any of these thoughts sound familiar? “I didn’t sign on for this!” “What did I do to deserve this?” “We’re only doing what Jesus told us to do. Is this what he wants for us?” “This is what I get for trying to do the right thing.”

Here is an important lesson for us from this storm. Following Jesus does not guarantee that we won’t have to deal with severe storms in our lives. In fact, following Jesus may just guarantee that we will encounter terrible storms! These disciples were only doing what Jesus told them to do! They were carrying the exhausted Jesus across the lake at his own request. The storm was not their fault. They did not bring the gale down upon themselves by doing something wrong! The storms you are dealing with in your life are not necessarily your fault! It is wrong to think that all the troubles in our lives are caused by our sin. We will meet with storms and there is nothing we can do to prevent them! They are not barreling down on us because we have a lack of faith. It will not help for people to tell you that you just need to have more faith; or that you just need to “trust the Lord.” You have faith! You are trusting the Lord! And this is what you get for your efforts! Obedience will actually lead us into storms. Consider how Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit out into the wilderness to encounter the temptations of the Devil! Think about the many missionaries who have followed the Lord’s direction to a mission field where they have lived very trying lives or even lost their lives! Consider our own church! We have obeyed the Lord’s leading and planted this church and we are trying to minister and serve according to the Lord’s direction. We have struggles and hardships and trials because we are trying to be obedient. What is your storm? Loss of employment? Loss of health? A broken relationship? The betrayal of a friend? The suffering of a loved one? Whatever it is, it’s not necessarily your fault. Storms come into the lives of people who faithfully follow the Master!

HOW THE KINGDOM GROWS

2009-08-04T23:36:00.000-07:00

Mark 4 is a chapter of parables. They are clearly kingdom parables. The kingdom of heaven (kingdom of God) is one of the major themes of Mark’s writing. It is very important for us to keep in mind the context of Mark’s gospel. He is writing in Rome and his readers are both Jews and Gentiles. To this point he has revealed a few of his major themes. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He came to earth bringing the kingdom of heaven with him (as mentioned above). He is the king of that spiritual kingdom. He invites men and women to become citizens of his kingdom through repentance and faith. He demonstrates the awesome nature and power of his kingdom through signs and wonders. The power of his kingdom supersedes the power of demons and sickness and disease.

His reader finds another question developing in his mind. Mark’s readers are residents, if not citizens, of the Roman Empire. Exactly how do this kingdom of God and the Roman Empire relate to one another? Are they in conflict? Can they coexist? Hasn’t the might of the Roman Empire proved to be too great for Christ’s kingdom? Even as this gospel is being published, aren’t Christians being driven underground, into the catacombs beneath Rome? Aren’t Christians being put to death by the hundreds in the Colosseum? The Christians themselves have to be wondering about the condition of Christ’s kingdom. They trust in Christ. They are citizens of his kingdom. But things look rather gloomy and bleak. What is happening with the kingdom of heaven that Christ brought to earth?

Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. (Mark 4:21, 22)

The first parable is not technically a parable but an illustration used to make a point. Jesus presumes the question, “Why does one bring a lamp into a room?” Obviously, a lamp is used to be able to see what is in the room. Therefore, it would be ridiculous to put a lamp in a place which would prevent it from lighting the room. Jesus chooses two common objects for his illustration. One would not put his lamp under a peck measure. Neither would one put his lamp under a couch. These actions would defeat the purpose of the lamp which is to reveal the things that are obscured by darkness.

A literal translation of the Greek gives us an interesting insight into what Jesus is saying. The New International Versions reads, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed?” A literal rendering is, “A lamp does not come in order to be put under a measure or under a couch, does it?” The lamp is personified. In other words, the lamp is portrayed as doing something a person does; it comes into the room. So Jesus is talking about himself as the lamp that comes to shine light into the darkness and reveal whatever is hidden in that darkness. His kingdom, the message of his kingdom, and he himself come into the darkness of the world in order to reveal the truth. Jesus preaches the truth of the kingdom and that truth is light. It is the means of the growth of the kingdom. People hear that truth and repent and believe it and enter the kingdom.

What is hidden in the darkness of the world into which Jesus brings the light of the kingdom? God’s truth. The truth God gave to Israel in centuries past. The way to a genuine relationship with God has been hidden in the darkness of the world. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law have hidden the truth under mountains of their own rules and regulations and traditions. Their false righteousness has served to mislead the people for centuries. No prophet has come to Israel since Malachi, over four hundred years before Christ. Now Christ has come into the world as the light which will reveal the truth and show the way into his kingdom and right relationship with God.

What lesson can we draw from this illustration of the lamp? I know that Jesus did not teach this lesson in order to give us specific directions for New Hope Church. Nevertheless, there are principles which can be drawn out that should give us guidance. Jesus shows the means by which the kingdom will grow. It will grow through the presentation of the light, the word, the truth of the gospel of the kingdom. The simple shining of the light of the kingdom will do the work God wants done in this world of darkness. So what are we as a church and as individuals supposed to do to advance the work of Christ’s kingdom? We should make certain that the truth does not get buried under a couch; that the light does not get set aside in some place where it will fail to show the way to right relationship with God. We need to avoid getting all caught up in human traditions and rules and regulations. We cannot let the light be hidden by phony religious righteousness. Churches try all kinds of things to try to bring more people into their buildings; all kinds of enticements and gimmicks. These things tend to hide the truth of the gospel of Christ’s kingdom! Jesus did not bring the word of the kingdom to earth for us to hide it under junk like that! We as a church and we as individuals must very carefully hold up the truth of the gospel, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, to our society and our culture because this is the means by which the kingdom of heaven grows on earth! Are you holding the light up high so it shines on you and all the people who are in your circle of acquaintance? Is kingdom truth shining from you and revealing a genuine relationship with God? Or has your light become hidden under some dirty laundry in your life?

JESUS ON PRAYER

2009-08-03T22:56:00.000-07:00

I’m back again. What a week! I’ve been working feverishly on a Church History paper and really needed to get it off my list of things to finish. My ordination is being transferred to the Reformed Church in America and one of the things I had to do was write this paper on the history of the denomination. It’s entitled “Missional Ecumenism in the Reformed Church in America” and it got a little longer than I anticipated. I really enjoyed doing the research for it but it seemed to take forever to organize all the information I gathered. Anyway, it’s done now so let’s see if I can be more consistent in posting things here!

In Luke 11 the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray just as John taught his own disciples to pray. We know what Jesus did. He told them to pray what we have come to call the Lord’s Prayer. (I’ve often wondered why we call it the Lord’s Prayer instead of the Disciples’ Prayer!)

Then Jesus tells them the story about the man who goes to his friend’s house at midnight because he has received unexpected company and needs bread to put on his table. But his friend is already in bed with his children and doesn’t want to get back up to give him bread. Luke 11:8 says, I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. What is Jesus teaching his disciples about prayer? When we pray we are to be bold. Simple. Let’s not complicate this. When we pray we are to come boldly with our requests.

Jesus goes on to say, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened (Luke 11:9, 10). Again, what is Jesus teaching about prayer? Ask! Seek! Knock! In other words, keep being bold by continuing to ask, seek, and knock. Jesus teaches perseverance in prayer.

Finally he says, Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will you Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:11-13) Jesus teaches us that when we pray we can expect God to give us what is good for us. What is good for us? The Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit will lead us in prayer (as Paul says in Romans 8:26) to ask according to God’s will. Jesus teaches us to pray with expectant faith in his goodness.

What is missing here? Jesus says nothing about how much time a godly person will spend in prayer! The conclusion is obvious. The length of time one spends in prayer is not the point! Some may be led to pray for lengthy periods of time, others not. But how foolish it is to measure people according to the amount of time they spend in prayer. How foolish to measure myself against others! Someone says, “But if Jesus prayed all night, then certainly we need to pray at least that long!” At least that long? How much longer can one pray than all night anyway? And to assume that I need to pray as long as Jesus did doesn’t make sense either. I may have a lot of things to pray about but there is no way I face the kinds of trials and troubles Jesus faced! The fact that he prayed all night on some occasions shows me how human our Lord was and how heavy his burdens were! No way I compare myself to Jesus or measure myself against him!

So Paul tells us, Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Someone will certainly say that Paul measures our spirituality by the amount of time we spend in prayer. We are to be in constant prayer. Is that what he means? Or might he mean that we are to pray and not give up? (Luke 18:1. By the way, that’s another teaching of Jesus about persevering in prayer!)

In short, I can’t find anything in scripture that says anything about how much time we should spend in prayer. Rather, I see a lot of teaching on the quality of prayer. And surely we should never engage in measuring ourselves or others based on the amount of time we pray.

FOR WITH THE MEASURE YOU USE...

2009-07-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

I was recently with a group of pastors for lunch and the youngest one of the group was sharing his heart with us. He said he was struggling with the fact that he was feeling like he didn’t pray enough. He believed he should be spending much more time in prayer. Now I have to admit that I have no idea what he really meant by that. Perhaps he prays for an hour a day and thinks he needs to pray longer. Or maybe he only prays once a week and thinks he needs to pray more often. We didn’t go into details. Nevertheless, a wave of old memories came flooding over me. I remember when I was in college and reading biographies of some of the great saints of the past; George Mueller, John Wesley, Martin Luther, George Whitefield, Jim Elliot. I was constantly feeling guilty about not praying enough. Some of these men spent hours in prayer every day and I thought that if I wanted God to bless me then I had to spend hours each day too.

But one day the question struck me…How much prayer is enough? If I pray for one hour shouldn’t I try to pray for two? And if I pray for two shouldn’t I try for three? Where does it stop? Thus began the fateful journey into questioning myself and my thinking. Why was I measuring myself against these men? Why do so many Christians tend to measure themselves and others? What is the measuring stick? Who decides which measure to use? What right do I have to measure the spirituality of other people? In fact, what right do I have to try to measure my own spirituality?

Measuring just didn’t work. I knew that deep down inside. I had been measured all my life by the people in my church. Apparently I measured up pretty well in their eyes because everyone expected me to amount to something. I was the kid that parents pointed to when they said to their sons, “Why can’t you be more like…?” The only thing was, they had no idea what was really going on inside me. They had no clue about what I did when they weren’t around with their measuring sticks. They didn’t know what I was thinking! Nevertheless, measuring had been bred into my spiritual DNA and now I was beginning to question that.

Why do so many Christian people measure themselves against other Christian people? Does it provide some sort of assurance that they are more spiritual than at least some other people? Is it simply a matter of spiritual pride? Do we have some sort of need to determine who is a good Christian and who isn’t? Of course measuring leads into one of the most dangerous forms of legalism. Those who do the measuring often end up making new rules about what qualifies as real spirituality. Remember the Pharisees. They thought if God required one fast day each year it would be better to fast twice. Eventually it became once a month. Then once a week. And finally, during the lifetime of Jesus, they boasted that they fasted two days a week! Apparently, they were really spiritual! And the same thing can be done with prayer. It can become a legalistic measuring stick that causes all kinds of people to worry that they are not spiritual because they don’t pray as much as so-and-so used to pray.

And so I began thinking about prayer and time and measuring. This introduction has gotten rather long so I’ll sign off and share my thinking on prayer next time. What has been your experience with spiritual measuring? Do you get what I’m talking about?

Thanks for stopping by.

HUSTLE AND BUSTLE

2009-07-23T21:57:00.000-07:00

Luke 10:38-42

Jesus and his disciples arrived in Bethany where they were offered hospitality at the home of Martha and Mary. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

I remember reading about Henry VIII’s progressions throughout England. He used to take these journeys and stop at the castles and great homes of his favored nobles. It was a great honor to have the king choose to visit your home. But when Henry travelled, he travelled with a huge entourage. Castle kitchens were overwhelmed with tons of various kinds of game and domestic meats. Mountains of vegetables were prepared. Hundreds of barrels of wine had to be brought in. There were countless trays of breads and pastries that had to be baked. The kitchen was working around the clock in order to ensure that everything was properly prepared for the king’s visit.

When Jesus visited he also travelled with an entourage, his apostles and the rest of his disciples. When he arrived in Bethany Martha acted as many women would. She shifted into high hospitality gear and started preparing all the things that had to be made. Jesus sat speaking to all the people who gathered around him. Martha hustled and bustled back and forth taking care of all the preparations while her sister, Mary, sat and listened to the Lord’s teaching. You can picture Martha scowling at her sister every time she passed her! Finally she had had enough of her lazy sister! She complained to Jesus, fully expecting him to prompt Mary to get up and help her. But Jesus surprised her. He told her that she was worrying about all the wrong things and that Mary had her priorities in place. Mary wanted to hear what Jesus said and Martha was concerned about preparations.

My wife is a Mary. As a pastor I have had many opportunities to offer hospitality to quite a few well-known pastors, speakers, authors, etc. My dear wife made it very clear to me before we even got married. She said, “I’ll be thrilled to have them in our home but I want you to know that we’ll be having hot dogs because I don’t want to miss out on anything! I’m not going to spend all my time in the kitchen while you guys sit and have great discussions!” I was very impressed by that. I kind of think that is what Jesus was trying to say to Martha. “Martha, Martha! Don’t you know we would all be happy with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? Just put out the bread and the jars and come and sit down. We’ll be fine!”

How does this apply to church life? How does this apply to church planting? What can we learn from Martha, Mary, and Jesus? What are the things that cause us to be worried, upset, and distracted? What should we be doing instead of hustling around? And what constitutes hustling around? We need to find a way to sit at the feet of Jesus instead of running all our programs and strategizing ways to attract more people to those programs. I think we tend to get all caught up in the management of church activities and fail to invest our time in worship, praise, and prayer. Church planters and church plants get distracted with the numbers game; more and more people. By sitting at Jesus’ feet Mary learned about the important things. I wonder if we really know what the important things are?

FROM ENEMY TO BELIEVER

2009-07-02T22:21:00.000-07:00

Luke 5:21-43

Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue. This officially made him an enemy of Jesus. I say “officially” because the Sanhedrin had sent their “official” investigative squad up to Capernaum to see what was going on with this Jesus, this healer, this caster out of demons. These “official” religion detectives observed what was happening and they said, He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons (Mark 3:22). So, since the “official” verdict was given, all synagogue officers were “officially” enemies of Jesus. Jerusalem had spoken. Jesus was “officially” demon-possessed and therefore an outcast. Jairus could have nothing to do with him or he too would become a “sinner” and an outcast.

But Jairus had a precious little daughter who was lying at home dying. He had done everything he could for her. Being a ruler of the synagogue, Jairus was a man of means. He could have taken her to any doctor or all of the doctors. None of them could help her. So now his dear little girl was terminally ill and waiting only to die.

Jairus had seen Jesus do miracles. Jesus had cast an evil spirit out of a man right in his own synagogue (Luke 4). Many of Jairus’ acquaintances and neighbors had been healed by Jesus of all kinds of diseases and handicaps. Jairus knew beyond a doubt that Jesus was able to heal. The religion detectives had declared him demon-possessed. What was more important to him? His position as a synagogue ruler or his darling little girl? If he went to Jesus he would become persona non grata with the religious mafia in Jerusalem. If he didn’t go to Jesus his daughter would die. The decision was made. When Jairus saw that Jesus’ boat had landed down at the lake he followed the crowd down to meet Jesus and fell on his knees in front of him.

Jesus agreed to go to Jairus’ house to heal his daughter. As they walked the woman who had a twelve-year bleeding issue touched Jesus and brought the whole procession to a screeching halt. (I’ve always wondered about the fact that Jairus’ daughter was twelve years old and the woman had a twelve-year condition!) The stop must have been murder for poor Jairus. He was already in way over his head and he was an important man, a man who was accustomed to having things go his way. I can almost see him standing there waiting for Jesus, wringing his hands, and shifting his weight back and forth from one foot to the other! He’s thinking, “Come on, Jesus! Let’s get going! My daughter is really sick!”

Before they were able to get started again some people came from Jairus’ house with the awful news that his daughter had died. There was no longer any need for Jesus to come. But Jesus heard their words and said, Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed. We know the rest of the story. Jesus went to the house and threw out the mourners (literal Greek from Mark’s account) and raised the little girl from the dead.

An “official” enemy of Jesus came to believe. We know he believed because his daughter was raised. Jesus willingly ministered to those who had opposed him. He was gracious and merciful and forgave. He lived out his own preaching, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44). Can we do the same?

HOW TO CONVINCE THE WORLD

2009-06-18T23:26:00.000-07:00

As the Israelites stood on the east bank of the Jordan River, preparing to cross over and enter the land of Canaan, Moses addressed them,

See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? (Deuteronomy 4:5-8)

I am impressed that the nations would look at Israel with admiration and notice their wisdom and understanding. How could Israel ensure that the neighboring nations would look at them this way? By keeping the laws God gave them! If they were faithful and kept God’s laws the nations would be impressed and in awe of them. I noticed that it is the wisdom of God’s laws and God’s understanding that would come through to the nations.

This was the way of the old covenant. If Israel was faithful to the covenant they would have a good reputation among the peoples surrounding them. Consider, it is also the way of the new covenant! If the church of Christ lives according to the commands of God the nations will see and will know that God sent Jesus into this world. What are the commands the church is to follow? Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30, 31). Jesus prayed for us, …that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me (John 17:21). The world will look at the church and see that we are one, that we are united, when we love one another. This is the most powerful apologetic in the world and will convince the world that Jesus was sent by the Father.

If Israel failed to keep God’s commands God would bring judgment upon them. The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you (Deuteronomy 4:27). If we do not love one another the world will not believe and our message will lack power and conviction and will sound like foolishness to them. Let us learn to love one another and be one, even as Jesus and the Father were one!

THEM? IN OUR CHURCH?

2009-06-15T22:48:00.000-07:00

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:29-32)

I don’t even know how to approach writing a blog on this passage. I have lots of ideas and illustrations but every one of them seems to be condemning and judgmental. I know of a church by personal experience (I was there) that illustrates what I would like to say. It was in the mid-60s in Southern California and the Jesus People were having a huge impact among the hippies. One Sunday morning a group of Jesus People showed up at this church with quite a few hippies. It was their intention to attend the morning service and bring their hippy friends to church with them. Many of them were barefoot. None were dressed in “church clothes.” Some were dirty. Most were long-haired and bearded (at least the men!). Are you getting the picture? They were denied entrance to this church on the grounds that they were barefoot and dirty.

What about churches that hesitate to bring in other ethnic groups? They have a different culture. They tend to be in gangs. Their girls often get pregnant in high school. Should we allow them to be around our youth? If they started coming in larger numbers then our whole church would be fundamentally changed and we like it just the way it is! (Yes, I have a number of illustrations of situations like this as well!)

What about poor people? What about people who have drinking problems or drug problems? What about gay people? What about people who have been in trouble with the law or who have been in prison? If you get very many of these people in your church things will be really different and your church will dramatically change. You would have to make big adjustments in your programs and ministries because such people bring all kinds of problems with them. You would have to find a way to actually deal with these people!

And THEN your church would be the kind of church Jesus would feel comfortable attending.

He came to heal the sick, not babysit the healthy!

STOOPING TO SERVE

2009-06-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him. (Luke 5:12, 13)

I have often thought about this passage and I have preached on it a number of times. Obviously, it impresses me deeply. I am impressed with the faith of the leper. Instead of moving away from Jesus while crying out, “Unclean! Unclean!” as the law required, he approached Jesus. He could have been stoned to death for this breach of the law. What faith it must have taken for him to come and fall on his face at Jesus’ feet! Of course, desperation can produce very courageous acts of faith. Perhaps that is what is so missing in our society today…desperation. So few people whom I meet are even aware that they have a need! Desperate? No! The people who respond to the gospel are those who know they are in need and the more they are in touch with the greatness of their need, the more faith they demonstrate!

There are many instances of such faith in the gospels. What really strikes me here is Jesus’ actions. Of course, touching a leper rendered a person unclean. It was against the traditions of the elders to touch a leper. Jesus reaches out and touches this man with love and compassion. But there is more to it. The leper is lying prostrate at the feet of Jesus. Jesus wouldn’t be able to just reach out his hand and touch him. Jesus would have had to stoop down to the ground to touch this poor man! What a picture! The Son of God stooping to touch the unclean! Doesn’t this ring a bell in your mind? Isn’t this the very thing Jesus did for all of us? Didn’t he leave behind the glories of heaven and humble himself to become a man and the servant of men? Didn’t he stoop to reach down and touch us with his love, grace, and mercy? And wasn’t his power great enough to drive the sin and death from our souls?

I am supposed to be the hands and feet of Jesus. So are all who are his followers! Will we learn from this the importance of being willing to stoop to touch those who are suffering all around us? This is what is lacking in our proclamation of the gospel; the willingness to stoop and identify with the downtrodden and suffering! And we don’t have nearly as far to stoop as Jesus did!

FISHING TIPS

2009-06-11T22:23:00.000-07:00

In Luke 5 Jesus gets into Peter’s boat and sits in it while teaching the crowds along the shore. Following the teaching he asks Peter to take the boat out and catch some fish. Peter, the fisherman, responds, Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets (Luke 5:5). Obeying Jesus, they put down the nets and caught so many fish that the nets began to break. They called their partners to bring out their boat and they put the catch into both boats! There were so many fish that the boats began to sink!

Peter was overwhelmed by this sign of Jesus’ sovereignty and fell to his knees saying, Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man! (Luke 5:8) Jesus responded, Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men. At that point they pulled their boats up on shore and followed Jesus.

I hear many pastors saying that we live in a time of “small things.” In other words, in spite of all of our efforts to share the gospel with people who are like sheep without a shepherd, we don’t see huge results. I guess I often feel like Peter when he told Jesus they had been fishing hard all night and hadn’t caught a thing. “Lord, I’ve been preaching your gospel and sharing your love with people day after day and I’m not seeing much happen.” Jesus simply asks me to keep putting down my nets. Just keep fishing. Just obey. He wants me to obey him just like Peter and the others did. Just as Jesus brought the fish into their nets so he will bring the lost to hear and respond to the good news of salvation. Perhaps the day will come when the catch will be so great that we won’t know what to do with all the people who are coming to faith in Christ!

Peter left fishing to become one who caught men. He left his boat behind and followed Jesus. He was among the disciples who went from town to town and village to village preaching the kingdom. They met with various degrees of success but never did their following grow over about 120 people. That is, until the Day of Pentecost! Isn’t the day of Pentecost very similar to the day Peter put his nets back into the Sea of Galilee and struggled to pull them into the boat? Over 3,000 believed his message that day and were baptized! I believe that day will come! All we have to do is pull our boats up on shore and follow Jesus!

SOME TEMPTING REFLECTIONS

2009-06-07T22:18:00.000-07:00

May I make a few observations about the temptation of Christ as it is recorded in Luke 4? When I read this passage a couple of evenings ago I saw some things I hadn’t thought about before and was reminded of other things I noticed in the past. I think Christians would benefit from considering the experience of Jesus in the wilderness. Some have said that this wasn’t really a temptation because Jesus was God and he was incapable of sinning. Others say that he had to be able to sin or it wouldn’t be real temptation. I don’t know how to split these hairs but I do know that Jesus knew real temptation because the scriptures assure me that he has experienced every struggle that I have experienced.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil (Luke 4:1, 2) Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. There seems to be a false idea out there that if we walk as closely to the Lord as possible and remain filled with the Holy Spirit we will not experience temptation; that temptation waits until we are weak and vulnerable spiritually. Apparently that is not the case. Jesus was full of the Spirit when he was approached by the Enemy.

And don’t make the mistake of thinking that the Holy Spirit leads us away from temptation. It is very clear that in this case the Spirit led Jesus in the desert as he was tempted. Some versions translate the text as saying that the Spirit led Jesus into the desert in order to be tempted by the devil. Temptation is part of God’s will for our lives. He wants us to learn to be completely dependent on the Spirit when we are tempted. I don’t mean to say that we should seek out temptation; rather, God draws us closer to himself through temptation. And in no way does this contradict the prayer we were taught to pray saying, Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil!

Did you notice that Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days? The temptations that are recorded in the gospels are only a sampling of the temptations Jesus encountered during the forty days in the wilderness. It makes me wonder where Satan may have taken Jesus and what he might have shown him in an effort to make him sin.

Do you think there is a connection between Jesus’ fasting and temptation? I mean, did his fasting increase his communion with the Spirit and strengthen his resistance to the Enemy? Did the devil think Jesus was weakened in his ability to withstand temptation because he was hungry? Does this say anything about whether or not we should engage in a regular schedule of fasting? This is something 21st century American Christians know very little about and I’m not sure I have all the answers. But if Jesus fasted, shouldn’t we? Jesus said that when the bridegroom was taken from his attendants then his attendants would fast.

Why is it important for us to memorize scripture or at least know it very well so we can recall portions of it? Jesus answered the temptations of the devil with scripture. The word of God is living and powerful and able to rightly discern spiritual truth. I fully believe that the more time we spend in the Bible, the better we know the word of God, the better we will be able to take a firm stand when we face temptation.

Finally, verse 13 says, When the devil had finished all this tempting he left him until an opportune time. We should make no mistake about the fact that the temptation of Jesus was not limited to these forty days in the desert. Satan fully planned to return and tempt Jesus again when the time was right. Jesus’ life was most likely filled with visits from the Enemy who tempted him many times hoping to destroy God’s plan for the redemption of his people!

LESSONS FROM ALMOND TREES

2009-06-03T00:03:00.000-07:00

Luke 3:9
The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Those of you who know us know that last year we moved into the San Joaquin Valley, the central valley of California. The area in which we live is known as “almond country.” We are literally surrounded by thousands and thousands of acres of almond trees. This past winter a local grower purchased several hundreds of acres of land very near our home that was previously used for field crops, originally cotton. The land was prepared with a great deal of deep plowing. Then deep furrows were drawn in the soil leaving eight to twelve inch ridges into which the grower planted about 110 almond saplings per acre. We watched this whole process taking place. He put in sprinkling systems for irrigation, fertilized and sprayed the saplings, and protected them with plastic tubes. There were many workers involved in the planting of these fields. The grower made a huge investment of his resources to get the field ready and planted and he did it all for one purpose. In a couple of years these saplings will grow into fruit-bearing almond trees and he will reap a huge harvest.

Also near our home was a fully mature ranch of almond trees. They had been producing almonds for over twenty years! This grower had many rich harvests and had made a great deal of money from these trees. One day I drove by this ranch and I saw a huge bulldozer out in the orchard and he was pushing the trees over. Hundreds of trees lay on their sides with their large root systems exposed to the air. In another part of the ranch there were workers with chain saws cutting up the trees. And in yet another area there were huge wood chippers receiving what had been pushed over and cut up. Being an almond country novice I had to ask the guys in church why that orchard was being destroyed. You already know the answer. They said, “It was no longer producing enough nuts to be profitable!”

When John was baptizing in the Jordan River there were crowds coming out to be baptized. He was unwilling to let them think that all they needed to do was submit to baptism in order to have right standing with God. He said, You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance…The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire! (Luke 3:7-9) John proceeded to tell the people what repentance looked like. The man with two tunics should share with him who has none. The tax collectors should not collect more than they were required to. Soldiers should not extort money or accuse people falsely. They were to repent from their sins and begin to live righteously.

Repentance. We don’t hear much about repentance anymore. I’m not sure why that is. Perhaps it is an unpleasant thought. Perhaps pastors think it will turn people away from their churches. Perhaps we are afraid people will think we’re being too judgmental. Repentance must be preached because people must produce fruit in keeping with repentance. If they don’t produce good fruit God’s bulldozer will do its work and they will be uprooted and thrown into the wood chipper! If we claim to preach the whole gospel of Christ we will preach repentance and the necessity of bearing its fruit.

ZEAL FOR GOD'S HONOR

2009-05-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

Numbers 25:1-13

While the nation of Israel was staying in the wilderness near Moab the men began to engage in sexual immorality with Moabite and Midianite women. The women invited the men to feasts where they ate and drank and worshiped their pagan gods. In this way these foreign women caused the men of Israel to sin against their God. If Balak was unable to get Balaam to curse Israel he would find another way to keep them from destroying him! The LORD’s wrath was sent out against these men and he commanded Moses to put the leaders of their clans to death. A plague broke out against the Israelites and Moses and the rest of the people resorted to the Tent of Meeting where they were weeping before the LORD because of their sin and God’s judgment.

It was at that moment that one of the Israelite men brought a Midianite woman toward his tent right in front of Moses and the entire assembly. Aaron’s grandson, Phinehas saw what was happening and was so angry that he took action. He seized a spear and followed the man and the woman right into the tent. The text says that he drove the spear through both of them—through the Israelite and into the woman’s body. Instantly the plague stopped but 24,000 people died as a result of this heinous sin.

God spoke to Moses, Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. God blessed Phinehas with a covenant of peace and again says it was because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites.

Three things came to mind as I read this passage. First, all sin is committed against God. Sure, our sin affects the people around us in a number of ways, but our sin is committed against the one who gave us his law. Sin is rebellion against God and it is against his name and against his honor that we sin. Perhaps we might think that it is “just a small sin” and “it won’t hurt anybody” but we should be very aware of the fact that our “small sins” are still rebellion against God’s law and an affront to his name. Maybe recognizing that fact will help us think more carefully about how we view our own sin.

Second, Phinehas was honored by God because of his zeal for God’s honor. Here was a man who recognized that the sin of the Israelite men was a blasphemy against God. Phinehas had such a high regard for the honor of God’s name that he would not tolerate such blatant sin. Of course many people in our day would consider him to be judgmental and self-righteous. But the judgment was God’s judgment and the righteousness about which he was concerned was God’s! Those of us who are involved in the leadership of churches need to have such zeal for the honor of God. We often misplace our zeal. We are zealous for church growth. We are zealous for making a name for our church. Our zeal should cause us to say, “It’s all about God! Let us make his name bigger and more famous!”

Finally, God’s covenant with Phinehas reminds me of his covenant with Christ. God said he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites. It was because of Phinehas’ zeal that the judgment of God was turned away from Israel. What Phinehas did removed the separation between God and his people by dealing with the sin. That is exactly what Jesus did! King David wrote, Zeal for your house consumes me (Psalm 69:9). After Jesus drove out the moneychangers from the temple the disciples recalled this passage, Zeal for your house will consume me (John 2:17). His own death on the cross removed the separation between God and his people because he made atonement for our sin. God raised him from the dead and when he ascended to heaven he was seated at the right hand of the Father.

May our zeal for the Lord’s honor motivate us to bring many into his house so his name will be honored and glorified!

SEE WHAT GOD HAS DONE!

2009-05-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

Numbers 23:21-23

The nation of Israel passed through the wilderness until they came to the border of Moab. There were so many of them that they could not be numbered. Balak had seen the victories God had given to Israel against the Amorites and Bashan. He was terrified so he called upon Balaam, a man of God, to come to Moab and put a curse on Israel. He believed that if Balaam would curse Israel then perhaps he would have a chance to defeat them. At first God would not allow Balaam to go to Balak. After Balak sent a second group to call upon Balaam, God allowed him to go.

Balaam had Balak build seven altars and on those altars they sacrificed seven bulls and seven rams. Balaam went aside to hear the voice of the Lord and when he returned he gave the message to Balak. It was a blessing. So Balak took Balaam to another place where the altars were built and the bulls and rams were sacrificed. This second oracle is recorded in Numbers 23. In verses 21-23 Balaam said, No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The LORD their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them. God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. There is no sorcery against Jacob, no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and of Israel, “See what God has done!”

“See what God has done!” THAT is what it is all about. May it be said of all of us, “See what God has done!” May it be said of our churches, “See what God has done!” May it be said of our marriages and our children, “See what God has done!” May it be said of our ministries, “See what God has done!”

The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Far too often pastors and churches forget that what they are about is glorifying God! It is much too easy to become wrapped up in our programs and our church growth and forget that it is all about the glory of God! It’s not about building a mega-church and making a big name for yourself. It’s about making God’s name bigger and bigger.

My prayer is that it may be said that no misfortune is seen in New Hope Church. No misery. That the LORD their God is with them. That they have the strength of a wild ox. That no evil can stand against them. May it simply be said, “See what God has done!”

JESUS IS ALIVE AND WORKING!

2009-05-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

Mark 16:19, 20

After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

Jesus is alive! He is alive right now. He is seated at the right hand of God the Father and he is building his church. He is not just far away in glory. He is not simply basking in the worship of countless angels. He is not just an idea or a symbol. He is alive and we need to learn to live our lives in that knowledge. We have to remind ourselves daily that Jesus is alive and he is our Lord, Savior, Master, and Teacher. I fear that many Christians go about their daily lives without a single recollection of the fact that Jesus is living and active. It seems to me that many of us rarely consider the significance of the fact that Jesus is alive. Perhaps the only time we really think of Jesus is on Sunday mornings when we attend worship.

What is the natural response of those who believe Jesus is alive? The disciples went out and preached everywhere! They went out and bore witness to what they saw and what they knew to be true. If we don’t think about the fact that Jesus is alive we will not bear witness. If we truly believe Jesus is alive it will have a radical effect on the way we go through our days! When the disciples saw Jesus ascend into heaven it sealed the deal for them. They knew he was alive and they went about telling people that good news; the good news of salvation through faith in Christ.

And Jesus worked with and through them. They were not preaching alone. Jesus helped them. Jesus gave them strength. He empowered and enabled them. He worked through their message. And he showed the world the truth of their message through signs and wonders. Jesus works with us! We are not building his church; he is building his church. We bear the message of his word and he works with us to bring it to fruition. And I believe he will testify to the truth of our message with various signs and wonders!

It is all very simple and it all begins with the knowledge that Jesus is alive at this very moment! We simply go about doing what he told us to do and he will be with us and bless our work and bear witness to its truth. What do we do? We are his witnesses in all the earth. We just tell what we know to be true and the Lord will work with us!

DON'T LOOK DOWN!

2009-05-20T23:08:00.000-07:00

Numbers 13, 14

In Numbers 13 and 14 is the account of the Israelite spies being sent into Canaan to scout out the land. They spend forty days going through Canaan and brought back a cluster of grapes so large that it had to be carried on a pole between two men. They also brought back pomegranates and figs. The report of the spies was accurate at first. It does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there (Numbers 13:27, 28). All this was true. Caleb spoke up and said, We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it (Numbers 13:30).

It was then that the other spies revealed their colors of cowardice and spread a bad report among the people of Israel. The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (Numbers 13:32, 33). Now the story is being exaggerated by fear. The spies foresaw danger in the taking of the land. They feared death and did not believe God could protect them and give them victory. The result of this false report was that the people became terrified and wanted to return to Egypt. They proposed stoning Moses and Aaron and choosing a new leader to take them back.

Caleb and Joshua spoke up again. The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them (Numbers 14:7-9).

God’s anger burned against the people and he suggested to Moses that he destroy all of them and build a new nation from Moses’ seed. But Moses interceded for the people and God forgave them. Nevertheless, they would wander in the wilderness for forty years until every one of them who was over twenty years old was dead. And, God struck the ten lying spies with a plague and killed them all.

We all know the rest of the story. What does this say to us? My wife has taken to saying that we are walking on water here in Shafter. In other words, God is doing a miraculous work here and we are merely walking by faith. If we stop and look down we will surely fall and fail. God has changed all the plans we had for planting this church here. It was supposed to be a nice, typical Reformed Church. But guess what! Hardly any of the many Dutch Reformed people in the area were interested in a church plant. Who has responded? God has brought us all kinds of Hispanic people who have a different culture and a different language! The church is growing! It is somewhat terrifying! God is taking the land back and giving it to us. The words of Caleb and Joshua ring in my ears, “If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land…Do not be afraid…THEIR PROTECTION IS GONE BUT THE LORD IS WITH US!” So we will not be afraid.

What is God doing in your life? To what is he calling you? What does he want you to do? Does it look terrifying? Do not be afraid; their protection is gone but the Lord is with you! Just don’t look down!

A PRAYER FOR UNITY

2009-05-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

Numbers 11

Following up on yesterday’s thoughts on the first part of Numbers 11 we find something very interesting in the last part of the chapter.

Moses did what God commanded him to do. He found seventy elders, leaders and officials from the tribes of Israel and he brought them to stand around the Tent of Meeting. The Lord came down in a cloud and took of the Spirit that was on Moses and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. As a sign to them and to the people the newly anointed elders prophesied.

But we have these two appointed elders who for some reason did not join the others at the Tent of Meeting, Eldad and Medad. They were still in the camp when the Spirit was put onto the others. Even though they weren’t out at the tent these two men received the Spirit as well and began prophesying also. A young man heard them prophesying and ran to tell Moses about it. Joshua was upset with this development and entreated Moses to stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying. Moses responded to Joshua, Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD’s people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!

Here is another parallel with the life of Christ. “Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us” (Mark 9:38-40).

So much of the church is like Joshua, John, and the other apostles. I, for one, had that same attitude for many years in the ministry. Picking at nits while swallowing camels. Those who didn’t toe the line theologically were just wrong and had to be changed! I acted like it was my calling to make sure they changed! I feared to work together with other churches, particularly mainline denominations, because I didn’t want to be lumped in with them. After several years of sitting under the rod of the Lord I have come to understand that the mission of Christ will be fulfilled only as the church comes together and works together in unity. It is time for us to affirm the fundamentals of the faith and let our secondary differences fall to the wayside. If I would have had my way, all the churches who didn’t believe as I did would have been stopped from working in the name of Christ in order that only those who agreed with me would have center stage in the kingdom. After all, they weren’t one of us! I have repented that arrogance and now seek to work with the holy catholic church, the true body of Christ. I don’t think we need to destroy denominationalism. Rather, we need to step over the lines that have separated Christ’s body for far too long and show the world that there really is only one body of Christ. God used Jesus’ prayer in John 17 to convict me of my wrong thinking. My prayer is not for them alone, I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (John 17:20, 21)

Thank God that Moses’ wish came true and God’s Spirit rests on all his people without consideration of denomination! May that Spirit draw us together as one!

A CRISIS IN LEADERSHIP

2009-05-13T23:02:00.000-07:00

Numbers 11

The people of Israel were complaining in the presence of the LORD about the hardships they were facing in the wilderness (Numbers 11:1). The LORD was angry with them and brought a judgment of fire upon them but Moses interceded for the people and the LORD relented. Then the rabble began to complain about the lack of good food. They longed for the fish and vegetables they were able to have in Egypt and whined about the fact that all they had was the miraculous manna God was providing for them! Soon all the people were crying out and wailing about the hardships of their lives.

This was hard on Moses. He spoke to the LORD, Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, “Give us meat to eat!” I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now… (Numbers 11:11-15).

Moses was bold. He spoke his heart and mind to God. I can understand his position. Everyone was looking to him to provide for them and he felt the unbelievable burden of having to take care of all these people. It would be enough to kill a man or at least drive him insane! By the way, do you see the parallel between what Moses said to God and what the disciples said to Jesus when he told them to feed the 5,000? Moses said, “Where can I get meat for all these people?” The disciples asked God’s Son, “Where will we buy food for these people to eat?” In both situations God was about to do something powerfully amazing!

But God had a plan for Moses and his leadership crisis. Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone (Numbers 11:16, 17).

Moses had the burden of serving well over a million people. He needed help and God provided it by giving seventy elders the Holy Spirit who enabled them to lead in a godly manner. Most pastors have no more than a few hundred people for whom they are responsible. But in his wisdom God has made it plain that the pastor is not to shepherd his people alone. He is to have elders; leaders who are filled with the Holy Spirit who will help him lead the people and who will carry the burden of ministry with him. It is foolish for a pastor to try to lead a church without Spirit-filled elders. Even a small church can be a great burden; a burden great enough to crush his spirit and cause him to burn out. Even Moses, a man of great faith, cried out to God because the burden of leadership was too great for him. Am I arrogant enough to think I don’t need the same kind of help from the Lord?

GOD IN THE MIRROR?

2009-04-30T23:10:00.000-07:00

Psalm 50:16-21

But to the wicked, God says:
What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant on your lips?
You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
When you see a thief, you join with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.
You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.
You speak continually against your brother
and slander your own mother’s son.
These things you have done and I kept silent;
you thought I was altogether like you.
But I will rebuke you
and accuse you to your face.

The psalmist (Asaph) points to the sins of those who claim to be followers of God’s way but live their lives in sin. They are hypocrites. They recite God’s laws and speak of his covenant with them. Yet they have no interest in God’s words. They want to go their own way. They steal, commit adultery, lie, and slander. These hypocrites do all these things thinking they will not be judged yet God says he will rebuke and accuse them. Why do they think they can get away with ignoring God’s word and living any way they want to live? What is behind such foolish behavior? Asaph hits the proverbial nail on the head in verse twenty one: You thought I was altogether like you.

If you think about it, that is the kind of thinking behind all kinds of sin. People don’t think they were made in the image of God. Instead, they make God in their own image. They think, “God is just like me! Surely he won’t judge me for doing what I like to do? God wants me to be happy! He wants me to enjoy my life!”

People are always attaching their own values and standards to God. “What kind of God would allow little children to starve to death in Darfur?” Inherent in that statement is this: “If I were God I would do a much better job than he is doing.” The very same person might say, “God wouldn’t want me to have this baby. I’m just too busy right now to have a baby and it wouldn’t be fair to the baby or to me!” God’s word and his commands have no place in such thinking. God will just have to understand!

God is not like us! God is completely other from us! The biggest mistake we could ever make is to think God is altogether like us. When we begin thinking that God thinks like we think or feels like we feel or shares our values and standards then we will be giving ourselves a green light to do whatever it is that we want to do. And then we will expect God to understand and give us a break, because that’s what we would do. We will expect God to grade on a curve. We will expect him to open heaven to us because we know a lot of people who are much worse than we are. That won’t happen. God says it himself through Asaph, I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. There will be a lot of surprised people when they discover God is not altogether like them!

FOLLOW THAT CLOUD!

2009-04-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

Numbers 9:17-23

Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out. They obeyed the LORD’s order, in accordance with his command through Moses.

Here is an illustration of living by faith. God led the Israelites. They camped or moved according to the Lord’s direction. Notice that the text has “whenevers” and “wherevers.” The Israelites did not have control over their time or their place. God controlled all that. There is no mention of convenience for the Israelites. Sometimes they stayed in one place only one night. It was no small thing to set up the tabernacle and their tents. They never knew if they were going to be somewhere overnight or for a year! They had to set up the tabernacle every single time they stopped. Some places may have appeared very comfortable and perhaps the people would have liked to stay there for awhile but the cloud lifted first thing in the morning. Some places may have been very unpleasant. Men would rise early in the morning hoping to see the cloud lift but it didn’t. Sometimes the people may have grown very bored with their location but the cloud didn’t move. Some of the women must have really struggled with the fact that they didn’t have a place of their own to create a home. Sometimes the cloud lifted in the middle of the night and the people had to awaken the children, take down their tents, pack up their things, and move out. That would be inconvenient!

Am I willing to follow God’s direction for my life in this way? What about when things become very inconvenient? What if God wants me to be in a place I don’t really like? What if he moves me from a place I really like? What if I have to do a job I really don’t want to do? What if I lose the job I really love? What if my kids move far away from me? What if my health fails? What if my job doesn’t provide a secure retirement? What if the people I work with are extremely difficult? Am I willing to follow the Lord’s clear direction for my life no matter what?

Second question: Do I even spend enough time with the Lord to know when the cloud is moving or settling? How can I say I’m following the Lord if I don’t know where he’s leading me? How can I know if he’s leading me if I don’t spend time listening to his voice?

Do we even know what it means to really live by faith anymore?

GIVE US THIS DAY...

2009-04-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

Mark 12:41-44

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

I’m amazed at how the economic recession through which we are living is affecting the way I read my Bible. Passages that I have read hundreds of times have a fresh hue and tint to them. I see them with different eyes. People around me are losing their jobs. Their businesses are losing customers as people are being more careful with their money. Homes are being taken back by banks and mortgage companies and people are on the streets for the first time in their lives. Churches are frantically looking around trying to figure out what they can do to help. They don’t know how to help because it has been so long since they’ve had to deal with homelessness and unemployment among their own people! That doesn’t even address the sense of responsibility they have for the people in their communities!

Money is tight! Many of us sit down at bill-paying-time and have to decide which bills are going to be set aside for the time being because we can’t afford to pay them. How are we supposed to get through this difficult time? What are we supposed to do? That’s why this passage struck me so hard this evening.

Jesus intentionally went directly to the temple treasury. He wanted to watch the people giving their offerings. I can see him sitting there in the shade, unobtrusively observing as people came and deposited their offerings in the barrel-sized receptacles. He watched as many rich people came. They threw their offerings in. The word Mark chose indicates a very flashy and showy manner of giving. And the throwing would make a scene and a very large noise drawing attention to the giver. As these many rich people came and went Jesus sat quietly in his place. What was he watching for?

That’s when it happened. Nobody else seems to have noticed. It was just a poor widow. She dropped her offering in the can. Jesus saw what she put in. Two tiny copper coins that added up to only a fraction of a penny. I can see Jesus jumping up in joy with a look of complete jubilation on his face! “Did you guys see that? Did you see it?” The disciples looked at one another and then at Jesus and then back at each other wondering what in the world Jesus was talking about. Jesus was absolutely delighted. “You missed her offering? That widow woman who’s just leaving? You should have seen it! Oh! I can’t believe you missed it! It was huge! I’ve rarely seen such a significant gift!” The disciples, really confused, asked Jesus what she had done. They hadn’t heard anything at all! And Jesus said, This poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on!

Did you ever notice that she gave more than all of the others? Not more than any of the others; more than all the others combined! That is the significance of her gift in the eyes of Jesus!

What do we take away from this? Not a lesson on giving this time; although there is a great lesson to be learned. Rather, a lesson on faith. The poor widow gave all she had to live on. From where would her food come tomorrow? How would she pay her bills? What in the world was she going to do now that she had no money left at all? The answer is implied. She was going to live by faith. She was going to trust God to provide for her. She was confident that God would not let her starve and she put her faith into action. If only we could learn to live by faith in that way!

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT

2009-04-15T22:55:00.000-07:00

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all you mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

This passage is commonly called The Great Commandment. Love God with all your being and love your neighbor. Because of the way Americans look at love, this commandment raises a bit of a difficulty. These are actual statements I have heard from people over the course of my ministry: “I don’t know if I love God. Sometimes I feel a lot of gratitude for what he’s done for me but other times I don’t feel anything.” “I find it hard to love God because I see God as a male and it’s just too hard for me to be in love with a male” (obviously from a man!). Then there is the Mary Magdalene syndrome from Jesus Christ Superstar (“I don’t know how to love him”). I’ve met women who seem to be completely, romantically in love with Jesus, “I just love him so much! He meets all my needs! I get a warm feeling all over when I think about him.”

Then what about the second part of the commandment? The part about loving one’s neighbor? “I don’t even know my neighbor, how am I supposed to love him?” “I show my love for my neighbor by not calling the cops every night about his music being so loud!” “I tolerate him. That’s how I love my neighbor!” “I live out in the country. I don’t have any neighbors.” “But you have no idea what my neighbor has done to us! He always drives over our piece of lawn next to his driveway!” (Yes, I’ve heard ALL of these!)

First, we need to remember that love is not a feeling. Love is an action. Love is demonstrated in our behavior, not in our feelings. That’s why Jesus can say something like, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” The apostle John says that love is abiding in God and living righteously. Jesus showed us that he loved us by laying down his life for us. He didn’t just say, “Oh, I love you all so much!” He demonstrated it by his actions. Do I love God? The way I live my life and keep God’s commandments gives me the answer to this. Am I committed to putting God’s will before my own? Am I dedicated to keeping his commands no matter how inconvenient or difficult it seems to be?

What about our neighbors? Many people don’t seem to have understood the parable of the Good Samaritan. Who is my neighbor? Anyone whom God puts in my path whether he lives near me or not. And again, it has nothing to do with feelings. Love for my neighbor is demonstrated when I treat them the way Jesus would treat them; or when I put their interests and needs before my own. When I lived in Michigan I tried to show love for my neighbors by shoveling the snow on their sidewalks while they were at work. (I have to find something new now that I live in California!) Love is about actions, not feelings. We need to get that through our heads if we want to keep the Great Commandment.

FOR ALL NATIONS

2009-04-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

Mark 11:15-18

Jesus and the Twelve descended the Mount of Olives, crossed the valley, and entered Jerusalem. Jesus went straight to the temple and immediately began to clear out the Court of the Gentiles. He drove out the people who were buying and selling. He pitched over the tables of the moneychangers. He knocked over the benches with the doves on them. And he stopped people from using the court as a shortcut.

Jesus’ act of clearing the temple was an act of teaching. He was teaching God’s perspective on the Gentiles. His actions demonstrated what God said through Isaiah, “And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:6, 7). Jesus also quotes Jeremiah, “Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD” (Jeremiah 7:11). Jesus was prophetically clearing the way into his kingdom for the Gentiles!

We need to recognize the significance of Jesus’ actions on this day. He was revealing that he was the Promised One, the one who came to defend the holiness of God and call men to repentance. He showed that he was the one who would fight for the cause of the Gentiles and remove the barriers that had been raised to keep them from coming to God. He came to unmask the hypocrisy of the religious leaders; to reveal that their false religion was fruitless. Jesus came to warn the people of Jerusalem. They were in a precarious situation and if they did not hear his invitation and call to repentance they would be destroyed. He amazed the people with his teaching (v.18) because he was willing to point the finger at Caiaphas. No one else would stand up to Caiaphas, but Jesus did. Is it any wonder that the religious leaders redoubled their efforts to find a way to put this zealous reformer to death?

Jesus told us to make disciples of “all nations.” The church is one body made up of “all nations.” When we gather for worship our gathering place needs to be a place for “all nations.” Are we intentionally trying to find ways to reach out to all the nations that are represented around us? Does our worship or our fellowship make it difficult for “all nations” to participate with us? What do you think?

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

2009-04-11T20:49:00.001-07:00

It was early Sunday morning after the crucifixion of Jesus and some of the women who had been his followers were on their way to the tomb where he had been laid late on Friday afternoon. As they walked together they worried, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” This was a problem. The stone was very large and it had been moved into its place sealing the tomb. They wanted to finish treating Jesus’ body because it had been done hurriedly on Friday. But the stone presented a barrier to their plan. For them, it was an immovable barrier. The stone blocked their way to Jesus. He had been their hope and they had devoted their lives to him. But now he was dead. Their hope of eternal life had been crushed when Jesus died on the Roman cross. The stone locked him into the tomb and it locked them out. It buried their hopes. The stone seemed to say, “The dead are dead and there is no escape from death!” Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead but now it was Jesus who was dead. Who was around to raise him? The stone presented them with a temporal problem because it prevented them from getting to Jesus. It was sealed by the authorities and it was guarded by Roman soldiers. But it also presented them with a spiritual problem. What now? What is their hope of heaven?

This is the same question that is addressed by all religions. What now? What about life after death? What about paradise? How can people have hope for life on the other side of the stone? Every religion tries to answer that question. Every religion tries to find a way around the stone that blocks the way to eternal life. Every religion asks the question, “Who will remove the stone that is blocking our way?”

When the women arrived at the tomb they were amazed! They found the stone already rolled away and there was an angel sitting on it! The removed stone is a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. It speaks volumes about the uniqueness of Christianity. That stone which shut Jesus in and kept us out renews all our hopes and shows us the way to life eternal.

In much the same way the fact that the stone was rolled away from the tomb testifies to the fact that death no longer has any hold on us. Christ has broken down the wall that held us captive in sin and blocked us from eternal life. The stone is rolled away! The tomb is not the final resting place but an open door to enter into Christ’s presence! Jesus entered the tomb as a hostage of death. He had taken upon himself the sins of men at the cross and he was bound to pay sin’s price. His work was accomplished on the cross. He had cried out, “It is finished.” He lay in the tomb throughout the Sabbath but on the first day of the week he was raised and the stone was rolled away. It reminds us that the grave cannot hold those who are in Christ through faith. There is nothing that can hinder the child of God from rising to eternal life with Jesus. Our sin has been paid for. The stone has been rolled away. No authority, no government, nothing can bind us to the darkness of death and the grave. Let the stone remind us that we have a free path to eternal life!

THIS IS WHO HE IS!

2009-04-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

Who is this man? When we look at Jesus riding into Jerusalem we know who he was. He was completely other from every other person there that day. He was the Son of God. He was the one who set aside the glories of heaven to become a man. He was the Son of God whom the angels worshiped and adored. He was the infant at whom the angels gazed from heaven in wonder to observe in the stable in Bethlehem. He was the Word made flesh who came to dwell among us. He had been with God the Father throughout eternity. He created all that is. That man sitting on that donkey was no mere man. He was the God-man. He was fully God and fully man. He came to earth at the will of his Father to fulfill the prophecies. He came bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth. Who is this? This is Jesus, the Son of God!

Who is this? The people who saw Jesus ride into Jerusalem that day did not know what he had come to do. They hoped he had come to establish his kingdom and rid them of Rome. But he had come to do far more than rid them of Rome! He had come to rid them of their sin! As Jesus rode into Jerusalem he came as the Savior of the world! Thousands of people hailed him! As they watched him come into the city they had no idea that Jesus was involved in a cosmic, spiritual transaction! They had no hint that he had come to Jerusalem to die for the sins of the world. In less than a week all of these adoring people would forget this day. They would cry out for his crucifixion. And to the cross Jesus would go. He was about to do something unimaginable! He would take the sins of men upon his shoulders and claim them as his own. Bearing the sins of his followers, he would give them his own righteousness. Jesus would suffer the excruciating punishment for sin that was not his. These were the terms of the spiritual transaction to which he had agreed. This was the very reason for which Jesus had come to earth! Who is this? He is Jesus, the Savior of the world!

The people who saw Jesus ride into Jerusalem in triumph that day did not really know who he was. He only looked like a humble, rural rabbi. This was the appearance Jesus took on when he humbled himself and took on the form of a servant. This was the last time they would see Jesus coming to them in humility and offering peace. The next time he enters Jerusalem will be very different! John writes about it in Revelation 19:11-16, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

This is how Jesus will appear when he returns! He will come as one who is king over all kings and as lord of all lords. He will not come offering peace and life but judgment and death. He will not be alone; he will be accompanied by the armies of heaven. He will conquer and enter his city as the victorious King!

Who is this? This is the Lord! It is hard for Americans to grasp the significance of lordship because we are and always have been freemen. We hardly understand that most of the world is not like us. Our British founders were not like us. Although they may not have been slaves, they owed their livelihoods and allegiance to lords and kings who owned their lands and the right to their military services. These lords had the right to a percentage of their produce. Whatever the lord asked for he received. People did not have rights. They did not have the option to refuse their lords. We have no lords over us. We are unaccustomed to being told what to do. It is not easy for us to understand that we don’t have rights and are not free to do whatever we want to do.

Jesus is our Lord. What does that mean for us? It means that we live not to serve ourselves but to serve him. Our lives are not our own. Our time is not our own. Our energies are to be spent for him and not on our own pleasure. We owe him our lives, our resources, and our all. It means that his commands are not suggestions. Jesus is Lord! That means that we ask him what he would like us to do. It means we will wait as long as is necessary to hear his answer. It means we will leap to do his will. This may be difficult for us to understand. It may be something we have to learn. But it is not optional! When we think of Jesus riding in humility into the city of Jerusalem we must see him as the lord who has conquered our hearts! Who is this? This Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords!

WHO IS THIS?

2009-04-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

What did the Romans think of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem? The Roman officers and soldiers would have been out and around the city making their presence known. Thousands upon thousands of pilgrims had come and were overcrowding Jerusalem. There was always an anti-Rome whiff in the air when the crowds arrived for feasts. Although the gospels don’t say anything about a Roman impression of Jesus’ arrival, they surely witnessed it. There may have been some of the officers or soldiers who had been in Rome and seen the triumphant return of victorious generals or emperors. They would have seen the glorious parades of legionnaires marching into the city with their armor and uniforms and weapons. They would have seen the royal carpet laid out through the entire city and the commanding general riding upon a great warhorse or in a golden chariot. All the nobility of Rome would have turned out to welcome the conquering hero.

But who is this? It might have appeared somewhat comical to the Romans to see a man riding on a donkey with mobs of children and common people escorting him. Their branches and clothing provided a very poor replica of the royal carpet. The man on the donkey must be someone of some importance to the Jews but he obviously wouldn’t make much of an impact on the world. Even if some of them had heard of Jesus and knew he was the one on the donkey, they just knew he was someone who was causing a stir among the Jews. They had no idea who Jesus was!

What about the political leaders of the Jews? Who did the chief priests and the teachers of the law think Jesus was on this day of his triumphant entry? These men were Sadducees. They had developed a kind of working relationship with Rome. They had their power over the people. They had rather comfortable lives. The Jewish people looked up to them and respected them. They had been trying to find a way arrest Jesus for quite awhile. He was upsetting the balance of life in Jerusalem and putting their livelihoods at risk. They did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. They didn’t even believe he was a prophet. They thought he was a deceiver, a false Messiah. After his entry into Jerusalem Jesus made his way to the temple where he healed the blind and lame. Children were still shouting praises at him. The chief priests and the teachers of the law were indignant but Jesus only said, “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise” (Matthew 21:15, 16). The political leaders of the Jews wanted to kill Jesus.

But what about their religious leaders? What about the Pharisees? Who did they think Jesus was? We know that at least one of the Pharisees, Nicodemus, had come to believe in Jesus. Apparently, Nicodemus was in the vast minority. The Pharisees were always trying to entrap Jesus with their obscure theological questions. They were trying to find a way to prove he wasn’t the Messiah. He simply did not fit their interpretation of the Messiah. Ultimately, they even joined forces with their opponents, the Sadducees, to try to stop Jesus by calling a meeting of the Sanhedrin. They had received eye-witness reports of Jesus’ raising Lazarus and things had reached a critical point. They decided Jesus had to die and began plotting to kill him (John 11:45-53).

Who did the crowds think Jesus was? They had heard Jesus teach and they had witnessed his miracles, even the raising of Lazarus. On that triumphant day they shouted all kinds of things that would make us think they had finally figured out Jesus was the Messiah. “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Blessed is the king of Israel!” In spite of all this, it becomes clear that they had a mistaken impression of who Jesus was. They had it partly right. He was the Son of David. He had come in the name of the Lord. He was the king of Israel. But they clearly expected him to come and set up his kingdom in Jerusalem right then! They had no concept of a suffering savior. They had no clue about the spiritual nature of the kingdom. And when they answered the question, “Who is this?” they said, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee” (Matthew 21:11).

Then surely Jesus’ own disciples understood who he was! Surely they recognized the true significance of this triumphant passage into Jerusalem! But they had questions about Jesus too! There was that night on the Sea of Galilee when the terrible storm came up. Just when they feared they were going to drown Jesus rose from sleeping in the stern and calmed the wind and the waves. Then the terrified disciples asked, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4:41) Didn’t they recognize the fulfillment of prophecy that day? “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). But John tells us that even his disciples did not understand that these things were written about Jesus until after the resurrection! The questions they ask later show that they too were expecting Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom!

HAVE MERCY ON ME!

2009-04-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

Mark 10:46-52

Bartimaeus had apparently heard many stories about Jesus. He lived in Jericho which was a major crossroads for caravans and pilgrims. As a blind beggar he worked the gates of the city where he would be sure to encounter the largest number of people possible. Over the last few years, as the pilgrims and travelers passed Bartimaeus and gave him some money, some of them must have told him stories of the young rabbi in the north who was healing people of all kinds of diseases and disabilities, including blindness. Galilee was too far for Bartimaeus to go but he probably harbored all kinds of hope that one day Jesus himself might pass by his gate.

Day after day Bartimaeus sat and begged money. Day after day he thought about Jesus, the healing rabbi. Day after day he considered the possibility that Jesus might be the Promised One, the Son of David. Day after day he determined that if Jesus ever passed through Jericho he would do whatever it took to meet him. Then the day came. As the Passover pilgrims moved through Jerusalem word spread that Jesus was among them. When they came near he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Louder and louder he shouted. The people around tried to hush him but Bartimaeus wouldn’t be hushed.

If only people today had the same sense of desperation! We seem so casual about spiritual things. We think about them intellectually, in a kind of detached way. We want to make a well-considered decision. Why? Our condition is critical! No, it’s terminal! Mortal! We should be crying out with all our energy for Jesus to have mercy on us instead of trying to decide which recovery program we should attend or which special interest group we should join.

Jesus heard the cries of Bartimaeus and called for him to come to him. When he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Bartimaeus did not hesitate. “Rabbi, I want to see!” He knew what he needed and he asked Jesus for it. Do we know what we need? Do our preachers make it clear that we need life? Do we understand that we are dead in trespasses and sins and unless we receive life from Jesus we will be lost for eternity? What do we ask for? Help? Insight? Strength to improve ourselves? Shouldn’t we be crying out to Jesus for life?

And here is true discipleship. Jesus said, “Go, your faith has healed you,” and Bartimaeus could see. What did Bartimaeus do? Did he say, “Thank you so much, Jesus! I appreciate what you have done for me. Have a blessed Passover!” The text says, “he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.” He followed Jesus! He became a follower of Jesus! With his newly received sight he followed the Son of David to Jerusalem and observed the events we recall during Holy Week. He became a disciple, a follower of Jesus.

MAKE ME A SERVANT

2009-03-30T22:04:00.000-07:00

Mark 10:32-45

Jesus has just told his disciples that it is very difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. That stunned them. If it was difficult for a rich man, a man who had so many things going for him, a man who was able to do so much good with his money, a man with so many advantages, then who could possibly be saved? This left the disciples astonished. And in this condition they followed Jesus toward Jerusalem.

The other followers of Jesus were afraid. That makes sense. They were anticipating trouble in Jerusalem. Jesus was walking right into the teeth of the religio-mafia. They were probably afraid of what was going to happen to Jesus and then what might happen to them.

It was a time for teaching. Jesus took the Twelve off by themselves and said it as clearly as possible, “The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.” (Mark 10:33, 34) That is serious and sobering news! It should shake them up and bring them to their senses as far as understanding what Jesus was all about. I would expect them to walk on for awhile in silence as they pondered this heavy news. I would expect them to ask questions. “What would you have us do when this happens, Lord? How can we best prepare for these events? What will all these things mean to us and to your kingdom? Is there anything you would like us to do for you?” These are good questions.

Then James and John came and actually asked a question. They requested a favor of Jesus. “Let one of us sit on your right and the other at your left in your glory.” (Mark 10:37) What? What did they just say? What are they thinking? Jesus just told them about the pain and suffering he was about to experience and these guys are thinking about how they could angle for places of superiority. Hopefully the other ten disciples were thinking about what Jesus had said! No. When they heard what James and John had done they became angry with them. Why? Why didn’t they just brush that off and continue thinking about what they should do to advance the kingdom of Christ? Because they were angry that the brothers had stepped up and sought the honors they all wanted.

I read this passage and am disgusted with the shallowness and selfishness of the disciples. Why were they so concerned about themselves? Why weren’t they thinking about the horrors Jesus was about to experience? How could they dismiss his pain and suffering while thinking about their own honor and glory? And then comes the unavoidable question, “Am I really any different from those guys?

Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45)

I am a pastor. Pastors have to work hard to avoid giving into the temptation to seek honor and praise. We have to intentionally work to be servants. It’s too easy for us to think that people owe us something. We often see ourselves as well-educated scholars who should be listened to because we have so many wise things to say. We deserve to be well-paid because we are like CEOs. Jesus came to serve. If I want to be like him, that is what I need to do.

AND JESUS LOVED HIM

2009-03-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

Mark 10:17-23

As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” I take it that this was a sincere question. He ran up to Jesus. He fell on his knees. I can’t imagine that this man was just trying to trap Jesus like the religio-mafia was always doing. It genuinely appears that he was concerned about his eternal destiny and wanted to know what he could do to ensure it would be spent in heaven.

Jesus told him that he must keep the commandments. Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother. The man’s response tends to rub the reader the wrong way. Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy. Such a statement bothers us because it sounds like he is very self-righteous. There is the vague sense that he thinks he deserves eternal life because he has been righteous all his life. But I don’t think that is what he meant. Again, I believe this man was sincere in his search and he felt that even though he had tried to keep the commandments all his life, something was missing.

Jesus looked at him and loved him. This is the phrase that stopped me in my tracks and made me start to think. How would I have responded to this man? How would you have responded? Really! Think about it for a minute. OK. Now I’ll confess. I am afraid I would have said something like, “Oh you think you’ve kept the commandments do you? Let me just point out how far short of God’s righteousness you have fallen! You are a lost sinner and if you depend on your good works for your hope of salvation you will be condemned!”

You see, that is what makes me feel convicted. Jesus looked at the man and loved him! I fail to love so often! I am afraid I would have heard arrogance and I would have judged him and failed to love him. How many people do I encounter every day and fail to love them?

It was out of his love that Jesus told this rich man what he lacked. He had to sell all he had and give it to the poor. And this man showed his real poverty. He could not part with his riches. And Jesus said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” I think Jesus was pained. I tend to judge the rich. I think I am typical of many people who live from paycheck to paycheck. We tend to think it is a good thing that the rich have trouble entering the kingdom. And that is where we are so wrong and so different from Jesus. Jesus loved him.

JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN

2009-03-25T22:59:00.000-07:00

Mark 10:13-16

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them. Can you get this picture in your mind? Jesus is constantly swamped by huge crowds of people. Frequently he has been unable to even eat because of the demands of the crowds. He has sought to escape with his disciples in order to minister to them and give them rest. People are constantly bringing the blind, the lame, the deaf, the diseased, and the demon possessed to him so he would heal and deliver them. And now we learn that parents and perhaps grandparents are bringing little children to him; infants, toddlers, and young children. Why? So that he would touch them. Inherent in the touch of Jesus is his blessing. If Jesus would touch them then they would be blessed. They would be part of his kingdom of followers.

The disciples were offended by this practice. We’re not really told why. But the disciples rebuked the people and tried to stop them from bringing the little children to Jesus. We can only guess why the disciples thought this was something that needed to stop. Did they think it was a waste of time? The little children could do nothing to advance the work of Jesus. They could not donate support to the ministry. They were not really aware of the blessing Jesus gave them. They could not influence other people to become followers of Jesus.

When Jesus heard what his disciples were doing he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Such as these? What does he mean? Those who receive his blessing without any sense of entitlement? Those who don’t try to offer any merit in exchange for the kingdom? Those who simply accept the blessing of Jesus? All of the above? Jesus said that the only people who will enter the kingdom of God are those who receive it like a little child. It is a gift of grace. It cannot be deserved. It cannot be earned. It is simply received because Jesus offered it.

We can only assume that Jesus blessed many, many little children during his ministry. There is absolutely no word mentioned or hinted at that every one of these little children ended up in the church when they arrived at their seniority. That isn’t the point. The point is that we should not only accept children into the family of God but we should seek them out and give them the blessing of Jesus. If Jesus blessed them, who are we to withhold his blessing from them? Are we not the hands and feet of Jesus on earth? May God keep us from following in the footsteps of the disciples and teach us to bless the little children and welcome them into the family of God!

TEACHING SHEEP

2009-03-20T23:03:00.000-07:00

Mark 6:30-34

Jesus’ disciples return from their mission and they gather with Jesus to report all the things they did. As usual, a crowd begins to gather very quickly and Jesus isn’t able to debrief the disciples. In fact, once again, they are so crowded that they can’t even get a meal on the table. So Jesus suggests a private retreat for the thirteen of them.

They head off in their boat to a private place but the crowds are almost like the modern paparazzi. They see the direction the boat is heading and take off running. By the time Jesus and the disciples arrive at their getaway spot, there is a huge crowd waiting for them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

This verse means a lot to me as a pastor. Jesus has an agenda. He really wants to get his guys away so they can recover from their ministry trips. He wants to hear about the things they did. And he wants to teach them. He can’t escape the crowd and instead of being frustrated and angry at the people who just won’t leave him alone, he has compassion on them! The only times I’ve ever been in situations somewhat similar to this have been in India. Walking through rural villages and towns we have been surrounded by large crowds of people. They bump you. They reach for you. They stop you from moving ahead. They are anxious just to be near you. It can become rather frustrating. But Jesus had compassion on them. Will I have the same kind of compassion on the people around me who have needs?

What reason does Mark give for Jesus’ compassion? They were like sheep without a shepherd. I once talked to a shepherd in Romania about what happens to sheep if the shepherd is removed. He told me that they begin to mill about aimlessly. They have no direction. They don’t know where to go to find grazing or water. They will become increasingly confused and continue to mill around until they are overcome with exhaustion, lie down, and die. All this while there may be good grazing ground very nearby.

So are the crowds who do not have Jesus. These people around Jesus had no direction. Their lives were aimless. They didn’t know what to do or where to find life. And so are the people who live around us every day. They don’t look like they are lost. They don’t appear to be starving. But they don’t know where to go to find what they need for true life.

Here’s the kicker for me. Faced with a huge crowd of people who were like sheep without a shepherd, Jesus began to minister to them. What did he do? He taught them! He didn’t organize recovery programs for them. He didn’t put together activities to help them feel like their lives had meaning. He didn’t entertain them. He taught them! It’s obvious that there are a lot of pastors and a lot of churches who think people need something more interesting and more fun than teaching. I think I’ll follow Jesus’ example. That way I can be sure that at least something of value is being accomplished.

BRINGER OF LIFE

2009-03-17T23:02:00.000-07:00

Mark 5:21-43

Jairus was a synagogue ruler. By definition, he was an enemy of Jesus. The teachers of the law who had been sent from Jerusalem to deal with Jesus had declared that he was possessed by Beelzebub. Therefore, as a synagogue ruler Jairus had to take a position against Jesus, regardless of his own personal convictions. If he were to break with the official position of the Jerusalem religio-mafia he would be stripped of his position and be cast out of the temple.

Jairus was a father. He had a darling, a twelve-year-old daughter who was his pride and joy. She was sick and soon to die. Oh, Jairus had done everything he could for her. He had spent vast amounts from his treasury on the best doctors but none of them had been able to reverse the disease that was wasting her body away.

Now Jesus was back in town. Jairus knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that Jesus was capable of doing marvelous miracles of healing. He had seen it himself. Jesus had healed a man right in his own synagogue! He believed Jesus could heal his daughter. How he could do it really didn’t matter to him. He just believed. So Jairus was faced with one of those difficult situations. Was he a synagogue ruler or a loving father? Jairus ran down to the lake to try to talk to Jesus.

When the people saw their synagogue ruler running toward them they weren’t sure what to think. Was he coming to confront Jesus? Was he going to demand that Jesus and his evil powers leave their town? The people opened a way for Jairus to get to Jesus. But instead of confronting Jesus with his power and authority as a synagogue ruler, Jairus fell on his knees and begged Jesus to come and heal his daughter before she died! Jesus went with Jairus. Perhaps the disciples murmured to one another, “What is he doing? Doesn’t he know this man is our enemy?”

They were walking toward Jairus’ home when Jesus suddenly stopped and said, “Who touched me?” Now the disciples were certain Jesus was acting strangely. With such a crowd pressing around him how could he ask, “Who touched me?” Jairus must have been supremely frustrated with this delay! Jesus just stood there. Valuable time was passing and his darling might die at any moment. Finally a woman stepped forward and admitted what she had done. Jesus blessed her and freed her from her suffering.

But before Jesus finished speaking to the strange woman some men came from Jairus’ home to tell him there was no longer any need for Jesus to come. Jairus’ daughter had died. Jairus felt his knees begin to buckle under him. Jesus said, Don’t be afraid; just believe, and he proceeded toward Jairus’ home.

The mourners were already mourning. Jesus threw them out. He went into the room where the girl lay, took her hand, and raised her from the dead. He restored Jairus’ darling daughter to him.

For whom did Jesus come? We know he came for the sick, for the sinners, for the lame, the lepers, the blind and deaf, and demon-possessed. We know he came for the poor and simple people. But did he come for Jairus too? Am I willing to show the love of Christ to those who are his enemies?

Jesus brought life. Life to the woman who was dying slowly, bleeding to death over twelve years. Life to a twelve-year-old daughter of a synagogue ruler. Life from death. I was just as dead as Jairus’ daughter. Jesus took me by the hand and raised me to life. I can do no less than reach out to anyone God brings into my path!

FIRE CAME OUT FROM GOD'S PRESENCE

2009-03-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

When Isaiah saw the vision of the LORD high and lifted up he saw seraphs above him and they were calling to one another, Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory (Isaiah 6:3). God is holy. That seems to be the essence of who he is. And it is something we American Christians have a very difficult time understanding. It is impossible for us to spend too much time meditating on the significance and meaning of God’s holiness. The seraphs repeat this truth over and over again and they say the whole earth is full of the glory of his holiness.

Leviticus 9 and 10 have passages that illustrate the holiness of God. Beginning in Leviticus 9:7 Aaron celebrates the sacrifice of atonement. What is this sacrifice? In his law God provided a sacrifice that could be offered by the High Priest to make atonement for the sins of the people. Why did atonement have to be made? Because God is holy and he will not tolerate sin in his presence. If the people were to be allowed to live then atonement had to be made for their sins. The people of Israel seemed to have some degree of understanding of this truth. The text explains in detail how Aaron went through the whole process God prescribed for the sacrifice of atonement. When all was ready, he and Moses went into the tent of meeting, into the very presence of God (9:23). When they came out they pronounced the Lord’s blessing on the people and God revealed his glory to them (9:23). Then, Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown (9:24). The people shouted for joy because their sins had been forgiven and they had acceptance from God.

The very next verse (10:1) says, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. The holiness of God had just been clearly demonstrated before all the people. How Nadab and Abihu could do what they did seems beyond understanding! But they brought sin into the presence of the LORD! So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. The same fire from the holy God that accepted the sacrifice of atonement was the fire of judgment that brought destruction of sin! Why did God destroy these men? Moses told Aaron, This is what the LORD spoke of when he said: “Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored.”

Twice fire came out from the presence of the LORD. Once it came because he is holy and he accepted the sacrifice of atonement that allowed his people to live. Once it came because he is holy and he would not tolerate sin in his presence. Same fire. Same holy God.

When Jesus hung on the cross he cried out to his Father, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? The sky grew darker than night. The earth shook. The holy God accepted the sacrifice of atonement, once for all, that allows us to live in his presence. Jesus offered himself as both our High Priest and the sacrifice of atonement. Because of his sacrifice, we have life.

Do we understand the holiness of God? Do we understand the glorious sacrifice that was offered on our behalf? Do we see that this sacrifice had to be made if any sinners would be able to live in the presence of God? How do we approach our weekly corporate worship? Do we come into the presence of the Holy God? Do we offer him our very best? This doesn’t mean that we have to be maudlin and serious and grieving in worship. Quite the opposite. Remember, the people shouted for joy and fell facedown! But we can’t forget that God said, Among those who approach me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honored. I would think that, at the very least, we would consider whose presence it is we are entering and how he wants to be honored!

ANSWERED PRAYER

2009-03-15T00:25:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord! Here I sit in my study in my house in lovely suburban Shafter at 12:25 am Sunday typing my little heart out! The doctor came into the hospital this afternoon right after church (he's 7th Day Adventist) and asked me all the appropriate questions to which I apparently offered all the appropriate answers regarding passing things and appetites and he asked me if I wanted to go home. YES! And thank the Lord for a great blessing!

After all the paperwork was completed and the last needle was removed from my hand I was finally wheeled out of San Joaquin Hospital at about 4:30pm Saturday evening. I was there for just over four days after surgery. I was really hungry for actual food. And God answered my prayer!

I think people have to go five years with no sign of cancer to be called a cancer survivor. I guess that is just something I can begin to aspire to. It seems so far away. I'll be 60 in five years! So for now I'll just keep doing what the doctors say and keep listening to what God wants me to do. I'm so excited about New Hope Church here in lovely agricultural Shafter that I hope the Lord gives me far more than five years to serve here! I'll be keeping you up to date on the goings on. (I was thinking about putting one of those countdown clocks in the blog margin, measuring the days I have left until I'm a cancer survivor, but I realize that becoming a cancer survivor is something I might be more concerned with than God might be!)

Let me just rejoice in the Lord tonight for his answered prayer. May he see fit to use me as long as I am useful. And may he make me a loving, sensitive husband because I tend to think that should be the first thing I need to do! Thanks for your love and prayers!

GET ME OUT OF HERE!

2009-03-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks for your prayers. I'm still in the hospital. But there has been a lot of excitement. For example, I started burping yesterday. Then I started passing gas around 2:00 in the morning. This morning the thrill kind of spread around the whole floor when news leaked that I had actually succeeded in moving my bowels! But it's Friday morning and I know I won't be getting out of here today.

The surgeon stopped by to see me. The pathology came through. The cancer is an invasive cancer. However, the really good news is that there is no sign that it spread outside of the polyp in which they found it. The doc does not expect any treatment until my next check up.

I just had my first food by mouth since Sunday night. Chicken broth. Coffee. Grape juice. Yep. Spread the good news!

Here's the sad part. The basketball game yesterday between Syracuse and UConn just kept going on and on and on and I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't end! They seemed to be showing the same five minutes over and over again! When the drugs wore off about 2:00 this morning and I realized the game went into six overtimes I was really ticked off!

Thanks for your prayers. If you call my cell phone, Mia or I will get it. Love you all!

TOMORROW'S THE DAY!

2009-03-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

Today was the day of preparation. Last night I mixed up the disgusting concoction that I had to drink today in order to be nice and clean for my surgery tomorrow. Nothing to eat after midnight last night. I started drinking the Drano around 10:00 this morning and finally finished the whole gallon around 1:00. I was really proud of myself. The rest of the day I spent eating Jello and drinking apple and grape juice. It’s almost 9:00 at night now and I’m hungry!

My family has tried hard to not eat in front of me all day. But when dinner time came around and the pork roast came out of the oven I could smell it from anywhere in the house! So I gave up and went and got some Jello and sat down with them.

I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 Tuesday morning. The surgery is scheduled for 7:30. The plan is to take out 8-12 inches of colon and the adjacent lymph nodes. The doctors are completely confident that they detected the cancer at its earliest stage so there is no plan for any further treatment. I’ve been told to come back for another colonoscopy in a year.

I’m doing pretty well, I think. So many people are praying for me that I sense a great deal of spiritual support. It’s interesting that the Lord scheduled this surgery right when so many things are really popping at New Hope Church. I have a sneaking suspicion that He wants to show me very clearly that He is the one who is doing things here and that I am completely disposable! It’s a good lesson for me to learn!

I’ll be gone from the blogging world for a few days. I’ll be falling behind on my reading for a little while. But Lord willing I’ll be back in less than a week. I will appreciate your prayers for myself and for my dear wife over the next several days. I’ll let you know how it went as soon as I possibly can!

Give all glory to God. It’s all about Him!

A NEW FAMILY

2009-03-06T23:15:00.000-08:00

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” Mark 7:20, 21

Jesus was always surrounded by crowds. The people came to him for a number of reasons. Some came just to see if he would do some miracle. Others came to hear his teaching because he taught with the kind of power they were not used to hearing. Still others came because they were starving to hear the truth. Many came to be healed of some malady and many brought their loved ones to be healed. There were always crowds who needed Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus set aside his personal needs and comforts in order to do the work of the kingdom. He may have been physically exhausted but when there were people needing him he was available. He may have felt the need for time away with his Father but he stayed and ministered to the hurting. He may have been hungry but physical hunger could not keep him from serving those he came to save.

There doesn’t seem to be much of this mindset among Christians today. There is great emphasis placed on taking care of one’s own needs first so that ministry can be done. Ministers who pour themselves out without reservation are warned that they are going to burn out and become useless for Kingdom work. Ministers are not exempt from the “me first” attitude that is so prevalent.

Jesus’ family was concerned about him. They had obviously been receiving information about Jesus and his ministry. They were worried that he wasn’t taking good care of himself. So when they heard that he was being so crowded by the people that he couldn’t even sit down to a decent meal they decided that he must be out of his mind and went to take him into protective custody. He was acting like a fanatic and he would bring the family name to disgrace or bring the wrath of the religio-mafia down on the family.

When they arrived to take charge of Jesus, someone went into the house and told Jesus his mother and brothers had come and were waiting for him outside. Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:33-35

We’re familiar with the old saying, “Blood is thicker than water.” This passage shows us another truth, “Spiritual union is thicker than blood.” Can we look at what Jesus said once again? “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Did you hear that? If you concern yourself with doing the will of God rather than concerning yourself with the things of this world then you are Jesus’ brother or sister! He claims you as his sibling! He takes you as his family! This is one of the most amazing statements in the whole Bible. If we commit ourselves to doing God’s will then Jesus commits himself to being our brother. What could be better than that?

BLESSINGS AT NEW HOPE!

2009-03-03T16:16:00.001-08:00

I need to take a brief blog break from “reading through the Bible” blog because big things are happening with New Hope Church here in lovely downtown Shafter, CA. You can rejoice and celebrate with me!

Friday evening our friend, Mayte, brought Ramon Monroy over to our house. Ramon is a 54-year-old field worker who speaks no English. But Ramon has the gift of evangelism. He has evangelistic Bible studies going in several homes around Shafter and he has another at lunch in the fields. He has been looking for a church where he can bring people who are coming to Christ; a church that teaches the Bible; a church where simple field workers would be welcome. The church has to be open to Spanish and English because Ramon has four older kids at home who are English-speakers. He wants a place where they can be discipled as well as a place he can bring the people he is reaching who speak Spanish. We all sat for 2 ½ hours Friday evening talking, sharing, and praying. I spoke as much Spanish as I could and Mayte took care of the rest. At the end of the night Ramon said he thought we should work together. He would bring his wife to meet us and begin preparing his family to come to New Hope.

Yesterday morning I met with Joe Carranza and his associate pastor, Manuel. Joe has a small church meeting in a small room in a church here in Shafter. They need more space. They need a place where they can have meetings during the week. They want to associate with a another church in town but none of the pastors seem to be interested in working with him. Joe speaks pretty good English. With my Spanish and his English we get on pretty well. This time we met at a coffee place where Mayte works. At the end of our discussion Mayte told Joe and Manuel that they could trust us, that we really believe that Latinos and whites are the same in the Kingdom. Joe went away from our meeting excited about being able to work together at New Hope.

That’s all great news. But I’ve saved some awesome news for last. A school building came up for sale a couple of weeks ago. It was the high school continuing education building and it is right on the main street through town. It’s basically one big room (5,000 square feet) and it sits on two large commercial lots. When our realtor called to let us know it was going on the market he informed us that it was being sold by sealed bid. I hate sealed bids! They run against everything that is sacred in my cheap Scots soul. Our core group talked and prayed and prayed and prayed. Our bid had to be in to the school district at noon yesterday and the bids were going to be opened at a meeting last night at 7:00. At 8:30 one of the guys from New Hope who attended the meeting called and informed me that ours was the only bid and we got the building. This is great news because we will be paying less per month for this building and we’ll have it 24/7 versus four hours on Sunday mornings! We will be able to have stuff for kids and moms during the daytime and events for youth in the evenings. We’ll have a place for midweek things and a place for a Spanish service if God works that out! I’m just so grateful to the Lord for giving us this building! All of us at New Hope sense that He is opening some big ministry doors for us in our community and we are celebrating joyfully! It feels like Christmas all over again!

PUT THESE GUYS TO WORK!

2009-03-01T23:01:00.000-08:00

OVERCROWDED CALIFORNIA PRISON

The other day I drove up California Highway 43 from Shafter to Hanford. I had a meeting to attend at the 1st Christian Reformed Church in Hanford and a couple of guys from New Hope were riding with me. It was dark by the time we drove home. As we traveled south we approached the town of Corcoran and I pointed to two areas along the highway that were very brightly lit and asked about them. The guys told me they were two state prisons. To make a long story a little shorter, our 63 mile drive revealed seven state prisons all lit up like Disneyland!

This discovery led to an interesting conversation. California has over 2 million people incarcerated. The United States has more people in prisons than any other country in the world. And the system doesn’t seem to be working. The percentage of recidivism is frightening. The prisons are overcrowded. Crime within the prisons is rampant. The cost is a drain on our economy. (My buddies in the car had a lot to say about how much the guards are paid and the power of their union!) I was informed that in California it costs the taxpayers almost $60,000 per prisoner per year to keep them locked up. The guys bemoaned the fact that we couldn’t seem to come up with a better way of dealing with a large percentage of the criminals who were being held for non-violent crimes.

Tonight I read Leviticus 6:1-7. God instructed Moses about what was to be done with people who deceive, steal, lie about property, swear falsely, etc. When they are found guilty they must return what was stolen or extorted, or what was entrusted to them, or lost property that was found, or what they swore falsely about. They are to make restitution in full and add a fifth of the value to the restitution. Additionally, in order to be forgiven and allowed back into the community, they have to bring a sacrifice to the priests.

What an excellent plan! Instead of keeping such criminals in prison, why not make sure they have paying jobs so they can make restitution? When restitution is made then they can become full, valued citizens of the community again! It seems counterproductive to put a young man in prison for stealing something. More than likely he will become a hardened man or a gang member or a more skillful criminal. We have enough wise people who could come up with a good plan for making something like this work. It would dramatically thin out the prisons’ populations and radically cut down on the high percentage of recidivism.

FRIEND OF SINNERS

2009-02-28T22:19:00.000-08:00

In Mark 2 Jesus is walking beside the Sea of Galilee and he is found by a large crowd of people. It seems Jesus always attracted large crowds. It doesn’t appear that he sat down to teach the crowd this time. The rabbis often taught as they walked along and that seems to be what Jesus did. While he was walking with the large crowd, teaching them on the way, he came to Levi’s tax collection booth. In front of God and all those people Jesus said to Levi, “Follow me.” Levi left his tax collecting and from that day followed Jesus.

Have you ever known someone about whom you might have said, “God can save anybody but that is the last guy I ever expect him to save!” That was the attitude of the Jews about tax collectors. Tax collectors were considered to be traitors. They collected taxes for Rome. There was no salary for tax collectors. They made their money from whatever they were able to overcharge people. Rome didn’t care. The tax collectors could keep whatever extra they were able to collect. As long as Rome got her money it just didn’t matter. So the Jews hated tax collectors. They were numbered among the “sinners” and the “unclean.” When Jesus called Levi to follow him there must have been a wide grumbling among the following crowd.

Jesus didn’t leave it there. Levi invited him and his disciples to dinner at his house. Jesus stirred up more discussion by accepting the invitation and sitting down to eat with many tax collectors and all kinds of other “sinners.” Sitting to eat with “sinners” automatically made a Jew unclean. So, not only was Jesus willing to call a “sinner” to be one of his disciples, he was also willing to be considered “unclean” by the Jewish religio-mafia.

That was all the teachers of the law and the Pharisees had to hear! Being a little gunshy of approaching Jesus personally, the religio-mafia confronted the poor disciples and asked about their master’s practice of eating with tax collectors and “sinners.” Much to their chagrin, Jesus heard them. He said, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. (Mark 2:17)

Who are our churches trying to reach out to? For whom are we planting a church here in Shafter? Are we doing this so the righteous will have a place to worship? Yes. But are we also in the business of reaching out to the lost, no matter how lost they may seem to be, and introducing them to the Jesus who was a friend of sinners? Yes! Too many churches are busy planning programs and spending money on themselves without thinking of ways to reach out and bring in the outcasts and sinners. If we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus then we need to do ministry in the same way he did!

REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMEONE

2009-02-27T23:30:00.001-08:00

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing, “he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. Mark 1:40-42

The man had leprosy. That was almost like a death sentence. At least as far as having any quality of life was concerned. People didn’t get well from leprosy. Once a leper, always a leper. The law required lepers to live away from the rest of the people. They had to wear a cloth over their faces and everywhere they went they had to call out and announce that they were lepers. They had to shout out, “Unclean! Unclean!” If someone approached, the leper had to move out of the way and call out his warning in order to give the person time to avoid him. No one was allowed to touch a leper. This included spouses and children. A leper lived life without the hope of a loving touch from his family. They were complete outcasts. Lepers were considered to have been judged by God. They did not have the pleasure of worshiping in the temple. They were not allowed to have a relationship with God.

When Jesus reached out and touched the leper he broke the law. His loving, compassionate heart caused him to offer his loving, healing touch. He risked being ostracized by people too. He risked being an outcast. He risked being put out of the temple. All this Jesus risked because he was willing to reach out and touch one who was untouchable. Love overcame law. Compassion overcame condemnation. Jesus wanted to touch the man in spite of his unclean, leprous condition. So he did.

Who are the outcasts in my community? Who are the modern lepers who live around me? Who are the ones whom the “righteous” look at with judgment and condemnation? Who are they whom the good church people avoid like the plague? Who are the people who feel alone and untouchable? Who are the ones who have no love in their lives? Those who have no relationships? Who are the people who have no life to look forward to?

These are the ones to whom we are called. These are the people we are to reach out and touch. We are to share the love of Jesus with them. Why are we so concerned to reach people who are just like us? We are not to judge but to offer hope and compassion through the gospel of Christ. We are not to make them feel unwelcome but to bring them in and make them one of us. If the Spirit of Christ lives in us then we will be filled with his love and compassion no matter what the “righteous” think. If we are rejected because we will not reject the unlovely, then we will be more like Jesus than ever! Perhaps someone I touch will be healed and the name of Jesus will become more famous than it was before!

HERE'S MONEY, JUST LIE ABOUT IT

2009-02-26T23:02:00.000-08:00

Have you ever looked carefully at Matthew 28:11-15? I think it is a very important little passage. I can’t read it without feeling bewilderment, wonder, anger, shock, and sorrow. These five verses tell what happened to the guards at the tomb of Jesus and what they did.

On the morning of Christ’s resurrection an angel came down from heaven and rolled away the stone from the mouth of the tomb in which he was buried. This was accompanied by a violent earthquake. The angel’s appearance was like Christ’s on the mount of transfiguration. He shined like lightning and his clothes were snow white. The guards saw all of this and experienced the earthquake. It was their terror of the angel that caused them to tremble and fall down in a dead faint.

We don’t know for sure if the guards saw the risen Christ. We can’t be sure whether they were awake to hear what the angel said to the women. He told the women that Jesus had risen from the dead. They were to go and tell the disciples the news and say that Jesus would meet them in Galilee. Away went the women.

As the women left the garden some of the guards went into Jerusalem to report everything to the chief priests. We understand this to mean that the least they told the Jews was that they had seen an angel roll away the stone from the tomb entrance and that there had been a huge earthquake at the time. In light of the fact that the guards had failed in their duty and were therefore deserving of severe punishment, if not death, they must have told every detail they could remember in order to present some defense for themselves.

At this point the chief priests told the guards to wait while they had a meeting with the elders. This meeting was probably rather long because they had to come up with a plan to explain away this rather significant development! Once they conceived a plan they returned to inform the guards.

First they paid off the guards with a very large sum of money. Then they told the guards to commit professional suicide. The guards were to tell anyone who asked that the disciples had come and stolen Jesus’ body while they were asleep on their watch. Sleeping on guard duty was punishable by flogging and execution. Not to worry, the chief priests promised to intercede with Pilate if he heard the story.

The guards did as they were told and spread the false story that the disciples had stolen Jesus’ body. Matthew reports that this is the same story that was still circulating among the Jews at the time he wrote his gospel.

If you look up “hardened hearts” in a Bible dictionary you will see the pictures of Pharaoh and the chief priests as illustrations. They knew the truth! Instead of believing the truth, repenting, and receiving their Messiah, the Jews lied and rejected the truth. They were not interested in the truth. They couldn’t handle the truth! They preferred to believe a lie and maintain their place of prominence among men. As Jesus said, they preferred the praise of men to the praise of God.

Apart from the grace of God every one of us would have a heart just as hard as the hearts of the Jewish religious leaders. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, God removed our heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh. He lovingly convicted us of sin and showed us our need of a Savior. He gifted us with faith and recreated us as his children. We must remember that, by nature, we are identical to these wicked, hardhearted, leaders of the Jews. Thanks be to God for his grace and mercy!

HOW TO STOP GOD

2009-02-23T23:09:00.000-08:00

Matthew 27:62-66

The chief priests and the Pharisees were sure they had won. They had succeeded in orchestrating the arrest, arraignment, trial, and conviction of Jesus. Even when that weasel, Pilate, tried to trick them out of their victory by putting Barabbas up against Jesus, hoping the people would choose Jesus over the notorious criminal, they had manipulated the crowd and forced Pilate to turn Jesus over to be crucified. Now Jesus was dead. Joseph of Arimathea had taken the body down from the cross and buried it in his own tomb. The problem of Jesus was gone. They were sure they had won. At least they were pretty sure.

Someone in their group remembered Jesus’ prophecy about rising from the dead on the third day. That, of course, was impossible. Wasn’t it? They had seen Jesus do all kinds of unexplainable miracles. Could he really rise from the dead? Of course not. They were pretty sure he couldn’t. But they had to make certain and they had to be extra sure that Jesus’ disciples didn’t go and steal the body and make resurrection claims.

Can you imagine the discussion among the chief priests and Pharisees? Someone had to go back to Pilate and ask him to make the tomb secure. Pilate was not happy with them. He had been made to look the fool the day before. What kind of response might they get from him when they tell him about Jesus’ promised resurrection? Somehow they made the decision about who should go to Pilate and they couched their request in the best terminology they could.

Pilate gave them their permission. Go make the tomb as secure as you know how. These enemies of God did just that. They would make sure Jesus didn’t rise from the dead. They would ensure that the disciples didn’t steal the body. So they blocked God from doing what he intended to do. They placed a seal on the stone that had been rolled in front of the opening to the tomb and they posted a guard. There! That should do it! No way Jesus can rise from the dead now!

It seems rather comical, doesn’t it? Like something from an old slapstick movie. We see the chief priests and the Pharisees make their feeble efforts when we know what is going to happen. Early on the first day of the week Jesus would be raised from the dead and he would burst forth from their securely sealed tomb and the mighty guards would fall down like dead men. No efforts of man can stop God from accomplishing his plan.

This should be a good reminder for us. Human efforts can never stop God. Human laws cannot put him out of our schools or our communities. No government can outlaw his church. No persecution can prevent Christ’s church from rising up and establishing his kingdom on earth. All of these efforts are nothing more than putting a seal on a stone and posting a guard! Let Christ’s church rise up in victory and proclaim the gospel of the kingdom! If they take “under God” from the pledge of allegiance and “In God We Trust” off the coinage it would be nothing more than a seal on a stone. Why should that matter to us? We already know what’s going to happen! Christ is Victor!

ONE WORD: COLONOSCOPY

2009-02-22T23:26:00.000-08:00

This has been “one of those weeks.” You know, one of those weeks when everything falls off the rails; you can’t keep track of what day it is; everything is kind of tossed up in the air; you forget things you’re supposed to do; your disciplines come apart and you just slip into “survival” mode. I guess I’m explaining why I haven’t remained faithful this week to my “blogging through the Bible.”

I had a doctor’s appointment a couple of weeks ago. My annual routine check up. Everything went great. I heard what I expected to hear: “You have to lose weight and get more exercise.” Otherwise, I got a clean bill of health. I almost made it out the door before my new doctor said, “Oh, have you had a colonoscopy yet?” Rats! Caught! The fact is, I stopped going to the doctor when I was 39 just to avoid such an unpleasant experience. I had a physical last year and the doc told me I needed a colonoscopy but I think he must have forgotten about it. This guy had me dead to rights.

So the test was scheduled for last Tuesday, the 17th. Monday was the day from hell as I had to drink a gallon of some lime-flavored, syrupy liquid. My system processed that stuff very quickly and I discovered I couldn’t be more than about ten steps from the great white throne. I didn’t finish the devilish concoction until 11:30 at night and by that time I was pretty miserable.

But the test went fine. I slept through the whole thing. I remember waking up a couple of times, aware that something was going on down there but not caring! The doctor called Mia and me into a little room to talk about the test. He removed three polyps and found a fourth that he didn’t like the look of so he took a biopsy.

The doctor called on Wednesday at noon and told me that pathology found some cancer cells in the biopsy and he wanted to see me and schedule a CAT scan right away. So I ran down to Bakersfield and met with the doc. He told me that most doctors would call the polyp “pre-cancerous” but that he doesn’t mess with that. For him, if there are cancer cells, it’s cancer! Then he told me that he was confident he found it very early and that I would live another 35 years.

Thursday morning I went back down to Bakersfield for the CAT scan. It went fine except that the IV they put in my arm must have had a needle on it that measured about a quarter of an inch! Haven’t gotten the results from that scan yet. But from there I had to drive up to Fresno to pick up my dear friend John Armstrong who flew in to spend a long weekend with us ministering to our church people.

We had a great weekend with John. Friday we met with seven church planters in our group from Tulare Community Church and discussed missional ministries. Saturday we had a great lunch with the men of New Hope. John preached this morning for us. And tonight we had an all-church dinner and discussion that was truly groundbreaking for us! We may be able to look back on this weekend as a direction-changing, ministry-shaping, vision-developing weekend! Our people were thrilled with John’s ministry and I can tell they are very excited about where we’re at as a body.

I take John back to the airport in Fresno in the morning. Then Mia and I will go to the doctor on Tuesday to discuss the CAT scan and make plans for the surgery to remove the polyp in my lower colon. The odds are that it’s no big deal. But you don’t use the word “cancer” lightly with two people who have already been through so much cancer stuff! Let me just say, it hits pretty hard. I feel suddenly very wide awake. Both Mia and I would appreciate your prayers over the next several days and through the surgery.

I’ll be back to the regular blog tomorrow, Lord willing! Thanks for stopping by!

HALL OF FAME OF SIN

2009-02-15T21:57:00.000-08:00

If you haven’t guessed by now, I’m reading through the One Year Bible published by Tyndale House. If you are unfamiliar with the One Year Bible, it very conveniently puts together readings from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs in easy-to-read daily sections.

The section I read today includes Exodus 32, 33 and portions from Matthew 26 and 27. I know the editors didn’t put these passages together on purpose. They just happened to fit together for this particular day of readings. But I was amazed at what I read. These passages included some of the most famous sins committed by some of the most famous people in the entire Bible!

Exodus 32 contains the sin of Aaron. This older brother of Moses was the new high priest of Israel. He had just been set apart as Holy to the Lord. Moses was up on Mount Sinai receiving the tablets of the law when the Israelites came to him complaining that this fellow Moses had disappeared on the mountain and they needed gods to lead them ahead. Aaron called for all the gold earrings the people were wearing and he carefully fashioned a calf of gold to represent Yahweh for them. He even called for a festival to the LORD on the next day. When he was confronted by Moses about the golden calf Aaron lied, They gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf! He allowed the people to get out of control in their wild celebrations and the Levites went through the camp and put about three thousand of them to death. On top of that, God struck the people with a plague because of their sin.

We also have the Israelites who so quickly turned away from their God, the same God before whom they vowed, Everything the LORD has said we will do! (Exodus 24:3) They had seen the mighty hand of God as he struck the Egyptians with the plagues. They had crossed over the Red Sea on dry land and watched as Pharaoh and his army were drowned. They followed the pillar of fire and the cloud.

Matthew 26 has the account of Peter’s denial of Jesus. Peter, the Rock. The one who boasted that even if everyone else abandoned Jesus he never would. A servant girl confronted him about having been with Jesus and he said he didn’t know what she was talking about. A second girl pointed to him and told people that he had been with Jesus. This time he swore an oath in his denial. And finally a group of people came to Peter and pointed out that his accent showed him to be one of Jesus’ followers. Finally Peter called down curses upon himself and swore that he didn’t know the man. The rooster crowed and Peter went out and wept bitterly.

The chief priests and elders of Israel finally decided to try to have Jesus put to death in Matthew 27. They knew better. Even if some of them remained foolishly ignorant, too many of them had seen the signs and wonders and knew the prophecies to be considered innocent in any way. Jesus had even told them he was their Messiah (Matthew 26:64). What greater sin could there be than to plot the execution of the Messiah, the Son of God?

Finally, we have Judas. Judas was seized with remorse when he saw that Jesus had been found guilty of blasphemy and was sentenced to death. There was nothing he could do to change things. Even though he tried to make things right it was too late. Judas has lived with Jesus for a couple of years and he had seen and heard all the things the other disciples heard. Yet he betrayed our Lord.

Aaron was the chosen chief priest. Israel was God’s son being brought out of Egypt. Peter and Judas were Jesus’ chosen disciples. The chief priests and the elders of Israel were the religious leaders of Israel. These people committed the most infamous sins in history. What does that say to me? If these people can walk into great sin with such intentionality, my only hope is to stay as close to God as I can! I can never let down my guard. Sin is nothing to play around with. I must deal with sin and temptation as violently as the Levites dealt with their brethren! It would be very dangerous for me to ever, ever think I have progressed to a place of safety from sin! Such pride and over-confidence would be my downfall!

HOLY TO THE LORD

2009-02-13T23:37:00.000-08:00

When people decide to read through the Bible they frequently run into trouble and abandon their effort when they get to the passages that talk about the law or the building of the tabernacle. There are just so many words there that don’t seem to have much application to our lives. I understand that. It’s no easier for me. But what we often fail to understand is that these passages are not there to give us something to do. They are about God!

For example, I read Exodus 28-30 tonight. I won’t quote much from those chapters. Exodus 28 gives direction for the sewing and preparation of the priestly garments Aaron and his sons were to wear. There are specific instructions for the garments, the ephod, and the breastplate; the turban, the tunic, and the sash. Chapter 29 gives instructions for the consecration and ordination of Aaron and his sons. They were to bake unleavened bread, cakes and wafers. They were to bring a bull and two rams. God was specific about what was to be done with sacrificial animals; how they were to be slaughtered, prepared, and burnt; what parts were to be washed, burned, or eaten. And then the first part of chapter 30 gives the instructions for the recipes anointing oil and the incense.

But here is what I noticed. All the garments for the priests were special because these men were consecrated to the Lord. They were separate, different, from everyone else. On the turban Aaron was to wear was a solid gold plate that was inscribed with the words, “HOLY TO THE LORD.” One of the rams was to be burnt as an offering to the LORD. Blood was applied to Aaron and his sons so they could be consecrated to the LORD. The altar and all its utensils were consecrated so they would be holy. The incense was holy. No one could make incense from the same recipe because it was holy to the LORD.

It is easy to see that all of these instructions were designed by God to show the Israelites that he was holy. It was all done very strictly. Nothing was to be done in a haphazard manner because God is holy. Those who were to represent the Israelites before God were ordained, consecrated, and holy before the Lord. Even the incense was holy because God is holy. It is all about God’s holiness!

Why don’t we have such instructions in the New Testament to govern our worship? Why don’t we have detailed lists of things we have to do in the church? The answer is humbling and powerful. Jesus Christ was the once-for-all sacrifice for the church. The sacrament of Holy Communion reminds us of this every time we celebrate it. “This is my body,” Jesus said. We eat the sacramental bread in the same way that the sacrifices were eaten under the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant we are all consecrated and made holy unto the Lord by the sacrifice of Jesus. The Holy Spirit has come into us and made us new creatures, holy to the Lord. And even that is all about God and his holiness, not us! Thanks be to God for his marvelous grace!

FOR I WAS HUNGRY AND YOU...

2009-02-12T22:57:00.000-08:00

If you’ve been reading the Shiloh Guy over the last week, today’s text might just put you over the edge. You might go away thinking, “This guy is really riding his hobby horse! All he talks about is social justice and the poor.” If you really know me, you know that’s not true. You might actually be surprised at these last three posts. I know I am surprised by them.

I’m just reading straight through my One Year Bible and these are the texts scheduled for my reading. I’m not going out looking for social justice passages, they’re coming to me! In fact, I’m amazed at how many of them I am finding. Gives us reason for pause I would say!

Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”

Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?”

The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:34-40

The next verses reflect these. They are the condemnation of those who call Jesus “Lord” yet did none of the abovementioned things.

What life characteristics distinguish the righteous from the wicked in the eyes of the King? The righteous demonstrate love for their neighbors; the wicked don’t. I guess it is what is not mentioned that shouts out so loudly at someone like me who grew up in fundamentalism. The King doesn’t say, “Take your inheritance because you didn’t smoke, drink, dance, go to movies, date non-Christian girls or grow your hair long.” He doesn’t even say, “Come into the kingdom because you accepted me into your heart when you were young.” He looks at the fruit of my life as it relates to my treatment of the wounded and suffering around me.

Look carefully at what the King says at the beginning. “Come, you who are blessed by my Father.” He’s saying, “I can tell you have been blessed by my Father and are therefore my brother because of the way your treated your neighbors.” In other words, if I do these righteous things it is because the Father blessed (called, adopted, redeemed, ransomed, justified) me!

Two things leap out at me from this passage. My righteousness is a result of the Father’s blessing, not my works. And, most Christian people I know are not looking at the same fruit that the King is looking at. What do you think?

ALIENS AMONG US

2009-02-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

If you read American history you will know about the immigration problems in New York in the years preceding the Civil War. The Potato Famine in Ireland sent thousands of poor Irish to the tenements and ghettoes of New York City where they sought to scratch out a hardscabble living while being hated and abused by the ethnic groups that came before. When the Italians came along later the Irish had someone they could then hate and abuse. America has a history of hating and abusing newcomers even though our statue in the harbor says something about bringing “us your poor, your huddled masses.”

I lived in the Chicago area for about eleven years through college and my twenties. I discovered Chicago to be one of the most precisely racist major cities I have ever seen. I say “precisely” because Chicago has very precise ethnic neighborhoods. These blocks are Italian, these are Polish, these are African American, these are Mexican, this is Chinatown, etc. Except for a couple of years when I lived in a predominately Italian suburb, I spent my years safely ensconced in the suburbs. The racism didn’t really affect me. The movement of new ethnic groups into established neighborhoods which triggered more movement and a redrawing of the neighborhood boundaries in the city didn’t touch me or cause me a moment’s concern.

During Bush’s eight-year presidency the issue of illegal aliens was continually debated. What should be done? Should a long wall be built along the border with Mexico? Do we need to have more border patrols? Citizens created their own posse of border patrols and took matters into their own hands. There was a lot of hissing and fussing about the illegal aliens coming into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and especially California. I visited my family here in California a number of times over the last eight years and heard people calling the state “Mexifornia.” (They weren’t smiling.)

Back in our lily white communities in Michigan I heard a lot of distressed people talking about the problem of illegal aliens. It was a touchy subject with some of my friends. “They are taking away jobs. They are getting free health care. They’re just coming here to have their babies so they will be American citizens. They are putting a burden on our welfare and educational systems. We are footing the tab for them being here illegally. My grandparents had to learn English when they came here.”

Now I live here. Now I have to have an opinion. Now I have to do something. It sure looks a lot different from this perspective. Let me make an admission: I’ve always been somewhat of a bleeding heart on some issues. I’m plagued with “white guilt.” As a student of history I recognize that the USA simply took all this land from Mexico in the great Mexican War in which all our Civil War generals first made names for themselves (before they turned on one another a decade later). We wanted this land so we took it. I can’t get away from the nagging fact that this land was theirs. (I wonder if the Israelites had bleeding hearts who felt guilty about taking Canaan away from the Hivites, Jebusites, and all the other “ites?”) In fact, when I drive south to Los Angeles I pass through a massive ranch called the Tejon Ranch. The sign along the freeway shows that this ranch was founded when California was still Alta California, Mexico.

There are many illegals in our area and our neighborhoods here. I don’t know who they are. They don’t wear any insignia on their sleeves and they are not tattooed (at least not yet). They mix in perfectly with all my other neighbors. They work on our farms. They harvest our almonds. They pick our strawberries. They have Social Security deducted from their paychecks. I know this much. None of my kids would ever do the jobs these folks are doing. Also, come down to Mexico with me and see the poverty, hardship, and hunger there. If I was living there I would do everything in my power to get up here and feed my family.

I don’t have to take a political position. I have the luxury of saying that I am here in Shafter, California to offer the gospel of Jesus Christ to all and to minister to their needs in the name of Jesus Christ regardless of citizenship status. I’ll let others debate the politics and economics of the situation. I just know that I have far more “stuff” than any of the illegal aliens around me and I’m not hurting because they are here. (No, I’m NOT an economist and, no, I DON’T know the long term effects of their presence, and I’m not sure I CARE.)

Where did all this come from? Exodus 23:6, 9. Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt. Most of us never knew how it feels to be aliens. My question has to do with what the body of Christ will do.

JUSTICE, MERCY, FAITHFULNESS

2009-02-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill, and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. Matthew 23:23, 24

I grew up in a very conservative church in the ‘60s. I heard a great deal about the “mainline, liberal, social gospel” denominations and churches that were actively involved in the civil rights movement and the anti-Viet Nam war movement. These churches were bad because they were part of the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches. They had given up the true meaning of the gospel; or at least they were associating with churches that had done so. Apparently they thought they could earn their salvation by being “do-gooders.” This was nothing less than salvation by works. Some people even whispered that these so-called Christian groups really didn’t even believe in anything other than doing good to people who were in need. They had lost the gospel.

On the other hand, we had it right. We didn’t smoke or drink. Our youth weren’t allowed to go to dances. We didn’t go to restaurants that served alcohol. We stayed away from bowling alleys because bowling alleys had several strikes against them (forgive the bowling pun): they served alcohol, they had pool tables which were used for gambling, and they were open on Sundays. We didn’t go to the movies. We only played Rook because playing cards were used for gambling. We didn't listen to godless rock 'n roll music. We boys kept our hair cut short and didn’t grow facial hair because we didn’t want to be mistaken for rebellious hippies. We dressed up for church because we should always offer God our best. Catholics weren’t Christians at all. The pope might be the anti-Christ. We didn’t date girls from those liberal denominations because they probably weren’t really Christians. As long as we stayed separate and lived holy lives our friends would be convicted of their wickedness and become Christians by osmosis. And after all this, we had the temerity to rant against liberals who thought they could be saved by their good works!

Now I’m all grown up and I have to make all these decisions on my own. I don’t want to be a Pharisee. Jesus was really angry with the Pharisees and I don’t want to end up there. So I don’t want my faith to be defined by all the things I don’t do or all the people I won’t associate with. I also don’t want to neglect the more important matters, the things God seems to be really concerned about: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. (Don’t those sound a lot like what those liberals were talking about in the ‘60s?)

Not only am I all grown up, I’m a pastor trying to help plant a church in a community that is predominantly Hispanic (75%). How shall we position ourselves in order to have the opportunity to present the gospel to many, many people here in Shafter? If we do not concern ourselves with justice, mercy, and faithfulness we may as well pack up our sound system and Bibles and go home. If we do not present the very clear and simple message of good news, that salvation comes only through the accomplished work of Jesus Christ, we might as well stop now. Jesus said it very clearly, “You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former.” Live faithful lives while working for justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

A SUNDAY EVENING PRAYER

2009-02-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

My good friend, Sean Nemecek, has visited here at the Shiloh Guy and thanked me for… wait a minute, let me look at what it was he thanked me for… oh yeah, the “meta-narrative theology” in my posts. Thanks, Sean. That’s really nice of you! Now I’m not exactly sure what a meta-narrative is. I think I went to seminary when we were still struggling with the narrative; long before the meta was invented. (Yes, I’m kidding. I can picture some of my more theologically-minded friends starting to choke here.) But tonight, this Sunday night, I abandon the meta and look at just a couple of words.

I led worship this morning. I prayed publicly. I sang in front of our people. I read scripture. I preached. And I pronounced the Lord’s blessing over them before they left. And I am abundantly aware of the fact that I can do none of these things to the glory of God in my own strength. I’m feeling completely dependent on the Lord. Helpless. The task is too great. Without him I will never do anything of any value. So the words of the psalmist leaped off the page at me this evening.

Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path. Psalm 27:11

I need you to teach me, Lord. I don’t know what to do and I wouldn’t know how to go about doing it even if I knew. I can’t find your way on my own. I always tend to do things my way. There is no other place for me to go to discover your way. I need you to teach me.

And I want to know your way! What good is my way? What good comes from trying the ways I can read about in the “How to Plant a Church” books? And it won’t help me to try to follow the ways others have tried. There is only one way to lead this particular church and it is your way. So I walk away from my way because I only want your way.

Lead me. I won’t run ahead of you. I won’t leave the path to the right or to the left. I won’t stop and sit down. If you will lead me I will follow you no matter where your path lies. What else am I to do? Whom else shall I follow? Let’s go. You lead, I follow.

And I don’t want to wander around in circles like the Israelites in the wilderness. I don’t have time for that. Again, I won’t turn in my own direction if you are leading. I want to just walk in a straight path to the end you have for me. Can we go straight? Straight to the people you have chosen in this city? Straight to the ministries that will make your name famous here? Straight through all the distractions and obstacles for your name’s sake? Can we just walk a straight path with you leading the way?

Amen.

REDEEMED THROUGH THE SEA

2009-02-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

The scripture says that when the Hebrews finally left Egypt God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. (Exodus 13:17, 18) It strikes me that God is treating Israel, his son, like a young child who is just learning what the world is like. He takes the part of a loving father who is protecting his son from encountering a test that might prove too great for him. Just as I might allow my sons to face tests and trials while ensuring that none of them would completely devastate them and discourage them.

The loving father wants to encourage his son so he shows him how strong he is and how safe the son is with the father. I always knew I was safe with my dad around. He was so strong and so smart that nothing bad could happen to me as long as I was close to him. So God leads his son right to the shore of the Red Sea, hardens Pharaoh’s heart, and sends Egypt’s army after him. All this is done so the father will gain glory and the son will learn to trust his father.

God himself stands between his son and danger. He parts the Red Sea and the son crosses over safely. The Egyptian army chases the son into the sea and the father destroys it. If the son will just keep his eyes fixed on the father he will be safe!

Israel sees the mighty deliverance of the hand of God and begins to sing a hymn of praise. I love these two phrases from Exodus 15. In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed (v.13). By the power of your arm they will be as still as stone until your people pass by, O LORD, until the people you bought pass by (v.16). Israel is the people God redeemed and the people God bought! The same terminology used for the church under the New Covenant. By his blood Jesus redeemed his people. He paid the price of redemption and bought them!

We are God’s sons. He is our almighty Father. We were adopted into his royal family because our older brother redeemed us and bought us. As long as we keep our eyes fixed on our father nothing can hurt us. He is a loving father and will lead us to his rest.

A LASTING ORDINANCE

2009-02-01T23:40:00.000-08:00

Exodus 12:17, Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.

Exodus 12:22, 23, Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

Exodus 12:26, 27, And when your children as you, “What does this ceremony mean to you?” then tell them, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.”

Exodus 13:8, On that day tell your son, “I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.”

Exodus 13:9, This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.

A couple of readers of this blog have pointed out that the entire Exodus story is a foreshadowing of the gospel, the salvation of the church; that the deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt is a parallel of God’s deliverance of the Church from bondage to sin. I couldn’t agree with them more! And the above passages make the point even more strongly! Note the significant parallels:

Israel continued to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover as a lasting ordinance for generations. Until that astonishing night when Jesus took the Passover bread and passed it among his disciples and said, “This bread is my body which is broken for you.” And he took the Passover cup and passed it to them saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” The disciples present must have been stunned. Prophecy was being fulfilled and a new sacrament was being established!

When the destroyer saw the blood on the doorframe he passed over. The LORD prevented him from striking down the faithful. The blood of Christ cleanses us from sin and covers us in righteousness that is not our own. When God looks upon us and sees the blood of his Son he does not allow the destroyer to strike us down.

When our children ask us what the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper means to us we tell them that it is the sacrifice of Christ who sealed God’s covenant with us which keeps us from being struck down along with the wicked.

At the sacrament I will tell my son, “I do this because of what the Lord did for me when he paid the penalty for my sin on the cross and brought me out from among the condemned.”

The observance of the Lord’s Supper will serve as a reminder of God’s grace and mercy and the love of Jesus Christ. Paul said, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Along with the sacrament the gospel of Christ is to be upon my lips!

SO MY WONDERS MAY BE MULTIPLIED

2009-01-31T23:14:00.000-08:00

What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. The chief end of man is to glorify God. That is why God created humankind. Our very purpose for existence is to bring glory to God. Is there any possibility that God’s purpose for man may not be fulfilled? What about the wicked? What about those who refuse to acknowledge that our Lord is God? Is God’s purpose frustrated in them?

In Exodus 9 God is in the midst of bringing a slew of plagues upon Egypt. Pharaoh alternately says the people can go and worship the Lord in the desert and then changes his mind and hardens his heart. Even the officials of Egypt say to Pharaoh, “Can’t you see that Egypt is ruined?” But what does God say? See Exodus 9:15, 16; For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. God was going to be glorified even through the wickedness of Pharaoh. What God does is not for the sake of Pharaoh or even for the sake of Israel. It was for his own name’s sake!

God wants Pharaoh to see his sovereignty. Before the last plague, the slaying of the firstborn sons, God instructs Moses to say to Pharaoh, Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. It is God who makes the distinction. The distinction is not found in the people of Egypt or the people of Israel. The distinction comes from the mind of God himself. It is a matter of his own choice. Israel could take no credit for being the chosen people. They didn’t choose themselves and they certainly didn’t deserve to be chosen. It is God who made the distinction. And so it is with us. We belong to God because God chose to make us his own. He is the one who makes the distinction between his children and those who are not.

One more evidence of this God-glorifying truth. Exodus 11:9, 10. God spoke to Moses saying, Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you—so that my wonders may be multiplied in Egypt. Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart… To demonstrate his sovereign power and the fact that he can do as he chooses to bring glory to himself, God ensures that all his power will be demonstrated to both Egypt and Israel by hardening Pharaoh’s heart.

How can we fail to recognize that the Bible is God’s story, not man’s? It is all about him and he created us to glorify his name. He will glorify himself through both the wicked and the righteous.

GOD'S MIGHTY HAND ALONE

2009-01-30T22:05:00.000-08:00

God called Moses out of the land of Midian to return to Egypt. He was to tell the Hebrews that I AM had met with him and the LORD was going to lead them out of bondage and into a spacious land flowing with milk and honey. Moses was to go to Pharaoh and ask him to allow the Hebrews to go out into the desert to worship God. And God also told Moses that Pharaoh would not listen.

In fact, Pharaoh was so angered he decreed that the Hebrews would have to gather their own straw for the bricks they were making and they would have to make the same number of bricks as they were making when they were provided with straw. Of course this embittered the Hebrews and they took their anger out on Moses and Aaron.

When Moses went to the Lord with this problem the Lord told him, Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country. (Exodus 6:1)

In the eyes of the Hebrews, Moses and Aaron failed when they went before Pharaoh. Not only had Pharaoh not released the Hebrews, he made their bondage worse than it was before. Clearly Moses and Aaron were not men in whom they could put their trust. And I think that was the point! Had Moses and Aaron succeeded in securing the release of the Hebrews, all the attention would have gone to them. Our God is a jealous God who will not share his glory with anyone else. All the glory and praise had to belong solely to him. Pharaoh would go on to demonstrate just how stubborn he could be. God would do miracle after miracle and Pharaoh would harden his heart again and again. It would become clear to the Hebrews that no man could deliver them from such an obstinate ruler. Only God could lead them to freedom!

Here in Shafter, CA we are involved in planting a new church. It is not easy. We are still trying to figure out how God wants us to go about this task. It is becoming more and more apparent to all the others involved that I don’t have all the answers. In fact, none of us has all the answers! Not even all of us put together can come up with very many answers at all! It is slow going. We are trying to understand and reach into the Hispanic culture here in Shafter and we don’t know how to do it.

And that’s good! I am convinced that God has called us to do this ministry. We will pray and seek God’s direction. I believe God will bless us and show us what he wants us to do. It may well take quite awhile. People may begin to wonder if they called the right guy to lead this ministry. It may become very uncomfortable. But when it happens, only God will receive the praise and glory for the church he alone can build. He is a jealous God and will not share his glory with another!