Stand

Esther 7

If you've been keeping up on my posts centered on the book of Esther you'll recall that Esther has had to go through quite a bit of personal change. To get to the point at which we find her in this chapter she has had to transition from someone who tried to cover up a problem, to making excuses, to a willingness to do the right thing, to putting her life on the line, to a person who is now willing and able to confront evil face to face. At the banquet she explains to the king: "I and my people have been sold for destruction" (vs. 4). When the king asks who would do such a thing she identifies him as Haman. I picture a scene out of an old Perry Mason episode. Perry asks the witness, "Is the murderer in this room?" and the witness stands dramatically and points: "Yes! It's this man." I can almost see Esther stand up and point at Haman: "The adversary and enemy is this vile Haman." I imagine Haman with a smarmy Jon Lovitz-like "who me?" smile, but the fact was, his career just got flushed. Certainly it was not Esther's intention to destroy Haman; she just wanted to stop him from destroying her people. To do this she had to put it all on the line and take a stand.

Here I think is the application in this chapter: sometimes we have to take a stand. That is much easier said than done. We live in a culture that venerates conciliation. I have thought more than once that it seems like the only thing that is wrong is to say something's wrong. I mentioned in an earlier post that the book of Esther had a kind of subtlety about it, and that is definitely true, but there is also a time for confrontation. Confrontation is not an excuse for being rude or disrespectful, we still need to speak the truth in love, but in being loving we can't forget the truth. We don't want to sin by our silence. This chapter reminds me of an old REM song, "Stand." Here is the first verse:

Stand in the place where you live
Now face North
Think about direction
Wonder why you haven't before
Now stand in the place where you work
Now face West
Think about the place where you live
Wonder why you haven't before

We all need to ask ourselves "what's the cost in not taking a stand for the truth?" The first cost, and the most expensive, is that if no one will stand for the truth, then falsehood wins. If falsehood wins then, as Jesus warned, light becomes darkness (Mat 6:22,23), not just in us, but in our whole culture. When that happens people not only reject the truth, they eventually will reject that there is such a thing as truth. Oh how great is that darkness.

The second cost is personal. Your existence means something. There is a collection of things that make you who you are. You cannot deny your own existence, and yet if there is nothing for which you are willing to take a stand, what is your existence? That may seem harsh, but if we are not willing to take a stand for what we say we believe in, we probably don't believe it in the first place. That means if there is nothing we take a stand for there is nothing we actually believe. What kind of person has no beliefs, or at least beliefs worth fighting for? So, in our attempt to be conciliatory to all beliefs we end up assimilating all beliefs. If everything is right, then there is no such thing as right or wrong. That cost is huge because we lose ourselves.

Martin Luther stood at the Diet of Worms and was commanded to retract the things he'd said in his writing. Luther spoke what are now well-known words: "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen." Whether Luther spoke those actual words or not is a matter for church historians to debate, but this much is true: Luther did take a stand for what he believed to be true and changed the world. So did Esther. So can you.

Silent Partner

Esther 6

If you have ever had anything to do with a play you know they require a lot of work. Long before the night when you sat in the dark and were entertained by the actors, someone had begun the process of bringing that play to the stage. In a small production, say at a high school or community theatre, that person is the director. The director oversees all aspects of the production, but, except for a bio in the program, their presence is all behind the scenes. This parallels in some ways the book of Esther. God is not mentioned (not even a bio), but we see his work all throughout the book. This is never more apparent than in chapter six.

In reading this chapter you probably noticed the chain of events that occurred here:

1. The king can't sleep so he had the chronicles read to him.
   
2. His attendants read how Mordecai exposed the assassination attempt.
   
3. The king wants to honor Mordecai and Haman is in the court waiting for permission to execute Mordecai.
   
4. The king asks Haman what should be done for someone the king wants to honor. Haman answers, thinking the honor is for himself.
   
5. The king commands Haman to honor Mordecai.
   
6. Haman honors Mordecai.
   
7. Haman arrives at home just before the king's eunuchs arrive to take him to Esther's banquet (where she plans to expose his plot to kill all the Jews.)
   

We can look at the juxtaposition of these events in one of two ways: they were either fantastic or ordained. By fantastic I mean coincidental. Coincidences happen all the time in daily life. They are interesting and fun to read about. (Here is an article you can download that I got from Reader's Digest.) By ordained I mean the hand of God. Certainly coincidence and the hand of God are two different things that ultimately reflect two very different worldviews. For a moment let's think of Esther 6, in a general sense, as a picture of life. Just as we can look at this chapter in two different ways, so we can look at life in two different ways. We can't see God, but we can see the effects of God. Two people can read Esther 6. One sees nothing but coincidence and another sees the hand of God. Two people can look at life. One sees nothing more than a constellation of events and another sees the ordaining hand of God as he oversees his Grand Design for everything.

Just so you know, I hold to the second view. I think God lovingly and wisely oversees my life and yours. David said "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:16, but read the whole psalm.) Also, read Psalm 31:14, 15 where he says: "But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hands…" I mean, doesn't that make sense? If there is a God, he wouldn't put us on this planet just to fend for ourselves. What value would there be in that? Just because we can't always see his hand doesn't mean he's not working. Think of Esther and Mordecai. At the time they couldn't see how everything was going to play out. God is no different today than in their time. He doesn't love us any less that he did them. The point here is that we need to trust him. Do you remember what Jesus said on the cross? "Into your hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46. Note: Jesus is quoting from Psalm 31) Jesus is saying more than just "I am about to die, so take me home." In the presence of hostility, he is entrusting his life to the only One qualified to care for it.

That is, it seems to me, the only viable option in an uncertain world: trust God. Anything else leads to despair.

Choices

Esther 5

This chapter shows us the difference between someone who serves God (even though God is not mentioned), and someone who serves himself. Esther exemplifies the person who serves God at all costs. If you remember from reading chapter four, Esther explained that no one was to approach the king without being summoned. If anyone were foolish enough to do this the law required they be put to death. They could be saved, however, if the king extended his gold scepter and spared their life. In addition, it had been over a month since Esther had been summoned by the king. After three days of fasting, Esther got ready. Imagine what was going through her mind at the time: she might die today. As she made her way to the palace she was still safe, but there was, no doubt, a sense of foreboding hanging over her. Then the critical moment arrived when she crossed the line between safety and peril, between life and death. She stood in the inner court and her foreboding became reality: she had been sentenced to death merely by her presence in this room.

The Bible doesn't say how long she waited-and wondered, but when the king saw her he was pleased and extended the scepter to her. "What is your request?" he asks. She invites the king and Haman to a banquet. At the banquet Esther asks the king and Haman to come to yet another banquet on the following day. We don't know why she did it this way, but the main point is she put her life on the line.

That brings up the issue of what would motivate a person to jeopardize their own existence? We know Esther's story, what's yours? What are you willing to die for? This is a critical question because it reveals what's important to you. Even more, if there is nothing you are willing to die for, then what is your life? Is there no larger purpose, nothing more important to you than you?

There is another kind of dying. If you are a follower of Jesus, consider this: Jesus said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." The cross, of course, was an instrument of death. We are to take it up every day. You can't physically die every day, but you can die to yourself. That's what Jesus means here by "deny himself". That's exactly what Esther had to overcome. She had to deny her comfort and security. She had to put aside what was important to her-even her own life-and serve God. She had to violate the laws of the king so she could serve the King of Kings.

This brings us to Haman. Haman served himself, but in doing so he became a slave. Note first of all, he was a slave to other people's actions. He was happy that he'd been invited to Queen Esther's banquet, but enraged that Mordecai "showed no fear in his presence." Why would Mordecai matter to Haman at all? He was just a guy. He had no power or position or influence. It's only because other people's opinions of him really mattered that Haman reacted the way he did. Mordecai had a lot more power over Haman than Haman had over him. Haman wasn't a real person. He didn't have his own light, he just caught the occasional reflection of other people's light. The gallows wasn't even his idea.

Haman was also a slave to his emotions. He's happy one moment, enraged the next. He boasts to his family about getting the big invite to the banquet and suddenly he's whining again about Mordecai. I picture Haman as a corpulent bureaucrat who had no real talent, but knew just enough to get in the king's good graces.

All of this to say that there are two ways to live: serve God or serve yourself. Esther served God, gave up her life, and became greater, stronger and more of a person than she could possibly imagine. Think of this for a moment, which would have been better for Esther: if she'd stay in her comfy harem eating the best foods with not a care in the world, or putting her life on the line for God and her people? Which would have given her more fulfillment and satisfaction? It's pretty obvious. The point is that when we lose ourselves in God we gain back so much more. By contrast look at Haman. He served himself and as a result, lost himself. He became a caricature of a human being with no real substance.

Like Esther and Haman the choice is yours.

The Darkest Hour

Esther 4

(Note: It has been over three months since my last post. I just got busy last spring, and then I got out of the habit of writing. I really hope to be more consistent.)

 

When Hitler decided, in the summer of 1941, to attack Britain, he began bombing London. This prompted Prime Minister Winston Churchill to exclaim: "This is England's darkest hour." It wasn't just England's darkest hour, Hitler was working overtime to exterminate the Jews as well. We call it the Holocaust for a good reason. As bad as the Holocaust was, it was not the first time in Jewish history when someone tried to wipe them out. We have been looking at the book of Esther in the last few posts. Today I wanted to look at chapter four. If you have been reading the earlier posts, you'll remember that Haman set a plan in motion to annihilate all the Jews. Take note of how Mordecai reacted when he learned of Haman's plot. He tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes and went out into the city wailing loudly. In other words, he made a public display. Now compare this to Esther's reaction. When she heard about Mordecai she tried to get him to stop. Even after Mordecai explained the cause of his outcry she made excuses. To her credit, she ultimately came to do the right thing, but it took her awhile to get there.

What we learn from this is how we should respond when God's people are being threatened. (If you'd like a few statistics about current persecution against Christians, see my last post.) We need to speak up and we need to step up. Theologian B.B. Warfield said: "It would be impossible…for a moral being to stand in the presence of perceived wrong indifferent and unmoved." We see all of that in Mordecai. He "spoke up." He reacted immediately and publicly. He exhorted Esther to do what she could to talk to the king. His words to her are powerful: "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Today we might not have the kind of access Esther had, but we do have a voice. We can write letters, we can use the internet, we can vote (Nov 4^th). Mordecai's question "Who knows…?" addresses the fact that we only have "now" (ie. 'such a time as this'). Every appropriate action, every righteous deed, every good work is going to happen now, in the present: "The eternal now."

But there is more. Note that Esther finally gets it. She says: "I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." She "stepped up." In my next post we will look at chapter five to see exactly what Esther did, but for now it's enough to say that she quit making excuses. Esther came to that place we all need to be where she saw that her personal comfort/safety was less important than doing the right thing. There is incredible power and clarity in doing the right thing. All other decisions are, or should be, a subset of the decision to do what's right. I think most of our excuses tend to revolve around two issues: time and money (at least they do for me). You know how it goes: "I don't have enough time," "I don't have enough money." But is there no wiggle room? Stop and ask yourself, "Are all the things I spend my time and money on really necessary?" Our lives need to be governed by principles, not by circumstances. If you don't speak up/step up the Lord will probably use someone else to accomplish his purposes. But he wants to use you! Serving God is your best, greatest thing. Just do it.

Count the Cost

Esther 3

This chapter in the book of Esther introduces Haman, the ultimate bad guy. Haman represents all that is bad in politics. He is arrogant and self-serving. All law and morality is judged by what is good for him. If you've read the chapter you will know that Haman was "enraged" that Mordecai would not bow down and pay him honor. So Haman, like every bad politician, wants to make a lot of people suffer because of the actions of one person. Instead of punishing Mordecai, Haman gets the king's permission "to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and little children—on a single day…and to plunder their goods." Haman becomes the definition and embodiment of a genocidal maniac. Power corrupts.

This chapter reminds us that there is a war going on. It is not a war between countries or tribes, it's a spiritual war as old as time. It's a war between God and those who oppose him. Mordecai understood this. It is why he wouldn't bow down to Haman. This war is as active today as ever. For example, the number of Christian martyrs is increasing every year. Last year over 160,000 Christians died for their faith. Projections are 175,000 will die this year.

I wonder about this a lot. If there is a (spiritual) war going on, why don't I experience more conflict? Have I become so complacent and conciliatory that no one has a reason to oppose me? In other words, is it possible that I don't experience more conflict in my life because I am not a threat to the enemy?

Last week I had the privilege of meeting with a group of men-all in their twenties-who want to reengage. I was impressed with their desire to make the necessary changes in their lives-however drastic-so that they might be prepared for the return of the Lord. Isn't that what every Christian is supposed to be doing? We are not here on this planet just to get by. As I have said in previous posts, there is more to this life than this life.

One of the things I like about the book of Esther is its subtlety. That may sound a little odd, but by that I am referring to the fact that God is not mentioned by name in the book, but there he is in the assumptions of the protagonists, especially Mordecai. So this book is, in a sense, answering the question: "how would a person act in their everyday life who was sold out for God?" Therein lies the subtlety. We see in it the effects of a godly worldview, not the worldview itself. As a point of contrast, look at the stories of Elijah on Mount Carmel, or Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Here we find direct confrontation. Sometimes God calls us to that, but sometimes he calls us to something a little more oblique.

So, the big question is, what might a person be like who was sold out for Christ? Would that person parade around with signs at ball games and public events? Or might it be more subtle than that? The point is that being sold out for God does not necessarily mean a full frontal assault against the forces of darkness. It may mean just standing your ground like Mordecai. I have a suspicion that most of the 160,000 believers who died last year were just trying to be true to God in their daily circumstances. That's subtle, but also profoundly righteous. So much so it cost them their lives.

Jesus told us to count the cost. The cost for you and me, according to Jesus, is everything: "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." I don't think that means you need to take a vow of poverty, or live in a commune, but it does mean that you need to place everything at God's disposal. That means your money, your time, your gifts and talents, and your relationships. It might even mean your life.

No Bad Days

Esther 2

In Esther chapter two we are introduced to the two main characters of this story: Esther and Mordecai. For both of these people circumstances came into their lives over which they had no control. For Esther it was being chosen to become part of King Xerxes' harem. For Mordecai it was overhearing a plot to assassinate the King. These two circumstances were independent of each other, but they intertwine later in the story to form a dramatic conclusion. We will get to that later, for the time being, let's consider their situations. Esther's situation couldn't have seemed good at the time. She was taken (probably not willingly) away from her people to live in the harem of a pagan king. Okay, so she was treated well and lived in the lap of luxury, but it was still not her choice. Mordecai, on the other hand, did the right thing. He heard of this plot, he reported it, the bad guys were executed, and it was all recorded in the kings annals. End of story-for now.

So, here's my take on this, and this is a principle I think we all ought to live by. There are no bad days in the Christian life. Let me qualify this slightly. If you go to a bar and get drunk and drive your car into another car on the way home, that's a bad day. If you stay up late watching a movie and fall asleep in a meeting the next day and get fired, that's a bad day. If you fall asleep in a meeting, get fired, go to a bar and get drunk and drive your car into another car, that's a really bad day. But that kind of bad day was your own fault. What if you were in the other car? In other words, you are on your way home from work and a drunk driver runs a stop sign and t-bones you. Maybe it breaks your leg and you have a limp the rest of your life. Is that bad? Before you answer that, think of this: God could have prevented it, but didn't. He allowed it. That means it's his will. God's will is never bad. Never. Let me give you a real example. A long time ago a friend of ours got cancer. He and his wife were godly people we had a lot of respect for. The cancer drug on and eventually he died. But you know what? He shared his faith with every doctor, nurse, and aid with whom he had contact. No one wants to have cancer. No one wants to die early. But that's not the worst thing that can happen to us. The worst thing would be to be in your nineties, looking back at your life, and realize it amounted to very little, if anything, for God. Paul talked about this in 1Corinthians 3:12-15. You can build on the foundation (of your salvation) with things that will last into eternity, or you can build on it with consumables.

The key to understanding this is to remember that our lives, our days, even our minutes, are ordained by God. This isn't going to change anything but your attitude. Your circumstances will probably remain the same, but your attitude toward those circumstance will be sanctified. As a wise person once told me, it is not circumstances that determine the quality of our lives, but our interpretation of those circumstances. I am including a link to a little chart I made a few years go called: "Responding to Trials" that illustrates what I have just said.

I hope some of this helps you. Have a good day.

The Scene is Grey

Esther 1

Stephen Crane wrote:

When the prophet, a complacent fat man,

Arrived at the mountaintop

He cried, "oh woe to my knowledge!"

"I intended to see good white lands,"

"And bad black lands,"

"But the scene is grey."

I think about that a lot as I look at the world around me, including the church. It isn't so much that the situation is so bad, it's just so grey. I'm going to blog for the next few days from the book of Esther because the situation then was similar to now. Esther lived in exile in Persia (modern Iraq). She was a Jew, but it is clear from reading the book that she had a ways to go in her devotion to God. In fact, one of the unique aspects to the book of Esther is that God is never mentioned. There are a multitude of explanations for this, but suffice it to say that even though God is not mentioned, we see his work all through this story. Here in chapter one Queen Vashti refused the king's request to visit his party and that set up the circumstances necessary for Esther to take her place. I don't know if this relates to anything in the current presidential race, except for this: don't count God out. That may seem trite, but consider that kings (and presidents) come and go, God remains. Jesus said "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). The person you vote for in November may not get elected, but God is still in control. The person who gets elected may be a bad president, but God is still in control. The next president may only serve to increase the "greyness" of our country, but God is still in control. How can that be correct? It is so because even though God gives kings (and presidents) their power (Rom 13:1-4), he doesn't need them to do his work. God's kingdom is spiritual in nature and the work we do for his kingdom should also be spiritual in nature. Paul said in 2Cor 10:4,5 "The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Our effort should be directed toward being the best Christians we can be no matter who gets elected. We should engage in the process, that includes voting and dialoging with people, but we do so for the glory of God. We should pray for our leaders (1Tim 2:1,2), and for our country, but the change from grey to white starts with us. Stephen Crane was talking about morality. If we want our country to become moral, we need to be moral. Even better, if we want our country to be more consistent with Christian virtue, then we need to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in all we do. I read all the time about how Christians are being put down and marginalized. I don't know if that surprises you or not (it shouldn't), but it should never fill you with fear. Read the book to the end: Jesus wins. He will return someday and justice will be restored once and for all.

He is Risen Indeed

^{1Corinthians 15:17-22}

¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. ²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

In John 20 Mary Magdalene informs the disciples that someone has taken Jesus' body. Peter and John run to the tomb. What was going through their minds as they made their way through the city streets to the tomb? I love the painting (at right) by Burnand. We see worry, hope and urgency on the faces of these two, faithful disciples. The gospel says that they entered the tomb, saw the burial clothes lying there, and believed. Their belief was confirmed later that evening when they saw Jesus. Jesus had risen from the dead! Those who teach writing say that every writer gets one exclamation point to use in their life. What better way to use it than that last sentence? If it is true, it is the single, most profound truth of all human history. If it is not true, then as Paul says in the passage above, we only have hope for this life. But the empty tomb and the appearances to over 500 people over a course of 40 days confirm that it is true.

Jesus is the firstfruits of all who believe in him. What does that mean? It means that his resurrection made possible our resurrection. We do indeed have more to hope for than just this life. As I have said before, there is more to life than this life. For those who believe in Christ, death is not an end, it is a means to another end, a world without end.

I don't know how it is for you, but I know that once in a while, probably too frequently, I have that worried look John reveals in Burnand's painting. Sometimes we have to stop what we're doing. We have to look up. In the gospel passage I referred to before (John 20) it says that when the disciples finally saw Jesus, they were "overjoyed." That's what joy is about. Joy looks up. Joy knows there is more to life than this life. Joy is never circumstantial. Psalm 46:10 says: "Be still and know that I am God…" If we can force ourselves to stop what we're doing once in a while and look up, we might just see something. We might just see heaven. If that doesn't fill you with joy, nothing will.

The Night Before Easter

Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Today is Saturday, the night before Easter. Easter is, of course, the foundation of Christianity. It confirms the Good News of the Crucifixion. But what if you were a disciple of Jesus on the first Easter Eve? What do you think was going through the minds of Peter and John on that day? Even though Jesus had prepared them on more than one occasion, Jesus' death devastated them. Think of it this way: Friday brought devastation and defeat, Sunday brought joy and victory. Saturday is the day between these opposites. It's the day of not knowing. Friday was a period, Sunday an exclamation point, but Saturday is a question mark. We have all three of these kinds of days in our lives. So where might faith play the most important role? Perhaps on Friday or Sunday, but there is something we can know about those days. The Saturdays of our lives are full of unknowns. I think most people would rather know-even if it's bad news-than not know. But faith is built strongest on the Saturdays. Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. And in this lies the secret: hope. Without hope devastation turns to despair, and sometimes the despair is so debilitating it blinds us, and we don't recognize Sunday when it comes.

Today is Saturday. Nobody colors eggs for Saturday. Nobody buys a new dress for the unknown. All we are left with is hope. Hope or despair. And here's the thing, we know now that Jesus did rise from the dead. Our hope is based on this great, profound, historical fact. In other words, his resurrection is the down payment on ours. His victory secures our victory.

Certainly it is true that as we look to the future there are still a lot of unknowns, a lot of Saturdays. But we have hope. Hope without knowledge is still hope, but knowledge without hope is nothing. So, today, choose hope. Choose to remember that God is all-knowing, all-powerful and all-loving. What better to put your hope in that that?

PS: The picture at the right is a solar eclipse of Saturn. Saturday is named after this planet, and the fact that it's blocking the sun in this picture reminded me of the theme of this blog.

Two Things We Can’t Say

1 Corinthians 12:14-21

¹⁴ Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!"

 

This passage comes from a longer section on spiritual gifts and the body of Christ. Basically Paul is saying that the body of Christ is made up of many parts. Those parts are in fact believers using the gifts God gave them. But focus for a moment on two things. In verse 15 it says the foot cannot say "I don't belong." Then in verse 21 it says the eye cannot say "I don't need you." So here are two things we must never find ourselves saying in reference to the body of Christ, church work, the kingdom of God, etc. Another way to put this would be we cannot exclude ourselves and we cannot exclude others. Look at a few other statements in this chapter: "The body is unit" (vs. 12), "God has arranged the parts of the body" (vs. 18), "its parts should have equal concern for each other" (vs. 25).

Here is a simple, but profound truth: God created you with a purpose. He gave you gifts so you can fulfill that purpose. Each of us has a necessary purpose in the body of Christ. "If the whole body were an eye where would the sense of hearing be?" We have a choice. We can fulfill God's purpose for us, or we can try to fulfill our own. It's the Big Choice we have to make in our lives and we need to make it every day (Luke 9:23). If you've seen the first Matrix movie, you'll remember when Morpheus offered Neo a choice. Either he could go back to a false reality that is comfortable and manageable, but full of nagging doubt, or he could choose the true reality and fight for freedom, help others, and be a hero. That's the kind of choice we make: our version of reality or God's. You don't have to be a theologian to see which is better.

But there is another profound truth here. What is true for you is also true for every other believer. God created them with a purpose as well. And here's the thing: we need each other. Just in case you didn't quite get that: we need each other. Spending time along with God is important to my faith, but it's not enough. Worshipping on Sunday morning with other believers is important to my faith, but it's not enough. We need to be engaged in the lives of other Christians, to learn from them, lean on them and let them learn from us and lean on us. We need each other.

Hope

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament says "…there is no neutral concept of expectation. An expectation is either good or bad and therefore it is either hope or fear." (Vol. 2, p. 522) This is a powerful thought. What are your expectations of the future? Paul says in this passage that he rejoices in the hope of the glory of God, but he also rejoices in his sufferings. How is that possible? It is so contrary to human nature. We spend a significant amount of our time making sure we don't suffer. But Paul understood something: suffering produces perseverance which produces character which produces hope.

When you get through some kind of trial you look back and realize that you made it, that God has been with you and that the suffering was part of his plan. The Greek word for 'character' here means "tested and approved." When we suffer it produces in us the ability to hang in there and not give up. This in turn produces a life that has been tried and found to be true. It is only after we have passed through the fire and found that, it not only didn't destroy us, but in fact made us stronger, that we can have any confidence about God, ourselves and our faith.

This passage shows that hope is not just wishful thinking. It is produced by a tested life: a life that has withstood suffering and come out the other side. Anything else we call hope is just a wish because it has not experienced the faithfulness of God to empower us and protect us.

So, if you are going through a trial right now, don't give up. God has a plan in this even though you might not be able to see it. God will not test you beyond your ability. Remind yourself that this too will pass. God loves you and is faithful.

Self Control

Titus 2:11-14

¹¹ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹² It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

This passage indicates that God's grace is our instructor. It teaches us to deny ourselves those things which draw us away from God, and to live godly lives. This passage is about power. God's grace enables us to have power over ourselves. How so? The word grace means "gift." The gift referred to here is salvation (v. 11). Salvation means that God in his mercy bought us out of our slavery to sin through the death of his son Jesus (v. 14). After Jesus' resurrection he ascended into heaven, but he promised that he would one day return (v. 13) and bring justice to the world. In the meantime we wait. Imagine now your teacher (grace) sitting down with you. He looks you square in the eyes and says: "In our lesson this morning, I want you to look two directions: backward and forward. Look back: what has the Lord done for you? That's right; he bought your salvation with his life. Now turn and look forward. What do you see? Right again. He will return some day and set things right. Okay now, here is the tricky part. We are caught, so to speak, between these two perspectives. In other words, we live in the now, the present, the moment. We have no choice, it's part of God's grand design for your life and mine. So, if that's true, then these two perspectives, like giant spirals in a whirlpool, converge on this moment in time. Anything-everything!-that matters is going to happen in the now. So, don't waste it. Don't throw away the priceless opportunity that has been given to you as a gift from God. Remember what God has done. Think about what he's going to do."

So, we have this moment. The question is, how are we going to use it? That's always the question. We can live for ourselves, or we can live for God. The first is the way of self-indulgence and the second is the way of self-control. It really is an issue of power. We indulge ourselves because we can. We are reluctant to give everything over to God because we have to give up our power base and do what he wants. Like so many things, our greatest strength is our greatest weakness. We are created in God's image. That means we enjoy things like self-awareness and free will. That's our strength. But we use these gifts for our own selfish ends. That's our weakness. The irony is, our quest for freedom so often leads to slavery. The only viable alternative is to give up our power to God. That is also ironic in that the more of our power we give up, the more power God gives back.

Consider these two perspectives today. Think of the great things God has done for you. Think of why he did all this.

Don’t Be Afraid

Luke 1:13-15a

"Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord…"

These are the angel Gabriel's words to Zechariah and Elisabeth about their son John (the Baptist). Gabriel didn't tell Zechariah that John would live the life of a desert hermit, would anger some powerful people, and would eventually be imprisoned and beheaded. That's because these factors are only secondary to John's mission: prepare the way for the Lord (v. 17). It seems that we forget this a lot today. We think about comfort and success as if they were of utmost importance, but we neglect to evaluate if we are accomplishing the mission God put us here for. I think of my own children. As hard as it would be to watch them suffer &/or die, I would rather they died in the service of God than to succeed without him. Of course, what I really desire is that they live long in the service of God and succeed as well, but of course that's not the point. The point is that we are not to be afraid. God has called us to serve him. That place of service is the safest place we can possibly be. Psalm 37:3 says: "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture." Don't be afraid. God's pasture is always safe.

Read Psalm 37 today. It is a wonderful psalm of trust and perspective on what really matters.

Knowing God’s Will

Romans 12:1,2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual
act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This passage, it seems to me, is the starting point for knowing God's will. Paul lists three criteria: 1) offer your body as a living sacrifice, 2) don't conform to the pattern of this world, and 3) be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Let's look at each of these:

Living Sacrifice: We offer ourselves to God because of his mercy. In other words, Christ's sacrifice brought our salvation so we should be willing to offer ourselves as a sacrifice to him. This offering is an act of worship. If we are willing to worship God with every deed, event and motive then we are on our way to knowing what he desires of us.

Not conformed: Even normal people hear voices. The question for us concerns which voices we are going to let influence us. How does the pattern of this world get communicated to us? That is probably not too hard to figure out. Television, movies, reading, the media, and friends, are prime examples. These aren't necessarily bad, but they can have the effect of pushing God's will off to the side, so to speak. So it's good for us to ask what it is that most influences us. One quick way to determine that is to evaluate what you spend the most time doing. Outside of sleeping, eating, work, etc. what do you choose to do?

Transformed: Paul makes it easy for us; we become transformed by the renewing of our minds. This is the other side of 'not conformed.' In other words, we could say our minds are transformed when we are thinking like God thinks. We want the same things he wants. 1 Corinthians 2:16 says: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." This isn't rocket science; we learn to think like God in the same way we learn to think like anyone: we listen to his words. That means the Bible. One of the words for the Bible is God's revelation. He reveals himself to us through the Word. By diligently studying the Word and obeying its truth we become transformed.

I think these three truths work together. Probably the reason we have such a hard time discovering God's will seems can be traced to some one of these not functioning in our lives.

If you'd like to download a Bible study designed to help you discover God's will click on the link below.

God's Will

Fellowship

1 John 1:7

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

There is a connection here between walking in the light and fellowship that is profound. If we walk in the light we will have fellowship. That means that fellowship is not optional, not something we can take or leave. Fellowship is the result of walking in the light. If we do the one thing the other will follow. Now, I think I just said the same thing three times in different ways. That's because it's important.

So what is fellowship? The Greek word John used in this passage means an association or close relationship. We have fellowship with God. That is part of what it means to walk in the light. On the human level fellowship means something like "common life." We share common goals, purpose, and interests as Christians, but primarily we share Christ. He is our common bond. There is also the idea of participation, or sharing. In Philippians 3:10 Paul says he longs to share in the sufferings of Christ. In a broader sense we share many things with God. We share in his character in things like love, patience, compassion, holiness and the fruit of the Spirit. The more we share in these the more like him we become, in other words, the more godly we become. Again, on a human level we participate, or should participate in each other's lives. We care about what our fellow Christians care about. We hurt when they hurt and rejoice when they rejoice. Implicit in this thought is the idea of need, and this really sums up the profound nature of 1 John 1:7: we need each other. If we are to become godly we need fellowship with each other. John is very clear that we can't separate these two things.

Think of someone today with whom you can have fellowship. Make it more than superficialities. Ask them about their walk with the Lord and encourage them to ask you.

Beauty is Gratuitous

Psalm 8

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

The lunar eclipse was impressive last night. I got home in time to get this picture. I am reminded again of God's goodness and love in creating this place we live. I wrote in yesterday's post that this world is not our home, but that does not mean that it's a bad place to live, or ugly. In fact, our world and our universe are awe-inspiring. The eclipse is just one example of that. The solar eclipse the Cassini satellite photographed of Saturn is another. Or, at another level, the beautiful intricacies of microscopic radiolaria are amazing. The eclipse reminded me of this passage in Psalms. The Lord is majestic in all he made. Creation is a reflection of God's nature and character. Creation is beautiful. On that matter, I remember reading a few years ago that beauty is gratuitous; in other words, "not called for by the circumstances". If there were no God, and Materialism were correct, then why beauty? For what purpose does beauty function in Natural Selection? In fact beauty is a testament to the love of God. It serves no utilitarian function, but it does enhance our lives, make us feel loved, and remind us of our Creator. It also makes me wonder more about Jesus' words in John 14 "I go to prepare a place for you." If this place is beautiful, how much more the new heavens and the new earth? Eternity is going to be great, but in the meantime we can enjoy what God has provided for us here. What would life be without beauty? Pause for a moment today to take in some of God's beauty. Thank him for the gift, it's the least you can do.

This World Is Not My Home

Psalm 119:19

"I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me."

This passage reminds me of an old hymn "This World is Not My Home." The idea of being a stranger in the world was a favorite theme of Peter's. In 1Peter 1:1 he writes "to God's elect, strangers in the world." Later in verse 17 he says: "Live your lives here in reverent fear." Then finally "I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul." (2:11) In fact there are two worlds, or two realities. The one world is the physical place we live in now. The other is the spiritual home Jesus is preparing for us as I write these words. It is good to be reminded that this (physical) is not our home. Yet how much energy do we spend making this world more comfortable for us in which to live? I remember an illustration I read when I was still a Pastor. The story goes of a man who had been a missionary in Africa most of his life. He was retiring and on his way home he just happened to be on the same ship as Teddy Roosevelt who was returning from a hunting trip. As they pulled up to the pier the missionary saw all kinds of people who came to welcome the President back home. The band was playing and people were cheering. The missionary thought to himself, "The President goes away on a little vacation and gets this when he comes home. I have been serving the Lord faithfully all my life and no one is here to greet me as I come home." But then he heard the Lord say: "But you're not home yet." There is a sense in which we should never feel settled here. This is not our home. All our rewards, comforts and happiness lie ahead.

Jesus told us "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven." (Matthew 6:19-21) Here in Psalm 119 the author understands the tension between the two worlds. He asks God "do not hide your commands from me." It is God's desire that we live for a time in this world so that we might give him glory and point others to him, but how do we do that? We need his commands. We need direction. We need to humble ourselves before him daily and ask that he guide our steps.

Grace and Patience

Genesis 15:13-16 says:

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the Lord said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your fathers in peace and be buried at a good old age. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."

This passage explains the wars in Joshua's time. It was not a Jihad, and not genocide. In fact Joshua's actions were simply the end of a long period of grace. The Lord is telling Abraham here that his people would be slaves for 400+ years so that the Amorites (and others) would have a chance to repent. People like Melchizedek and Reuel were righteous followers of the True God. These men were not part of the covenant people, and yet they stood in the land as testimonies to the One True God.

So think of what all that meant. It meant grace for the land of Canaan, but it meant patience for the Israelites. Now think of what that means today for you and I. Perhaps you think the world is getting unbearable and you wonder why Christ has not returned. It's because of grace. God is giving the world a chance to repent. This is exactly what Jesus said in Matthew 24:14 when he was speaking about the end times: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Of course, the difference between the Israelites and the body of Christ is that we are to be the agents who bring the message of the truth. We are the modern day Reuels and Melchizedeks. But it also means patience. You might have to wait awhile. God's timetable is not ours. Again, Jesus addressed this issue in the same passage in Matthew. In the next chapter he tells the parable of the Ten Virgins. The five foolish virgins did not bring enough oil for the long time the bridegroom would be away. Oil here represents faith, and/or patience. Jesus concludes by saying: "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." That's our job, our purpose. That sums up the meaning of life. We are here to be a testimony in this time of grace and we need to keep watch, be patient and remember that God will come when he comes.

Test Everything

Okay, I'm new to blogging, so please be patient. In case you just happened to stumble upon this page I want to post a devotional every day from the Bible and perhaps an excerpt from something I am writing. The former is mostly for your benefit and the latter mostly for mine. I hope to offer a little hope, a little encouragement, and maybe a challenge in the devotions. I hope in the excerpts to get a little feedback. Who knows? Maybe you'll like my writing. Either way, let me know.

Devotional for the day:
1Thessalonians 5:21,22 says: "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." What does that mean in our daily lives? The Greek word for 'test' is dokimazo which means "to watch" or "to examine." The idea here is of observation which leads to a conclusion. To test everything, according to these verses, means to observe and determine what is good and what is evil. We are to hold on to the one and avoid the other. So, how's that working for you? Are you going through life just reacting to your circumstances, or are you taking time to observe and form a conclusion before you act? Look back for a moment. Think of something you now regret, that if you had "tested" it first you wouldn't have that memory stored on your hard drive. Bad memories can really hurt you. If left unchecked you soon find yourself frozen by fear or so guilt-ridden you think God will never forgive you. Well, here's the good news. Jesus died to provide forgiveness. Don't trivialize the cross by believing the lie that God won't forgive. There is nothing God wants more than for you to be clean. So, test everything. You will avoid a lot of pain. And when you do fall, ask the God who loves you to forgive you. I promise you he will.