Declaring War

When it comes to Jesus, there is little that irks me more than the idea of a tame, nice Jesus. It may surprise some to know this, but the authors of the Gospels hardly saw Jesus as tame. In fact, much of what He did, and how they portrayed what He did, would have come across as a declaration of war against Satan and the powers of the world he controlled.

Kingdoms are at war with whatever threatens their sovereignty. Satan, from the very beginning, waged war against God. His lone victory was in getting humanity of this world to give over control to him. This world being God's creation, it was a threat to the Kingdom.

Matthew 8, when you read it with this in mind, takes on different meanings than we might otherwise apply.

From Verses 1-4...

"Then a leper appeared and went to his knees before Jesus, praying, 'Master, if you want to, you can heal my body.'

"Jesus reached out and touched him, saying, 'I want to. Be clean...'"

From Verses 10-12

"'I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust in all of Israel... This man is the vanguard of many outsiders who will soon be coming from all directions... Then those who "grew up in the faith" but had no faith will find themselves out in the cold, outsiders to grace...'"

Verse 22: "'Your business is life, not death. Follow me. Pursue life.'"

Verse 26: "'Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?'"

Verse 27: "'Wind and sea come to heel at his command!'"

Verses 28-34 spell this out. Jesus and His disciples had been through an amazing night. Jesus calmed wind and waves at a single command before they came to shore at a region called "Gadarenes" (Garasenes). The very word, in Greek, meant "Those who come from pilgrimage or fight." They were in Gentile territory, a culturally Greek place likely filled with Hellenistic Jews. They worshipped the Greek and Roman gods, such as Zeus and Jupiter, at their temples. In their worship, it was expected that pigs would be used in sacrifices.

This was about as anti-God a place as it comes. It should not surprise us that demons inhabited people here. Satan was in full control, toying with these people and their superstitions.

Why would Jesus land here? May I suggest that this was bringing the fight to the enemy? 

The word itself... to come from a fight... is interesting. Satan fought for control of this world and won when Adam and Eve sinned. Jesus came to take control away, and went to the very places Satan was most in control.

He defeated sickness. He defeated unbelief. He defeated death. He defeated Satan and his use of the very forces of nature.

And in this land of idol worship and sacrifice, He sent the demons into the objects of the sacrifice and over the cliff. A full frontal assault on the enemy of souls.

The Gospel teaches us that Jesus wins. He restores us from the fall. He went to war for us!

May your day be full of confidence and simple trust in Jesus. May you fight with the winning and bold warrior today!

Remember Who We Are

On my list of Scriptures to read when I am looking for hope, for good reading, for a dose of "umph" in my day... Genesis 10 is not on there. It is not easy beach-reading. It does make for good material when you're trying to get to sleep perhaps. So, when I sat down to read today and saw that this was going to be my reading, I sighed and read through the chapter, highlighting some of the following texts...

This is the family tree of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth...

"The sons of Japheth... the sons of Javan... the seafaring peoples developed from these, each in its own place by family, each with its own language. (Seriously, that's about the most interesting thing about them)." - From Verses 1-5.

Interestingly, Moses' pattern in many of his writings is to get the "lesser information" out of the way first, so it is not surprising that little is said of them since Moses's own people of his day didn't have much in the way of encounters with any of Japheth's sons.

So, on to Ham.

"The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put, Canaan" (verse 6). So there are some fairly familiar names... names that the Children of Israel would've been a lot more concerned about.

"Cush also had Nimrod. He was the first great warrior on Earth. He was a great hunter before GOD. There was a saying, "Like Nimrod, a great hunter before GOD." His kingdom got its start with Babel, then Erech, Akkad, and Calneh in the country of Shinar. From there he went up to Asshur and built Nineveh..." (From verses 8-12).

There are some that think Moses was complimentary of Nimrod. I don't think so. He also wrote about the men of renown before the flood, giants known for great evil, setting themselves up as superior, giants of arrogance. If you just go further into Scripture, Nimrod's towns don't have a good reputation. Nineveh was later going to be destroyed if Jonah didn't preach. Babel--Babylon--would be a town throughout Scripture that was used to illustrate nations, systems, or governments that set themselves up as their own god, in defiance of the true God, or not in need of God. Babel--I'm getting ahead of myself, but--Babel would build itself up to reach the heavens on its own, a tribute to its own greatness. Babylon--Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel 4, would strut around bragging about "this great Babylon that I have built..." The whore of Revelation that goes by that name sets itself up in opposition to God and His people.

That's a lot of words to say that, in my opinion, Moses thought of Nimrod as an arrogant oppressor... like in the last century of our time saying, almost tongue-in-cheek, "That great leader, Stalin."

Going on... "Egypt was the ancestor to the Ludim, the Anamim, the Lehabim, the Naphtuhim, the Pathrusim, the casluhim (the origin of the Philistines), and the Kaphtorim" (verses 13-14).

"Canaan had Sidon his firstborn, Heth, the Jebusites" (the origins of Jerusalem come from them)" the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites... Later the Canaanites spread out, going from Sidon toward Gerar, as far south as Gaza, and then east all the way over to Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and on to Lasha" (from verses 15-19).

So, as we read of the sons of Ham, we see a lot of nations there that would become infamous as enemies to the Children of Israel, people in direct opposition to Yahweh.

Moses writes that "Shem... was ancestor to all the children of Eber." It is commonly thought that it is from "Eber" where the name "Hebrew" may have come. We read of Peleg, so named because the human race was divided in his day (spoiler alert for Genesis 11). I've heard some suggest that "Jobab" may have been Job. (Verses 21-31).

Finally, he finishes with "This is the family tree of the sons of Noah as they developed into nations. From them nations developed all across the Earth after the flood" (verse 32).

As much of a struggle it was to concentrate on Genesis 10 without the temptation to fill in the blanks, here are a few of my thoughts on this mostly-read-quickly chapter that is, nonetheless, part of God's Word.

1. People are quick to forget God. Nimrod was Noah's great-grandson who established cities known throughout the history of Scripture as being in direct opposition to the purposes of God. One has to wonder if his attitude--and that of his related clans--was one of resentment for the curse handed down to their father, Ham, in Genesis 9:24-27. But really, how different are we? We don't have to be directly fighting God to forget Him. Blissfully going about our lives as if He isn't there is not too far removed from being in opposition.
• The Gospel teaches us that Jesus Christ was the very image of the Father. He told Philip, in John 14:9, "... anyone who has seen me has seen the Father..." The Bible teaches us that humanity is made in God's image, so every human being we look at is an opportunity to remember God, and remember that Jesus Christ came to save every person (every child of God/Adam/Noah) and restore the image of God in them.
2. People are quick to forget their common ancestry. We all share fathers. 1st God, 2nd Adam, 3rd Noah. We owe our existence, regardless of our culture of origin, to God's action through Noah to protect humanity, made in His image. When Moses wrote Genesis 10, it could be that he was pointing out that their "enemies" were also their "brothers."
• The Gospel teaches us that Jesus Christ was an even "better Noah." He came to a world not dissimilar to the pre-flood world. He came to rescue people who would be rescued from the flood of sin we are surrounded by. He came to rescue everyone... not just people who look like us, or speak like us. We owe our eternal existence to God's action in Jesus Christ.
3. Moses was concerned with Israel's identity... and such is our concern. He pointed out their ancestry. He pointed out how their ancestry was different than that of their oppressors and opponents.
• Our first identity, as followers of Jesus, is "Followers of Jesus." He is our identity. He is our nation. We are a "chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9). Regardless of your origin with Shem, Ham, or Japheth, Jesus came for you! He came and won the victory at the cross, giving Him the right to restore His identity and image in us!

Remember who you are today. Accept the gift of Jesus' death on the cross, and accept the greatest ancestor we could ever have. In Jesus, even Genesis 10 comes to life!

Value-full Living

1 Kings 9. God, to King Solomon, upon the completion of the Temple.

"I've sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always. As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David lived, pure in heart and action, living the life I've set out for you, attentively obedient to my guidance and judgments, then I'll back your kingly rule over Israel, make it a sure thing on a solid foundation. The same guarantee I gave David your father I'm giving you: 'You can count on always having a descendant on Israel's throne.'

But if you or your sons betray me, ignoring my guidance and judgments, taking up with alien gods by serving and worshiping them, then the guarantee is off: I'll wipe Israel right off the map and repudiate this Temple I've just sanctified to honor my Name.'" (Selections from verses 3-9, The Message).

Then, when predicting what would happen when people came across the ruins of the Temple and of Jerusalem and inquired of what happened: "'The people who used to live here betrayed their GOD, the very God who rescued their ancestors from Egypt; they took up with alien gods, worshipping an serving them..."

It's clear that faithfulness to the One who rescued them and was faithful to them was key. The end of Chapter 9 seems to wrap up Solomon's response to this.

"Everything that had to do with The Temple he did generously and well; he didn't skimp."

Wow! Sounds great! Except sometimes what seems to be true covers up a dark side.

"At the end of twenty years, having built the two buildings, The Temple of God and his personal palace, Solomon rewarded Hiram king of Tyre with a gift of twenty villages in the district of Galilee. Hiram had provided him with all the cedar and cypress and gold that he had wanted. But when Hiram left Tyre to look over the villages that Solomon had given him, he didn't like what he saw. He said, What kind of reward is this, my friend? Twenty backwoods hick towns!" People still refer to them that way. This is all Hiram got from Solomon in exchange for four and a half tons of gold!" (verses 10-14)

At the very end of 1 Kings 9, we are told that Hiram helped Solomon get another sixteen tons of gold. With Hiram's help, Solomon amassed over 20 tons of gold! If "Finance Guru Google" is correct, that would be valued today at almost $1.3 trillion (rounded up), and that isn't counting the cedar and cypress wood. Twenty low-value towns could not approach an expression of gratitude for what had been done. The amount spent, and the amount Solomon saved, far exceeded the value of his gratitude.

It is remarkable to me that this part of the story winds up in the middle of all this. I feel it is important that this was recorded. Solomon clearly valued service to God, and gifts in His honor. Yet if we are to believe the values of God as reflected in His Law... love for God, love for people... it seems as if Solomon's lack of value to people undercut something in his life. Maybe this is why one can have a mentality that you can make an agreement with someone in exchange for a wife, something he would become known for. Somehow, what he saw and wanted, even what he saw as honoring God, clouded his view of people.

As I consider the Gospel, I cannot possibly value such a gift. Christ has redeemed us, a gift more valuable than we can ever repay or show adequate gratitude for.  How we live--toward Him and toward other people for whom Christ died, reveals how we value His gifts to us.

It is always right to honor and show gratitude for everything God has done. But if you believe in what He has done, and that what He has done flows out of Who He is, never forget that He is love, and that He loves people. Honor Him, and honor people. Show your gratitude for God's goodness in how you treat others. This will reveal a lot about you and how much you really love Him.

Jesus, you gave your life or me. You gave me freedom to live in gratitude and in generosity to You and Your cause, and to those You love--hand in hand! May I value You and the people you put in my life in my thoughts

The Gospel in David

Recently, I finished preaching a series on "The Gospel." My desire is that our community of faith begins to become a "Gospel Fluent" church, meaning that the truths of Jesus become our first language.

One of the major points had to do with speaking the truths of Jesus into each others' lives when we feel distressed and begin to identify ourselves with our distress. When we say, "I am afraid... I am worried... I am anxious..." in some way we are expressing a belief that Satan himself places in us that is contrary to the Gospel.

In times like this, we have an opportunity to speak the Gospel to each other. When we do so, we can ask three questions: (1) Who am I? (2) What has God done? (3) Who is God? Or, if we are helping someone see the truths of Jesus in their lives, we ask: (1) Who are you saying you are based on this? (2) What do you believe God has done? (3) Who do you believe God is?

This becomes a "confession of sin." Sin is not just about behavior. It is about belief.

To illustrate, consider the words of David in Psalm 6, from The Message.

"Treat me nice for a change; I'm so starved for affection. Can't you see I'm black and blue, beat up badly in bones and soul?" (Verse 2).

"I'm tired of this--so tired. My bed has been floating forty days and nights on the flood of my tears. My mattress is soaked, soggy with tears. The sockets of my eyes are black holes; nearly blind, I squint and grope."

Really, this follows the big three questions mentioned above. If we were to do this with David, perhaps this is how the conversation plays out. Keep in mind, this assumes David is part of our faith community, a fellow follower of Jesus. The following conversation would not have the same effect with an unbeliever.

1. David, based on what you are saying here, who do you believe yourself to be?
• Alone
• Mistreated
• Abandoned
2. Based on what you are saying here, what do you believe that God has done for you? Or failed to do?
• He has left me.
• He has abandoned me.
3. OK, so if this is true, what does it say about who, in this moment, you are believing God to be?
• Weak
• Uncaring
• Distracted

This is a confession of what Satan has convinced David to be true in a moment of distress. This gives a follower of God, a believer in the Gospel of Scripture, a chance to speak this Gospel into David's life. Even if we only use the Scriptures that existed before David's time (what he had access to), this works because the Gospel has existed from the beginning! It is the story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration.

So let's try this with David by speaking the truth to him and going backwards.

• David, God has told us otherwise. He has said, "I will never leave you nor abandon you" (Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:9). He says that He is the "merciful and gracious God" who shows "steadfast love" and forgives "iniquity, transgression, and sin." He had the power to create and to deliver an enslaved nation, your ancestors, while destroying their enslavers.
• Do you believe this?
• Who do you believe God to be, if this is true?
• Powerful.
• Merciful.
• Present
• Based on who God is, what has He done for you?
• Well, he delivered my people through me when I killed Goliath.
• He has forgiven my sins.
• He has been present in my life all along. How else could I explain being king?
• So, considering who God is, that you are made in HIs image, and what He has done for you, who are you, according to God?
• Loved
• Delivered
• Not alone
• Answered

This confession of sin (belief) has now turned into a confession of faith that results in David bearing the fruits of the spirit. He is free to love. He is free to experience joy and peace in God.

Anyone can do this, and it is even better to do this in community. Right now we are experiencing an unprecedented time when we cannot gather. But most of us still have a phone. Most of us have figured out how to meet online (Zoom, Factime, Skype, etc.). When you are feeling under distress, or when you are talking with someone under distress, how can you speak the truths of Jesus into each others' lives? Maybe you don't follow the outline above, but try something! Base whatever you do in the actual truths of Jesus, not something you think to be true (which means daily time in God's Word is critical!). But we have to do this--become Gospel fluent!--if we are to rightly represent Jesus to each other and to our neighbors.

May the Gospel make the difference for you today. May the Gospel become your first language!

Dependence

I sometimes wonder if David was manic, or bipolar. In the course of one Psalm, David can go from the despair of being attacked by evil-doers, to asking God to do what appears to be horrific things to them, to celebrating God's goodness. One thing I do know about David is that he truly held nothing back from God in his prayers, from his darkest moments and darkest wishes, to what seems to be his calls for wild and unfettered celebration.

I think so much of this comes from his deep relationship with, and dependence on, God. In reading through the Psalms, it seems to me that David seems to know things about God's character and attributes no one else has as open a window on. In Psalm 5, this becomes fairly evident. Just some samples from The Message.

"Listen, God, pay attention! Can you make sense of these ramblings, my groans and my cries? King-God, I need your help!" (verses 1-3)

"And here I am, Your invited guest--it's incredible! I enter Your house; here I am, prostrate in Your inner sanctum, waiting for directions to get me safely through enemy lines." (verses 7-8)

"But You'll welcome us with open arms when we run for cover to You. Let the party last all night! Stand guard over our celebration. You are famous, God, for welcoming God-seekers, for decking us out in delight." (verse 11-12)

David was clearly banking on God's attentiveness, invitation, safety, welcome, and celebration of him and his fellow God-seekers. He counted on what he knew about God.

What do you know about God? Do you believe in His attentiveness to you? Do you know of His invitation for you to be in His Presence? Do you ever stop to think that God loves you so much that He celebrates you just for seeking Him? In the context of the Great Controversy, where Satan accuses God of being distant and uncaring and inaccessible (among other things), how could God not celebrate this when His own people, weak and feeble as we may be, seek out God and believe He is Who He claims to be in the Bible?

I don't know about you, but it is pretty awesome to me that He would celebrate me like this! That He is attentive to me, even in my ramblings (and believe me, I ramble to Him... sometimes I look back on my pray five minutes later and wonder what I was even talking about!).

So, what do you know to be true of God? Is that something you contemplate? Is it reflected in your prayers?

May you find yourself falling in love with the God of the Bible. May you depend on what you know of Him, and may what you know of Him grow larger today and moving forward!

Simply You

I have to make a confession. I am an introvert. Big time. On a test I took several years ago, intended to reveal where you would be on the "introvert/extrovert" scale, I was almost pegged on the introverted side.

This surprised me at the time. As a pastor, I wondered if this would be my undoing. I mean, would my preferences for smaller circles of friends, having a conversation with one person at at time and giving that person my focus, my tendency to kind of be in the background at social gatherings, never feeling terribly comfortable being the gregarious type, really enjoying just being at home with my family and a good book, or out in nature with peace and quiet... doesn't seem like the typical pastor's personality. By the way, being an introvert doesn't make one a recluse. I can be outgoing and be an introvert. It's all about where you get your energy. I have to get away to recharge. Others need to be around people.

I must say that a chapter like Matthew 6 is a life-saver for me. Here are some highlights...

"Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so you don't make a performance out of it... don't call attention to yourself... When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it-quietly and unobtrusively... And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production... just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage... Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." (selections taken from The Message).

What I have discovered is that it is better to embrace who you are and be that person, regardless of your role. Who you are is far more important than a role. What you do flows out of who you are far more than the role "assigned" to you. So, if I am an introvert, operate as an introvert! I have learned to be OK with focusing on the one. Sometimes people have to wait a little longer, and that's OK. It isn't personal, it is simply my nature to finish one conversation. I think this may reveal why interruptions have always annoyed me so much (well, that and not getting used to interruptions--I don't have any siblings). The compulsion to finish with one causes irritation when it seems like I am being prevented from doing so. Knowing this, it becomes important to adjust accordingly. I cannot be offended by the interruptions, for who someone else is plays into how they operate differently. I have to challenge myself to make people not feel "left out."

But the good news in all of this is that, before God--as His child, as a husband and father, as a friend, as a pastor--I am free to be myself! I don't have to be someone else's definition of success or a role. I am responsible to Him! When my attention is on Him, I lose the anxiety to put on a front for people.

This is my example. What is yours? Are you a fellow introvert? (Introverts unite! In their own homes! By themselves!). Are you an extrovert? (I feel for you... having to, mostly, stay home over the last couple of months has probably been more difficult for you than for me). But, to the question... do you feel you can be yourself? Before God? Before others? No matter who you are, when you are engaged in worship, prayer, service, etc... Who is your audience?

Here's what I think God wants from any of us: For each of us to be our true selves. He wants to be your audience. He wants you to stay in the moment with him, unconcerned with the past or the future, and unconcerned with the flawed perceptions of others. He wants, simply, you!

He loves you! Not someone's ideal version of you, but you! He made you like you are, like no other. The best worship ever has nothing to do with liturgy or a specific spiritual practice. The best worship is you, being yourself, your attention on God, in the moment with the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Simply be you!