Archive for the ‘God’ Category
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
It has never been easy to live in a covenant relationship with God. No matter what period of time we live in, we want to be like the world. God led Israel out of Egypt and saved them, protected them, and loved them. Israel looks around at other countries and decides they need a king. Forget the fact that they had the Almighty as their king. Things haven’t changed much in thousands of years because we in America are not much different. We need a government (“our precious”) to take care of us. There are those that stand up and talk of a worship alternative, governmental alternatives, lifestyle alternatives. We all want an alternative lifestyle. We want change (“our precious, we must have our precious!”). We don’t want to recognize God’s sovereignty, which did not require hierarchical forms of leadership in the human community or in His spiritual church. But the lure of conformity is seductive, and the pressures toward cultural accommodation are great. Is this our “precious?” “Appoint for us a king…like other nations” (1 Samuel 8:5). The people said to Samuel, in effect, “We don’t want to be different anymore. We want to be like everyone else (“our precious”). The pressures of alternative living are too great.” One of the issues raised by this episode for the community of faith in every generation is the lure and the danger of cultural accommodation (“our precious”). Isn’t this just a big slap on the face of God? Samuel raised his rejections to having a king and God settled him down and reminded him that the people were rejecting God and not Samuel (1 Samuel 8:7). Samuel tells the people what the consequences are of rejecting God as king and getting a man to become their leader (Read 1 Samuel 8:10-18). It’s funny that these are some of the same complaints we hear today about our government.
I get a kick out of us today. We think we are so much greater than the ancients. We think we are more sophisticated. We think we have evolved but we haven’t. We still make the same mistakes and most of all we reject our God and are surprised that He gets angry at us. We want our “precious”!
Questions: When does trust in human power become a rejection of divine power? To what degree have we let our trust in human authority overshadow our trust in God? Have we become like Gollum/Smeagol searching for “our precious”?
Tags: "My Precious", accomodation, Authority, Gollum, King, Leadership, Lord of the Rings, power and authority, Smeagol
Posted in 1 Samuel, Anger, God | 1 Comment »
Sunday, April 25th, 2010
My dear Mother instilled in us something that stayed with me to this day. She would always say to me and my sisters – “To whom much is given…” anytime we objected to pretty much anything. For years I either a.) didn’t understand it or, b.) chose not to understand it. How in the world could a family of very modest means ever be able to say, “To whom much is given…”? When I looked around my house back then, it sure didn’t make sense.
Turn with me to Luke 12:42-48 and read along. Jesus is making some very pointed comments and he wasn’t mincing words. I know that you are all smart enough to know what he is talking about. But for me, as a kid, I only understood this in terms of monetary value. I knew we lived in a modest home. I knew that our cars were always a liability. I knew that Christmas meant to just be thankful for what we had. I knew that picking up beer cans along country back roads and selling them for cash wasn’t just for recreation.
However, as I look back on my childhood, Momma was right. We had been given so much. We were expected to do something with it.
- We had two loving parents that did all they could for us. Now I understand how fortunate I was to have that. I realize how many children have no one to call Momma and Daddy. I cannot and will not ever turn away from needy children.
- My sisters and I were blessed with no shortage of physical and mental talents. All three of my sisters are incredibly intelligent, savvy, loving, considerate, athletic, beautiful and Godly women. I am ugly but strong. So thankful for football scholarships!
- My parents made our home a Christian home. The greatest blessing my parents would ever bring to our home. I have never known what it was like to not have God in my life.
That is just a very short list of reasons I now know to be why my Mother would say, “To whom much is given…” It had absolutely nothing to do with money. It had everything to do with my spirit, my mind and my body. I am expected to give all of them to the Lord and use them to glorify Him.
God bless you and keep you this week and beyond…
Tags: "To whom much is given", Spirit
Posted in faith, Family, God, Luke | 1 Comment »
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
I have been at a lot of funerals in my life and one of the most saddening things is to see relationships torn down by covetousness. Family members fighting over treasures or inheritances. Someone in a crowd yelled out and told Jesus to tell his brother to divide their inheritance. Instead, Jesus tells the parable of the rich fool to show us the foolishness of building our lives on the treasures of this world over the treasures of the Kingdom of God (Luke 12:13-21).
As I look around at our world (including me), I see a preoccupation with possessions but the parable exposes the emptiness of such a materialistic life-style. We long for security in self-sufficiency and the parable reveals a man who thinks he can do it all himself but he has forgotten about one thing, God. Everyone is grabbing for more and more. This greed is the moral antithesis of generosity. The thought of what we might be able to do for those in need never enters our minds. Greed has already eaten away any compassion we may once have had. Hedonism is a more accurate description of our society than any other word. Our every waking moment is filled by imagining how we might maximize our own pleasure, leisure, recreation, freedom from the demands of work, and/or retirement. I wonder if we are really planning for retirement. I hear of many who retire and die. What good did it do? The rich fool may protest that he has always believed in God, but when it comes to managing his life, dealing with possessions and planning for the future, he lives as though there were no God. This is called “practical atheism.” Jesus is probing our basic commitments. What difference should our faith in God make in the practical matters of life? How do we live? Do we live like there is a God or not? Are we the rich fool?
Tags: Greed, Hedonism, Parable, possessions, Practical Atheism, Retirement, Riches, Self-sufficiency
Posted in Discipleship, God | 1 Comment »
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
Samson states, “As they did to me, so have I done to them” (Judges 15:11). He makes this statement because he goes home to be with his wife and finds that his father-in-law has given her away to another man (Judges 15:1-2). Samson’s anger defeats the Philistines. A similar statement was used by the Canaanite king Adoni-bezek who was known for cutting the thumbs and big toes off of his enemies to keep them from ever fighting again (Judges 1:7). We see within Samson a polarity between love for women who in the end betray him and yet he goes to their aide in an attempt to avenge them or save them. What is even more interesting is that maybe Samson is experiencing what God has had to go through. All throughout Judges, we have seen the cycle of sin by Israel. Israel does evil, and God sends an enemy in punishment. Israel cries out in distress, and God sends a deliverer to save them. As Israel’s sin and disloyalty have increased over the course of the judges era, however, God’s love and generosity have been strained to a near breaking point. On one hand, God proclaims to Israel, “I will never break my covenant with you” (Judges 2:1). On the other hand, God threatens to end the relationship and let Israel receive its just punishment: “Yet you have forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more” (Judges 10:13). Is this not the story of the Bible that man has sinned against God and God still wants a relationship with us. In order to regain our relationship with God, we need a savior. God saves us again by the blood of Christ that atones and restores our relationship with God. I am thankful that God has not ended our relationship with Him and that in Christ we have not received our just punishment.
Tags: Cycle of Sin, Relationship, Samson
Posted in Anger, God, Judges, Salvation | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
Oops!
… I did it again.
I played with your heart.
Got lost in the game.
Oh, baby; baby.
Oops!
… You think I’m in love.
That I’m sent from above…
I’m not that innocent.
I was reading the story of Israel’s continued disobedience in Judges 10:6-18 and the immortal words of Brittany Spears popped into my head, “Oops!… I did it again.” I didn’t know the words, just the title, so I googled the song and found the lyrics and a theological parallel to our text. I think we are a lot like Brittany, we are not that innocent. We play with God’s heart. He loves us, He cherishes us, that much is clear as we look at the cross. We like to look at God’s Word from our point of view. What we can and cannot do. If we don’t like one of the commands, we just justify it away and change it to fit our needs. In Judges 10:6, we see that oops! … The Israelites did it again. They did evil in the sight of the Lord. In Judges 10:7, we see that God’s anger was kindled against them. People claim a text like this shows God’s wrath and meanness. I see His grace. God is angry because we have damaged our relationship with Him. Think about it from God’s point of view. His anger rises from our disobedience. How many times would you women folk listen to your man say, “Oops!… I did it again,” I cheated on you honey? I am sure all of you women will say thats Ok, I love you and there is no problem (just to be clear, I am being sarcastic). There is a problem! Our disobedience to God deserves an angry response. God is Holy and our cheating on Him is not acceptable because it breaks our relationship with Him. It was not acceptable for Israel, nor, for us. Brittany is right, we are not that innocent. At least, I know I am not. I see the grace and innocence of God that He sends His innocent Son to die for us!
By the way, I can’t believe I made a theological argument using Brittany Spears.
Tags: Brittany Spears, Cheating, Disobedience, Grace, Oops!...I did it again.
Posted in Anger, Forgiveness, God, Grace, Holy, Judges | 1 Comment »
Friday, April 16th, 2010
Everyday, I receive some kind of junk mail, phone call, or hear some television ad. I get invited to some seminar that promises a great hilltop experience with Christ. If I will only pay some small amount then I can experience the full glory of Jesus and a whole bunch of other hogwash. I wonder what it was like when Peter, James, and John experienced the transfiguration of Jesus in Luke 9:28-36? I wonder if they received some phone call from a giggly girl that swoons after a Jesus experience like a groupie follows a rock star. Of course there’s the tent toting he-man that likes the rugged experience in the mountains and promises an environmental green pow wow with our Lord and even a tote or two on some environmental green leaf that might heighten your experience. Just don’t forget the munchies because it is a long way down off the mountain and you might get hungry. My favorite is the is the psychic philosopher that comes in contact with the divine and charges to reveal the cosmic experience and has a set of two DVDs for only $29.99 and if you order now, you can receive a second set for free. But you do have to pay the shipping charges for both sets.
Well, I read the text today and Peter, James, and John did have a great experience in seeing the glory of Christ. Moses and Elijah appear and talk to Jesus about his coming departure from Jerusalem (Death on the cross?). The three disciples wake up and Peter wants to build three kiosks. Nope, Peter just did not get it. It is not about the experience, it is not about any other man, it is not about the disciples. A voice from heaven is heard and God says that Jesus is His Son and that Jesus is the One chosen. So, listen to Jesus and not anyone else. The point is that Jesus is the One. You want to see Jesus’ glory? You want a mountaintop experience? Go to the cross and see His death by crucifixion, His burial, and His resurrection. You want to see His glory, then recognize and listen to the One who sits at the right hand of God. Forget the junk mail, phone calls, or television ads, pick up the Bible and listen to Jesus. Jesus leaves the mountain and does He ask for a vacation day from the long trip? No! Jesus continues His ministry and trip to Jerusalem to save you and me.
Tags: Cross, environmental, glory, hilltop experiences, Junk Mail, Resurrection, seminars, Television ads, transfiguration
Posted in Cross, God, Jesus, Luke, Salvation | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
As I read our text for today from Joshua 23:1-16, I thought this might be the text I would liked used for my funeral. This is sometimes called “The last sermon of the dying hero and leader.” It is a literary form used to preach to an audience. Covenant theology is an important theme in these texts. In the context of Joshua’s day, the message is a warning. Rest is not the final word for life in the promised land. Temptation is still present and can easily overpower the people if they are not careful. Blessing can last only as long as total faithfulness to Yahweh continues. When Israel begins to experiment with other gods, trying to be like the nations and worship every god possible, trouble is imminent. They could lose the promised land. They could end up wandering around searching for a home. They could experience destruction, death, and disintegration of their identity as the people of God.
The sad thing is that this is exactly what happened. Israel was lured in by her culture. The temptation to be like others resulted in a divided monarchy, a loss of the land, a loss of their worship system, and judgment by God. During the exile, Israel must have wondered if their God has fought and lost? If so, maybe they need another god, one who can fight and win with modern weaponry and in modern political reality? The answer to this question is that it is the wrong question to ask. The answer is not in political power in the short term. The answer is the longer historical perspective. God proved his power to conquer long ago. The exile only proves God’s power to be self-consistent as he fulfilled His word even when it had negative consequences. The real issue is whether Israel has learned the lesson of history.
I wonder if we have learned from our history. The amazing thing is that we seem to be experiencing the same historical difficulties. Have we let the false gods of our world intermingle among us to the point that the church is now a pluralistic entity? Are we ready to face our own disloyalty, our own faithlessness, are we ready to repent, are we ready to recommit to our God and trust in Him through thick and thin? I wonder as a Christian that mourns our loss of values, morals, and identity if God is not trying to provide us with the grace of a warning to return to Him? God has proved his power to conquer long ago. Our exile only proves God’s power to be self-consistent as He continues to fulfill His word even when it may have negative consequences. The real issue is whether we have learned the lesson of history.
Tags: Covenant, Culture, Exile, History, Last Sermon, Pluralism
Posted in Deuteronomy, God, God's Word, Joshua, Obedience, Rest, Worship | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
How many times was I at my wits end because my mom’s mental illness caused us to move? Whenever I think of my mom, I have great memories but I also remember the tough times. I remember a young teen trying to find a place in the world and was selected on the first string of our high school football team. I practiced in the hot summer sun and we were about to begin our season and play my first game when I arrived home to find out mom was sick and we were going to move again.
In the ancient world, demon possession was often related to mental illness. Jesus’ story had a great impact upon the lives of those who had a mental illness or a demonic spirit. Jesus shows care and compassion for a man of the Decapolis (Luke 8:26-39). More importantly, we see God continues to have reign over legions of demons, spirits, nymphs, centaurs, and angels. Throughout the centuries since Jesus’ ministry, our world has continued to be inundated by our battles with depression, anxiety, psychotic disorders, fear, compulsive disorders, etc. Our identities are replaced with diagnostic titles and a fear to even tell others of our plights for fear of misunderstanding. These people throughout history are driven “into the desert” (Luke 8:29), chained, locked up in padded cells, put in straitjackets, given electric shock, and a host of psychotropic and other medications.
It is obvious that we do not have the cure but Jesus provides the ultimate answer. Jesus cares! Jesus healed a few but he provided the opportunity for all to be saved. As my mom lay on her death bed a couple of years ago, she looked up at me and spoke of Jesus. It was one of those moments in my relationship with her that hallucinations and delusions were replaced by clarity and she knew where salvation came from. Her death left sadness and grief in my heart but also an inexpressible joy as I realized she was now at the foot of Jesus, dressed and in her right mind (Luke 8:35). I say dressed because right before she died, she asked for her clothes, and got dressed to go and meet her Lord. So, I take up the call and I want all of you to know the great things God has done (Luke 8:39). As a matter of fact, my mom’s mental illness was one of the reasons that I came to know my Lord. God has done great things for me with my experiences with my mom.
Tags: Anxiety Disorders, Demon Possession, Depression, Jesus cares, Mental Illness, Schizophrenia
Posted in God, Jesus, Luke, Salvation | 2 Comments »
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
John the Baptist has never been one of those biblical figures that attracts many people. He was popular in his day and many people wondered if he was the coming Messiah (Luke 3:15). He ate locusts and had what we might call an eccentric wardrobe. If anyone needs to go on the television show “What Not To Wear,” it has to be John. John uses phrases like you “brood of vipers” and a “fruit of repentance.” I don’t know but this is not a man that knows how to win friends and influence people, at least not in our culture. It is a shame too, because, John has something to say. John’s preaching contains three important messages. First, he provides a prophetic warning against the coming judgment (JUDGMENT). Second, he calls people to practice justice and compassion in our dealings with others (JUSTICE). Third, he focuses on the real Messiah that is coming (JESUS).
I think churches have been taught to become all things to all people and many have lost their identity. Are we really supposed to become a fashionable identity that bows to the god of political correctness and popularity? Or, are we supposed to be the embassy guard that protects our beliefs so rigidly that we forget about souls? This has been the great debate for years. I wonder if we ought not to heed John’s message of JUDGMENT (Luke 3:7-9), JUSTICE (Luke 3:10-14), and JESUS (Luke 3:15-18). I would really like to know what people think! I have heard the good news that is out there and I am sorry but there needs to be some biblical good news. Thanks, John, for reminding us that God is a God of judgment and that Jesus will separate the good from the bad (Luke 3:17). God is a God of justice and it is important how we treat each other. God is a God of grace, He sends us Jesus to come and save the world and He sends us the church to preach judgment, justice, and Jesus.
Tags: Jesus, John the Baptist, judgment, Justice
Posted in God, Jesus, Judging, Luke | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
Joseph and Mary went about fulfilling the requirements of Jewish law. They had Jesus circumcised and named (Luke 2:21); Mary was purified (Luke 2:22); they took Jesus to Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord and offered a sacrifice (Luke 2:22-23); and they received God’s blessing at the temple (Luke 2:27-32). These rituals of commitment to God’s law appear to be a blessing for this young family. It is not the place of Jesus’ birth that seems to be important. It is not the wealth or status of the family that presents the King of Kings. Instead, there was just this ordinary couple going about doing the things of God. Here in this story of Jesus being presented at the temple is a nugget of the Gospel story. In Luke 2:34-35, we find that Jesus will be a sign. A sign of what? Later in Luke 11:29-30, we find that just as the sign of Jonah was judgment against Nineveh, the sign of Jesus will bring judgment to this generation. In Matthew 12:39-41, the sign is Jonah in the belly of the big fish for three days. As Jonah was spit out or vomited up, death will not hold Jesus and He will rise. I wonder what would happen if we were content to live our lives according to God’s Word? Would we find blessings along the way in the people we meet? Would we find the Gospel story of grace and judgment?
I was out in the yard working this past week. Clearing the old dead limbs out of tress. Some just hung there rotting away. I notice new limbs sprouting with new life. In this ordinary act of everyday work, I began to see grace and judgment. There was judgment as I cut the old limbs and threw them off in a burn pile. They had long been separated from the real live branch. I saw grace in the new life beginning to grow as spring approaches. I was left wondering which one was I?
Tags: Grace, Jesus, Jewish Law, Jonah, judgment, Yard Work
Posted in Discipleship, God, God's Word, Jesus, Luke | 1 Comment »