What You and I Really Need Today (new blog post)

This is my prayer for myself, and for you, today:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth.
The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure, and all of them are righteous.
 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. 

                                                                                                                - Psalm 19

He Is Simply Not Afraid. That's Pretty Cool.

It's a new year, and I've been challenged through the actions of a friend of mine in my small group to read through the Bible in a year.  I haven't done it in a while, and I feel like it's about time.  So, I went to YouVersion and poked around.  I love their stuff.  They have chronological schedule that you read through the Bible in the order that we think it happened.  (The Bible is not in chronological order, if you didn't know).  So, I've been cruising through Genesis the first couple of days, and went Adam through Noah to the Tower of Babel.  Now I've hit Job.  Again, it's been awhile since I've spent time in Job.  It's good stuff (like any part of the Bible isn't, but anyway).

I've been reading the first few chapters of Job the last couple of days, and am fascinated by a couple of things.  It's God who points Job out to Satan.  Why?  I mean, He knows it will tick Satan off.  Is that they point?  "Hey Lucifer, you used to be a big time angel for me, but you blew it.  While you are out cruising around the earth aimlessly, have you noticed Job?  He's faithful and he loves me.  He's pretty impressive."  It's cool that God loves Job and is proud of him, but He pokes at Satan with Job.  Of course Satan's gonna get ticked.  God is setting Job up for failure and pain.  What do we expect the Prince of Darkness to do after getting his face shoved in it?

Then a very simple thing settled in with me.  God isn't afraid of Satan.  At all.  Not the least little bit.  I KNOW this in my knowledge, but the experience of it hadn't really settled in before.  He can poke Satan all He wants, because Satan is a 0% threat to Him.  None.  Nada.

I respect Satan's power to make life tough.  I know on my own, Satan is way more powerful than I am.  But he is a nothing in God's arena.  God can take Him down with just the word, or the thought.  And judging from how Satan responds, he knows that too.  God is not afraid of Satan.

And God promises to live in me.  Protect me.  Be my strength and hope.  And He is not afraid. 

So neither am I.

A Tale of Two Kings

John the Baptist is beheaded. Jesus feeds the five thousand. Why are these stories back to back in Matthew 14?

You've got Herod, ruler by force, living in fear. He makes a rash promise in a setting he should never be in to a girl he shouldn't be around. His power and authority have went to his head, and so John loses his. Herod is a hated king who has everything he could want, and is completely unhappy and afraid. He's so paranoid that He claims Jesus is John reincarnated, even though Jesus and John were the same age. His power corrupts.

You've got Jesus, ruler by God's decree, living in compassion. He sees people hurting, and in the midst of His own pain, He serves them and heals them. His disciples show care for the people, and Jesus gives out of His own heart, allows God to use Him, and feeds them all more than they can eat. Jesus is a misunderstood king who gave up everything, to come serve in love and courage. He knows Who He is and Whose He is. His power transforms.

You and I are offered a taste of both powers. We have money, people, and toys that can try to satisfy any desire we have. We can create kingdoms around us that rival Herod's, and we live with so many resources that each of us can truly create our own kingdom. (You don't think you are better off than a king in Biblical times? Did he have air conditioning, running water, a refrigerator, Internet, or a microwave? He would have paid royally for any one of those items. We are living in our own personal kingdoms today.) But if we live for this power, build these kingdoms, we end up in the same place as Herod; delusional, paranoid, and unhappy.

We can also choose the other Kingdom, the other Power. Christ still offers the same compassion and love to us that He offered them. Now, He gets to be King, not us. But the rewards are amazing. We are loved, cared for, healed, and fed.

Which Kingdom will you live in today? It's a daily choice.

Tie Him Up Before He Says His Name Again!

John 18:12-14 is such a small section of the story, and yet it contains some interesting points to it. Jesus at this point has knocked the men down just by saying the name of God, He has healed the ear of the man who had it knocked off, and has said He will not fight with a sword. Yet notice that the first thing the soldiers do is tie Jesus up. All they know is force. They didn't have to do this. He was willing to go with them, yet they tied Him up. He had just healed one of their own, and they see Him as a threat.

Then He is taken to Caiaphas, the high priest. This is a man who spent years studying the Bible to understand God. He had lived a life beyond reproach, worked hard to know and follow God. Yet when God spoke to Him face to face, Caiaphas saw Him as a threat. He wanted Jesus killed.

I do the same thing. I get a dream or a plan going, and Jesus doesn't want anything to do with it. Whatever I have planned for my life, Jesus declares it to be destructive, anti-God, and wants to freely come and heal it. But I resist, and want to tie God up and do away with Him, at least temporarily. I'll bring Him back out later and set Him free once I've done whatever it is that I am hell bent on doing. I am the biggest fool of the three between me, Caiaphas, and the soldiers.

You see, I know Jesus. He is the savior, the healer. He has proven a thousand times to me that His way is best and that He wants my very best for me. He is not selfish, mean, or petty. Yet I want to tie Him up and do away with Him at times. When I'm weak, tired, and selfish. When I'm afraid, worried, and unsure. Then I want to be god with the smallest "g" possible.

Lord, I really am sorry. Help me to be the one who surrenders at all times, not just when it's convenient. Help me to follow, and not try to use you when it works best for me. You are God, I am not. Period. And I like it that way.

Knocked Down, But Not Out

With Jesus' time of prayer behind him, we see Him move towards His arrest and ulitmately His crucifixion in John 18. A couple of things stick out to me in this story. One, Jesus is in control of His own schedule. They don't grab Him while He is praying. He gets up, walks across the valley, and then when they come, He walks out to meet them. He is in charge from the get go. It's not something that catches Him off guard, or that He resists. He marches directly into the storm. Wow.

Secondly, notice in verse 6 what happens. Jesus asks who they are after, knowing it is Him. It's dark, and they only have torches. They say they are after Jesus of Nazareth. He answers "I am he." When He says this, they fall to the ground. Why? "I am He" is the name in Hebrew for God. In Exodus, it's the name God gives to Moses to tell the people Who sent him. It's the name the Jews held as holy, and wouldn't speak or write on their own. It's the name of God alone. When Jesus, being God, says this phrase which is one of the names of God, it explodes with the Holiness of God. This Holiness knocks the soldiers back and down.

How could they even arrest Him after this? Its an excellent example of how we get so far down our own paths that we ignore God and do the wrong things in the face of His Holiness. I do it from time to time, and have to get knocked on my rear hard to wake up. Its no wonder they missed it.

What about you? Do we really believe God is in control of the storms around us? Will we march into them with Him? Is there something that you are holding onto so tightly that you ignore His overwhelming power and holiness because of it?

So, Who's It Gonna Be?

John 11:45-57 is one of the saddest passages I know of. Jesus raises a man from the dead, with witnesses. It is proof that He is who He claims. Some people believe Him. Some. Only some. Miracles can not convince everyone. It's not a lack of proof, it's a lack of humility and willingness to admit that we are wrong. Some did. Some didn't.

Instead, some ran to the Pharisee's and told on Jesus. It gives me that feeling I get around little kids who are just tattle tales, who enjoy getting messes stirred up. That's the vibe I feel here. The Pharisee's don't care that Lazarus is raised, that God's power is at work. They are more afraid of the Romans than God. It's understandable. But they have placed Jehovah under the rule of the Caesars. They have bought the propaganda. They believe Rome's claims to be more powerful than anyone or anything. God may be staring them in the face in power, but let's not forget about Rome. The solution, keep Rome happy and kill off God.

This honestly strikes fear in my heart. The audacity, the sheer blindness to cower under the power of a system and push God out in order to appease it. It's terrifying to consider the consequences of a life lived like this. It's a life of fear, no peace, uncertainty, and pain. It's destructive to the very core of the soul.

And I do it. I allow the influence of money, acceptance, power, and selfishness cripple me. I push God out and make room for them. Why? They are unforgiving. If I don't fold under their pressure, they will leave me. I'll miss out. But God, He's always there. I can abuse Him easier than I can abuse these false lovers I have around me. What a terrifying, destructive lifestyle!

The more time I'm spending with the Jesus in John, the more I realize how out of sync with Him I can be. Please forgive me Lord. Change me. Make me new. I don't want to fall under the power of these forces. I want to stand with You.