Yeah, Sure Man, God Told You to.... Uh, huh......

I do not know anything about suffering for God.  I don't.  I just don't.  I read through a book like Hosea, and I realize that I really have no clue about obedience leading to suffering.  If you've never read the book of Hosea, then 1) stop reading this and go read it.  Your time will be better spent.  2) If you're still reading this, then here is a brief synopsis.  Hosea is called as a prophet when he's a young, single guy.  God tells him to go marry a woman who is adulterous, someone known for sleeping around.  That doesn't do anything for your reputation, either as a man or as a prophet.  I'm sure lots of elbow nudging went on with his friends; "Yeah, we know why you married her.  God TOLD you to."  (Nudge, nudge).

Then, she cheats on him, and he has to buy her back.  Did you catch that; buy her back.  He had to swallow his pride and go buy her back.  Spend actual money to redeem this woman who ran off on him.  She ran off AFTER she and Hosea had three kids together.

All of this so that the nation of Judah could learn a lesson, which they didn't learn.

Hosea was one massive failure.  Married poorly, humiliated, and all for a cause that didn't work.

Surely he didn't hear God correctly.  God would never give advice like that.  Ever.

But He does.

The question is do we listen?  I think the crazy part of the story isn't God giving Hosea crazy commands.  The miracle part is Hosea listening, and then obeying.  Repeatedly.

I want to be like that.  Nuts for Jesus.
But I also don't want to be like that.  It's expensive.

Therein lies the battle inside of me.  It's easier not to listen than to listen and wrestle.

I have to do a better job of listening AND obeying.

At least if I ever want to be nuts like Hosea.  What about you?

When God Calls Us Names, It's Serious

As you read through Isaiah and 2 Kings, the story of Israel takes such a sad turn.  The entire nation, both in Israel and Judah, are carried off as slaves into Babylon.  Other people are brought in to live in their houses, and to work their land.  They lose everything.  Everything.  The temple of God is broken into and abandoned, the holy places are taken apart and dismantled.  The dream is over.


Why?


As we talked about earlier, they didn't show justice to the poor and outcast.  They ignored the other.


And they worshiped stuff that wasn't God.  They made idols, and worshiped them.


I know we don't have small little statues that we worship sitting on our mantles at home.  I also understand that as people who have been bought and redeemed by Jesus, we are in a different boat than they were, in some ways.  But seriously, what idols do we worship?  What are the things we go to when we are scared, angry, hurt, alone?  When life is tough, what do we run to for help?  If they are anything other than Jesus, they become our idols.  We worship those things.


I'm realizing some of the idols in my life, and I don't like it.  Hurts and habits I've carried for a while are not drawing me to God.  Most people would look and be like "Really, Jason, those are no big deal.  Relax."  But they are the things I turn to, instead of turning to God.  That is a big deal.  I don't want to have said of me what is said of the people of God: "They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless." (2 Kings 17:15)


Please oh please never let that be said of me!  Can you imagine having God write those words about your life?  It breaks my heart.


So, today, what are we using as a crutch when life gets tough?  What do we run to, regardless of how "little" or "insignificant" it may be.  If it's not Jesus, it's an idol.  May the title "worthless" never be applied to us.

Parent Cue for Aug/Sept Lessons

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT:

Here is an overview of what we’re talking about in Senior High and in Middle School in the coming weeks. Listed below the summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

Rhythm:

Series Overview

Have you ever noticed how connected everything is? It’s almost as if there was some type of unseen structure to all of life, a rhythm. Many of us are oblivious to it until things are out of sync. We know something is wrong, and we can maybe pinpoint a few things around us that are culprits, but deep down we know there is something more going on. We are out of rhythm—with God, with ourselves or with others.

           

Session One (SrHi - August 21st; the Middle - August 24th)

In the beginning, God created a song, a rhythm. Humanity existed in harmony with God, with ourselves and with each other. But then humankind settled for another song--a lesser one--and the rhythm started falling apart. Yet even then, God didn’t walk away, and because of that, we have a way to restore the rhythm with Him, with ourselves and with others.

Session One Parent Cue: The first week of the Rhythm series is designed to help students understand that in the beginning, God established a rhythm. They will unpack the story of creation and the harmony that existed between Adam and God, Adam and nature, and Adam and Eve. They will entertain the idea that from the start, everything worked together in perfect harmony like a beautiful song. But then Adam and Eve made a choice that destroyed the song and threw the rhythm off. They will also look at God’s response to Adam’s sin, and they'll see that God continues to seek relationship with us even after things have fallen apart. Talk with your teen about how he or she sees the brokenness in the rhythm around them. Feel free to share your observations as well.

Session Two (SrHi - August 28th; the Middle - August 31st)

If you’ve been in church for a while, you’ve heard it all and seen it all. You know the stories. You know the songs. You know the words. Many of us even think we know all about God. We think we have Him figured out. We think we know everything about Him, and in our lives, He’s very small. But the reality is that we will never fully grasp how awesome and amazing He is. We can spend a lifetime in awe and wonder, and even an eternity, because He’s that big . . . and that good.

Session Two Parent Cue: This second week, students will be challenged to look at God in new ways. Many times we find that we are so familiar with “churchy” descriptions of God that we forget who He really is. And when we forget who God is, how awesome and surprising He can be, then we are tempted to turn our attention and affection to other things and our lives fall out of tune. In week two students will be challenged to discover a God who is bigger than our attempts to define Him. Discuss with your teen ways that God has surprised you and your family with how big He is.

Session Three (SrHi - September 4th; the Middle - September 7th)

You’ve heard the words before--“love your neighbor as yourself”--but most of the time we don’t really hear the second half of that. We don’t love ourselves. Perhaps it’s because it just seems wrong. After all, as followers of Christ, we are supposed to become less as He becomes more. But for some of us, somewhere along the way we’ve confused humility with self-hatred. God wants us to be in rhythm with ourselves because when we aren’t, it throws off the rest of the song.

Session Three Parent Cue: This week students will explore the things that create tension in their own self-perception and learn the ugly truth: Being in rhythm with ourselves and being in rhythm with God go hand in hand. How we view God our Creator affects how we view His creation, ourselves. They will consider the masks they wear and the faults they try to cover up, and they'll receive a challenge to begin to shed those masks and be at peace with who they really are. Talk openly and candidly with your student this week about the things both of you have a hard time accepting when it comes to the faults you see in yourself. How can you better accept yourselves as you are?

Session Four (SrHi - September 11th; the Middle - September 14th)

No person can have a life of rhythm unless he or she is at peace with other people. That’s easy to say but hard to live, isn’t it? But following Jesus means being passionate about what He is passionate about--and Jesus is passionate about people. So if we want to be in rhythm, we not only have to be in sync with God and ourselves, we also have to be in sync with others. 

Session Four Parent Cue: No person can have a life in rhythm if they are not at peace with the people around them. In the final week of this series students will be challenged to be in rhythm with others, to be passionate about serving those they encounter and to seek forgiveness and reconciliation when needed. How can you work at making this a regular practice in your family? 

Chess Pieces, Water Pistols, and the Keys to Hell

This morning I've been spending some time with a friend talking about spiritual attacks, and how it affects our ministries and families.  There are definitely some things I've learned over the years about how Satan comes after us, and I was reminded of them this morning.

1. It's not really about us. - Satan only wants to hurt God.  They are having the battle; we are in the middle.  We're just chess pieces in his battle with God.  We are not Satan's ultimate goal.  He can't defeat God in battle (already tried and lost.)  He can't kill God (already tried and lost.)  He can only hurt God through His kids.  So, he comes after us to get to God.  If we simply obey God in the middle of the attack, then Satan will go 0 for 3.

2. It's gonna happen. - God allows us to be under attack, so that we can rely on Him, and clearly point people to Him.  If God doesn't allow Satan to attack us, we won't grow.  So where Satan only uses us to get to God; God uses Satan to get us to Him.  It's a risky thing on God's side, but He loves us enough to run the risk.  So, attack is a normal part of growth as a Christian.

3. No water pistols. - I grew up in a culture that loved to talk about our battle we have to fight.  Phrases like "taking on Hell with a water pistol in Jesus name" were thrown around a lot.  We don't have to attack anything.  God tells us that when we've done all we can to prepare, then stand.  We don't need to attack Satan or Hell.  Jesus did on the cross, and when He left Hell, He took the keys with Him.  Satan can't even lock his own doors anymore, Jesus holds the keys.  So, we don't need to be all Rambo on the offensive.  God's won.  Trust Him, obey Him, wait for Him to save the day, be faithful and stand.  Pretty simple.

4. No fear. - God does not use fear to motivate us.  Only Satan does.  So any fears of "what if...." are not from God.  He has the battle won.  We have nothing to fear as long as we obey what He wants.

Are there any others you would add?  Anything you would disagree with?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

When Worship Won't Cut It...

I began reading the book of Isaiah today, so I'll be writing about Isaiah for a while.  I love that book.  It is not usually a book out of the Bible that people point to as one of their favorites.  It's a book written by a prophet trying desperately to warn the people of God to turn, or be destroyed.  That is NOT why I love it.  It's often dark, and painful.  That's NOT why I love it.  It has some very graphic warnings of what God is going to do to the people who hate Him.  That's NOT why I love it.


I love it because the whole theme of the book is "a remnant will return."  At it's heart, it's a book about grace and forgiveness for anyone who wants it.  THAT'S why I love the book.


It all begins in chapter one with the warnings.  God, through Isaiah, is telling the people that He is tired of their junk.  He's tired of them coming to church and singing and saying one thing, while living a whole other life the other days of the week.  He tells them to quit singing songs to Him, to quit offering sacrifices to Him, to quit coming into the church and messing it up.  He doesn't want anymore praise and worship services from them.  Instead, He tells them:


Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.  (Isaiah 1:17)


That always catches me.  God is tired of the hypocrisy and fake faith of his people.  But He doesn't give them lectures on how to run a better worship service, or how to confess their sins corporately on sticky notes and make a clean break.  How are they to show their faith is alive?  Take care of "the other".  The poor, the oppressed, the fatherless, those without family, the lonely, the needy.  Help them, then I'll know you are legit.


Hmmmm.....


So honestly, where are we with this.  God says an actual faith will live itself out in our daily lives, and it will involve how we treat "the other".  Who is your other?  A neighbor who is alone and needy?  Someone at work who is broken?  A family member who is alone and alienated?  That kid in the hall at school who is poor?  Who is the other in your life?  How are you treating them?


According to God, that seems to be more important than what goes down on Sunday morning.  


How are we doing?  

How You Finish Matters

There was a king in 2 Chronicles 26 named Uzziah.  His story is kind of crazy.  He became king at 16, but he tried his best to follow God.  He worshipped God, and took advice from the priests on what to do.  He became a great soldier, ruler, and king.  His fame spread throughout that part of the world, and the kingdom grew.  He was a military inventor, designing new weapons, and a great strategist.  As long as he followed God, he was used in amazing ways.


But then, in it says in verse 16 "But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God"


There it is.  Uzziah eventually believes its all about him and God together.  He gets cocky.  As a result, he gets leprosy, and is not allowed to live in the castle anymore, and his son has to rule.  So, he's king, with no power.  


I so don't want to be that guy.  He had all the outward signs of still being what God made him to be, but he was useless because of his sin.  I really don't want that to happen to me.  I want to be the one who stays close to God, who sees God in charge of their life, who finishes as well as he starts.  Uzziah got to be king for 52 years.  That was unheard of in a day and age when kings lasted five to ten years.  But he lost his way.


May you and I always stay humble before God, and on track so that we can finish well.

A Miracle Plant, a Hateful Prophet, and Them

I read through the book of Jonah today in my reading.  The part that sticks out to me in the story is why Jonah ran in the first place.  If you've never read the book for yourself, it's very short.  Take a few minutes today, and sit down and read it.

Jonah is told to go preach to another city, in another nation, to a different people.  They are his political enemies. He says no, and runs.  You know most of this part of the story.  Big storm, sailors have to throw Jonah overboard, swallowed by big fish, fish throws up, Jonah preaches in Ninevah, people of Ninevah turn to God.  If you've been around church for awhile, you've probably heard the story.  Then at the end, God has to get on Jonah for being unhappy that the people repented.

But it just hit me today why.  They were political enemies.  Jonah says that he knew if he went, that God would forgive them because He is so good.  Jonah doesn't want the people forgiven.  He hates them.

Hmmm.....

Who in my life would I be upset if God forgave?  Who do I hate so much that I'd rather them suffer than seek God's forgiveness?  No, really, who would it be?

Because God is having none of it.  He tells Jonah that they are his children, and he needs to get over it.

Is there someone that we would secretly like to see suffer?  What will it take to see them through God's eyes?  To love them the way God does?

For Jonah, he had to go through a storm, be buried at sea, and then be digested by a fish for three days.  Then, he only got 1/2 of it.  God had to grow a miracle plant, then kill it, and the scold him.

And at the end of the story, it never tells us if Jonah got it or not.  It's open ended.

Just like your story and mine.  It's not done.

Will we get it?  Will we offer forgiveness and mercy to those "others" in our life today?