Another Way of Saying 'Come'

Scripture: I said to myself, I’m going to quit complaining! I’ll keep quiet, especially when the ungodly are around me. But as I stood there silently the turmoil within me grew to the bursting point. The more I mused, the hotter the fires inside. Then at last I spoke and pled with God: Lord, help me to realize how brief my time on earth will be. Help me to know that I am here for but a moment more. Psalm 39:1-4

Observation: The psalmist is faced with a noble goal, but with a difficult task. The goal is to simply ... be kind to others by not saying anything against them or that would insult them. So he decides he will be quiet and not speak. However, this becomes difficult as ungodly fools - unbelievers and blasphemers - continue to talk all around him, and he is unable to respond in any way that would be positive or constructive.

When his frustration reaches the breaking point, he avoids lashing out at the unbelievers. Instead, the makes a plea to God himself ... asking for his own life to be short so he does not need to endure this much longer. He longs to know that his time contending with the godless will soon end.

Application: This psalmist expresses a situation identical to our circumstances. The godless are all around. They proudly pronounce falsehoods, blasphemies, and attacks on God, declaring them as love and truth and enlightened wisdom. The church seeks to follow Jesus, and love them with compassion, hoping for their understanding and changed hearts. The best among us to this without debate or confrontation, choosing to never respond or even speak to the matter, but attempting to simply act as Jesus would.

But ... please come, Lord Jesus! How much longer must we contend with the ways of this world? I seek comfort in knowing this will not last forever. Either I will die and go to you, or you will return and proclaim your victory. Any time now is just fine with me.

I will love others. I will endure their attacks upon you and your truth, while also trying to show them that you in fact love them and desire for them to know you. I will not respond haughtily. I will try not to offend with my words.

But thankfully, not forever.

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Striving to Not be Thorny

Scripture: The seed among the thorns represents those who listen and believe God’s words but whose faith afterwards is choked out by worry and riches and the responsibilities and pleasures of life. And so they are never able to help anyone else to believe the Good News. Luke 8:14

Observation: The parable of sowing the seed is well understood, as Jesus himself breaks down the 'issues' involving four kinds of soil. The path involves those who reject Jesus; The rocks are those who listen but ultimately turn away from faith; The thorns are believers however they allow the world to overmatch their faith; The good soil are believers who live a Christian life.

Every Christian would say they want to be "good soil". However, many are thorns. Within the current situations, the worry of life overwhelms them ... in the modern US, their work in pursuit of riches becomes their life's mission ... in hectic modern times, secular responsibilities pervade everything ... in a world with so much at our fingertips, earthly pleasures actively vie for attention. We are at the point where the belief described as thorny soil is closer to the Christian norm.

Application: I am fearful that I may again become thorny soil as I once was. I spend days focused on my work, and I often lose sight of the fact that the good things of this world are blessing from God, and not simply the results of my work. I enjoy earthly pursuits, and while I know the enjoyment is not wrong, the attitude by which I pursue them - through my own work and worry and pride - is a real problem.

Jesus is clear that, if I continue in this vein, my influence in the kingdom will be nothing ... I will never be able to help others believe in Jesus. However, if I openly live my life with the right understanding that Jesus is my savior - and not just that understanding, but exhibiting it to others - I will have a role in God's plan. It is for this attitude I strive. I don't want to be thorny.

Prayer: Lord, again today I ask, please give the heart to exhibit your love to others today, not just in overt ways, but in every thought and attitude and action I take. I know my earthly work is only a means to position me to do your will. I know my success is a lie, and anything I have is yours alone, and you have graciously allowed me to enjoy it for a time. May I be good soil, multiplying your good news to others. Amen.

Four Attitudes of Evil

Scripture: If anyone respects and fears God, he will hate evil. For wisdom hates pride, arrogance, corruption, and deceit of every kind. Proverbs 8:13

Observation: Wisdom makes this very clear parallel between evil and four personal traits - pride, arrogance, corruption, and deceit. Anyone who respects and fears God hates evil, and as a result it is these four traits that God-fearing believers must avoid.

Application: When I sin, I would call these four items my defining thoughts. I arrogantly believe I can do what I wish, take pride in my rights, and create subterfuge and lies to hide my thoughts and actions.

I hate my sinful life, and I truly wish I could repent of it. Yes, I understand all sin, and all fall short, and it is in that weakness that my need for Jesus is most real. However, here God teaches a starting point for avoiding sin ... eliminating pride, arrogance, corruption, and deceit, even in their most basic and minor forms. If I were to do that, I would go a long way toward understanding how to eliminate evil sin from my life.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for this information, as I have been praying for repentance. This shows me a path. Thank you for your love and guidance and wisdom. Amen.

When 'Rejoice' is a Command

Scripture: What happiness it is when others hate you and exclude you and insult you and smear your name because you are mine! When that happens, rejoice! Yes, leap for joy! For you will have a great reward awaiting you in heaven. And you will be in good company—the ancient prophets were treated that way too! Luke 6:22-23

Observation: In this version of the beatitudes, Jesus declares that those who are persecuted for their faith in Jesus should ... rejoice! Those who are insulted and have their reputations attacked should even celebrate, because this is just like how God's prophets have always been treated, and surely there will be great reward in heaven.

Application: In the past, my reputation at work has been actively attacked, and I can knowingly state that the attackers knew I was a Christian, and they themselves very much are not. When the worst of this happened, my wife received a very strong one-word commanded from God ... rejoice!

Recently, my wife's reputation has been publicly attacked. Jesus knew this would happen to his believers. This wouldn't be something that happened just to one or two of them, or that may fly under the radar or just be brushed aside. Jesus knew that those who openly believe in him as the Messiah and son of God would have their personal and professional reputations actively and aggressively attacked. They would be hated, excluded, insulted, and besmeared. And our response is to be ... rejoice!

This isn't just a conceptual response to this form of attack. This is a command. As much as any other teaching or instruction of Jesus, rejoicing in the face of personal attack is a command to believers.

I know my wife and I have been attacked. I know we will be attacked again. I am thrilled that, in some very small way, this places us in the company of the prophets and apostles. And I will rejoice.

Prayer: Lord, I praise you and your greatness today and every day. You have uplifted me and my family in your mighty hands. I do not seek more conflict and hatred and insults in my life, but I rejoice that I am identified as yours even by those who don't believe in you. Amen.

Must I Solve Problems?

Scripture: Then Moses and Aaron summoned the people to come and gather at the rock; and he said to them, “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses lifted the rod and struck the rock twice, and water gushed out; and the people and their cattle drank. Numbers 20:10-11

Observation: Over and over again, when the Israelites complained about their circumstances, the Lord told Moses what to do and provided for them. Moses is sick and tired of their lack of faith! Having been instructed what to do to bring forth water, Moses proceeds. However, he does so in his own way. He calls the Israelites "rebels", strikes the rock instead of speaking to it, and - worst of all - takes credit ... indicating 'we' (he and Aaron) must do this for them. It is for this act that Moses will be punished by not being allowed to enter the promised land.

Application: Every day - EVERY day - I strive to solve my own problems. I think about what I need to do, how I need to think, how I should act, what I must say. Every time I am presented with a challenge, I think about what to do. I rarely turn to God, and I certainly don't listen to his instructions instead of my own.

Moses did in fact turn to God, and usually followed his exact instructions. This time he didn't and it cost him. He probably could have gotten away with striking the rock instead of just talking to it, but taking credit was certainly the major issue.

When I solve my own challenges, I am doing the same thing. I am taking credit ... I am declaring myself to be sufficient for the task, and showing others by either word or deed that I am good and smart and strong.

I have realized more and more than I need to take my everyday life to the Lord in prayer and seek his will. Failing to do so isn't just about falling short of a relationship with God, and it isn't just about missing the mark and struggling when God may have an easier path. It is about rebellion. When I act on my own, I rebel against the Lord by removing the opportunity to have him honored, and instead seeking the honor (or even just the attention) for myself.

Not only do I not need to solve my own problems, I must not do so.

Prayer: Lord, I desire to bring to you more and more my daily life. I do not want honor or glory outside of anything I may do that brings honor to you. May there be less of me in my life. Amen.

God Waves His Rights

Scripture: So everything that is dedicated to the Lord shall be yours, including the firstborn sons of the people of Israel, and the firstborn of their animals. However, you may never accept the firstborn sons, nor the firstborn of any animals that I do not permit for food. Instead, there must be a payment of two and a half dollars made for each firstborn child. It is to be brought when he is one month old. Numbers 18:14-16

Observation: As the Lord defines who received the tithes of the people and how they are to be handled, he clarifies the dedication of the firstborn. This law applies to sons. Originally, the firstborn sons were redeemed by claiming Levi as the tribe in service to the Lord. Going forward, firstborn sons of all of Israel do indeed belong to the Lord, however they Lord says they are never to be accepted ... instead they are redeemed through a payment. 

In this way, God continues to reveal both his supremacy among people, and his loving understanding of people. God has the authority to claim even our firstborn children. However, he has the love to not do so, and in fact to make it a law that the future priesthood must never do so. God can do whatever he likes to his creation and to his people, and what he decides to do is love us, care for us, and provide for us, even to the point of surrendering his own rights.

Application: God has already done everything for me by sacrificing his son for my life. However, I know he would do anything else I need. It is too amazing of a thought to even consider that the creator of the universe would do something for me, yet he does every day, even when it comes at a cost to him.

As a firstborn son, and a sinner, I cannot even comprehend how my life should be if not for God's love and mercy.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your love. It is by your grace that I was not dedicated to you at my birth, but I am dedicated to you now by my choice, as a freewill response to your love, kindness, goodness, greatness, and mercy. May I be used this day and every day to serve others in your name. Amen.

Time to Stop the Anger

Scripture: Rest in the Lord; wait patiently for him to act. Don’t be envious of evil men who prosper. Stop your anger! Turn off your wrath. Don’t fret and worry—it only leads to harm. Psalm 37:7-8

Observation: Hard times are brought upon everyone - even believers, and even King David - by wicked men. However, when the Lord delivers his believers from those attacks, we may rest and wait for the Lord to also take correction on those people. Moreover, we are not to remain angry, envious, or even to think upon those people. This thought life only harms us.

Application: While Psalm 37:3-6 has special meaning to me, it is these next two verses that speak to my heart today.

Too often I sit around in my thoughts, and grow angry at those who have wronged me in the past. I daydream of seeing their downfall, or vindicating myself with my words, or giving them correction for their wrong thinking and actions. I revisit my past anger, and re-experience frustration.

In this, I only harm myself, for the Lord has already provided for me. God has given me blessing, refuge, and deliverance, and I choose to instead mentally return to the harm. I need to stop my anger, turn off my wrath, not worry or fret, and simply have patient calm and rest in my life. The Lord has already given this to me ... I need only receive it and live into his peace and purpose for my life.

Prayer: Lord, I know the great things you have done for me, and the blessings you have given to me and my family. Please now aid me in my thoughts. Help me to turn away from this old anger, and to accept a life where I live into your peace, your Shalom, and your love. I wish to focus on you and your future good work for me, and not on a meaningless past that only brings me negative emotions. Please change my heart. Amen.

When Lies Oppose the Lord

Scripture: So the majority report of the spies was negative: "The land is full of warriors, the people are powerfully built, and we saw some of the Anakim there, descendants of the ancient race of giants. We felt like grasshoppers before them, they were so tall!" Numbers 13:32-33

Observation: The spies return from the promised land and give their report. Of the land, they declare it to be great, truly blessed with abundance. However, most are afraid of the residents. Ten of the spies talk about how all the nations there already possess the land. They report on the Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, and Canaanites, and tell of their fortified cities. While certainly all the the people should have by now understood how the Lord would protect them in opposing these people, these reports from the spies are in fact true and accurate.

But then ... there's the Anakim. The spies declare there are mythical giants in the land, even going into hyperbole about how they felt 'like grasshoppers before them'. They take the lie beyond even a reasonable exaggeration, making it absurd. It is by this wild lie they convince the people to rebel against the Lord.

Everything that was true about the promised land - the quality of the land, and the existence of the other nations ... the good and the bad - the Lord had in fact already told them. Everything the Lord had not told them, was in fact a falsehood. And it is by the new lies that the people are deceived, tossed into a state of fear, and thus reject the Lord's instructions.

Application: How true is it today, as churches are ready to fully re-open after the pandemic, that every fear and worry about how to do so is ... a lie?  I would go as far as to say that everything that has been said for the past year that would generate fear in the hearts of believers about faithful gathering and worship has been lies, declared to mislead believers and his Church, which is now farther from the Lord than ever before.

That isn't to say everything about the disease is a lie. There is truth ... there is a disease, there are precautions to take, there is a need to proceed with safety in mind ... just as the spies truthfully reported that nations with fortified cities would oppose Israel. However, obediently proceeding in faith was called for then, and it is called for now.

We know the lies we are being told, for we know the "government instructions" that stand in direct opposition to the truths of the Lord. Such instructions are in fact the definition of evil lies. We had better not turn back now.

Prayer: Lord, it is time for your Church to proceed, stronger than before, and guided by your loving and powerful hand. May we serve you as Caleb would have, shrugging off the obvious lies. Amen.

Finding that Special Blessing

Scripture: "May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; may he be gracious to you, show you his favor, and give you his peace." This is how Aaron and his sons shall call down my blessings upon the people of Israel; and I myself will personally bless them. Numbers 6:25-27

Observation: Moses is told to teach Aaron and the future priests this pronouncement, as a special blessing upon the nation of Israel. There are six elements:

-- Blessing

-- Protection

-- Joy

-- Grace

-- Favor

-- Peace

Five of these are for Israel ... for them to receive all they need, be kept safe from everything both natural and of men, and receive special attention from the Lord. However, one of these is related to the Lord ... his face radiating with joy because of his people. This seems different. It is not a one-way transaction from God to the people, but rather it is an element of their two-way relationship. This is interactive and responsive. It is about the Lord seeing the people, and smiling because of them with a joy that certainly radiates back to them.

In seeking the Lord with this blessing, then, there is acknowledgment that God's people desire his loving gifts, however there is also a wish that our interaction with the Lord creates a joy that permeates the relationship.

Application: I often ask the Lord for blessing ... protection, favor, peace, and grace. I don't think I have ever asked him to beam with happiness over me, or laugh at my little behaviors, or smile upon my work dedicated to him. Yet in this special blessing, this is the interactive relationship to be sought, one in which joy is created out of God's perception of me.

I would love some of God's radiant joy! So I should be seeking an interaction in which he finds joy in me.

Prayer: Lord, may I this day pursue the work and activities in which you find enjoyment. As a child loves the approving smile of a father, so I would love to create some joy between us this day and every day. In assigned work, daily thoughts, or simple service, may I please you. Amen.

Restored to More than Before

Scripture: Then his father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy ... And you, my little son, shall be called the prophet of the glorious God, for you will prepare the way for the Messiah. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Luke 1:67,76-77

Observation: Zacharias had been struck mute for nine months due to his doubt of the Lord, yet upon declaring his son's name to be John - and thus proving his faith - he is restored. He immediately is "filled with the Holy Spirit" and prophesizes, rightly declaring his son will be the prophet who makes way for Messiah, and even defining his ministry ... helping people find salvation through forgiveness of sins, aka baptism.

Zacharias had shown a lack of faith, and was tested for it. When he emerged, he was more than restored. He was introduced to God in a new way, filled with the Holy Spirit, able to declare prophesy himself, and even pronouncing the grand long-term mission of his 8 day old son. Zacharias had been a priest. Now, he is a prophet and father of God's own prophet, with a new experience of the Lord. By faith, he is even more than he had been.

Application: This is how the Lord restores those who have gone through trials ... they are even more than they were before! Their faith is greater, their mission bigger, their understanding deeper, their experiences grander, their love more complete.

My trials have taught me how to reassess my life's mission and priorities in a new way. During my greatest trial, I truly heard God's voice for the first time. I am still flawed, and I still struggle, and I still will never be 'great' in the kingdom of God, but I am much more now in the kingdom of God, and in my walk with the Lord, than I was three years ago.

Prayer: Lord, I know that, just like Zacharias, you restored me in a way that made me more in faith than I was before. I thank you for your amazing love, that works great wonders even in the hardest moments of life. Your love truly reaches to the heavens. Amen.

Understanding Profound Promise

Scripture: And how he has helped his servant Israel! He has not forgotten his promise to be merciful. For he promised our fathers—Abraham and his children—to be merciful to them forever. Luke 1:54-55

Observation: As Mary and Elizabeth meet and wonder about the greatness of the child Mary is carrying, this is part of Mary's own understanding. She has been told the child is the Messiah, and she knows that to be part of the very promise made to Abraham ~1,800 years prior. Mary understands that part of the promise to Abraham was protection and mercy for his nation, and she understands that part of the promise of Messiah is mercy for all people. She therefore understands the magnitude and importance of the events surrounding her.

Application: Even God's smallest promises can become life-changing when we accept and understand them. I have struggled with that ... understanding God's promises and recognizing how they may apply to me. I have more and more become aware of promises associated with protection and daily blessing, but not the promises that may apply to narratives in life.

Perhaps it is my literary background that sees people in the bible as actual people, and thus promises made to them as direct and personal promises just for them, not applicable to a broad category of believers. I now see that, to understand this, it helps to see the promises in the Old Testament, then listen to how the coming of Jesus profoundly renews those promises to all believers.

Mary understood the promise to Abraham ... for God to be merciful. She now knows Messiah will create a scenario where that mercy continues to all, including the adopted children of Abraham now incorporated by faith. I will likewise continue my quest to learn how God's great promises apply to my life.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your blessing, your love, your mercy. Please do give us this day our daily bread, as you have said you will. May I continue to seek and claim those promises you have for my life and for the life of my family, and then to align my thoughts and actions to your perfect plan. Amen.

Seriousness of Cursing Yahweh

Scripture: During the fight the Egyptian man’s son cursed God, and was brought to Moses for judgment. (His mother’s name was Shelomith, daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan.) He was put in jail until the Lord would indicate what to do with him. And the Lord said to Moses, "Take him outside the camp and tell all who heard him to lay their hands upon his head; then all the people are to execute him by stoning." Leviticus 24:11-14

Observation: As Moses has gone through the laws given by the Lord, most of them have to do with actions committed by Israelites - the priestly chosen people of God - against others, and resulting punishments. These include disrespect to other people, sexual immorality, and violence.

In this section however, we see a sentence against a foreigner - a young man whose father is Egyptian and mother is of the tribe of Dan - who curses God during a fight with an Israelite. Thus we see that this law is not just about how Israelites behave, but about everyone's relationship with the Lord. Cursing the Lord by anyone means death.

Application: While there are questions about "the unforgivable sin" of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit - and I would wonder if that's effectively what happened here - the fact of the matter is that someone who hold true animosity against the Lord ... will die. This is the basis of all faith in Jesus Christ, that by faith in Jesus and thus by extension belief in and love for the Lord, we have eternal life, but by rejecting the Lord we are left to die.

I know people who adamantly, aggressively, and rudely reject the Lord, to the point that they would declare themselves and personally opposed to the Lord in a confrontational manner. Others I know have actively declared there is no such thing as God. They are under a death sentence, being held in a prison awaiting execution.

The Egyptian man had no means to restoration. However, people today do. I wish we could get them to seek the truth.

Prayer: Lord, may we continue to tell others your good news. It is a serious offense committed by those who actively oppose you. May we find a way to change their hearts. Amen.

Modeling Righteous Defense

Scripture: Then the chief priests accused him of many crimes, and Pilate asked him, “Why don’t you say something? What about all these charges against you?” But Jesus said no more, much to Pilate’s amazement. Mark 15:3-5

Observation: Jesus answered one question before Pilate ... when asked if he was the "king of the Jews", he answered yes. However, for every charge stated against him, Jesus doesn't answer, and doesn't even explain to Pilate why he won't respond. Pilate is amazed by this - that Jesus could have so much self control that he would remain silent in the face of legal and character attack - and eventually determines Jesus is in fact innocent partly because of his control.

In this way, Jesus models faith in the fact that only God can judge his heart, his character, his motives, and his sins. He has no reason to answer earthly accusations, because God knows he truth. The only question he answers - is he Messiah? - is in fact a heavenly question, based on God's promises. Otherwise, human questions that attack his righteousness before God have no reason to be answered.

Application: I have stood falsely accused in life, and chosen not to answer. This week my wife was very falsely accused of an act, and did not answer. And I can guaranteed that, for both of us, circumstances will arise again whereby someone with evil intent accuses us of issues, and we will again have to find the strength to not respond, but instead surrender our judgment to the Lord with confidence in heavenly - but perhaps not earthly - outcomes.

Jesus should show us all that engaging in a defense of accusations, brought by earthly motives and lying actors, are to be ignored. It may even come to pass that unbelieving humans take actions based on such accusations that cost us in earthly terms ... even unto death for Jesus himself ... but that is no reason to engaged. God will defend us, and he will defend us in a manner that is important in his kingdom, and in eternity, which is far more important than earthly status, reputation, or even life.

Prayer: Lord, as the psalmist said today, I publicly declare that you will always rescue us. My faith is only in you, and not in any earthly construct. I love you, my Lord and my God and my Savior. Amen.

Why We Don't Seek Vengeance

Scripture: Don’t seek vengeance. Don’t bear a grudge; but love your neighbor as yourself, for I am Jehovah. Leviticus 19:18

Observation: As the Lord continues to list those elements Israel must not do - some repeated or reinforced from before, others as clarification, and some new - he specifically says "don't seek vengeance". In other places, there is clarification about how judgment retribution belong to the Lord, but not so here. Instead, the statement is simple - don't seek vengeance - and the reason is just as simple ... for Yahweh says so.

In this chapter, 13 times the Lord declares that the entire reason for the laws is that ... he is Yahweh. When the Lord tells you something, that is what you do. There does not need to be a reason. He says to not seek vengeance and don't bear a grudge, but rather love everyone, and that's the end of the debate on that topic.

Application: I have often said this myself, that I will never seek vengeance on those who have wronged me. Yet often I think of what that would look like. This week, I have considered what it would look like to speak against those who publicly wronged my wife, and how my "righteous anger" may manifest.

But clearly, now is the time for surrender to the Lord. This isn't just a matter of not doing something, but I must totally dismiss the idea. I must not even bear the grudge. And this I must do for no reason at all except for the fact the Lord says so. That isn't even about wishing for his judgment in the situation(s), but rather simply ... forgetting about it entirely.

The "why" us less obvious, but it's stated ... we would hate if every mistake we ever made were revisited upon us, so we must love others just as we love ourselves, and simply forget these attacks and insults and lies. Because the Lord says so.

Prayer: Lord, may we surrender our anger to you, because you tell us to. Amen.

When Good is Declared Evil

Scripture: Don’t disgrace me, Lord, by not replying when I call to you for aid. But let the wicked be shamed by what they trust in; let them lie silently in their graves, their lying lips quieted at last—the lips of these arrogant men who are accusing honest men of evil deeds. Psalm 31:17-18

Observation: The believer, calling on the Lord for protection from and validation against wicked non-believers, further calls on the Lord to take action against those enemies. He asks explicitly that they be "shamed by what the trust in", and further aligns those things they trust in as expressed by their lying spoken words. The ultimate way to 'shame' them is in death ... the place where their lies will be permanently silent, and they will no longer be able to accuse honest men of evil.

In other words, this ask of the Lord breaks down as follows:

-- Protect believers against the lies of the wicked.

-- Those lies involve declaring as good their own deeds.

-- In that same way, this means the opposite acts of honest men are declared as evil deeds.

-- The ultimate shame brought by God upon the wicked is the finality of their death.

Application: I am once again today reminded of how many aspects of our current society are evil in the eyes of the Lord, yet society is declaring them as 'good' and castigating those who would be opposed to those ideals. From drug use, to confrontational protest, to sexual morality, to family structures ... the list goes on ... people convinced of their rightness - due to the fact they have determined they have no need for God - are declaring as good those things that are evil, and declaring as evil anyone who does not agree. They attack and hurt those who would prioritize God's guidance, and call it love and justice and correctness.

And I must remember ... I will never see, and have no part in, any corrective action in this. For most, only death will reveal their folly. For those who have wronged me, and who are now attacking those I would consider brothers and sisters in Christ, there will be no accounting in this world. However, the Lord will handle it, and I'm good with that.

Prayer: Lord, I see the evil, and I hear the wicked. Please reply to myself and all others that need your aid daily. Please don't disgrace us. Protect us daily, and comfort us in remembering the long-term victory. May our love for others, provided by the strength of the Holy Spirit, always overcome the hate of others. Amen.

One Month Later

We are feeling better. It's been maybe two weeks since I cried or seen my wife cry. And yet we still miss Sophia, especially in the evenings when our "family routines" included her as much as they included any one of the rest of us. She would welcome us home, jump on the couches to sit with us, tap me with her paw for attention, try to figure out how to be part of the dinner table gathering, 'herd' us upstairs when it got late, sometimes 'fight' me for my half of our bed, and finally settle in at my wife's feet.

I wish God had changed the outcome. I still pray about the future. But I hear him. Our daddy in heaven provides us with joy and comfort and help. While we enjoy many aspects of this created world, we rely on the creator, not the created, and on both his blessing and his wisdom.

We are feeling better. But I'm crying again anyway.

An Answer vs. The Truth

Scripture: God was telling Moses that these men, though dead for hundreds of years, were still very much alive, for he would not have said, ‘I am the God’ of those who don’t exist! You have made a serious error. Mark 12:27

Observation: As the religious leaders continue to attempt to trap Jesus with questions, Jesus answers in ways that confound their efforts. However, he goes beyond the answer to reveal a truth.

In the case of the Sadducees who ask a question about marriage, he first answers them by stating their is no marriage in heaven. However, he then addresses an issue that was not part of the question, but rather is a truth about God and heaven ... that there is eternal life, as shown by the scriptures and the words of God himself. In the case of the 'spies' who ask about paying taxes to Rome, Jesus first answers them by simply stating they should give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. But, he adds, give to God what belongs to God, thus again reinforcing a truth about God and our relationship with him as it pertains to the tithe and offerings.

Jesus isn't just willing to engage in a trick questions. He is willing to voluntarily address the faulty logic that resides at the core of the trick.

Application: In a modern society that is being ripped apart by trick questions, the Church needs to be prepared to express the truth about the faulty assumptions. The trick questions are everywhere ... about race relations, gender issues, sexual morality, wealth distribution, family structures, and so many other topics.

I cannot be wise enough to respond to any such conversations the way Jesus did. At least, I cannot be wise enough on my own. This is why prayer is so important as a way of opening my heart to the Holy Spirit, and thus surrendering my thoughts in such situations. Even a question about wearing masks in public today becomes a divisive topic, with the purpose of such a question being a challenge to a conflict, so every conversation needs to be surrendered so I can find a way of expressing God's truth, not just an answer.

Prayer: Lord, this day, may I rely only upon your truth and your word in how I interact with the world. Please give me the wisdom of the Holy Spirit as I interact with others, and soften my heart to every conversation can foster peace and love. Amen.

Accepting the Only Authority

Scripture: They talked it over among themselves. “If we reply that God sent him, then he will say, ‘All right, why didn’t you accept him?’ But if we say God didn’t send him, then the people will start a riot.” (For the people all believed strongly that John was a prophet.) Mark 11:31-32

Observation: When the chief priest and his entourage ask Jesus about the source of his authority for having cleansed the temple the prior day, he instead asks them a similar question about John the Baptist's authority. This is their thought process ... there are only two possible answers, "of God" or "none", and they would prefer not to vocalize either.

The irony of this is that their question of Jesus has the exact same two possible answers. Jesus could state his authority is of God, or he could state he had no authority, for he certainly wasn't operating under any earthly instructions from either priestly leaders or Roman rulers.

This, interestingly, is the model for determining all authority. In all cases, the authority to act comes from only two sources, either the Lord, or 'none', though as humans we have created earthly models for conferring authority in certain earthly circumstances. Even in the latter situation, we look to God to order the situation so that those in authority are in such positions by God's will. In this way, the question "by whose authority" is meaningless, for the answer must either be "God" or be completely invalid.

Application: In what circumstances do I accept authority in my life that is clearly no "of God"? In the last 12 months, that situation has skyrocketed for sure. The Lord desires safety, security, and comfort of others for sure, but he does not desire fear, anger, and isolation.

I am done accepting any authority that is not of God. That may still mean that certain societal restrictions are acceptable as they provide comfort and compassion to others, which is in fact in line with God's love. However, I will evaluate circumstances. I will as "by whose authority" and be warry of clearly invalid responses. And I will not exercise my own authority without the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, I sincerely pray that now is the time for this world to pass out of this situation, and for your kingdom values to re-emerge. May we love others, but also love you all the more. Darkness has had its time, and it is now time for the light of Jesus to shine all the more brightly. Amen.

Following the Instructions

Scripture: He then washed the insides and the legs with water, and burned them upon the altar, so that the entire ram was consumed before the Lord; it was a burnt offering that pleased the Lord very much, for Jehovah’s directions to Moses were followed in every detail. Leviticus 8:21

Observation: In chapter 8, Moses performs the sacrifices required to consecrate Aaron and his sons as priests. Before he begins, he announces he is doing what was instructed by the Lord, and when he is done he again announces that was he has done was instructed by the Lord. At the conclusion of sacrifice of each of the two rams, it is declared that what has been done pleases the Lord, for the Lord's instructions had been followed. Finally, when the act of staying at the entrance of the tabernacle is Aaron's to do, not Moses', he warns Aaron to follow the instructions.

In total, over 36 verses, a statement that Moses performed exactly as the Lord commanded/instructed occurs seven times, plus the warning to Aaron to do the same. It is clearly important not only that Aaron be consecrated, but that the instructions of the Lord or obeyed. The Lord told Moses what to do, and it is likely less important what Moses did, than the fact that he did it as instructed.

Application: Obediently showing up to do God's work is likely more important than the actual work to be done. This is why doing even small behind-the-scenes acts of service is important in God's kingdom ... because following the Lord's instruction shows my true heart.

It matters "how" we do Alpha tonight, but the most important part is showing up to serve in the first place. Without that, the Lord can't have me participate in his work.

Prayer: Lord, may I remember to always show up when called. May I seek to follow and obey your instructions, no matter the task or activity. Amen.