Repentance Available in Jesus

Scripture:
“Come, let us return to the Lord,
for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
he has struck down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;
his appearing is as sure as the dawn;
he will come to us like the showers,
like the spring rains that water the earth.”
Hosea 6:1-3

Observation: The unofficial heading of these three verses says this is "a call to repentance". It clearly is a reference to the repentance available in Jesus. It illuded to Jesus' death and resurrection ... he is struck down but on the third day raised up, and not just in his soul but living again before God. "His appearing is as sure as the dawn," which was in fact the moment Jesus appeared resurrected.

It is by Jesus that Israel, Judah, and all mankind may return to the Lord (v7 invokes Adam, thus all humans are said to need redemption). Jesus was torn and struck down, then healed and bound up. It is by this redemption that the many sins and the breaking of covenants can be restored ... by the new covenant of Jesus' blood.

Application: Again I saw, the wonder of the bible shows itself to be true and trustworthy. May I praise the Lord every day, in thanks to him for his love, and for my savior and Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, I do praise you and thank you for redemption and grace, through repentance and faith in Jesus. Please do forgive me of my transgressions and failures, the sins that work within my mortal body that are so difficult to repress, and give me new strength to serve you well and do good. Amen.

No Punishment for Individuals

Scripture:
My people consult a piece of wood,
and their divining rod gives them oracles.
For a spirit of prostitution has led them astray,
and they have prostituted themselves, forsaking their God.
Hosea 4:12

Observation: Hosea is describing the actions of the unfaithful of Israel literally. They actually go and bow down in front of a wooden pole carved in the image of a goddess ashera, and speak to it. They go to trees growing on top of hills and seek wisdom. They look to wooden rods to perform actions and thus tell them how to act. It literally sounds crazy.

Yet it is not different than modern times. People today consult so many sources for guidance in their lives. While many times those sources take the form of other people, those people do not have definitive sources, but rather derive "understanding" from peculiar activities.

In the end, so few people consult with the living God, creator of heaven and earth, but instead would consult 'things' that have no wisdom or capabilities at all. It made no sense in Israel, and it makes no sense here and now.

Application: Where to begin in considering the lost concepts of our society? So many not only do these things, but firmly, adamantly, and even angrily defend their logic.

Hosea goes on to say (v13-19) that God reached a point where he wouldn't even punish these people, because they are so ignorant there is no way that punishment could correct them. He says to "leave them alone" and just let their ignorant behavior play out. Yes, he goes on to say he will destroy their entire nation because as a people-group they have forsaken him, yet he does not condone any action concerning individuals.

Is this our future? Will our communities, cities, nation, and society be destroyed, but in the meantime no action will or should be taken to address individual behavior? This makes sense, because the logical associated behavior of the Church would be to communicate the good news of Jesus to individuals and people groups, while ensuring we remain distinct and different from the culture of the society around us. And this is, indeed, the commission.

Prayer: Lord, it seems clear that our society is heading for a great reconning. May I simply obey you every day. Allow me the times and places and situations to offer others to opportunity to feel better about themselves and their lives, in the love of Jesus. Amen.

Harder to Say I'm Undefeated

The world looks so different than we were dreaming ...

The best my heart can hope for is breaking even ...

But I'm not afraid for you are my refuge!

Submission to the Illogical

Scripture: Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. Romans 5:18

Observation: As Paul juxtaposes Adam and Jesus, he arrives at this summary, that the juxtaposition is about their single acts of trespass versus righteousness. But what were those single acts?

For Adam, we know the 'original sin' was NOT eating an apple. Rather, it was the desire to actively seek one's own definition of knowledge of good and evil. It was this pursuit - to makes oneself like God in the area of defining what is right and wrong - that is the act of trespass.

For Jesus then, the act of righteousness is not his everyday perfection and repeated love for many. It is his one act of sacrifice. Paul himself calls the crucifixion one of the most illogical ideas ever. It was in that moment that God personified did something that was had no logical outcome that was self-fulfilling. Instead, it was an act of fully surrendering to the Lord, without knowledge or understanding. In that moment, Jesus truly declared "but not mine but your will be done" and allowed whatever God thought was right to transpire.

That one act of righteousness created the only possible scenario for his resurrection, and it is by faith in Jesus as Messiah - evidenced by the resurrection - that we find justification, grace, forgiveness, and eternal life.

Observation: I am reminded daily that I should not be personally seeking truth, knowledge, understanding, or even 'good'. These are not mine to define and determine, and thus I really should not judge anything against my standard for these characteristics. Instead, I should simply seek the will of the Lord, guided by the Holy Spirit. This is righteousness.

Prayer: Lord, I do seek your will, your purpose, your direction, and your wisdom today. By the Holy Spirit I desire to know you better, and to know what you would have me do. I know I am a problematic believer at best, often deep in my own flawed thoughts. May I find your patience and forgiveness this day, and may I instead walk your path, holding your hand, in humility. Amen.

Father of Many Nations, and Me

Scripture: For this reason the promise depends on faith, in order that it may rest on grace, so that it may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (who is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”), in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Romans 4:16-17

Observation: In discussing the faith of Abraham, Paul makes this claim on behalf of the entire world ... all believers are in fact children of Abraham and thus recipients of the Lord's covenant. There are the Jews, the descendants of Abraham, but there are also "those who share the faith of Abraham", which is a faith of hope that the Lord has provided the Messiah, and by faith we are redeemed.

Paul's logic is in the fact that Abraham is promised to be the "father of many nations". This must only be true through adoption of all the nations into faith in Jesus. By lineage, Abraham is the patriarch of millions of people, but only three nations - the Israelites (Jews), Edomites, and Ishmaelites (Arabs) - and only two of those continue. Two or three isn't 'many'. However, through faith in Jesus, Abraham is now "the father of us all" extending to every nation and nationality that has existed over the last two thousand years, which has heard the good news. That is in fact "many nations", and since we know that the Lord's promises are always true, this is a reliable interpretation of the Lord's promise to Abraham.

Application: It is wonderful to know that the Lord had all mankind in mind ... in fact, had me in mind ... when making the covenant with Abraham. The Lord promised Abraham that he would be the patriarch of many nations, and has fulfilled that through a model of faith-based progeny that spans millennia.

A deeper analysis might also remind me of the obligations that comes with this, that if I am now adopted into the family of Abraham, I am a member of a priesthood intended to model the Lord to all others, and blessed to be a blessing to the world. However, for today I prefer to linger on the surface of grace, finding comfort in the idea that the Lord adopted me simply because I have said 'yes' to Jesus as my Lord and savior.

Prayer: Abba, my daddy in heaven, I thank you for your love. I can think of nothing greater than to be in your family, a child of the one true God, and a descendent of Abraham. Again I say, thank you. Amen.

A Different Path for Brothers

Scripture:
Thus says the Lord:
For three transgressions of Edom,
and for four, I will not revoke the punishment,
because he pursued his brother with the sword
and cast off all pity;
he maintained his anger perpetually
and kept his wrath forever.
So I will send a fire on Teman,
and it shall devour the strongholds of Bozrah.
Amos 1:11-12

Observation: Amos pronounces God's future judgement on Israel, Judah, and its surrounding nations. This is his pronouncement of Edom, who are the descendants of Esau.

Edom is unique when it comes to the neighboring nations of Israel. They were supposed to be kindred people to Israel, as their origins come from twin brothers. The Lord made them a nation, too, and they occupied the land that Esau went to when he and Jacob departed one another. However, Edom always treated Israel with contempt. They refused to allow Israel to cross their land during their wandering years, over the years they acted as any other neighbor with border disputes and refused alliances, and in the end they were jealous of the land of Judah and celebrated Israel's downfall.

Yes, when the Lord blessed the patriarchs and selected to have that blessing pass through Jacob, it created a different path for Israel and Edom ... a different type of national identity and mission. Yet Esau's descendants were not excluded from a type of blessing, and themselves became a nation with an identity and land. However, through their attitude toward the chosen people of God, they would be ultimately cursed, and by the end of the era their nationality would be wiped from the face of the earth, while the Jews survive thousands of years later.

Application: By faith in the Messiah, Christians are now the chosen people and non-believers are a kindred people we live near. These kindred do in fact appear to have blessings ... they have wealth, power, comfort, and daily happiness, living a nice lands with national borders protected by their own power. We are all related people with a common history and (generally speaking) shared bloodlines.

And these people ... pursue believers with the sword of offensive behaviors. They are perpetually angry at what they perceive as undue righteousness, interpreting an effort to obey God's laws as arrogance, judgement, and often just wrong-headed. In some places, the persecute and kill believers, and in others they marginalize and repress and deride the intelligence and integrity of believers.

The Lord has blessed non-believers, and for this they reject both the Lord and those whom are obedient to the Lord. There will come a time when their strongholds are devoured.

Prayer: Lord, I know I am not above judgement, and even in my faith I deserve your anger just as Israel and Judah did. Thank you for the forgiveness found in Jesus, without which I would have no hope and no future. Your judgement comes in your own timing and in your own way, and while it will come upon your faithful in the way Jesus tells us, it will also come upon today's Edomites in a type of manner Amos tells us. If that is to be soon, then come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

More About the Sign of Jonah

Scripture: Then the sailors were afraid, and each cried to his god. They threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten it for them. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. Jonah 1:5

Observation: While many would consider to the story about a man swallowed by a whale to be metaphorical if not irrelevant and untrue, Jesus himself declares that he will give "the sign of Jonah" as evidence of his authority. That sign is typically considered being inside the whale (the grave) for three days then returning. It could be the mission to redeem a non-Jewish population with the message of God's repentance. And here is another option ... it could be sleeping during a raging storm, then calming that storm by action (commanding it, or being thrown into it).

The fact is, Jonah provides many parallels to Jesus. He sleeps during a storm. He has lots cast to decide part of his fate. His calming of the storm causes true worship and loyalty to the Lord. He prays to the Lord to save him from Shoel and the Lord does. His prayer further points out he has been driven from the Lord's sight, but the Lord brought him out of the Pit; these are all images used to describe Jesus' descent and ascension after the crucifixion. He proclaims the need to repent to all people, even explicitly non-Jews, and they respond. He is even from Galilee very near Nazareth, which is relevant with the Jewish leaders challenge Jesus' authority because no prophet has ever come from there. And even though non-biblical, like Jesus Jonah is included as a prophet in the Quran.

Application: I have heard a great pastor say many times that, if you see something in the New Testament, you can find the prediction, lesson, and/or parallel for it in the Old Testament. One would think that specifics about Messiah - a unique act intended by God to redeem the world - would be the exception to this. It isn't. And it is by this very fact that we can logically trust in the authenticity of Jesus.

So many want logic to justify faith, and yet they always reject such logic. In the case of Jonah, many even reject the entire book as a work of fiction. The truth is ... that doesn't matter. If the book was written ~700 years before Christ, and then predicts the life of Christ, that is still logical evidence. I know logic doesn't truly work when discussing faith, but understanding it can help in certain discussions.

I love the logic of the bible, and the way it can reinforce faith and hope. For this reason, Jonah has changed from a fascinating children's story about a man swallowed by a fish, to become a comforting study that reinforces God's plan through Jesus, especially as it applies to the salvation of Gentiles like me.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your plan and intentionality, that makes faith both emotional and logical. May my faith grow stronger every day. Amen.

Describing Those who Reject God

Scripture: They were filled with every kind of injustice, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Romans 1:29-31

Observation: Paul spends time defining the characteristics of those who reject the Lord. They do not do so out of ignorance, but rather they know of the Lord and his instructions, and choose not to believe or serve him. Here he gives an outline of what their behavior looks like. This list ... effectively describes modern society in the United States.

Those who reject God are filled with every kind of injustice (racist), evil (broad), covetousness (hate the rich), malice (hold hateful grudges for perceived wrongs), full of envy (want what others have), murder (think killing the unborn is a human right), strive (seek out public conflicts), deceit (twist facts to their purposes), craftiness (confuse issues on purpose), they are gossips (turn talking about others into entertainment), slanderers (openly accuse others), God-haters (declare there is no creator), insolent (resist any logical discussion of faith), haughty (angry toward those who disagree with them), boastful (proudly brag of their own sinful life), inventors of evil (accuse the faithful of being in the wrong), rebellious toward parents (engage in fights between generations), foolish (reject common wisdom), faithless (reject Jesus), heartless (truly hate those whom disagree with them), ruthless (declare that disagreements are a zero-sum war).

Paul further tells us what the Lord is doing about these kinds of people. He is ... allowing them to live these kinds of hateful, angry, stressful, painful lives. He "gives them over" to the things they want, to their unfit minds. He allows them to receive the "due penalty for their errors." He lets them become "futile in their thinking" and with "senseless hearts". Ultimately, "claiming to be wise, they become fools."

Application: While it may be comforting to know that not only does God see and know what is going on, it is less comforting to know that he is addressing it by allowing those who hate them to effectively dig their own graves. I would prefer that the Lord intervene and immediate correct these attitudes and behaviors through wonderous acts of power, but I know that instead he will let it simply play out. It is not comforting to know how this worked out for Christians in Rome, who eventually would fall under heavy persecution even unto death.

When the social norm is to violate every precept and instruction ever given by the Lord - and even to declare the Lord and his good and perfect will for our lives as evil - then honoring the Lord makes us an outcast, abnormal ... exiles.

More and more, I see the truth of this society. Supernatural evil has taken hold, and the lies of the deceiver have been adopted as true standards to live by. With that understanding, the clear and evident fact that our society is disintegrating into ideological clans filled with anger and hate is no surprise.

The logical conclusion is that it is NOT right to hate the people who hate the Lord, but to empathize with them ... to see them as people deceived by satan, and strive to love them into a new understanding of the truth about the world.

Prayer: Lord, the world is so dark, and getting darker. I cling to you and your truth and your love, and I declare again today my faith in Jesus Christ as my savior and redeemer. May I be a light in the darkness. And may I continue to understand what it means to live as an exile in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Seeking a Crown of Glory

Scripture:
Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is gained in a righteous life.
Proverbs 16:31

Observation: This proverb is a call for wisdom from the elders. Those who have reached old age have ideally found peace, as a result of their walk with the Lord, and now have wisdom to impart on others. In this way, their gray hair is a sign of that status.

Application: I always assumed I would go very gray, as that is natural in my family. My paternal grandfather, my dad, and his brother all went pure white-gray in their 50s, and I am well on my way ... at the current rate, I would expect to have my hair color be officially "white" before I'm 60.

But have I gained wisdom? I am wiser than when I was young, and that wisdom has been earned through years of experience (including stresses caused by mistakes), but I would not say I am yet worthy of a "crown of glory". I desire to be a wise man within my community so that I may serve others with wisdom, but I know I am not nearly there yet from the perspective of God's wisdom.

That is a gift I would like from the Holy Spirit ... wisdom. Not Solomon-like wisdom to lead, but God's words of wisdom that I may bless others with kind and true advice. Not advice based on my knowledge, but based on the Lord's will and vision and precepts and love.

With that, I could then look in the mirror and see my gray hair as a reminder of the Lord's goodness in my life ... and perhaps that I have matured to experience a righteous life myself.

Prayer: Lord, I know I have been slow to learn, yet I have not remained where I was when I was so young, angry, reckless, and naive. I thank you for your Spirit who has guided the maturity I have. I desire more of that Spirit. Please give me a heart more worthy to be a home for your Holy Spirit, and may I have wisdom to serve my family, my friends, my coworkers, my community, and your people in Christ. Amen.

Rejecting One's Own Hope

Scripture: They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I have belonged to the strictest sect of our religion and lived as a Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial on account of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship day and night. It is for this hope, Your Excellency, that I am accused by Jews! Acts 26:5-7

Observation: Paul begins his defense before King Agrippa with this summary statement ... He himself is very well educated in Jewish principles, which include the hope of a Messiah who will provide new meaning and restoration for the Jews as the Lord's kingdom of priests, and this Messiah actually came and fulfilled every hope of the prophets. It is for declaring the joy that all hope has been fulfilled that the Jews now seek Paul's execution.

Paul will go on to tell his testimony, and in fact will encourage Agrippa to believe in Jesus, however it is this first fact that is the entire cause of the trial. The Jews - those who hope for purpose and meaning and peace as a people - have rejected the truth, even though that truth completely fulfilled the prophetic promises they believe would bring about their purpose and meaning and peace.

Application: What do so many people hope for today? They hope for ... their lives to have purpose; their daily activities to be joyful; their interactions to be positive; their hearts to find love. What do so many people reject today? They reject ... Jesus as the Messiah, and by extension the love, joy, wisdom, and purpose that is found in God's perfect love.

It is easy to see the illogical decisions of those people who are of the world. However, the bible shows us that this has always been the way of humans, influenced by satan, driven by the pride of self-determination, seeking to actualize their own solutions to life's problems instead of accepting God's very simple solution.

The majority of people reject that which they hope for when it is provided to them by the miraculous, wise, loving hand of the Lord. This has always been the case.

Prayer: Lord, again today I am reminded to how strongly the evil in the world has corrupted human hearts and minds. I am just as likely to fall victim to this regarding daily matters and activities as anyone. Please guard my heart and mind, so I may depend on your hand and wise direction in my daily walk. Amen.

When the Context is a Lie

Scripture: When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: "Because of you, most excellent Felix, we have long enjoyed peace, and reforms have been made for this people because of your foresight. In every way and everywhere we welcome this with utmost gratitude." Acts 24:2-3

Observation: Paul's trial before the Roman governor Felix begins with this statement ... a declaration that the Romans have brought both peace and excellent changes to the Jews, and that the Jews themselves have welcomed the reforms across their entire land while being very, very grateful for them. These statements are so utterly false in every way that it barely requires analysis; even reading such statements borders on comedic irony.

It is in the context of such a wild lie that the accusations against Paul begin. From this moment forward, we know that all future statements will be lies, partly because they will now align to this false context. We don't even need to be told exactly what is said in Paul's trial. We are told he "agitated" certain Jewish sects, and then that other Jews joined in "asserting that all this was true".

Application: I have grown so weary of this exact pattern of behavior in society ... a declarative context being created that is so completely false, and then the "truth" being defined within the scope of that lie. This is everywhere. Within noble sounding concepts like love, choice, human rights, justice, and equity, we find one master lie that is declared over and over until it is believed by many. Once that is accomplished, every subsequent concept that aligns to that context is considered good and true.

Satan has worked diligently and patiently in establishing his lies in this age. He has left us with a world where we think killing babies is a right, violent criminals are victims of oppression, race is the primary catalyst of interpersonal conflict, and genders don't actually exist. We have manmade laws that themselves are the very definition of lawlessness.

We always knew this age would come. That doesn't make it easy to live in.

Prayer: Lord, we have reached a place where seemingly the context of every conversation is a foundational lie. Please help us reach others in the name of Jesus, despite these foundational challenges in our society. And please, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Taking Action to Meet God

Scripture: Then she saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Urge the animal on; do not hold back for me unless I tell you.” So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel. 2 Kings 4:24-25

Observation: Throughout this section, people come to Elisha to express their need. The three kings from Edom, Israel, and Judah are wondering without provision and thus go to Elisha for clarity of their mission. The poor widow brings her money problem to Elisha. The Shunammite woman goes to Elisha herself to tell him of her son's death.

Elisha is capable of engaging with the Lord through the Holy Spirit and understanding any situation. He does so when asked, repeatedly. He tells people to take actions, knowing how the Lord will intervene into their situation when they demonstrate faith. However ... he always waits to be asked. He did not go find the poor woman to help her avoid slavery for her children. He did not walk out to the armies to aid the king of Judah. He did not go to the Shunammite's house to heal or restore the son. He waited, gave instructions, then allowed faith to act.

Application: This is the model for prayer, and one I would do better to understand. Yes, the Lord can do absolutely anything. However, he often waits to be asked. This is not because he desires our begging attitude. Rather, he desires our faith and worship. He wants to respond to our faith, not just do for us, and in this way help us to truly see and acknowledge his great hand in our lives.

I am slow to pray for what I need. When I do, and have difficulty listening for instructions I should follow next. True, I don't often (ever?) have a prophet standing there spelling it out for me. But this process needs to start with me, bringing my challenges to the Lord, setting them at his feet, and then waiting for instructions about what to do next.

Prayer: Lord, I do set before you the challenges of my life, which is understanding my purpose. I am 56, with my life two-thirds done, and have no idea what I am supposed to be doing. May I await your answer and instructions. Amen.