Faith is Always Public

Scripture: After worshiping him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the temple praising God. Luke 24:52-53

Observation: The gospel of Luke ends with this ... after Jesus' ascension, the disciples wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, and they spend their days in the temple, worshipping and praising the Lord. This is very different than the fractured and fearful group huddled in the upper room immediately after the crucifixion. At that time, the disciples were afraid for their lives, and doubtful of everything they had believed. Those who wandered out - like the two who went to Emaus - talked of their confusion, sadness, and lost hope.

However, now secure in their faith and understanding the true nature of Jesus, they are boldly standing in the most public place in Judea. They do so with "great joy", and they publicly show themselves to be praising God. This would have been irrational to those around them, knowing them as disciples of Jesus who was crucified, and it would have been visible to the very authorities - both Jewish and Roman - who had taken such drastic action to suppress Jesus. They are doing this because ... they know the truth, and that truth gives them joy and hope and peace and faith that cannot be kept secret or quiet.

Application: True faith in Jesus as Messiah - true understanding of the gospel and of the hope we have by faith - must always be publicly evident. It cannot be a secret, like a lamp under a basket. Faith is, and must be, part of who we are every day, and thus seen by everyone.

I discuss my faith ... maybe not boldly or repeatedly in every public setting, but it is known to others. It comes up in work settings, and though I work in a time and place where I have been personally and professionally attacked for my faith, it is known I am a believer. However, I am not exactly in the middle of the city singing praise and declaring that faith in a loud voice. I do most of my worship alone and unseen. And my default words to anyone in need of encouragement - while coming from a heart that desires to love them like Jesus - typically will not include the name of Jesus or a pronouncement of Christian hope.

I could be more public in my faith. And true faith is always public as part of who I must authentically be.

Prayer: Lord, culture today says we must accept everyone's "authentic self". Well, I am a disciple of Jesus, with faith and hope in you. I will bring that forward more. I do know how it will really be received and responded to by others, but that is not important. My faith will be public. Amen.

I Feel a Little Unfixable

I am a little unstable, loose wires always getting tangled.

I am a little bit difficult, and I can be a little self-critical.

I am a little unable to put all my cards on the table.

I am a little uneven, in need of a little more healing.

It's amazing that you can love me like I am!!

Awaiting for This to Perish

Scripture:
The hope of the righteous is joy,
but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
Proverbs 10:28

Observation: The proverbs offer several point/counterpoint observations between the ways of the righteous and the wicked. In this one, the difference is in how their goals will be perceived by others, taken up, and thus propagate and survive. The hopes of righteous people bring joy, and thus others will enjoy them as well. However, the goals and work - expectations - of the wicked do not bring joy, and once the wicked are no longer there to advance the idea, no one will take up the work. They will perish.

Application: I can only hope this is true. We are surrounded by a culture where the "expectations of the wicked" have momentum from the sheer number of wicked who exist. The ideas they advance are destroying the lives of young people, undermining the hope of generations, damaging minds and emotions, tearing apart families, dividing entire communities, and causing harm physically, emotionally, and mentally to millions.

Yes, we pray for it to end. However, we absolutely pray for this proverb to be true ... for these goals and expectations, created by wicked people who are opposed to the Lord and deny his love, to perish along with the wicked that is establishing them.

Prayer: Lord, may your word be fulfilled, if not immediately, then as time passes and those advancing the wickedness of this era pass away. May the wickedness of this dark time perish. Amen.

The Next Thing You Know

Scripture: Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings as well as the curses—according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before the entire assembly of Israel, including the women, the dependents, and the resident aliens who lived among them. Joshua 8:34-35

Observation: Israel has defeated Ai, and Joshua proceeds to act as commanded by the law. As the leader, he writes down his own copy of the law, then reads it to absolutely everyone. That is the summary of chapter 8. The very next thing that happens in chapter 9 is ... Israel is tricked into signing a treaty by the Gibeonites - people from the city right next door to where Israel is now camped - an act expressly forbidden by the law.

Israel is on a cycle of obedience and disobedience. They followed instructions in battling Jerico, were rewarded with success, then disobeyed by keeping some spoils and were punished by a defeat. They followed instructions in purifying themselves, were rewarded with success against Ai, renewed their commitment to obedience, and then disobeyed by entering a treaty with others.

Part of the issue seems to be a lack of consistency in engaging with the Lord. When they engage with Yahweh, he tells them what to do and they obey, and all goes well. Then the fail to consult Yahweh, make their own decisions, and immediately get it wrong. This echos back to original sin ... trusting one's own judgment and decision-making instead of listening for the Lord's guidance.

Application: In watching Israel, I am sure they also think of things as big vs. small decisions. They look to God for all the big decision - what cities to attack, how to fight and not die - but then make their own decisions on small matters. I am sure they didn't think being kind to a bunch of scraggly wanderers was a big deal, but it would turn out to be a major problem for their settlement of the land for decades to come.

I know I don't consult the Lord on little matters. I pray about big things, but not about just daily life. I'm sure this is a problem, and causes me problems all the time. I do wish I would knee-jerk respond to everything in life by turning to the Lord ... from what to say at a meeting, to determining deadlines on work, to finding time to relax, to how to help my family on a daily basis. Otherwise, the next thing that will happen might not be what I want.

Prayer: Lord, may I better develop a nearly reflex reaction to simply seek your guidance in everything, every day. Amen.

A Very Special Designation

Scripture: However, Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, her father’s family, and all who belonged to her, because she hid the messengers Joshua had sent to spy on Jericho, and she still lives in Israel today. Joshua 6:25

Observation: In the defeat of Jericho, Rahab is called out multiple times in special ways. She had hid the spies, and thus was saved from destruction along with her entire family. However, more than that, Joshua himself gives special commands about her, and there is detail about where she is taken. In the last line about this, it is explicitly said that "she still lives in Israel today."

There are questions about when this was written. Tradition says Joshua wrote the book of Joshua himself, and thus the idea that Rahab continued to live with Israel isn't shocking. Others would indicate that the book would have had an oral tradition - not written - for nearly 700 years, and therefore it is curious that, when it was first written, this line about Rahab still living was kept. Either way, however, there is a special designation and attention being given to Rahab and to her wellbeing. Once again, regardless of when the information was recorded, the author has decided to highlight a relatively meaningless event, surrounding a rather meaningless person, for what appears to be no reason at all.

However, over a millennia later, that reason will be revealed, as Rahab is an ancestor of Jesus, called out in Joseph's genealogy by Matthew.

Application: As I previously discussed about the circumstances surrounding Judah and Tamar, the scriptures contain information about irrelevant details, that then don't become relevant until Jesus is born. In the case of Rahab, we have a prostitute whom helped out Israel in scouting Jericho (and as a side note, the scouting was completely, 100 percent pointless, accomplishing nothing, as the Lord had his own plan and no intelligence was used in any way), and thus she was not killed. From this, she becomes the second or third most important person documented surrounding this most notable victory of Israel entering the promised land.

Again I say it, this type of writing detail cannot be accidental, and cannot be intentionally performed by men operating independently across centuries and centuries of time. Only the Lord can author such a narrative.

Prayer: Lord, your word remains alive for me. As I meditate on the meaning of all you have to teach me, I am very aware of how accurate and true that teaching is, because there is no way it cannot be true. I refuse to believe the lies of this world, and rely upon your truth. Thank you for your word. Amen.

Expunging the Generational Curses

Scripture:
Let Reuben live and not die
though his people become few.
Deuteronomy 33:6

Observation: As Moses goes through a final message of blessing, he mentions all the tribes ... except one. Moses skips Simeon entirely, and this "blessing" of Reuben is dubious at best, basically asking for his tribes' borderline survival.

Reuben and Simeon were the eldest of Jacob's sons, followed by Levi and Judah. Both Reuben and Simeon raised the anger of Jacob and were 'downgraded' in status. Levi did also, but was effectively redeemed as a tribe. When Jacob blessed his sons when he was dying, he declared hardship for Reuben, and effectively cursed Simeon and Levi to be "scattered" and eventually not receive land in Canaan.

Now hundreds of years later, Moses has laid out a land-claim model whereby Reuben will end up in the most contested of all the land and will struggle to even survive as a tribe ... the best 'blessing' Moses can muster for this tribe is that perhaps it won't be completely killed off. Levi will receive no inheritance as the priestly workers scattered through the land. Simeon will receive a claim embedded within Judah's and will fade from existence as a standalone area.

The downfall of Reuben was the sin he committed with Bilhah. However, the downfall of Simeon was the same as Levi - the slaughter of the Shechemites - yet Levi is now redeemed (still scattered but the priests and temple workers), and Simeon is totally ignored as a tribe by Moses.

Application: This omission by Moses really jumped out at me, and there must be a deeper reason behind it. Of course I did quick research, and there are several explanations that all seem valid. Most of these include some version of a) Simeon having been cursed by Jacob, b) Simeon not receiving an independent allotment of land, and c) Simeon as a tribe failing to redeem itself during the Exodus and Numbers saga the way Levi did.

Whatever the reason, the omission of even a side-comment acknowledgement of existence must have been obvious and received as an intentional slight. It remains part of the strange dynamic of Israel, how tribes that now number in the tens and hundreds of thousands each are still considered to have group attributes of one founding son of Jacob, and continue to receive treatment based on actions that individual performed as a teenager.

I have thought this before ... are their curses that will be passed to my children and descendants that stem from my bad actions when I was younger? I think I know the answer. If not for Jesus, the answer would be yes. However, because of Jesus, those wrongs and sins are completely expunged from my record, and my family is no longer cursed by my errors. In this way Jesus has not just redeemed me, but he has removed generational curse from my family.

Prayer: Lord, for all the reasons I am humbled and thankful for Jesus, this may be top of the list. I have been wicked and evil and sinful in my past, however you have fully forgiven and redeemed and restored me through faith in Jesus, and that extends to the removal of generational curse. Thank you, thank you, thank you my Lord and my savior! Amen.

Upon This Rock ... the OG Reference

Scripture:
The Rock—his work is perfect;
all his ways are just.
A faithful God, without bias,
he is righteous and true.
Deuteronomy 32:4

Observation: As Moses pronounces his song to Israel, he uses the term "Rock" many times as a reference to the Lord. Yes, he uses other names for the Lord too, including Yahweh and God (likely various words like Adonai), however the term Rock - capitalized - is used five times, and is also lowercased in quotes ('rock') twice when referring to false gods. Therefore, Moses is very intentionally introducing the word "Rock" as a description of, if not an outright name for, the Lord. The term is introduced in verse 4 as a name for the Lord. Later, the term Rock is used to state that ... the people rejected salvation, they ignored their creator, and God is so strong that the only way Israel could ever be defeated is by God's own choice.

In looking at the Hebrew word for 'rock' (eben) when written in Hebrew, it is comprised of three characters. The first is also the first letter of their alphabet, which became commonly used as the symbol for God when the Jews would not write out the full name. The second two characters together, when alone, are the spelling of the word 'son'. Thus, there is a way of looking at the word "rock" to represent "God the father and his son." (And yes, had to look all this up of course.)

Jesus will pick up this same theme. Jesus refers to himself as Messiah as the rock or cornerstone that will cause others to stumble, and that truth as the rock upon which his church will be built. He compares faith in him as Messiah to the bedrock upon which to build one's life.

In all of this, in Moses' very last contribution to everyone's understanding of the Lord, he has introduced as complex concept. The Lord is the Rock, comprised as both the father and creator of the universe, and the son of God. That Rock is contained in and demonstrated through his works, which are perfect, just, righteous, and true. The Rock is strong and cannot be broken, and it is only by the Lord's own will that anything on earth can happen.

Application: My college major is English Literature, and thus I understand how someone can study the intricacies of written works as a full-time vocation. I can even see studying one author's work, or a single era of collected works. However, it is the depth and complexity of the bible that is so unrivaled that millions of people can study this one book for thousands of years. And this is because God was always so amazing in his love for us, and his desire that we have faith in Jesus as a path to redemption, that he created all the signposts for us to follow millennia before Jesus even arrived on earth.

Jesus is the Messiah. This is the truth, and it is the redemptive gift of the Lord, provided out of his love and mercy and justice. And this is the Rock upon which I place my life.

Prayer: Lord, again I say it, thank you for your word, and the power found by your word and your teaching. It is by your word that I know you and know the truth about life, about Jesus, and about you. You are my hope, my rock, and my Lord. Amen.

Worse than Poor Service

Scripture: But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to rule over us.’ ... But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence. Luke 19:14,27

Observation: In this telling of the parable of the good and faithful servants, there are actually four types of people. There is the master of course. There are the good servants who work and earn money for the master, and there is the bad servant who simply holds the money and does nothing out of fear. However, there are also subjects who want to completely reject the rule of the master. When the master leaves on his journey, they take action to try to remove the master from his position and status. Therefore, when the master returns and has judged his servants, he turns to the matter of the rebellious subjects and has them executed.

This rebellion is treated much more harshly than the unfaithfulness of the servant. The unfaithful servant feared his master and thus failed to serve him well. However, the rebellious subjects have outright animosity toward the master, seeking to reject him entirely as the master and king. The unfaithful servant has his resources taken away and is sent off. The rebellious subjects are killed ... not just a standard type of death, they are "slaughtered", and right in front of the master so they know this is being done on his orders.

Application: This is the parable so many people should fear ... but don't. Yes, as disciples of Jesus, I take away from this the lesson of the servants, desiring to act and serve the Lord instead of doing nothing with the knowledge I have about his love and mercy. However, most people around me are in full rebellion. They have declared that the Lord is not their master, and they desire to have him removed as their ruler. The two great points for them are:

1) It doesn't matter what you want when it comes to God's rule, for he IS the ruler and will never be removed from that position.

2) The response to your rebellion is not a lack of resources or to be cast away, but rather the response is death.

I have been thinking regularly about others - friends and acquaintances - who are likely living under this death sentence and just don't know it yet. I wish they would fear the Lord and accept Jesus, even if they don't know how to serve him yet.

Prayer: Lord, may I bring your truth to others, as you would have me do, wherever you place me every day. My heart does break for those in rebellion. May I and your church be better and teaching them how to be servants. Amen.

Chicken or Egg; Satisfied or Crave

Scripture:
The Lord will not let the righteous go hungry,
but he denies the wicked what they crave.
Proverbs 10:3

Observation: In a chapter explicitly said to be Solomon's proverbs, he makes this observation about how the Lord cares for the righteous versus the wicked. The righteous are satisfied; the Lord will never let them go hungry. However, the wicked are never satisfied; he denies them whatever they crave.

However, there is an element of this that is found in other proverbs, other bible stories, and even the New Testament teachings. Righteous people ARE satisfied. They do not covet nor chase after things of this world. They find comfort and peace in the hands of God. In this manner, they do not go hungry because they simply do not have wants that extend beyond their means. Conversely, wicked people are never satisfied. They covet and desire a great many things. Once they have something they want, they want more, and they scheme and plan how they can get it. In this manner, they always crave because they simply want more and more.

There is a wisdom to be found in exploring which comes first. Is a righteous person satisfied because everything they want has been provided to them, or do they simply have no wants and therefore are satisfied? Does a wicked person crave more because what they want is withheld from them, or does their wicked want for more produce craving?

Application: I fall into a trap of wanting more sometimes. I was doing it just last night, exploring ideas of houses I could never have. The truth is, I don't really even want to live in the place I was looking at (Kauai), and the homes I could afford are no more than what I already own, just with an ocean view (and corresponding mortgage-payment-size monthly HOA fees).

It doesn't make me wicked to look. It would make me wicked if I pursued the actions needed to obtain such possessions. Instead, I know very well that the Lord has given me just what I need, where I need it, and will continue to provide for our modest comfort. I never go hungry. I pray I also never crave.

Prayer: Lord, I say it again, may I never crave. Help me to never fall into the trap of covetousness, but instead always be content in your provision and blessing. I know there is no better life than one simply cared for by you, my father, my daddy, my Lord. Amen.

Curse Upon People, not Nations

Scripture: The Lord will bring you and your king that you have appointed to a nation neither you nor your ancestors have known, and there you will worship other gods, of wood and stone. You will become an object of horror, scorn, and ridicule among all the peoples where the Lord will drive you. Deuteronomy 28:36-37

Observation: This section is one of the saddest in the Old Testament. Amidst the excitement of preparing to enter the promised land, Moses delivers curses. The curses are brutal and terrible. They are also conditional - IF they turn away from Yahweh these will happen - however he also declares it is a certainty they will turn away. We know they do, and all these terrible curses come to pass.

However, these curses are not about the nation of Israel. Rather, they are about the people of the Jews, the descendants of Jacob. As a result, the curses are not (just) about how their nation will be overthrown and destroyed. They also discuss what will happen to them as individuals once Israel is overthrown. As an ethnic people-group, they will be "an object of horror, scorn, and ridicule." They will be persecuted and oppressed by every other people-group to where they are scattered, and they will be scattered ... to so many other nations. Even as they lose the identity that made them a special people - they will lose their focus on Yahweh, effectively ceasing as his nation of priests, and will worship other gods - they will still be repressed to the point of continual worry and fear.

God's blessing and curse is not upon a nation ... it is not upon the government that Israel will create. Instead, it applies to people. Yes, those people are a group, and their fate is intertwined with each other as an entity. However, it extends beyond that concept, to people who either do or don't obey the Lord's commands and precepts and instructions.

Application: Many in our age believe that our nation cannot survive given the current direction of our culture. However, God is likely not directly opposed to the "United States" or any other country. He is likely opposed to the people who have come to drive the downward spiral of our culture, and everyone who is complicit is that spiral. And yes, all that may be intertwined with both government structure and political manipulation, requiring the country to be deconstructed as part of the correction, but the Lord's correction will be about people's hearts, not national rhetoric.

The U.S. is NOT the chosen nation of priests, as Israel was. Thus we have never been part of their same covenant, and therefore not likely cursed in the same manner. That isn't to say, however, that as a people-group we haven't failed to comply with the Lord, and thus are subject to retribution.

I don't want to be destroyed personally. Yet I expect my country to be destroyed someday, and I do not find any promise for Christians to be spared from the earthly repercussions of God's nationwide correction. My greatest hope is that my children may find God's grace and mercy, with a fruitful path forward, regardless of how this all plays out.

Prayer: Lord, you are right in your judgment. You are merciful and patient, but certainly your patience and mercy are near an end regarding our rebellious generation. In Jesus' name, thy will be done. Amen.

Shrewdly Making Friends

Scripture: The master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the children of this age are more shrewd than the children of light in dealing with their own people. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of worldly wealth so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings. Luke 16:8-9

Observation: Jesus tells this confusing story about a dishonest manager. In it, a rich man confronts his home manager/overseer about misuse of his possessions. The manager immediately realizes he will be fired - because the accusations are true - so he takes actions to further use the rich man's wealth to make friends for himself so he can receive assistance once fired. He effectively cheats his rich boss by altering the debt owed him by others. When the rich man learns this, he "praises" the "unrighteous manager". He actually admires the effort and foresight of the manager, using the resources at his disposal to help others.

The story doesn't say if the manager was retained or fired. However, Jesus' point is that the manager used wealth at his disposal to help others. The motivation doesn't seem to care as much as the outcome, and even the rich man - who was seemingly taken advantage of in the first place, then outright cheated out of wealth owed him - thinks the manager did the right thing. It seems likely the rich man has so much, that a few measures of wheat and oil are meaningless, however the mercy and resulting joy of others is more important. And again, if this is the right deed, the motivation for doing right is less important.

Jesus turns this rather confusing story into an indictment of the Pharisees, who "love money". Rich Pharisees know the law - to care for others - and could do so with their wealth, but instead hold onto it themselves. The master - the Lord - is now saying they are going to be called to account for their behavior, and now would be a good time for action, using their money to aid others.

Application: I have enough money to "make friends" shrewdly ... to give money to causes and to individuals with specific needs ... to gain their friendly response. That feels like the wrong motivation, but again perhaps motivation is unimportant, or at least less important than outcomes.

I wonder where my wife and I can look to find such need, and respond to it. She has a position where she learns of need regularly. It may be fun to, once again, be the ones God uses to answer prayers. And to make friends.

Prayer: Lord, please guide us in thinking about this parable and responding to this direction. I absolutely do now want to go the way of Pharisees, appearing to love money despite knowing your teaching. You are my Lord, not the comfort of this world. Amen.

Learnings About Lost Sheep

Scripture: When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ Luke 15:5-6

Observation: One of the best-known parables of Jesus, the lost sheep is a metaphor for a lost soul - a lost person - and God is seeking them. He celebrates their recovery, which doesn't mean he doesn't love the 99 sheep that didn't wander away, but that the finding of this sheep was special. It was only just this week, however, that it was explained to me the deeper implications of finding a lost sheep.

Sheep are ... dumb herd animals. A sheep doesn't just up and wander away from the rest, but rather there must be something wrong with it. Often, the issue is physical. Wounded animals will find isolation in order to die, and a blind animal will wander without knowing it. Sheep can even have mental issues that cause them to behave differently. A sheep can also just be foolish and get stuck on a fence or thorny bush, or fall into a crevice from where it can't get out.

Therefore, in this parable, when one sheep wanders off, that sheep is a weakened, at-risk, damaged animal. It is that sheep that the shepherd celebrates when he finds it ... the weak and defective and damaged and lame and blind and foolish and wounded and unlucky and hurting sheep. It is the one sheep that probable has less actual earthly value, and thus is the one likely to be missed the least economically, but due to its issue has a tender spot in the shepherd's heart.

Application: I can attest to this, that when I wandered away from the Lord I was very, very hurt, and every subsequent hurt drove me further away. If I can understand this so easily, then I must apply it to others whom I see wandering.

My wife and I are struggling with the suicide seven days ago of a person we knew. She was a young woman who was immensely sweet and caring and in every way lovely. She had also told many of her struggles and hurts ... from harmful relationships, to failed career goals, to her father's own suicide, to the mental health challenges she carried inside. We have both wondered, together and individually, if she had ever known Jesus and accepted him into her heart. She was a lost sheep, but had she at one time belonged to the shepherd? And yes, she was clearly now wandering, isolating herself, and was not found in time for an earthly celebration to occur. Yet we hope and pray that she had, at one time, been part of the flock.

There are so many more wandering. Whether I can see it or know about it, do I understand that they are wandering due to their hurt and pain and innocent defects? Can I help Jesus find them in the midst of that weakness and confusion? Do I have empathy to look past such issues and only see the person that the tenderhearted shepherd cherishes and wants to celebrate?

Prayer: Lord, in my pain, you came for me. As I learn to love others more, may I understand the truth about the wandering and lost, and know of their pain and hurt even when I can't see it. If I can aid in the searching for others, here I am. Amen.

Speaking of Crazy Ideas

Scripture: But the prophet who presumes to speak a message in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die.’ You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a message the Lord has not spoken?’ When a prophet speaks in the Lord’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. Deuteronomy 18:20-22

Observation: As Moses differentiates between prophets and divination, he makes this statement about false prophets and false prophesies. Those who pronounced the word of God falsely are to die, and the criteria is this ... that the prophesies are in fact false and do not come true.

Application: I personally know a few dozen Christians who need this information emailed to them immediately.

I am so very weary of this issue ... certain individuals being zealous over some "fact" they know through some "prophet" - a prophet on social media - who declares with great certainty everything we need to know and observe about ... presidential elections, government policies, vaccines, public health, gun control, local violence, war schedules and outcomes, hurricanes, medical outcomes.

They are never right. I don't mean that they are not 100 percent accurate, or that their prophetic results are subject to interpretation. I mean they are NEVER EVER correct in any form or manner. They provide details, outcomes, with dates, and nothing even similar to what they say occurs. And those around me, every time this happens, double-down with even crazier ideas about 'why' these things didn't come to pass, and with the next wild declaration they are choosing to believe and share this week.

How is it that people who believe in the Lord, then embrace false prophets? They don't just embrace them with hope intermixed with a touch of ignorance, but with enthusiastic fervor bordering on radical mania. They don't just pursue the wisdom of the Lord over the wisdom of the world, but rather they reject all wisdom for illogical and contradictory concepts, all because such false statements align to worldly hope they hold in their own hearts.

And this last element is the true issue ... that there are individuals who formulate goals for society within their own hearts, and then seek a 'truth' that supports that social model.

It is enough that the world itself stands opposed to the wisdom of the Lord, and against the hope of his Messiah Jesus Christ. Now we have false prophets misleading so many, and thus directing their time and efforts to meaningless pursuits, pointless topics, and wrong messages.

Prayer: Lord, in my heart and mind right now are several members of my church, and members of my own family. These are people who could do so much for your kingdom. May their hearts be reminded of what true prophets are, and where your true word comes from. Amen.

Source of Human Standards

Scriptures: Be careful that there isn’t this wicked thought in your heart, ‘The seventh year, the year of canceling debts, is near,’ and you are stingy toward your poor brother and give him nothing. He will cry out to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty. Deuteronomy 15:9

Observation: As Moses teaches the precepts for lending - especially the canceling of debts every seven years - he warns of this pitfall, which is that people may choose not to lend money to help others when that seventh year is near, for the debt will certainly have to be canceled before it is paid back. He warns not to do that, and of course the great point is that the Lord blesses the generous person ... of course you won't receive the money back that you lent, but you will receive blessing from the Lord that will exceed that loan.

However, this is a loophole that Moses is calling out. He is warning about the hearts of men, and how they will now change how they behave due to the rules about forgiving debt. Debt forgiveness will not then be a blessing to the recipient of the forgiveness, but a burden on the poor who cannot receive a loan. So is there any acceptable limitation on how much can or should be lent in each year within the seven year cycle? This feels like exactly the kind of loophole question people would ask, and exactly the kind of thing that some "legal expert" ... a Pharisee ... may eventually establish as a man-made component of obedience to the law.

Most of the rules and precepts Moses wrote had some element of vagueness. The how/where/what components were often missing. Wash before eating ... what do you wash? Meet in the place ... where is that, a city or single building or type of building? Do no work ... what is considered work? Give freely ... how much is normal for that? In time, it is human nature to come up with "standards" for all these elements, and then to have people who teach the standards. The danger comes when those standards become themselves the law, ignoring the spirit and purpose of the original teaching.

Application: It is in this manner I can understand the existence of the Pharisees and Jewish experts we find judging Jesus in the gospels. That same activity still takes place today, in all aspects of life. For example, there are accepted standards for hours of work every day, but the truth is those standards are effectively arbitrary ... they exist instead to establish a common understanding of expectations, and thus close a loophole for someone looking to find the absolutely minimum they can do, and since such people can create burden on others, a standard is established.

I wonder how much of Jesus' teaching we have turned into "standards" that we now teach and enforce, losing the heart of the matter in the process? I'm sure there are procedural activities like taking communion that don't look like what Jesus intended, and in some churches there are people who are a stickler for their procedures that are nothing like what Jesus did. I get angry at how some things are done in church, and I know that is wrong.

More and more, it is important that we obey the heart of Jesus, not the human process we have created to achieve that obedience.

Prayer: Lord, I ask today for your forgiveness for when I have cared too much about how, where, and what we are doing in the church, and not enough about your love as the reason why we do it. May I not have strong opinions about process, but simply love others as you have taught. Amen.

Not Because of the Door

Scripture: Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from me, all you evildoers!’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown out. They will come from east and west, from north and south, to share the banquet in the kingdom of God. Note this: Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last. Luke 13:26-30

Observation: When Jesus speaks of entering the kingdom by "the narrow door" or gate, it is confusing. The question is even asked if this means only a few people can enter. Jesus does not directly answer that. Instead, he says everyone needs to enter by that narrow door, for someday it will be closed up and those outside will not get in, even though they claim they were friends with the Lord in the place where he ate and drank and taught.

There is almost no other interpretation possible about this ... Jesus is the door, by faith in him everyone enters the kingdom, and this is a warning for the Jews. It is the Jews who can claim that the Lord was in their presence. It is the Jews who can say Jesus now - and Yahweh for generations - ate and drank with them, and taught in their streets. It is the Jews who would recognize that the patriarchs and all the prophets taught them and warned them and themselves believe, but the populace rejected it. Furthermore, it is the gentiles who will come from all directions to share in the kingdom. It is the gentiles who are the last to be reached, and will greatly accept Jesus, while the Jews - the first to be reached - will not, and will thus be 'last'.

Application: My son is in Israel right now, and last night my in-laws wondered about why the Jews continue to reject Jesus as the Messiah. I don't know the answer as to 'why'. I do know that Jesus knew it would happen, and he tried to warn anyone who would listen.

Yes, fewer people will enter by the "narrow door" than will not. That is not because of the dimensions of the door. It is because of the decisions of the individuals. Most people look at the door - Jesus as the way - and choose not to enter. And yes, that door locks at some point for everyone, and once locked perhaps they recognize the lost situation but can do nothing about it then.

It isn't just the Jews who reject Jesus, but most people do. This has probably always been true from a purely numbers perspective. But again, that isn't because the door is too narrow to allow anyone who chooses to enter to pass through. The door is narrow, but it's also open.

I am thankful that God specifically opened the door to gentiles like me ... those who would "come from the east and west, from north and south, to share the banquet in the kingdom of God." I have entered through the narrow door, knowing Jesus is the way.

Prayer: Lord, I pray today for Israel and for your chosen people. I am not wise enough to understand your ways, and therefore I do not know how the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants apply today. I do not know how or why your chosen people can know everything about Messiah, and not know Messiah himself. Yet I do know you have always had a plan that involves the function of the Jewish people in the world, as a method of making yourself known. May many, many more of them choose the narrow door. Amen.

Proceed at Your Own Peril

Scripture: When your son asks you in the future, ‘What is the meaning of the decrees, statutes, and ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ ... The Lord commanded us to follow all these statutes and to fear the Lord our God for our prosperity always and for our preservation, as it is today. Deuteronomy 6:20,24

Observation: As Moses is about to reteach all the ordinances, statutes, and precepts of the law, he also tells Israel why they have the law. It exists for our prosperity and preservation.

He will spend the next couple chapters re-enforcing this idea, which is that within the obedience to God's word lies the love, care, and blessing of God. The Lord will provide good harvests, abundant resources, natural resources, personal health, and peaceful living to those who obey and honor him. However, he will withdraw all these things from anyone who rejects his word, pursues other gods, and defiles God's own nature.

It cannot be stated any clearer than what Moses says. Obey the word of the Lord, and you will live a blessed life .. yes, it will still require work and sacrifice, but it will be better than any possible alternative. However, reject the word of the Lord, and you will proceed at your own peril, subject to every hardship the world can avail, from nature and from mankind.

Application: These words of Moses are specific to Israel in the promised land, to be certain. I mean, I don't have any Girgashites in need of being driven out of my city! However, the nature of God never changes, and thus his guidance for our lives is the same. We are to listen to him, love the Lord with all that we are, and obey his word. In doing these things, he will be with us.

I don't want to proceed in life independent of the Lord. I do wish I did a better job of obedience. The Lord has given me so much in my life, none of which I have earned. While I cannot earn it, I can obey and do a better job of walking with God, aligned to his statutes, commands, and instructions.

Prayer: Lord, I am listening. I carry items on my hand to remind me of your words. May I do better every day at true obedience, so I may live within the shadow of your wings, walking hand in hand with you along your chosen path, every day. Amen.

When I Was a Prodigal

I’ve seen shame,
The kind that comes from mistakes.
I’ve seen regret,
The kind that messes with your head.

Now I see grace!!

When I was a prodigal
You saw a son,
When I left the 99
You saw the one!

The Modern Question NOT Asked

Scripture: He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.” “You’ve answered correctly,” he told him. “Do this and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:27-29

Observation: As the lead-in to the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus asks an "expert in the law" about the law. The man answers well, citing the two greatest commands, effectively "love God and love others". However, the man then asks Jesus to clarify ... exactly who is "my neighbor".

Yes, Jesus will use a parable to respond, and the answer is effectively 'everyone', including strangers and even those you may have low opinions of. However, it is important to note that, even though the legal expert was looking for a loophole to "justify himself", he did NOT ask the question that would be most prevalent in modern culture ... exactly who is God?

Application: There are massive numbers of people today who, if you told them to 'love God and love others,' they would have no problem at all in loving others. In fact, they would demonstrate how greatly they love others by how they champion the thoughts, opinions, and behaviors of absolutely everyone. They declare their love for others by identifying themselves as advocates and partners of people-groups who may be nothing like themselves. This very idea that Jesus promoted in the good Samaritan parable - to love everyone - is almost the defining characteristic of a good society or culture today.

However, there are massive numbers of people today who, if you told them to 'love God and love others,' they would ask ... who is God? They would be confused by the very idea of a definitive God, or even reject that idea entirely. They might wonder about how a myriad of gods and spiritual concepts has any applicability to their mission and purpose in life. They would almost certainly renounce the statement that caring about a conceptual being that probably doesn't exist - and thus demonstrating that care through obedience to ancient instructions about right behavior - has any place in their model of the proper way to live.

Many people love others, and demonstrate that by opposing the Lord, denying his existence and/or authority, and even describing his guidance for loving others wrong and 'evil'. It is this shift ... 'experts' who now know whom their neighbor is, but don't know whom the Lord God is ... that needs response today.

Prayer: Lord, you know of this change, and how the evil one has twisted the concept of loving others against our society and against you. Yes, I wish to love others better. However, I will always love you first and best. Please help your people to know how to best respond to the experts all around who know nothing of your love. Amen.

Claiming the Promise of Covenant

Scripture: When you get close to the Ammonites, don’t show any hostility to them or provoke them, for I will not give you any of the Ammonites’ land as a possession; I have given it as a possession to the descendants of Lot.’” This too used to be regarded as the land of the Rephaim. The Rephaim lived there previously, though the Ammonites called them Zamzummim, a great and numerous people, tall as the Anakim. The Lord destroyed the Rephaim at the advance of the Ammonites, so that they drove them out and settled in their place. This was just as he had done for the descendants of Esau who lived in Seir, when he destroyed the Horites before them; they drove them out and have lived in their place until now. Deuteronomy 2:19-22

Observation: Moses begins this book reviewing the history of why the Jews have spent 40 years wandering the wilderness. The story is simple ... the Lord gave them the promised land, they were afraid of the people there and thus refused to go, so the Lord punished that generation by forcing them to wander and die without entering the land.

During this time of wandering, they pass through other lands. Three such lands they are expressly told they cannot settle in - the land of the Edomites, Moabites, and Ammonites - as these are lands already settled by the descendants of Esau and Lot, relatives of the Jews.

Moses points out one common detail about all three lands, which is that these lands were also originally populated by tall and numerous people, yet the small number of descendants of both Esau and Lot overcame them and took their land years and years ago. This is a very clear message ... even when these people groups, the families of Esau and Lot, were relatively small, they overcame a larger group because the Lord had decided to give them the land. Now Israel, which numbers over a million people, is about to enter Canaan. The prior generation had witnessed the Lord completely destroy Egypt through incredible miracles, yet feared taking on a significant armed enemy. This generation has not seen this, so instead they must understand that the Lord has done this exact thing before, for a small group that did not have his covenant. How much more will he do for Israel!

In fact, it is this covenant that makes all the difference. For Edom and Lot, the Lord was with them because he simply said he would be, for the sake of Abraham and his descendants. However, the Lord has a special promise with Israel. They are his kingdom of priests, to be his messengers to all the world, with a unique set of laws designed to demonstrate the Lord's authority, justice, and love. He is giving them the better inheritance, and will certainly be with them as he has shown himself to be already. Israel may rely on the covenant of the Lord, and they may have faith in entering the land.

Application: I am part of a covenant with the Lord. In this, I may have total faith that the Lord has promised me salvation by my faith in Jesus. In return, I am to ... go where he tells me to go.

More and more, I am wondering if there will soon be another sending of me to something or somewhere new. I am not where I expected to be now, and I truly have no idea if I am to stay here or proceed to something else, but I do know that is not my decision. I will instead listen to the Lord, and go where he sends me, when he sends me. I will live within his promise, receiving the goodness of a life lived for Jesus, and seeking to live that life following his direction and word. I have seen how he has cared for others around me, and know that his word is true.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your promises found in Jesus. May I live for you more and more. Yes, there is uncertainty around me, but I am certain in your blessing and goodness, and in your directions and plan. You may have me stay for a long time, or you may send me elsewhere today. Either way, my comfort and joy is found in your Messianic covenant. Amen.

Speaking of His Departure

Scripture: Suddenly, two men were talking with him—Moses and Elijah. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. Luke 8:30-31

Observation: During the transfiguration, when Moses and Elijah appear with the glorified Jesus, the topic of their discussion is described in this way ... "speaking of his departure". This departure would be completed in Jerusalem, and obviously it refers to the events of holy week. However, there are three events that could be considered Jesus' "departure":

-- His death by crucifixion (departure from life)

-- His resurrection (departure from death)

-- His ascension (departure from earth)

These all make sense, however which of these would have best involved consultation with Moses and Elijah? In my personal opinion, it isn't the crucifixion, as this form of departure seems unlikely to warrant council unless it is context of the other two events. While Elijah might be able to discuss ascension based on first-hand experience, I feel this "departure" best fits with resurrection.

It was resurrection that would be unique to Jesus, as Jesus would be dead and then be raised back to physical life, fully restored. It was also during the act of resurrection that Jesus would accomplish his true mission ... proving victory over death through faith and thus the forgiveness of sin, which he himself had been sacrificed to atone for. In addition, it was this same act that would involve the final trial of evil, and the salvation of all those before and after Jesus who had/have faith.

Crucifixion was something many had experienced, and ascension was miraculous but not complex ... resurrection is the "departure" that transforms every aspect of human existence for eternity, and is unique to Jesus.

Application: This event - the transfiguration - is one of those mysteries that is so interesting yet confusing. Three eyewitnesses testify to it, but are seemingly overwhelmed to the point of never being able to fully describe it. This one nugget - what Jesus, Moses, and Elijah discussed - isn't even quoted ... they just vaguely state the topic of discussion.

Is it possible that Peter, James, and John heard the entire plan of salvation, and couldn't ever process or understand it? Or did the Lord simply prevent them from revealing the conversation on earth? Or in their state of mind did they not hear it well enough to be certain?

There are times I wish I understood scripture better, so I could definitively understand things like this passage. Then there are times when I recognize that ... the answer about what was being discussed here simply isn't knowable. Any biblical scholar who says otherwise is either guessing, or had received spiritual information independent of the bible. I can do both of those, but not with authority or true understanding.

Prayer: Lord, we are in fact in "holy week" this week, when we remember your great sacrifice, but mostly we celebrate your resurrection and thus salvation given to us. For all time, you knew your plan for redemption of corrupt people like me. Thank you for your great love. Amen.