No Idea What's Going On

Scripture: As he made his entrance into Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken. Unnerved, people were asking, “What’s going on here? Who is this?” The parade crowd answered, “This is the prophet Jesus, the one from Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:10-11

Observation: In addition to Jesus and his close followers, there are two types of people in this passage. One is the great crowd of people who have turned Jesus' entry into Jerusalem into a "parade". They line the street, throw robes and palm fronds at the feet of his donkey, and declare Hosanna and great praise to the point that it echos throughout the city. The second type of people is the occupants of Jerusalem. They have come out to witness the commotion, and are wondering what is happening. They ask "who is this" because they actually don't know why one man is receiving such a welcome as he enters Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover week.

But here's the deal ... neither of these two great crowds of people - which likely number is the six-figure range - have any idea what's actually happening. The city occupants don't know who Jesus is or why he warrants any recognition. The worshipping crowd thinks Jesus is some prophet from Galilee. What they both see is some recently-famous celebrity getting honored as he arrives for the public event and celebration. What they fail to see is that ... the Messiah, the Lord incarnate, the hope of all mankind, promised as the blessing of Israel and savior of all, has arrived to be publicly executed, sacrificed for all sins of all humans for all time, to then be raised from the dead.

What they think is going on is a fun and spontaneous parade tied into the celebration week. What is really going on is the event that will change the entire relationship between Yahweh human beings for all eternity, which has been planned since the dawn of time and predicted for millennia.

Application: Our human attitudes are so self-centered that we can often only understand events from the context of our own perception. We may be the only species capable of imaging outside of reality, and to extrapolate concepts beyond our experience, but usually ... we refused to do so when it comes to accepting the truths about God and Jesus.

Even today, just about an hour ago, I was thinking about how difficult it is for me to understand eternal salvation in heaven. It is easier to understand my non-existence post-death than to understand my continued existence post-death. That's just me being limited by a temporary lack of faith.

By faith, I wish to place my understanding of the world in the context of the Lord and his plan for the world. This is the only proper context, and would bring so much more meaning to everything in life. Just like the difference between seeing an event as a fun parade versus the fulfillment of the ultimate promise of God's love ... I might not understand why things happen, but I would find it all much more fulfilling.

Prayer: Lord, you are the only worthy context for understanding what is going on in the world. So many things confuse and frustrate me, but certainly that is because I repeatedly apply my logic and experience, even when I'm trying to apply your word and teaching. May I instead simply make you, and your love and mercy and hope, the context. Amen.

Definitive Rules Aren't That Clear

Scripture:
Here’s the rule: The light of the wicked is put out.
Their flame dies down and is extinguished.
Job 18:5

Observation: Bildad dives into his second speech with this definitive truth ... that evil people receive their just punishment and are forever sentenced to death. His speech goes on and on about the definitive downfall of evil, sinful people. They fall into their own traps, get caught by their own plots, trip on their own defenses. They die in their beds and are sent to rot in a grave, where they are never remembered, their lives amounting to nothing, with no fame or glory attached to their name. Bildad is clear ... it is definitively understood that evil people get their comeuppance.

Bildad says this is a rule, but we all know it isn't quite true. We all know that, here on earth, evil people often ... win. Yes, they lose in the end, and the eternal end of losing far outweighs a few decades of winning. But by earthly measures - which are the measures being discussed by Job's friends when they see his misery - evil people who completely and fully reject the Lord become famous, live in comfort, successfully pull of their plots and plans, and enjoy the choicest goodness that life offers. Sometimes, their names echo across history, never to be forgotten here on earth. The definitive rule Bildad states may be true in the context of eternity, but it is provably false within the context of a human lifetime.

Application: I well understand the perspective of Job, and that of the author of Ecclesiastes later, in this regard. I know evil people who have fully and completely rejected Jesus, deny the existence of the Lord God almighty, and find success and comfort in all aspects of life. They win out over others, including the faithful, causing pain. This includes those who have deluded millions - even billions - into lifestyles that destroy their own lives.

On earth, Bildad is wrong ... these people often win. Earthly pain and earthly comfort have nothing to do with evaluating if someone is good or sinful. However, I live in full comfort and faith that the Lord's eternal reward includes how we will, indeed, completely forget about those who chose to be outside of the Lord's grace.

Prayer: Lord, may I live within your grace, regardless of how my life proceeds on a daily basis. I desire to do your will, come what may. Amen.

But That it Were Just Common Sense

Scripture:
Isn’t it clear that they all know and agree
that God is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand—
Every living soul, yes,
every breathing creature?
Isn’t this all just common sense,
as common as the sense of taste?
Do you think the elderly have a corner on wisdom,
that you have to grow old before you understand life?
True wisdom and real power belong to God;
from him we learn how to live,
and also what to live for.
Job 12:9-13

Observation: Job has openly asked the Lord to tell him the reason and nature of his suffering, and his friend Zophar criticizes him for challenging the Lord. Zophar says he has clearly sinned, is now paying the punishment, and it is now up to these friends to council Job so he can repent. Questioning God, Zophar says, is itself a sin. Job's response is quite interesting, and breaks down in this passage as two logical points:

1) Everyone knows the Lord is the ultimate authority in the world; even birds and fish know this. Therefore, the actual sin is for someone to declare themselves as 'wise' and thus be the ones who should council Job about his life.

2) Since the Lord is the only wise authority, he is the source of true wisdom about how to live. Therefore, it must be right and proper to ask God directly about what one has done wrong.

It is certainly a sin to declare what is right vs. what is sin independent of the Lord's instruction. This act is itself 'original sin' and is the source of most issues in society today. A wise person declaring the Lord's intentions, without that declaration being completely based on the Lord's own word, is committing the greatest of sins. Likewise, when seeking the truth about right and wrong, wise council is not the primary source of truth, but rather the Lord's own word and wisdom is the source of that authority.

Isn't this all just common sense?

Application: And the answer in 2024 is ... sadly, no. As a matter of fact, "common sense" in society today is that God's wisdom and authority is to be ignored. It is described using words like "unenlightened" and "regressive" and even "hateful". Common sense has been flushed down the toilet.

This is the real struggle we have as a church today, that the very idea that a sovereign Lord provides loving wisdom is totally rejected by a huge portion of the population, perhaps approaching a majority.  While the teachings in Job pertaining to the nature of life and human suffering can be confusing, they at least have one anchor point, which is that the Lord is in control and authority, working out all things for good. This is unwavering and unchanging common sense, which is no longer common.

Prayer: Lord, as I consider the words of my own mouth, talking about what is 'right' and 'good' and 'should be done,' may I also recant in my heart. I do not wish to be Zophar, a person wise in his own eyes as if I know your will and your ways and your heart and your purposes. I do not. May I simply live my life seeking your wisdom and direction, trusting in your good plan. Amen.

No They Don't Have to Ask

Scripture: And that’s exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn’t forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy. Matthew 18:35

Observation: Jesus explains forgiveness with this parable of the king who forgives and servant of their massive debt, but then the servant won't forgive a peer of a very small amount. As a result, the king reverses his mercy and punishes the wicked servant. Jesus summarizes the parable this way ... as we are unworthy of forgiveness but receive it anyway, so we need to forgive others unconditionally.

However, there is one prerequisite ... the person must ask for mercy. This opens up an interesting nuance - or loophole - which is, do we need to condition our forgiveness of others upon their requesting it? Do they need to understand their wrong and seek forgiveness for us to effectively forgive? And are we not accountable to forgive others until and unless they ask for it? Is this not similar to God's model, where he does not forgive our sin until we take intentional action to acknowledge him, obey his word, accept Jesus as our Lord and savior, and in that faith ask for forgiveness?

The answer is obvious: No. No, they do not need to ask. No, we don't get away with not forgiving them just because they didn't ask. We are to forgive proactively, just as our father in heaven desires to show us mercy, and proactively gave us Jesus as the Messiah, for us to find that path to forgiveness he already wanted to extend to us. We may want the loophole to exist. We may want to offer forgiveness only when someone who has wronged us has come to terms and humbly sought our mercy. But that is just wrong. We are already children of God, and by the very knowledge of the mercy we have received, so we must show mercy.

Application: I jumped on this verse, knowing this is what I wish ... that those who wrong me need to come to me, acknowledge their wrongdoing, and then receive my mercy. Oh, how terrible I am for even thinking that. And without doubt, that is completely wrong-headed.

And yes, this is the danger of The Message. It isn't a translation of God's word in the bible. It is a modern-language writing of the word in the bible, and in attempting to write at a 3rd grade level of understanding, it just flat-out oversimplifies the complicated truths. In this case, it added an entire clause that isn't in other translations ... they don't refer to a need for "anyone who asks". They MIGHT imply that forgiveness is explicit to other believers, whom you may already be talking to about their rights and wrongs, as this is the context of the passage and perhaps the meaning of 'brothers or sisters' as the object of forgiveness. But that is very different than any lesson about a prerequisite for offering forgiveness.

I thank God today for guarding my heart with his truth. It would be SO easy for me to declare that I don't need to forgive others, to push this false loophole. However, he clearly showed me that, no, that is wrong. I need to continue to let go of all anger and sadness and depression and worries about what has been done to me in the past, take into my heart the forgiveness I have professed and declared, embrace the forgiveness and atonement I have sought and thus received for my own errors, and move into the joyful life I now have in the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, yes I say it, thank you for your correct word, and correction, in my life. I have forgiven. Please continue to help me also forget. Amen.

A Blessing After All

Scripture:
Issachar is one tough donkey
crouching between the corrals;
When he saw how good the place was,
how pleasant the country,
He gave up his freedom
and went to work as a slave.
Genesis 49:14-15

Observation: Overall, the blessings of Jacob are confusing at best, as many of them are simply ... well, not blessings. Reuben is disowned, Levi and Simeon are said to be unwanted, Gad will be attacked by bandits, Benjamin is just gluttonous. Then there's Issachar, a tough beast of burden who succumbs to slavery. Considering this, there are a couple different possible meanings,

The negative meaning is just as said ... Issachar will succumb to slavery, and even eventually embrace it as normal. There are elements of this in history, as Issachar was founded in the heart of the future Samaria, with all their tribe taken into exile from the Assyrians, and potentially never returning. They potentially were taken away, and then embraced that new lifestyle and integrated into that culture.

The positive meeting of the blessing is that ... Issachar may represent the proper attitude of faith. Strong animals are prideful, headstrong, resistant to taming. However, when one finds a master that is willing to reward it well for its hard work, it will become not just compliant but will embrace that work in return for a good life. This is a life of surrender to our Lord. Living a life that is aligned to the Lord's instructions may look like compliance - even slavery - however it is really a good life, full of care and blessing, where instead of attempting to work hard to figure out everything for ourselves, we simply do what we are instructed and receive gifts.

Application: Thinking on this ... yea, I'm a tough donkey. I'm not even smart enough to be a lion or some other kind of untamable beast. Rather, I'm just a stupid ass. Too often, I refuse to do my work, and perhaps even hide away from the world. However, when I look around and see how wonderful life really is, and how blessed I am when I simply obey the Lord, I should want to absolutely surrender my false freedom, and embrace life as a slave to Christ.

Was this the "blessing" upon Issachar? That he would become a metaphor for faith in Jesus? I don't know. But if that works for my understanding, and the understanding of others, then it is a blessing after all.

Prayer: Lord, again today I say, may thy will be done. And in that doing may I be one who does it, as your servant, one desiring to obey you and your commands. Amen.

Seeking Inside and Outside Health

Scripture:
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Proverbs 3:7-8

Observation: Within the teaching of the proverbs, which emphasize over and over again that one should turn to the Lord's wisdom and not rely upon our own thoughts, is this added piece ... embracing the Lord's wisdom improves your health. Being obedient and trusting in the Lord brings health to your physical body, inside and out.

Application: I have been thinking even this morning that my health is heading in a wrong direction. I am not exercising or doing basic maintenance of myself physically as I should. This week I made a list of things I need to be doing every day, and while that list begins with prayer and devotions and investing time into my marriage, it ends with taking time for physical activities.

The more I lean into my relationship with the Lord and trust him with my daily walk, the more he will find time for me to care for my body and mind. This is a truth I will embrace. I want to be healthier. That begins with avoiding the bad things in life, and that is exactly where the Lord will give me strength through my faith and attention to him.

Prayer: Lord, may I again walk with you today. Guide me on the path that keeps me healthy, both inside and outside. Amen.

Let In on the Secret of Faith

Scripture: Simon Peter said, "You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus came back, "God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am." Matthew 16:16-17

Observation: This is the moment Peter proclaims his faith that Jesus in the Messiah. Jesus will change his name from Simon to Peter, and declare that it is upon this rock that the church will be built. However, he also describes this proclamation interestingly. He calls it a secret, that has been revealed to Peter by the Lord. This is interesting because ... Jesus has been actively and openly proclaiming himself to be the Son of Man, the Messiah. He has been filling Messianic prophesy, and teaching his disciples about those prophesies and how his behavior aligns to them.

Jesus being the Messiah isn't a secret he has been hiding. However, everyone continues to say the "Son of Man" is some other prophet come back to life. It is Peter who declares it, strongly and with great conviction of faith, in this group setting first.

And that seems to be the "secret" Peter has received from God ... faith. Jesus as Messiah isn't head-knowledge to Peter that he learned from a book, or that he has learned as the "right answer" to the question of Jesus as a result of all the teachings. Peter declares Jesus as Messiah because he believes it, by faith, in his heart. It is a belief that fills him to his core. He doesn't know Jesus to be the Son of God as a result of earthly learning. He knows Jesus to be the Son of God in his heart, as if it is part of the embedded fabric of his being. That is the secret.

Application: I know Jesus is Messiah as a result of logical learning, true enough. However, I too know Jesus is Messiah because ... I just know it in my very being. I know it like I know how to breath or drink water. It isn't learned, but it is known.

This is truly how faith manifests. I have seen people who have heard all about Jesus, and even know what he did and all the logic about his miraculous life, and who don't believe in him. Sometimes they are even confused about 'why' they' don't believe, but the fact remains they do not. They have not allowed the Lord to reveal it to their heart. They have rejected that level of knowledge ... the knowledge that isn't about reading stories, but about being internally changed by the Holy Spirit, and the understanding that comes from relationship with a loving father.

The secret, then, is not some truth that will result in faith. The secret is that faith reveals truth.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for letting me in on this secret. When I was lost and about to give up, you didn't teach more something new, but you told me your secret, which was that you do in fact love me, and it was that secret that made Jesus the Messiah for me. Jesus is my Lord and savior, and you are my father and God, and your Spirit is my guide and strength. Amen.

The God of Reactions

Scripture: Their father Israel gave in. “If it has to be, it has to be. But do this: stuff your packs with the finest products from the land you can find and take them to the man as gifts—some balm and honey, some spices and perfumes, some pistachios and almonds. And take plenty of money—pay back double what was returned to your sacks; that might have been a mistake. Genesis 43:11-12

Observation: With these words, Jacob agrees to send Bemjamin with his brothers back to Egypt. I have heard it said that this is when Jacob learned to finally trust the Lord in all circumstances ... but it isn't THIS moment where that is learned. Even at this moment, Jacob is still trying to figure out how to manipulate the situation. He sends with his sons all kinds of gifts, as if they don't have balm and perfume in the palaces of Egypt. He sends back food, even though they are going because they need foot. He sends even more money than before, to ensure there is no confusion about all transactions.

Just like when Jacob met Esau, he is looking to buy his way into favor. He now understands the Lord's blessings in his life - how the Lord has provided for him in great abundance - but still distrusts how that blessing extends to and includes interactions with others. He perhaps even reasons that the Lord provides him with riches so that he can manipulate the reactions of others; turn other's attitudes from hostility to favor. What he is about to learn is that all the "stuff" Jacob has accumulated is nothing ... the way the Lord has managed the situation, and will manage the reactions of everyone including Pharoh, is the real blessing.

Application: I do thank God every day for the things and the material blessings in my life. I know I am unworthy of even basic survival, let alone comfort, and that the Lord himself has provided everything I have. However, I am reminded by this as well that the Lord is in control of circumstances and human reactions. Yes, he has created all humans with freewill and allows all to act accordingly, but if I pray to him he will guide circumstances toward outcomes.

And I don't pray enough about circumstances, actions, and reactions. I don't follow the Lord's path for me daily for sure, but I also don't trust that my path will be safe as it intersects with others. I don't simply know that everything - including conversations and reactions from others - will actually go well because the Lord blesses and manages the circumstances.

Prayer: Lord, I have so many reminders around me about keeping you central in my daily life, but I don't obey them. May I continue to remember to pray into every circumstance, every action, every interaction with others, for I know you are in control of the results and the reactions. Amen.

Recognizing God's Unmistakable Actions

Scripture: His master recognized that God was with him, saw that God was working for good in everything he did. He became very fond of Joseph and made him his personal aide. He put him in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him. Genesis 39:3-4

Observation: Purchased by Potiphar in Egypt, Joseph is successful. He is successful because God is with him and blesses everything he does, and then when put in charge of Potiphar's house the Lord blesses everything surrounding the house and Potiphar's affairs as well. Joseph didn't receive this promotion because it says Potiphar saw that everything Joseph did was excellent, rather it says that Potiphar recognized that the Lord was part of the mix ... that God was with Joseph and "God was working for good in everything" Joseph did.

How did the Egyptian Potiphar understand the hand of Yahweh? As a public official in a land that worshipped nature-based multi-gods, how was it that Potiphar credited the one true God with Joseph's success? Even assuming Joseph told Potiphar about his faith, it would seem a leap for Potiphar to set aside his belief system and his own status ... to assume that success came from Joseph and his before-unheard-of Yahweh ... than to attribute success to some sun or moon god Potiphar himself worshipped, and a decision to that god to bless himself.

This seems to indicate something at the heart of the unbeliever's understanding of the Lord. Even when they don't believe, they can still recognize the Lord's actions and influence on the world. At their core, even when they have a different belief system ... whether that system involved false gods, or the rejection of any god, or even a total commitment to refusing to consider any of it ... non-believers can "feel" that certain things that happen have a divine intent, managed by a benevolent and loving God.

Application: We could really use some of these unmistakable actions around here. Maybe small ones in the lives of everyone and in every household. Maybe large ones publicly visible. Maybe in-between ones impacting just the right people. However it is to happen, we need a lot of non-believers to come to the realization that ... they actually recognize God at work in the world.

And the fact is, I'd like to see it more often, too. I do see little things every day that make me go "yup, God did that, and I absolutely know it." I praise God for his love manifested every day in my life and the lives of my family! I welcome seeing that more and more and more. And like Joseph, I'd like it to surround my work in a way that others realize it cannot be because of anything I do or know, but only the Lord's hand could make success out of a stupid loaf like me. I'd be great with that!!

Most of all, I want those who don't believe in the Lord to experience the Lord in such a way that they must simply accept him, despite any other belief system they may have tried. I want everyone to realize that God is the missing piece in their life they were searching for.

Prayer: Lord, we do need your kingdom here on earth. As Jesus taught, we need more and more people to give up everything to claim you, because they found the treasure in the field, or found the perfect pearl, or desire to be a good fish. May more and more people simply find you every day, and thus simply believe. Amen.

May I be Obviously Wheat

Scripture: He said, "No, if you weed the thistles, you’ll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I’ll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn." Matthew 13:29-30

Observation: As Jesus tells his parables, this one about the wheat and the thistles becomes obvious. The Lord planted good seed, but the enemy infected it with weeds. When discovered, one option was to pull the weeds, potentially damaging the wheat or at least causing some wheat to be pulled due to an inability to tell the difference at first. The Lord decides to let them all grow together, then at the harvest he will separate them and destroy the weeds. Obviously, this is about people and God allowing evil people to exist alongside the good until the time comes when he will judge, sort, and discard the evil.

The motivation of the farmer, the Lord, is interesting. He doesn't want to harm any wheat. He would rather allow the weeds to grow up and mature, treat them just as if they were part of the crop, then sort them out, than to risk harming any head of wheat. His motivation, then, is not to have a perfect-looking field, nor to have the absolutely most plentiful crop. Rather, his motivation is to protect every bit of wheat, and sort out the mess when every growing stock of the harvest can be easily identified.

Application: I want to live in a manner that makes it obvious even to an untrained hand that I am a head of wheat, not a thistle. I want to be nourishing food in God's hand, not a worthless and dead plant to be burned. May I live like I will someday be identified as good by the Lord, even while surrounded by evil today.

Prayer: Lord, I understand the existence of the weeds and thistles, and that you are not inattentive while they all exist among us, even as they seem to choke out the goodness of the harvest field itself. All I wish is to be good wheat in your hands. May I live in that manner, surviving to serve you. Amen.

Relationships in Context

Scripture: Rachel died and was buried on the road to Ephrath, that is, Bethlehem. Jacob set up a pillar to mark her grave. It is still there today, “Rachel’s Grave Stone.” Israel kept on his way and set up camp at Migdal Eder. While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went and slept with his father’s concubine, Bilhah. And Israel heard of what he did. Genesis 35:19-22

Observation: As almost an afterthought - the briefest of statements - Reuben has sex with Bilhah. As the firstborn of Jacob, this will cost him his birthright and he will forever be distrusted by Jacob from now on, with many future actions occurring because Reuben wants to make amends.

However, there is an intriguing context to this event. Bilhah was Jacob's concubine because ... she was Rachel's maid, and immediately before this event, Rachel dies. It's as if Bilhah has two relationships to the family. One of these is concubine to Jacob and thus mother of Dan and Naphtali. However, the other is Rachel's maid, and thus the reason she is any of those first things was because Rachel gave her to Jacob.

Upon Rachel's death, it seems Reuben saw her now as just a woman traveling with the family, for she has lost "status". She wasn't part of the family - she wasn't on any lineage from Abraham's family as even his mom Leah and Rachel were - so since her status was connected to Rachel, it was now severed. However, he ignored her other connection, which was as one of the wives of his father and mother to his half-brothers.

Reuben defined Bilhah in an earthly context ... her job was as Rachel's maid, and with the death of Rachel she was now nothing. Jacob defined Bilhah in a more heavenly context ... she was one of the women given to him, out of the generosity of the Lord, to mother part of the foundational sons that would launch their family as a nation.

Application: Everyone I come upon, every day, can be viewed through two contexts. One is their earthly context. I can view them in terms of who they are at work and what project we are collaborating on, or as a stranger at the store considering what milk to buy, etc. Alternatively, I can think of them in a heavenly context. I can view them as a brother struggling to provide for his family, or as a sister who is herself confused about her purpose in life and thus digging deep into meaningless activity.

Reuben teaches me - all of us - that when we view someone within just some earthly construct, we devalue them to the point of using them, and the outcome of that is harm to ourselves. When we view someone as our father sees them, that changes the context of our relationship with them.

Prayer: Lord, I do want to see others with your eyes. There are many in this world who see themselves even within only some earthly construct. May I stop accepting that. May I view them as your sons and daughters, my brothers and sisters, even if they don't know or even reject that context. And may I act toward them accordingly. Amen.

Finality of Rejecting the Spirit

Scripture: There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven. But if you deliberately persist in your slanders against God’s Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives. If you reject the Son of Man out of some misunderstanding, the Holy Spirit can forgive you, but when you reject the Holy Spirit, you’re sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives. Matthew 12:31-32

Observation: As Jesus instructs and rebukes those questioning his authority, he explicitly gets into this teaching about the Holy Spirit. God can and will forgive all manner of sin. However, when someone explicitly denies the very spirit of God, you are cutting off the actual source of forgiveness.

Some have called this "blaspheme of the Holy Spirit" and said this passage describes it as the "unforgivable sin". However, there is some added logic to this description here. It isn't explicitly that the sin is unforgivable, but that - by denying the Lord, his Holy Spirit, and in fact all his authority - there is no longer any source through which to seek forgiveness. If a person denies the Lord's authority to judge, then they have denied themselves the right to seek mercy from the Lord. And as the Holy Spirit is the element of the Lord that dwells within us and acts on behalf of the Lord every day, denying the Holy Spirit is the act of denying the Lord ... it is actually much more 'final' in action than that of doubting God, or failing to (yet) believe in Jesus.

It isn't that the sin is unforgiveable per se, but rather that a person who is actively rejecting the existence, power, and authority of the Holy Spirit has removed themselves from any possible context of forgiveness.

Application: The analogy that comes to my mind is a criminal fugitive. They may believe they are avoiding judgment, but not being arrested and tried does NOT mean they didn't commit the crime. It does mean they are now going to live a difficult life, full of paranoia and restlessness, when what COULD have happened is for a judge - the judge, the Lord - to declare them pardoned and free.

My mother-in-law, for some reason I cannot understand, worries that she once "blasphemed the Holy Spirit" and is somehow not forgiven. My wife has told her over and over that her once doubting God's love in her life when she was young is not what this is about. On the other hand, we just had a conversation last night about my two sisters, and how they are interacting with their faith. One declares herself a strong and faithful Christian, while actively supporting the questionable lifestyle of her son. The other would say she's a Christian, but openly embraces "spiritualism" and attends generic "faith centers" that pray to "any natural protector you believe in". I worry these activities are somewhere on this spectrum of "rejecting the Holy Spirit", especially with my youngest sister.

I do not see where one-time doubt is unforgivable. I do see where persistence in rejecting the Holy Spirit disqualifies one from the option to be forgiven. But certainly "there's nothing done or said that can't be forgiven" ... there must be a way back.

Prayer: Lord, please be with my family. I am concerned, and I don't really know what to do or say about it. As I said last night, my family has had to find their way to you on our own, and perhaps we haven't all gotten there yet. Please, do not give up on any of us, and help us all to discover the truth of your love, your forgiveness, and your mercy. Amen.

Keeping Evangelism Simple

Scripture: Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge: "Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here." Matthew 10:5-7

Observation: As Jesus sends the disciples out in his name for the very first time, he gives them instructions about how they are to proceed, where to stay, how to interact, and what to do. It is this section where we get phrases like "shrewd as snakes" and "shake the dirt from your feet", along will all kinds of specific warnings about how aggressively people will reject the good news.  However, the first instruction is this ... keep it simple; don't go off to far-off lands and try to make some heroic conversion of a famous person, but instead just go talk to local people and tell them the kingdom of God is near.

This is all that Jesus wants from the 12 disciples, to simply pronounce the good news, in an easy manner, to people who share their own ways and customs and language and traditions. Again, yes this will bring rejection and insult and anger and attempted public shame on the disciples, but that almost highlights the fact that such actions are abnormal and supernaturally evil. If a disciple can simply and kindly tell someone similar to them in manner and culture about Jesus and the love of God, and that person reacts with vitriol and anger, it cannot be due to a personal rejection of the human. It must be an evil-inspired rejection of Jesus.

Application: I still get frustrated with certain Christians I know who think that evangelism involves two things. One is telling people about how terrible their sins are, and how they need to repent of their terrible lives and immediately fall to the ground, pray to Jesus, and dive into a changed life. The second is that this message is part-and-parcel with fighting the great cultural wars of the world, and needs to be at the very heart of every debate about global violence, U.S. politics, gender confusion issues, generational misunderstandings, third-world poverty, etc.

Yes, the love of Jesus can - and someday will - heal every issue. If everyone carried that love in their hearts, while being so faithful to the Lord that they properly obeyed his every command, all other issues would fall away. However, that just is not the starting point of the gospel, and Jesus knew it. Likewise, when people accept Jesus, they will then see - by the power of the Holy Spirit - that their past lives were dark, and they'll bow down to the Lord, pray strongly, and worship in the light of their new lives. However, again, telling people how terrible they are and insisting they reverse everything they do is not the starting point of evangelism, and Jesus knew it.

We all need to do evangelism how Jesus taught us to. Simply going to our neighbors and telling them that the kingdom of God is near and available to them, through faith in Jesus, will bring enough hardship and angst upon our heads.

Prayer: Lord, may I get a little more angst brought upon my head, by taking more of your instructions seriously and simply telling those in my community about the good news of Jesus. May I take the simple actions more often, and let the big problems of this world be resolved by you. Amen.

Procuring the Land for Israel

Scripture: The town council of Hittites witnessed the transaction. Abraham then proceeded to bury his wife Sarah in the cave in the field of Machpelah that is next to Mamre, present-day Hebron, in the land of Canaan. The field and its cave went from the Hittites into Abraham’s possession as a burial plot. Genesis 23:18-20

Observation: This is the record of the transaction that first gives Israel ownership of land in Canaan. It was bought and paid for, as a place to bury the dead. This doesn't seem like the normal way nor reason to pursue land ownership. While the Hittites were willing to just give Abraham land ... they never did so for any normal purpose, like living, or farming, or building a home. He was always a foreign resident, an outsider without landowning status, who simply existed in their midst, getting richer and more powerful all the while.

This feels like a precursor to the modern reestablishment of Israel. Abraham - the Jews - had no home, no land, and new permanent location to call theirs. However, the tragedy of death resulted in allowing Abraham to acquire his own land. This was repeated when, after centuries without a homeland, the terrible murders of the holocaust resulted in a discussion of reestablishing Israel, and ultimately granting them land.

Application: I am unsure of the meaning and significance surrounding Abraham's first land purchase, however I am sure it is significant given how it is covered in the bible. The burial of Sarah is not a trivial or passing thing ... or actually, the burial of Sarah is a secondary component or catalyst of the larger narrative of Abraham purchasing the land for her burial. The extent to which this is covered implies there is a message from the Lord for us in this.

All I really know is that the Lord has a plan for Israel. The Lord has a plan for his chosen people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the land he promised them thousands of years ago. That plan includes the continued blessing of the world through Messiah and the good news of salvation, but it also includes the fulfillment of covenant promises for the Jews.

Prayer: Lord, I ask that you be with Israel today and every day. Protect them as a nation and as every individual during the current conflicts, and bring your will to bear on the land. Your promises are sure. Amen.

I Thank the Master

Because He healed my heart

He changed my name

Forever free, I'm not the same

Implications for Judgment

Scripture: He wouldn’t quit, “Don’t get angry, Master—this is the last time. What if you only come up with ten?” “For the sake of only ten, I won’t destroy the city.” Genesis 18:32

Observation: As God is leaving Abraham with his angels to determine the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham seeks mercy on the city (likely because he knows his nephew Lot lives there). He asks the Lord for mercy if he were to find any good men there, beginning with 50 but eventually ending with just 10 ... would God kill everyone if there are 10 good men there? The Lord replies he will not. We know that, in fact, 10 good men are not found.

One interpretation of this can be that no one is truly "good" and thus good men could not be found. However, despite his shortcomings, Lot was spared, and he certainly did not participate in the evil being perpetrated by the others in the city. It seems most clear that the Lord was using a generous definition of "good" - perhaps just those who believed in the existence of God, or even just those who didn't actively try to commit terrible sins - and 10 such men were not found. With the total population of these cities being in the 1,000-2,000 range, this means less than 1 percent were good.

Application: The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is confusing, especially when it comes to the definition of "good" and the implications of God's judgment on sinners. The implication is that there is a threshold - a good-to-bad ratio - God uses to judge societies. Another implication is that there is a singular definition of "good" that perhaps is tied to specific types of sin. These all feel wrong.

Instead, it seems the lesson of this section is that the Lord DOES judge, but also that his threshold for forgiveness is a low bar. If we are just trying to be a little good, the Lord will forgive and take other actions to correct and restore us. It is only in the presence of total sin-based rebellion that he judges decisively.

Prayer: Lord, I am not good. I know of my sins and my shortcomings. However, I do try to be good, and I am very, very thankful in forgiveness and salvation found in Jesus. Please forgive me of my sins, washing me clean through that faith in Jesus' blood. And may I be better every day. I ask that you not just correct my actions, but direct my thoughts. Amen.

Getting my Heart and Mind Right

Scripture: You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. Matthew 5:8

Observation: The sixth blessing from the sermon on the mount is this one. In more traditional versions, it blesses the "pure in heart" for "they will see God." While many of the blessings are bit more of a surprise twist ... people who are "blessed" due to bad or unfortunate circumstances, but are actually recipients of great love ... this one is a bit more obvious. Those who have made their thoughts pure and focused on the Lord, will then see and experience the Lord more clearly all around them.

Application: It is here that I so greatly struggle. My mind is a jumbled mess of sports, games, and fictional dreams. My mind and my heart of rarely purified and calm and quiet, and when they are that quiet purity isn't always fixed upon God. This is the area of faith where I am absolutely at my worst ... simply living with a pure heart, mentally and emotionally checking in with Yahweh, and thus I fail to receive the reward that is experiencing God's majesty and greatness and love in the everyday world around me.

Sometimes I think that, in my daydreaming about a different life, I miss out on the chance to have the best life possible.

I have seen first-hand the truth behind the beatitudes. I have received blessing - outright miraculous love - when I have been walking through sadness, humility, lostness, fervor, and persecution. However, I am held back from truly experiencing God in my everyday life because I struggle to get my inside world - my mind and heart - put right. When will I learn?

Prayer: Lord, I would love to say that my most common prayer is for your will to be done, or praise to your greatness, or even asking for forgiveness, but unfortunately it is probably this. I pray for you to take my hand and walk with me. I desire to see you and experience you in my everyday, walking-around life. And yes, I know the issue here is my own heart and mind, so again I ask for your divine help with this. Please give me a new heart, a heart that is focused on you, that loves others, and that does not dwell on earthly alternatives and thoughts. Amen.

In the Age of Fools

Scripture:
Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;
only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.
Proverbs 1:7

Observation: As Solomon begins the proverbs, this is his first lesson ... start by believing in Yahweh, the Lord God almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Only a fool would ignore God or consider him irrelevant, casting his wisdom aside.

And just how many fools are in the world today? Billions. There are fools that have decided to believe in false gods. There are fools that have not embraced the Lord as God. And there are fools who have actively decided that, given their knowledge of God, that they reject him as having any influence in their lives.

Application: I can be foolish, but not when it comes to lesson 1. I will not thumb my nose at the Lord. I may fail to obey his wise instruction, but not because I reject him as Lord. That I won't do.

Prayer: Lord, we live in the great age of fools. May your kingdom come, and bring a rebirth of your wisdom to mankind. Amen.

Metaphorical Food Stuff

Scripture: John dressed in a camel-hair habit tied at the waist by a leather strap. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild field honey. People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordanian countryside to hear and see him in action. There at the Jordan River those who came to confess their sins were baptized into a changed life. Matthew 3:4-6

Observation: As John's ministry begins, we are told of only two details. One detail is his very simple message, 'repent for the kingdom of God is near'. The other detail is the most basic elements of his lifestyle. John wears a rob made of camel hair, and eats locust and honey. Regardless of the version of the Bible, or the book that discusses John, these are core elements of the description of John ... this one robe, and these two 'food' items.

There is not an immediately obvious lesson or message involving this diet of locust and honey. However, there may be a message intended. Throughout the Old Testament, locusts occur in two ways. First, they are a vague unit of measure, effectively meaning that something is beyond being able to count (as in an army so large it is like a swarm of locust). Second, locust are specifically on the list of curses the Lord may bring upon Israel, as an invading species that destroys crops and causes famine. As for honey, it is most commonly a component of blessing. Multiple times, the promised land is referred to as a land of milk and honey. Furthermore, honey is referred to as a source of pleasurable sweetness, and a food source that provides energy.

In this manner, by eating only locust and honey, John symbolizes both blessing and curse. As proclaiming the impending coming of Messiah, it is time for everyone to make a definitive choice about which life-sustaining nutrition they wish to consume. One may take a little effort to find and collect it, but it is a sweet blessing; One may be easy to find because it so abundant that sometimes you cannot even avoid it, but it certainly is an unsatisfying curse.

Application: The college student version of me - the English Lit honors student - realizes I could write a major paper on this topic and the symbolism found throughout the Bible that reinforces the metaphor of John's meager existence.

Honey is challenging. It is sticky. It is found in bee hives, and thus with potential pain to harvest. When eaten, it doesn't seem very filling. However, it is one of the purest foods ever. It never spoils. It can even be used to purify and clean wounds. And it is so rich in natural sugar that it is an amazing source of energy.

Where locust occur, they are everywhere. Within a swarm, they could be captured by the bucketload. As an insect, they are almost pure protein when eaten, and similar to related insects (like grasshoppers) there are ways of preparing them that make them more palatable. However ... of my goodness ... they cannot be good no matter what. They are too large to just 'pop' and swallow. They are ugly, and there is nothing appealing about eating them other than the fact that, if one were just out in nature in the desert, they would seem like a plentiful source of solid nutrition.

And this is exactly the choice every human has when confronted with Jesus. The gospel - that Jesus, as the son of God, died for our redemption, and total forgiveness and eternal acceptance is available through faith in him - is ... challenging. At first, it may seem difficult to access, a little messy, and with an unclear value in our earthly life. However, it is so good, so pure, so amazing, so life-giving ... it never spoils, never fails, never lets us down. Meanwhile, the rest of earthly life offers us plentiful and easy-to-access 'stuff' to consume at every turn. This items align to the 'needs' we are conditioned to believe are necessary for survival, and even comfort, in our daily existence. However, when you take the time to examine them, there can be no other conclusion than these elements of life are ... ugly and gross, at best lacking any satisfaction other than fulfilling some base-instinct need.

As for me and my house, we choose honey.

Prayer: Lord, the things I take into my life are often so ugly, so gross, so unfulfilling, while I fail to take the time to find the sweet, wonderful, pure energy available in you. May I eat honey today, and just as importantly, may I reject locust. Amen.

When One Knows Sin

Scripture: God said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “How should I know? Am I his babysitter?” Genesis 4:9

Observation: There is great attention on "original sin" - the decision by Adam and Eve to reject God's instructions and pursue wisdom on their own - and the next big sin, Cain's murder of Abel. In both cases, God questions the perpetrators. Adam and Eve actually give an honest answer, though it does attempt to justify and explain their actions rather than just confessing. Cain, on the other hand, attempts to outright deceive God. He feigns innocence in the face of a direct question.

These two events are decades apart, as the first occurs before Cain is born, and the second when he is a full-grown man. Therefore, Cain has become well practices in his attempts to self-determine right and wrong ... good and evil. This has now been his mindset for his entire life, even if he does still live close to Yahweh and in regular, personal communication with him. It is from this mindset that Cain knows being angry toward Abel was wrong, and killing Abel was wrong. It is also therefore from this mindset that Cain chooses to attempt to lie to God about it. That attempted deceit is evidence of the sin.

Application: I attempt deception - lying - far too much in my life, and that is clearly evidence that I know I am not doing the right things. This lesson is very clear ... the act of deception, and especially attempting to deceive by deflecting an issue, is evidence of knowing I am in the wrong.

As the new year begins, many people make resolutions they won't keep. If I made a resolution to not lie and deceive, that wouldn't address the real issue. I need to resolve to not do things wrongly so I won't feel a need to deceive. I know what is sinful, and if I resist such things I won't attempt to sidestep the shame.

Prayer: Lord, as I begin this new year, this new orbit of this created world around the created sun, may I receive your assistance in being a better man. Please help me to walk your path, hold your hand, and avoid wrongdoing and wrong thinking in my life. In this way, I would hope I will not attempt to deceive you and others. Amen.