Not Even a Lesser Sin

Scripture: David answered, "Here is the king’s spear; have one of the young men come over and get it." 1 Samuel 26:22

Observation: For the second time, while Saul has brought his army to hunt down and kill David, David has instead had an opportunity to easily kill Saul but has refused. Both times, David has something of Saul's to prove that he was right there, inches from Saul, with a murderous weapon in hand, and spared him. This time, what he has is Saul's own spear that was next to him while he slept.

Saul declares his actions sin, that David is the greater man for sparing his life, and that he will not pursue David anymore, but David knows he is lying because he's made these same declarations before. One way David could permanently remind Saul of his declarations is by ... keeping Saul's spear. In so doing, every time Saul went anywhere with his men, he would be missing is own primary weapon - likely the weapon he liked the best since it was the one he kept near him in his sleep - and that would remind Saul that David has the spear, David spared his life, and David is not his enemy. David doesn't do this. He leaves the spear and tells Saul to have someone come and retrieve it. The obvious reason is that taking Saul's spear is stealing, which violates God's law.

David could have killed Saul, which would have been justified as Saul is actively trying to kill David, but he won't because that violates the Lord's anointing of Saul as king. David could keep Saul's spear as a reminder and perhaps long-term protection of himself, but he won't because that violates the Lord's commandment to not steal. Instead, David will now have to move to a foreign-occupied land, with hardship to his friends and all their families, but that is not a sin so that is what he will do.

Application: David is an example of someone who is trying to do what is right by the Lord in all circumstances, even to the point that he will not do that which is obviously justified - just keep Saul's spear as a reminder or symbol - because that violates the law. And yes, David isn't perfect and commits sin, but he is striving to find a path to a good outcome while remaining aligned to the Lord.

This is important as we consider issues of religious conflict. Even if others are violent ... even if others curse at us ... even if others oppress Christians personally and professionally ... we must resist without committing even lesser sins. This is what allows room for the Lord to act in such circumstances.

Prayer: Lord, as I continue to ponder the ideas of the radical liberalism in our area and how it now is manifesting as open opposition to Christianity, may we all be reminded that we must not respond with even lesser sinful acts and words. You will take care of the situation as we simply honor you. Amen.

Where They Draw the Line

Scripture: Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them. John 18:28-29a

Observation: As the trial of Jesus moves to the secular, Roman process, the Jews face a problem. They need to present Jesus to Pilot, but cannot enter the governor's property because it is a defiled place (likely due to the presence of idols, and perhaps due to the diet of the Romans). They want to remain ceremonially clean during the Passover.

This is a subject reviewed before, but so far during this night the Jews have violated at least four of their laws ... they charged a man without written charges, they held a trial at night, they held the first hearing before a judge who was not the high priest, they listened to false testimony (and knew it). However, this is where they draw the line regarding what behavior they will condone ... entering the wrong building. They will actively violate the Lord's clear laws and precepts, but won't do something that is absolutely not a sin and for which the Lord gives instructions for a workaround, but it will be an inconvenience to their plans for the day.

Application: I have watched a Youtube series by an archeologist who seeks to identify biblical locations, and he has a video with good evidence about where this event takes place. Where Jesus was Tried It is a place outside the wall of the Roman governor's palace, where there is an antechamber between two doors, which includes some stairs up to a chair. It was explicitly for this purpose, where Pilot could sit and hear from people who could not enter the palace. It places this conversation in an interesting context. Once again, the Jews are acting in a small and secretive way, holding this 'trial' in a place unable to fit more than about 5 or 6 people, hidden from BOTH the Jews outside the building and the Romans on the inside.

And after all their complaints and claims against Jesus, what they really care about is ... ceremonial cleanliness. They are willing to violate almost any law and circumvent almost any normal and moral practice of fairness, as long as they can eat their lamb dinner tonight.

This is the order we see in society today. We see entire factions of society that openly violate all kinds of clear moral laws, but are furious if anyone might use the wrong pronoun around them. The same people who declare support for terrorists that kill innocent teens, will then turn around and attack a choir who is daring to sing in public.

If you want to identify evil, you don't have to judge what is being done as wrong in the eyes of the Lord. Simply look at where they draw the line, and if what is on their "unacceptable" side of that line is clearly meaningless then certainly satan's lies are at work in their hearts.

Prayer: Lord, judgment is not ours, and I reject the idea of judging people today for their words or actions. I leave that to you, and I know with great faith that you have and do in fact know what to do about the words and actions of people in our region. However, I also see your measuring rod here, and know that the lies of this world are most obvious when the order of what is acceptable and what is detestable is provably upside-down. May I have the wisdom to understand your order, in your kingdom here on earth. Amen.

Saul Models the Non-Seeker

Scripture: So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When David’s brothers and his father’s whole family heard, they went down and joined him there. In addition, every man who was desperate, in debt, or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him. 1 Samuel 22:1-2

Observation: Saul is searching for David in order to kill him, and David is on the run. Every time Saul learns where David is, the scenario goes something like this ... Saul is sitting around angry at everyone, then someone arrives and tells Saul where David is, so Saul goes there.

However, there are many times where David is in a known location, and Saul does nothing. In this one example, David is in Adullam, and the fact is SO well known that David's family hears of it and goes there, plus a collection of people made up of those who don't have any real means or resources, and as a result David now has a small fighting force.

People who desire David to be their protector and leader and shepherd can easily learn where he is, as if it isn't a secret at all. Saul - the king with the most resources and the one able to command everyone to just give him information - refused to even try to learn where David can be found unless someone else makes extra effort to explicitly tell him.

Application: It is most common to read into this a bit of supernatural protection from the Lord over David. The Lord guides David, guides others to David, and either shields Saul from the intel he wants or distorts his mind to confuse his purposes. That is a logical interpretation of these events.

That said, there is something about the Lord, and about Jesus, that is evident in this, too. Those who seek, find. Those who don't seek ... don't. And those who don't seek, and then respond with negative emotions when someone finally just tells them, may make a great show of NOW seeking but still don't find.

This is all true of faith. Those who finally decide they are in need of the Lord, and thus want to find their purpose in life, and try to find faith in the Lord, will discover the good news of Jesus. However, those who just want to sit around and complain about unfair their life is, but don't go looking for a meaningful way to find joy and peace, won't even learn a single thing that would bring them to the truth. And for those, when someone does go out of their way to tell them about the Lord and about Jesus, if they go to see for themselves with an attitude of anger and hate, they are likely to reject anything they do hear and thus withdraw from faith.

Prayer: My Lord and my God, my father and protector and savior, I thank you so much for what you have done in my life. When I finally sought you, you immediately were findable. Your love and peace are wonderful, and may I continue to live within your shelter every day. Amen.

Come to the Lord Through Jesus

Scripture: In that day you will not ask me anything. Truly I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete. John 16:23-24

Observation: As Jesus continues to speak with the disciples at the Passover supper, he makes this statement about how the disciples will continue to learn. Currently, when they have questions, they just ask Jesus because he is right there teaching them. That model will change. Instead, they will ask the Lord - as the prophets and faithful believers of Yahweh have always done - but will do so in Jesus' name. In other words, they will invoke the name of Jesus in their petition for knowledge, wisdom, truth, guidance, instruction, assistance, and deliverance. With the power of Jesus name, and that profession of faith in Jesus, the Lord will respond, often with the intercession of the Holy Spirit.

Application: This is such an enlightening lesson ... that we, as believers in and disciples of Jesus, can petition the Lord because we declare our faith in Jesus when doing so. It is the same model we will someday stand before the Lord and be found worthy, because we are so only in the context of the forgiveness we receive through faith in Jesus. We come to the Lord 'through' Jesus.

Jesus is our intercessor. In fact, he is declaring here and now that he is exactly the intercessor Job asked for over and over. He is the one who, despite us not being good enough to be acceptable to the Lord, can talk to the Lord on our behalf and thus petition the Lord for grace and mercy.

Today, I do not ask Jesus for things as if he is sitting here next to me. Instead, I do ask the Lord for his direction in matters ranging from my work, to my daily activity, to proper next steps in life, and when I do so in Jesus name, that makes my ask worthy of an audience.

And yes, knowing that the creator of the universe is willing to hear and respond to my requests does, indeed, make my joy complete.

Prayer: Lord, as I begin searching for the next steps in my life today, please guide both the circumstances and my actions. I desire to see your direction, your path, and your will, and to only follow you in this matter. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

A Nation Turns Away

Scripture: They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods. Listen to them, but solemnly warn them and tell them about the customary rights of the king who will reign over them. 1 Samuel 8:8-9

Observation: The Israelites have asked to have a 'king' named over their country. Samuel at first rejects the idea, but Yahweh tells him to proceed, but to warn them. The warning Samuel gives is accurate as to what a king can - and will - do. He will take men and put them in harm's way and to hard labor based on his needs, not their desires. He will take women and make them house servants, working however he wants and separated from their families. He will impose taxes and take their food and flocks. He will seize their personal lands as his own for no reason other than they are very good and thus should be his, not theirs. He will make their lives much harder, and they will feel the pain and regret it.

And they respond, 'yes that's exactly what we want!'

The Lord is of course right that this action is not a rejection of existing leaders, but rather a rejection of him. They no longer keep the Lord in their hearts, but worship other gods and follow other instructions. They actively state a desire to be just like other nations, despite the fact the Lord has made them a special nation unto himself. Because they have turned from God, they now want to turn to some earthly leader, even if everything that leader does is either a) something the Lord does through him and would have done without him if they asked, or b) something harmful.

Application: One of the reasons I reject all 'political' conversations and arguments in our country is that everyone else is SO invested and committed to the fights. It really doesn't matter what side of a debate anyone is on ... the fact we're fighting over the issues is tearing apart not just our country, but much of the world. Everyone picks a side, aligns to a leader, and places their 'faith' in the idea that that person, that party, and that set of policies will make their lives better.

It won't.

All of this makes everyone's lives worse in a real and obvious way daily. More than that, our lives are so very, very much worse than they would be if the Lord were our king, and the one whose words we obeyed, whose ways we practiced, and whose example we followed.

Our ways are flawed so we would fail to follow the Lord well, just like Israel did. However, if only the Lord were our true king, we would be so much better than we are with the political mess we have today.

Prayer: Lord, at one time we declared our nation was 'under God'. We have even been attacked and hated by other people-groups because we were a Christian nation. Well, I don't think we are anymore, and I know we don't follow you as a nation anymore. I pray that some of our leaders do, and that your influence can still bring about good outcomes. May revival come, and may we return to you. Amen.

Maintaining the Kingdom Perspective

Scripture:
No disaster overcomes the righteous,
but the wicked are full of misery.
Proverbs 12:21

Observation: There are several proverbs that provide a sentiment or teaching similar to this one, which can be summarized as this ... good, righteous, faithful, and obedient people are blessed and do not suffer, however those who are evil, deceitful, sinful, and wicked are cursed. Interestingly, this became consistent with how the Jews taught about hardship and sin, even going so far as declaring that those born with ailments such as deformity or blindness had somehow sinned - them or their parents - and anyone who experienced unfortunate losses in life must have committed unknown sin.

The issue is that this issue is so complex that it cannot be so black-and-white, and even the author of this proverb (Solomon) knew that when he also wrote Ecclesiastes stating that there was no consistency between righteous behavior and quality of life.

We know we all sin and have wickedness within us. Many of us believe in Jesus, worship the Lord, and seek the word of the Holy Spirit to guide our lives. Others just live within their wickedness and even celebrate it. And the connections between difficult life-events and worldly riches are unobvious at best. If that is true, and the other teachings of Solomon, Moses, Jesus, Paul, and others are also the God-inspired truth, how do we reconcile this proverb and the others like it?

We do so by understanding the eternal picture of the Lord, and in that picture we understand that the conditions of this world are extremely temporary, and the measures of this world are extremely limited. Most "disaster" and "misery" on earth lasts for a short time, and involves comparisons to more favorable worldly conditions. None of those worldly conditions can compare the eternal, kingdom perspective, where the goodness that comes upon the faithful is so extremely good, and the misery that will befall the wicked disbelievers is beyond description and understanding.

Application: I am in a time of disaster, but even now I don't really see it that way as the Lord has given me both his spiritual comfort and a level of earthly security through his blessings. That said, I am NOT righteous. I fall short of that mark daily. I deserve to be "full of misery", and I might end up feeling that way in months to come.

In all of this, these are all just worldly perspectives. I want a kingdom perspective, and from that point of view I am blessed, and there are no disasters on my horizon as that future involves heaven, wading in the river that flows from the throne, in the light of the Lord himself, bathing in his love, while we sing 'holy, holy, holy is the Lord' with all our hearts.

Prayer: Lord, I know I am unworthy of your blessings and love, and I should be condemned to suffering. You have made a way for me and others, and I thank you so much for that. I will and do look to you every day for my daily bread, for my strength, for my joy, for my portion, and for my love. Amen.

The Pivot-Point of Death

Scripture: So Jesus then told them plainly, “Lazarus has died. I’m glad for you that I wasn’t there so that you may believe. But let’s go to him.” Then Thomas (called “Twin”) said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go too so that we may die with him.” John 11:14-16

Observation: With Lazarus dead, Jesus is about to go Bethany. At first the disciples try to stop him, as Bethany is close to Jerusalem where the Pharisees just tried to kill him, but when Jesus decides to go Thomas makes this statement ... let us go too so we may die with him.

A common thought is that Thomas is saying they should go because Jesus will die, so the disciples should go and be tried and die with him. However, a plain reading of the text would indicate Thomas is actually talking about Lazarus. Lazarus - a friend they all knew - is dead, there is danger ahead, so they might as well all go and die. One could even read this as sarcasm ... Lazarus is dead, Bethany is dangerous, everyone is out to kill Jesus, so heck we might as well ALL die because this adventure is at an end.

This is the same Thomas that will doubt Jesus' resurrection until Jesus himself shows him the scars in his hands and side. Here, he seems to be flippantly declaring that this entire ministry is at an end. Of course, eventually he will know so strongly that Jesus is the Messiah that he will spread the gospel to India and maybe as far as China, as perhaps the apostle who traveled the farthest with the good news.

It seems that, despite being one of the 12 selected disciples, Thomas more than doubts the resurrection. He may doubt the entire ministry, unclear of where "the line" is between what Jesus as the Messiah is capable of doing, and what the worldly authorities are capable of doing to him. At the very least, Thomas appears to draw a line at the concept of death ... no matter what, for him death is final. Whether you are Jesus, Lazarus, or the disciples, when the world kills you by disease, age, or human action, that's game-over.

Application: The "issue" of death is, perhaps, one of the most interesting issues when it comes to faith. There are believers who have doubts about how eternal life in heaven really works. Strangely, there are people who entirely disbelieve in God who still think that somehow some part of us lives forever. This topic was even the key item that resulted in Paul's trial, and one he used to pit different Jewish factions against one another.

Thomas began expressing this complex view about death before he even actively doubted Jesus' resurrection. However, I would think witnessing the resurrection of Lazarus began his turnaround, and touching Jesus completed it.

I have seen so many great things done by the Lord ... I wish I had Thomas' resulting level of commitment. I am too passive for what I have seen and know and believe. I am confident death is not final, and while I have no real understanding of heaven I know I am eternally saved by faith in Jesus.

I don't see Thomas as 'doubting', but rather as a person who understood the science of death but needed to see through to the reality of the one who controls and invented science. I would like to see through to that more often as well.

Prayer: Lord, today I continue on my journey here in the world. I wish more and more to live within the spirit and within the kingdom, and while I interact with the world I strive to not live within the limitations that the world would seem to impose. Amen.

When I'm not Good Enough

The truth is I am my Father’s child
I make Him proud and I make Him smile
I was made in the image of a perfect King
He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing

Today is my last day at my current job, my entire division laid off for no reason other than just some blind decision to change the organization. This time around, I'm good. The Lord's blessings have overwhelmed us, and he prepared me for this event mentally, spiritually, and practically. He is SO very, very good.

I will need to transition my morning routines, which may impact how I post devotions, but I will need - I will want - his word every day. Because the truth is I am truly loved!! I know who I am, because I know who you are.

And I belong to the Lord.

Warning of the "Yo Daddy" of the World

Scripture: “Our father is Abraham,” they replied. “If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do what Abraham did. But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You’re doing what your father does.” “We weren’t born of sexual immorality,” they said. “We have one Father—God.” John 8:39-41

Observation: After all the debates and challenges that go back and forth between Jesus and the Pharisees, this one breaks down into insults ... it is similar to modern day 'yo mama' insults (in this case 'yo daddy'). Jesus states that the Pharisees claim to be children of Abraham, but by rejecting the truth - something Abraham never did - they are behaving like their true 'father', satan. The Jews at first declare and repeat that their father is Abraham, then retreat and declare their father is God, to which Jesus points out he is the true son of God, sent on the mission of the Messiah, and their inability to understand that reinforces that they are under the sinful influences of their true father.

Throughout it, and perhaps because of the nature of the back-and-forth, there is a total inability by the Pharisees to even listen to Jesus. They just hear insults, and attack with nit-picky points (such as how a young man could claim to have met Abraham) and throw out wildly false statements (that Jesus is actually from Samaria). They have JUST asked Jesus to explain who he is, and Jesus is literally telling them ... he is the Son of God, sent by the Lord on the promised Messianic mission of salvation of all. Jesus adds to this that, effectively, if they can't tell that he is the Son of God, then they must not be children of God, and they are not behaving like children of Abraham who always took the Lord's word as absolute truth on faith alone ... and in response they come emotionally unglued.

Application: In all seriousness, I had thoughts in my head last night about this ... when people have a reaction to me in a manner that doesn't connect logically, it has nothing to do me, but rather it has to do with them and their past, and specifically how they have ingested the way the world 'is' and thus have learned to respond in some worldly way or under some worldly influence.

What I didn't think of on my own last night was that "worldly" also means "satan-influenced".

As Jesus said, satan is the source and father of lies. He deceives and destroys, and for those who choose to live within this deceitful construct of the world around us, he creates behavioral patterns that harm and hurt others. He does this by whispering lies about how others may be out to hurt you, then reinforces those lies when others act out the lies they are hearing against you, and the cycle repeats.

Ultimately, no one can receive the truth, because they are taking personal offense and responding emotionally over words and actions that were actually never said nor done.

And again, when people react that way, it actually isn't about me, but about them. I can - and will - continue to try to foster kindness toward others, and I will have to live with the fact that sometimes people will respond with vitriol and anger and insults and lies back at me because satan has told them lies about "people like me" and they have chosen to live within those lies ... just as their father has taught them.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your clarifying word today, completing the thoughts you put in my mind last night. As Brian said to me, this is not coincidence, and I know it. You are my father. May I learn only from you. Amen.

Opting Out of God's Blessing

Scripture: The Danites set up the carved image for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the Danite tribe until the time of the exile from the land. So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image that he had made, and it was there as long as the house of God was in Shiloh. Judges 18:30-31

Observation: In the time of the judges, Israel is hitting its 'low point'. There are two stories. The second is the rape of a concubine of a Levite by the tribe of Benjamin, which will result in major retribution against that tribe as the rest of Israel punishes them for the act. However, the first is this sorted adventure of the entire tribe of Dan, that is looking to secure their tribe's promised lot of land. That actually isn't true ... they have their land, but they don't want to do the work to secure it as it borders are still held by the Philistines. Therefore, to summarize, here is what Dan does in this chapter:

1) They reject the promised blessing of the Lord.

2) They go to war to take land that is outside of the Lord's promise to them.

3) They not only set up tribe-wide idol worship but steal idols to do so.

4) They install a unique lineage as their priests, outside of Aaron's line.

5) They do all this while, in fact, the Lord has provided for them not only the land, but also the method and model of proper worship with the Tabernacle still erected and available for them in (what should have been nearby) Shiloh.

Application: Reading the Bible all these years, it was only recently that I learned the tribe of Dan is excluded from the list of tribes in Revelation 7. Common theology is that is because the Lord has rejected the tribe of Dan due to the actions described in this chapter. In other words, Dan fully and complete rejected the Lord, so the Lord ultimately rejected them.

All the tribes over time - and in different periods of history - performed idol worship. Today, many of us 'worship' things that are not of God as well. This is a terrible act, but it is also forgivable, and often many of us (myself included) seek forgiveness for this sin.

However, fully rejecting God is different.  Rejecting the Lord's actual blessing, declaring that you don't want something the Lord has freely given to you just because there was some work involved, and instead making your own earthly decisions and actions to secure worldly 'stuff' that is even worse ... and also rejecting the Lord as God and casting aside all interaction with ... this may just be the unforgivable sin. Make no mistake, the new land was worse, right next to what would become Assyria and thus the people that destroyed Israel, and their allotted land was much closer to the Lord's chosen place of worship. Effectively, Dan "opted out" of Yahweh's love and blessings and teachings and laws, making a choice to reject him, and establishing that choice not as a one-time or short-term event, but as a permanent and irrevocable status. The Lord allowed that choice, and responded accordingly.

It is interesting for me to think about how to receive the Lord's blessings on the day after I have been laid off at work. I am interestingly at peace this time around. The Lord's blessings have been so wonderful, and my life is indeed filled with a full measure, pressed down, and overflowing. I have trust in the Lord to provide, and trust in his blessing. I only wish to seek whatever is next that will fit with his plan for provision and goodness for my family.

There is no way I'm opting out of God!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love and peace today. As I see all that is around, I find I am confident in whatever might lie before me. Today, I am confident I am on your path, holding your hand. May that remain the case in the days and weeks to come, as you lead me where you would have me be. Amen.

Moving on Without Jesus

Scriptures: Then they all went home, but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. John 7:53-8:2

Observation: The prior events of John 7 have all taken place during the Feast of Tabernacles. During this time, Jerusalem would have been overflowing with visitors, and Jesus spoke several times. However, at the end of the festival ... "they all went home".

Jesus did not leave. He is still there. He spent the night camping outside the city wall - likely where he had spent the prior nights - and the next morning he returned to the temple again. The next scene is a famous confrontation about a woman caught in adultery, however this first moment is intriguing, as Jesus simply sits down to teach. "All the people" gathered around him, but given he was sitting and calmly teaching, "all" was now clearly a much smaller group, the size who could pay attention to a quiet lesson, spoken in a normal voice, in an open public space.

This begs the question ... why did everyone else leave? Jesus is still in Jerusalem, and he is still going to the temple in the morning to teach. From the perspective of interacting with Messiah, nothing has changed from day to day, as he is still here and still available. However, for the vast majority, what has changed is ... the calendar date. It is no longer the festival, and therefore they are moving on without Jesus.

Application: Every Monday ... heck, every Sunday afternoon ... most Christians do this. We move on without Jesus. We do this after Christmas, and after Easter. Daily, I do this after my devotions are complete. I return to my life and whatever is the next meeting on my calendar, the next task on my to-do list, the next email needing action.

I guess most do this to some degree. There are those who encounter Jesus, consider Christianity, and actually move on with their lives without even accepting the gospel message, living out the rest of their years without Jesus. There are those who attend church sporadically, maybe getting a nugget or two of wisdom from a sermon, and move on to their daily routines without much concern until the next time they go to church. I am one of those who finds time with the Lord daily, worships a couple times a weeks, attends church weekly, and yet somehow moves on, slipping into my activities while forgetting to keep Jesus at the center of those activities.

In a very real way, the Jews who attended the Feast of Tabernacles had a chance to remain in Jesus, but most chose to just return home because the festival had ended and it was time to return to life. In just as real of a way, I have a daily chance to keep Jesus' love, and his word, and his strength, and his wisdom, and his joy with me every minute of every day, but I usually just return to work because devotional time has ended and it is time to return to life.

My life would be so much better if, every moment of every day, I simply stayed with Jesus and listened to him as he sat down to teach me.

Prayer: I continue to pray this, and I will continue to pray this, because I continue to want and need this. Lord, please remain with me every moment, every day. May I turn to you for all things, more and more often, all the time. May I remember to invite you into the challenges and work of my life. In so doing, may I more and more find your joys and your blessings that are just sitting there for me. Amen.

Generational Loss of Hope

Scripture:
Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,
          and the fool will be servant to the wise.
Proverbs 11:29

Observation: This is one of the most basic proverbs, and at its most base level easily understood by most people. If by one's actions you destroy your family, then your family will have nothing. In the end, this harms you, as there will be nothing for you to inherit from your family ... no home, no money, and even no legacy. What you are left with is "wind", something that you cannot hold let alone own.

Application: This phrase - inherit the wind - became the title of a famous movie. The movie was about a real event in U.S. history, commonly called the 'Scopes monkey trial', in which a teacher was found guilty of violating the law by teaching about evolution. Now today, it would be a conclusion that most Americans actually believe evolution is not only obvious, but scientifically proven, despite the fact that there is actually no scientific proof of any evolutionary connection between humans and animals, and in fact the opposite is true due to the huge number of genetic differences between us and all animals.

However, to me the most interesting fact today is the movie borrowing this proverb for its title. Yes, it was dealing with a rather 'religious' topic - creation vs. evolution - and thus looking to scriptures has some logic. However, this proverb is a clear warning about disgracing your own family (ancestry) and thus bringing ruin on your own life.

Specifically, science has challenged ancestry, and in popularizing this challenge has left billions of people to reject the Lord as creator, and thus even reject the existence of the Lord entirely. This has ruined entire families, leading to the loss of the moral anchor of our society, elimination of personal understanding of identity, and general ignorance of the true love and belonging that comes from a relationship with Jesus and Yahweh.

When it comes to joy, peace, happiness, and hope, so many today just don't have it because their families have lost the ability to pass it from generation to generation. They don't even have the foundational understanding of life and nature to know they could - and should - have easy access to a blessed life. They have inherited only wind.

Prayer: Lord, I am reminded just this second of the real-life example you showed me of someone who lives without knowledge of you. It is a life of crippling and all-consuming fear, where even basic activities like moving about in public become hours of nonstop anxiety and stress. I see people every day who come from ruined families, and in a very real sense their spiritual inheritance is now so far beyond their grasp that all they know is that that they have no anchor in life to hold onto, which is Jesus and the hope of the gospel. Please, dear Lord, help such people rediscover you and the life they could have if they were to believe again and change their inheritance of their future family. Amen.

Living by Man-Made Constructs

Scripture: The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well. John 5:13-15

Observation: Jesus heals a crippled man at the pool of Bethsaida, a place where many faithful believed the Lord offered healing. While this man must have faith, for he comes to the pool daily, from the beginning it is clear that his mind and heart are firmly entrenched in the world of human opinion. He blames a lack of help from others for his not being able to get into the water for 38 years. Once healed, he continues to seek human assistance instead of living into his new life. He succumbs to questioning by the Pharisees about carrying his mat on the Sabath, even seeking them out to report that it was Jesus who told him to do so.

In everything, this man allows himself to be subjected to human opinions and authority. He believes he can only be helped by people - not God - both before and after God heals him. He is more fearful of rules stated by Pharisees than he is thankful to Jesus for improving his life forever. Basically, his understanding of the Lord exists in the context of what people have told him and how people interact with him, and not by his own relationship with God, and this is true even after the Messiah himself has talked to him face-to-face and shown him love, mercy, kindness, and blessing.

Application: I do see this is the story today ... a man who was so "of the world" that, when God himself showed up and gave him the very miracle that he had wanted for decades, he continued with behaviors that aligned to man-made rules and constructs instead of embracing his new life. I would like to say I would never do that ... but of course, I do exactly that, every day. The Lord has given me everything good in my life, and over and over I live in a manner that both incorporates the man-made ways and opinions of our society, while also retaining elements of my old life that I should have long-ago set aside.

It seems I don't know how to be a disciple. I don't know how to embrace my new life, my softened heart, my new-creation destiny. I don't know how to avoid the constructs this fallen world creates to ensnare my mind.

I want to judge the weak will of this cripple, but instead I know I too live by man-made constructs, and not the kingdom-power constructs of Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, please forgive me for my sins. I and I both know what they are, and I do truly wish to turn away from them. I am so weak, and so quick to simply do whatever it is that this world sets before me. Again, I am so weak. May I return to you and your strength today, and may I find a way to live in your kingdom ways, and not in the worldly ways, today. Amen.

Desiring the One Memorial

Scripture: He [Ehud] presented the tribute to Eglon king of Moab, who was a very fat man. After Ehud had presented the tribute, he sent on their way those who had carried it. But on reaching the stone images near Gilgal he himself went back to Eglon and said, “Your Majesty, I have a secret message for you.” The king said to his attendants, “Leave us!” And they all left. Judges 3:17-19

Observation: Ehud had a plan for killing Eglon, king of Moab, but then he didn't do it. However, as he is returning home, he reaches the "stone images near Gilgal", and at that point turns back to Moab, finds pretext to re-enter the king's chamber, and kills him.

The "stone images" are likely the 12 stones - representing the 12 tribes - that Joshua had Israel bring out of the Jordan River and place near Gilgal when they entered the promised land (now ~96 years ago). This act was a memorial, explicitly intended to remind Israel of how Yahweh both demonstrates his power whenever the people are responsive to his instructions, and that they are now within in the promised land and as such living within the promises of the Lord.

While it is not explicit, it seems that this reminder worked for Ehud. He had a plan but then did not proceed - maybe he lost courage, maybe he believed his plan needed specific manmade circumstances that never arose - and the stones remind Ehud that the Lord will aid him if he is responsive to the Lord's instruction. Ehud turns back, has no problem performing the act, and walks by the stone's again during his successful escape ... again reminding Ehud that he is living within the promises of the Lord.

Application: Israel struggles - and repeatedly needs judges - because they keep forgetting what the Lord has done for them in the past. The bible says this is often a generational issue, as a generation that witnesses the Lord's blessings honors him but the next one does not. This is part of the issue of our modern world, as it seems we go from 'generation' to 'generation' and see each move further away from God because we struggle to pass along the memories and experiences of the Lord's great love.

Clearly this isn't an "American" problem if it is evident in Israel 3,500 years ago. But how can we address this? In an era where 'miraculous' achievements look more and more like manmade science, and global events become cause for ideological division, how to we create both shared and generational reminders of God's love, mercy, and authority?

We have tried. We have created government buildings with scripture verses engraved in marble, only to have them redefined as racist or hateful and erased. We have erected memorial stones for great events, carved in shapes and described with metal plaques, only to have them shoved aside and ignored as time passes. We have stories told as oral history of personal and collective miracles, only to have them dismissed as legend. We have documented the history of the people of faith who accomplished impossible deeds, only to have them villainized and thus dismissed due to one flaw in their character.

In the end, we are left with only one memorial ... the cross. The cross is not something to worship, and it is not a symbol a bow down before and honor in and of itself. It is a reminder that Jesus is Lord and savior, who died and was raised again, so that by faith we can have eternal life. Just like the stones at Gilgal, the cross reminds us that the Lord shows up in power whenever we are obedient and responsive to his word, and that here-and-now we live within his promise of eternal life.

Prayer: Lord, today I renew my appreciation for the cross. I do like when I see it, but I sometimes feel it is just kind of there, and I worry a bit about how people may behave toward it as if it could be an idol. However, the cross is a memorial, and one that still exists to show future generations the truth. May we find ways to continue to pass the truth about you and your promises to the next generations. Amen.

Claiming the Promise of 'Born Again'

Scripture: Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. John 3:6-8

Observation: This teaching of Jesus has an important footnote to it, stating that the Greek words for Spirit and Wind are the same. With that context, this verse would seem to be a teaching that aligns "born again" very explicitly to the Holy Spirit. With that understanding, Jesus is teaching that "born again" means that, by faith in Jesus, one receives the Holy Spirit. He is further saying that the Holy Spirit is able to move as it pleases, and while experts may not be able to know for certain where the Holy Spirit will go and upon whom it will land, they will see the outcome in everyone who receives the Spirit.

Likewise, in the next verses, Jesus is critical that Nicodemus does not understand this, but of course his lack of understanding is tied to the fact that the Jews always struggled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was only given to a select few prophets, and perhaps had not been at work at all in Judea for a few centuries at this time. The fact that a high-ranking Pharisee cannot understand the workings of the Holy Spirit - neither the idea that God's Spirit itself rests upon Jesus, nor that it will soon rest on many who are 'born again' through faith - may be disappointing, but it is not all that surprising.

Application: There are times I feel the Holy Spirit within me. These times are far too few and too fleeting. There are other times I know my life is different now than it used to be, which is certainly by the Spirit's influence.

I am born again. There are some "traditional" Christian denominations that may reject that phrase, and my parents took me to church in such a denomination, but I claim the promise of being born again. Lord, I want the Holy Spirit to not just speak and guide, but to direct and control my life. I want the Holy Spirit to alight upon me more and more, and to turn my mind, heart, body, and soul in the directions he would take me. I want to be blown wherever you please.

Prayer: Lord, I say it again, I am born again, and I wish to live by the Holy Spirit. Please have my life and direct me as you wish. I love you with all my mind, heart, body, and soul, and I surrender all these to you. Please, have your way with me. Amen, and amen.

A Time of Non-Annihilation

Scripture:
God is my helper;
the Lord is the sustainer of my life.
He will repay my adversaries for their evil.
Because of your faithfulness, annihilate them.
Psalm 54:4-5

Observation: David writes this psalm at a time he is being hunted by Saul, and the Ziphites have betrayed his location. He prays for his safety, places his full faith and reliance on the Lord for his delivery, and also asks that the Lord "annihilate" those who are against him. This is not a unique ask, for there are several psalms of David where he asks the Lord to destroy, annihilate, curse, and generally severely punish those who do evil against him.

As a result, David becomes a model for many as someone who relies both on the mercy of Yahweh, but also on his judgment ... and in himself being aligned well enough to God's heart to know the difference between who deserves mercy, and who deserves judgment. David is aggressive in this. He knows that people who are out to kill him - and who would enable and assist anyone in killing him - while he is not only fully innocent but even anointed by the Lord's prophet as the future king, are worthy of judgment. They have stepped into a mindset where they are not only sinning, but are living a life actively opposed to the Lord. For this, their destruction is justified.

Application: I know people who live this kind of life ... with every aspect of their life, they not only function outside of the Lord's will, but actively oppose everything about God, even denying his existence, AND they take actions that attack and harm faithful believers. I have prayed for the destruction, annihilation, cursing, and punishment of such people.

However, today I wonder if Jesus has changed this model. Today, living after the resurrection of the Messiah, we are in the new kingdom, where anyone can receive forgiveness and justification through faith in Jesus. Therefore, has the Lord's judgment changed? Yes, eternal judgment still awaits those who fully reject Jesus and have no other means to reconcile their lives with the Lord. However, since justification is now available, perhaps near-term annihilation no longer makes sense.

Surely the Lord wishes for all to come to faith, and is patiently giving them time to do so. Rapid judgment removes the opportunity for a change in heart. Maybe ... maybe ... prayers like David's are no longer applicable.

Prayer: Lord, there are so very many people on earth today who have earned your wrath and judgment. It is therefore amazing to see and understand your love and patience and mercy. I know I am not perfect, and yet you love and forgive me. The earthly part of me may wish to see your judgment poured out on the truly evil people of this world, however I do have enough of your love in my heart to see that it would be better to offer them more chances to know Jesus. Yes, may your judgment still rule, but most importantly may your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth. Amen.