I Don't Need to Understand

Scripture: Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says,
“I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the assembly I will sing your praises.”*
Hebrews 2:11-12

Observation: The writer of Hebrews is discussing the humanness of Jesus, discussing that he was indeed both fully God and fully human. To this ends, he points out that the Messiah calls mankind his brothers and sisters. Throughout this passage, the writer makes many Old Testament references, yet *this one stands out as it is from near the end of Psalm 22.

Psalm 22 is the prophetic telling of the crucifixion, where the Messiah as the suffering sacrifice of mankind is beaten, strung out, nailed up, and killed, while enemies mock him and gamble for even his clothes, all written hundreds of years before crucifixion was even invented. However, this referenced verse occurs ... after the crucifixion, and declares how the Messiah will declare the Lord's love and grace to everyone. To the point of the writer of Hebrews, this verse makes a very obvious statement, which is that humans - those to whom the Messiah will declare of this love and sing within their assembly - are his brothers and sisters. They are like him in nature. And since they are human, he is human, too, even though he was previously put to death.

Application: The idea that Jesus was both human and the Lord is not really that difficult of a concept. However ... it is a very difficult idea to fully understand, as it requires a blending of the spiritual and physical worlds.

It is easier to think of Jesus as either a human who was indwelt by the Lord's spirit, or as a powerful spiritual being who took the form of a human. In fact, I think this is what most people really think of when they think on this topic (and it was one of the key issues of 'Gnosticism'). Both of these explanations fit within human understanding, yet also they both sell short what it really was that the Lord did for us through the Messiah, and through his sacrifice.

Certainly, one of the reasons I struggle with full understanding of this topic is that I'm just human, with limited understanding of the Lord, and of the spiritual realm. I can 'know' the truth, but perhaps I can't understand it. And the lesson today is ... that's okay, I don't need to understand. Most people don't, and even those that say the do understand are likely more like me, where they understand the concept, understand the facts up to a point, then just trust.

And what fact to I trust? That the one who makes people holy, and me and those like me who are made holy, are of the same family, and Jesus is (somehow) not ashamed to call me his brother.

Prayer: Jesus, my Lord and savior, I don't understand why you would want me as your brother, but I trust we are of the same family, which is the family of the Lord, Yahweh. I thank you for your love, your sacrifice, and your grace. Amen.

Holy Spirit, Come

Scripture: In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. Hebrews 1:1-2

Observation: It is not known for certain who wrote Hebrews, however this much is made clear from the very first sentence ... it was written by a Jew, for an audience of Jews. The author begins with an explanation of how Jesus is superior to all other beings issued by the Lord, beginning with his superiority over prophets in the first sentence, and continuing to his superiority over angels and all created beings (physical and spiritual).

In discussing Jesus compared to prophets, the author points out that it has been through prophets that the Lord spoke to the Jews, but now "in these last days" his word came from his son, this superior being, who himself is part of the Lord. This phrase and interpretation of "in these last days" could be understood two different ways. One is "recently", as in, historically the Lord sent prophets, but recently he sent Jesus. The second is "finally", as in, historically the Lord gave his word through prophets, and then finally he sent Jesus.

Both of these interpretations have a provocative connotation, which is that Jesus represented the culmination of the Lord's words. With Jesus' teaching, the world has now heard all it is that the Lord wants them to know and understand, and he will speak no more, instead waiting for the world to believe and obey.

There are some today who believe this is true, and there is a bit of Christian logic to it, which goes like this ... if the Lord used prophets to speak to the Jews, and the Jews faithfully recorded and kept those teachings, and suddenly 2,000 years ago the Lord stopped doing that and has been completely silent, then something happened at that time, which is the Messiah. In other words, believing the Lord no longer speaks also reenforces belief that Jesus is the Messiah.

However, there is a third way of understanding "in these last days". That third way is "then", as in, historically the Lord spoke to people through one or two individuals, then Jesus the son of God came and by his teaching and his own declaration and his very presence on earth released the Holy Spirit, and now the Lord's word can be spoken by many.

Application: I desire a better and stronger relationship with the Holy Spirit. I feel like, despite the fact the Holy Spirit is the component of God that dwells within me, it is also the component I understand the least. I want to understand more. I want to feel more. I want to collaborate with the Holy Spirit more, so that my behavior is strengthened and guided by the Holy Spirit.

There are times I feel the Holy Spirit move in my life, and when I do ... I love it. It is refreshing, exhilarating, and typically feels like joy. I want that more.

Prayer: Lord, may I be refreshed in your Holy Spirit again today and every day. Live in me, restoring and refreshing my heart and mind and soul daily, please. Amen.

What God Does Isn't Imaginable

Scripture:
Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?
Look around and see.
Is any suffering like my suffering
that was inflicted on me,
that the Lord brought on me
in the day of his fierce anger?
Lamentations 1:12

Observation: As the writer laments the fall of Jerusalem, he has the city call out to those who wander past it. They see the destruction and are appalled and amazed, but don't stop. The city is so ruined that it is a symbol of the downfall of Judah and Israel, and foreign travelers just wander past it.

This wasn't normal. Typically, if a city were captured by an enemy, it would now be an abandon and damaged place, but others could and would move in. There were houses and infrastructure that could be repaired, repurposed, and immediately provide for a settled life. It was much easier to repair a destroyed city than to build a new one, and the location (water, trade routes) that benefited a large city would clearly benefit a start-up city. We see this in the archeological record all over the world, and especially in the middle east, where ancient cities are built one on top of another, often with "burn layers" mixed in where the city was destroyed in war and then the next iteration just built on top of it.

However, that isn't what happens to Jerusalem. This great city - the city with the greatest buildings, grandest palace, and best homes in the entire land - will be avoided by nomads and travelers and settlers. It is so utterly destroyed that people would rather seek a different place to live than attempt to rebuild the best city in the region.

Application: One of the current AI trends is to use AI to create videos depicting biblical passages. I have seen some amazing videos of Noah and the flood, the exodus out of Egypt, and Elijah pitted against the thousands of prophets of baal. What is interesting to me is how such videos present these events with imagery that is mind-boggling huge and epic ... truly beyond what I have ever imagined the event to have been and beyond any possible natural occurrence ... and then realizing that these images are actually biblically accurate.

So now I wonder ... how destroyed was Jerusalem? It could not have been just an abandoned city with buildings that had damaged walls, the temple burned, and the protective walls torn down. If that was it, surely some group would have come and occupied the city during the next 70 years. If the city had only been damaged, somewhat burned, and abandoned, travelers would view it from the passing roads as just an empty shell of a city. Someone would have come, started fixing up one of the less-damaged parts of the city, shored up a couple building walls, immediately had a functioning neighborhood, and grown from there.

I am beginning to realize that Jerusalem was supernaturally destroyed by the Lord. It wasn't damaged and burned by an army, it was leveled and destroyed by a force beyond human capabilities. It wasn't an empty shell of a city, it was a pile of charred and burned rubble without recognition except for some paths through the piles. Jerusalem burned so badly that the best-made stone structure in the world was unrecognizable. That doesn't sound like a stone city that got burned ... it sounds like a stone city that got carpet-bombed multiple times.

Babylon may have lit the fire, but the Lord destroyed Jerusalem, and he did so in a supernatural way that I cannot even imagine, for even contextual memories like the Lahaina fire must pale in comparison. What God did isn't imaginable in the minds of mortals. The Lord's power is so much greater than anything around which we can create context in our minds that we fail to give him the awe and glory he deserves.

Prayer: Lord, I have thought recently about how small we perceive your power. We can't help it, for we just can't get our minds around your greatness and power, and you even know that. May I never lose sight of the fact that, no matter what I think is a great and powerful act in this world, you are capable of infinitely more. Amen.

Standing Watch on the Ramparts

Scripture:
I will stand at my watch
and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
and what answer I am to give to this complaint.
Habakkuk 2:1

Observation: In chapter 1 of his writings, Habakkuk makes two "complaints" to the Lord. The first is that the Jews continue to sin over and over, and the Lord does nothing despite the cries of good people, and the Lord says he is about to send Babylon as punishment. The second compliant is that great people-groups are treacherous and wicked and don't believe in the Lord, and thus aren't holy in advancing the Lord's purpose. He compares them to a fisherman who brings up a massive haul of fish, then worships his own net instead of the provider of the fish. And after making this complaint, but before the Lord answers, Habakkuk says this ... he will stand his watch and await the Lord's answer.

The Lord does answer, though the response is a bit vague, going into some 'woes' upon those who trust in their own wisdom and strength, that he will punish those who desire to destroy others, and to wait for his action for it will surely come. It seems, however, that this entire part of Habakkuk's prophesy - both his complaint and the response - can be viewed not just about Babylon, but as a general model of how the Lord responds to situations where one powerful person or group or movement seeks to destroy righteous believers.

First, the righteous people should wait. The Lord will act, but it will be on his own timing.

Second, the Lord will destroy the lives of those proud people who used their might (physical, emotional, mental) to attack believers and slander the Lord's name.

Third, even the things the wicked did in their lives will be worthless and destroyed, for they were always made through unholy acts.

This all applied to Babylon, and did come to pass. However, this also applies through the centuries to evil political movements, other violent empires, wicked individuals and their followers, and even popular social movements designed to harm innocent people.

Application: As I consider this idea ... that the Lord has a plan for dealing with the evil movements, spun from the minds and hearts of wicked people, destroying a generation of innocent minds and attacking believers as if faith is a hate-crime ... I also see what I am to be doing. This is not our fight to fight. Instead, we are to live by our faithfulness (v4) and ... stand watch. We are to wait patiently and look to the Lord for what he will say and do. We are to be stationed on the ramparts, safe from wicked attacks upon the secure walls of faith, and simply await the Lord's response.

I have issued my complaint before the Lord about all this, time and time again. When Habakkuk complained, the Lord described his model for responding, and Habakkuk's final response to all this (before writing a song of praise) was to acknowledge that the Lord was in his temple, and the whole earth should be silent before him. That truth still holds.

The Lord is seated on his throne, and I should not rant and rave and shout in despair. Instead, I should be silent, knowing the Lord has a plan. Yes, I will praise him, and I will lift my prayers to him so they may rise like incense before his throne in heaven, a pleasing aroma to the Lord. However, my further laments and complaints have no value.

Woe to those who wage war on the believers of the Lord, and on the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ. Woe to their schemes and lies, woven with the design to destroy the lives of the lost, confused, and gullible. These plans will fall, the idols created to honor their systems of thought will be destroyed, and the institutions that advance the lies will end. This will not happen by my hands, nor by the work of any man, but by the very plan and will of the Lord.

I will stand my watch on the ramparts and wait on the Lord's response.

Prayer: Lord, you are on your throne, and I know it. I do think often about the wickedness of this world, and about how the wicked lies being passed as wisdom today are destroying the lives of so many. However, I do know you have a plan, and that you love your creation. While I wish you would respond soon, the fact is I have faith that, soon or in some more distant future, you will respond, and your timing will be perfect. Please protect me and my family as we stand our watch from the ramparts of the wall, which is your Church and our faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Worming their Way Into our Homes

Scripture: They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:6-7

Observation: Paul is discussing the end-times, and it has been observed by many that the first verses of these chapters do well in characterizing the issues of our modern day. Later chapters discuss the persecution of believers that will come under those individuals, and encouragement about maintaining faith. However, these few verses in between seem to get overlooked, as they talk about a specific kind of evil activity, done by a specific kind of person.

The activity is to "worm their way into homes and gain control" of people. This is about communications and modern media. In Paul's time, any person (he says 'woman' but that's because they were the ones who stayed home) could stay at home and hear nothing of what was going on. Now, we are inundated with input in our homes, through all kinds of media and devices. It is difficult to avoid news, rumors, allegations ... and lies of the enemy, attempting to "sway" people into "all kinds of evil desires."

The type of person who does this is ... educated individuals. The media refers to them as "experts" or at the very least leaders and representatives of some cause. The implication - and often the expressed description - is that these people know a lot because they have studied and learned a topic far more than the rest of us could, and therefore their words are authoritative. However, Paul says ... it is true that these people are "always learning," however they never "come to a knowledge of the truth."

In other words, in addition to all the 'issues' and 'stuff' and 'politics' and 'conflicts' that the Lord warned us about through Paul, he also told us how these things would infiltrate our minds ... educated experts, who know nothing about the actual truth of creation or the Lord or of human purpose or of God's love, would be broadcast into our very homes to worm their way into and gain control of our minds.

Application: Yea ... that just about sums it up, doesn't it.

Prayer: Lord, as this very thought makes me feel down and defeated, knowing that the challenges we face were predicted and known to create difficulty for our society, my only prayer today is this. Please, come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Promises and the Land of Canaan

Scripture: Concerning Edom:
This is what the Lord Almighty says:
"Is there no longer wisdom in Teman?
Has counsel perished from the prudent?
Has their wisdom decayed?
Turn and flee, hide in deep caves,
you who live in Dedan,
for I will bring disaster on Esau
at the time when I punish him."
Jeremiah 49:7-8

Observation: Jeremiah's writings conclude with pronouncements about neighboring people (though these prophesies were likely pronounced earlier). He has already covered several including the Ammon and Moab, and now addresses Edom. Like Judah, they will all have the same fate of being completely destroyed by Babylon. However, unlike the Jews, there is no return for them ... there is no return from exile ... this is the end of the line for these nations and people-groups, and their time in history is now ended.

Application: I have written of this before, that one of the amazing facts that re-enforces the Jews as a special people is that they have returned, remained, and been sustained as a nation and people for over 4,000 years, even during times when their nation was defeated. When neighboring nations were permanently erased - and to this day any claim that someone is descended from them is based purely on speculation - only Jews still exist.

Ammon, Moab, and Edom are most notable, as they were nations also related to Abraham. Ammon and Moab are descended from Lot, and Edom from Esau, and despite their small size, definite weakness, and problematic geography, they too have existed now for centuries. However, they often opposed Israel and even celebrated Israel's and Judah's downfall, and they are not the people who carry the covenant promise of Abraham.

Again, I've considered this before. However, today I am touched by one other fact. Several times, the Lord told Abraham that his promised land would extend not from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River, but from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates River. Israel never occupied all that land ... but the combination of these four nations did! More accurately, during the reign of Solomon, from the eastern boarders for Moab, Ammon, Edom, and the trans-Jordan tribes of Israel, to the Euphrates, there were no nations, only nomadic tribes.

Even as these nations are about to be erased from history, there is a reminder that - while they were never part of the chosen people of God - they did worship the Lord and were part of the Abrahamic promise when it came to the land of Canaan.

Prayer: Lord, as I ponder something that just seems like facts or lines on an ancient map, I thank you for reminding me of this one truth, which is that all your promises are always fulfilled. I do claim your promises is my life, especially the promise of salvation and eternal life, secured by my faith in Jesus Christ. Amen.

I'm a Wineskin in the Smoke

Scripture:
Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke,
I do not forget your decrees.
Psalm 119:83

Observation: Throughout this psalm, every section (this one is Kaph) has a similar theme and content. In each, the author declares his love of the Lord and for the Lord's law, tells of his own hardship which often come at the hands of those who hate the Lord, asks for protection and retribution, then calls on the Lord for support as he remains faithful.

Each section has this general structure, but they are all unique in their imagery and adjectives. Maybe the 'law' is precepts or statutes or word; maybe the hardship are related to labor or business or reputation, and those who deliver them are angry or slanderers or jealous or powerful; maybe the writer seeks comfort, or protection, or restoration, or to see the enemy destroyed. In combination, and with other imagery, this creates a nearly unlimited number of combinations about how this same theme can be stated, and it seems perhaps the point of Psalm 119 was to allow others to select the section that best fits their circumstances and personality and claim it as theirs.

Application: One of the things I love about reading the bible is that it allows me to practice a skill I long ago forgot ... literary analysis. I used to be so good at it that I coached undergrads and mentored masters students in doing it, despite myself not having a masters. For this reason, this verse appealed to me.

At first, I wondered about the "wineskin in the smoke" as these seem unrelated. Does a wineskin protect the wine from absorbing the aroma of smoke? Does this imply drinking wine around a community fire? I began ticking through some ideas ...

Wineskins and smoke are both temporary with short-term lives. Smoke is an image in Ecclesiastes used to describe the useless short-term existence of people, their work, and their ideas. Smoke exists, then is gone, almost in an instant. Likewise, a wineskin seems more durable as it is made from hide, but in truth its useful life is very short. The skin is made, and once wine is put in the skin stretches and absorbs some of the wine. However, when the wine is poured out, the skin doesn't shrink back and await more wine ... it is stretched, it now dries out, and is immediately worthless. Jesus even uses this imagery as a metaphor, explaining how new good things cannot be added to old worthless things.

Therefore, this writer is confessing that his very life is brief and short-term. His life is a snapshot in time, his usefulness only exists briefly, and even that context of 'briefly' is very brief in the context of the Lord. However, despite that, he will hold onto the Lord's decrees ... like a wineskin that holds wine, even though it is short-term, he will in fact keep the law. When the smoke clears, and his useful life comes to end and he is old and dried up, that law will have been faithfully preserved then passed to others.

(And yes, still to this day, I could have taken this one sentence prompt and returned a well-referenced, fully supported, three-page/1,000 word essay ;-) )

Prayer: Lord, your word is a joy for me to read every day. It challenges, illuminates, teaches, pleases, directs, entertains, and enlightens me in so many ways. My life too is brief, and I fear I am close to become an old, dried-up wineskin, rather than a good wineskin with your laws and precepts and commands stored in my heart. May I live into your word more and more, every day. Amen.

Always Declaring the Good Confession

Scripture: In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you ... 1 Timothy 6:13

Observation: As Paul concludes is letter, he charges Timothy with this instruction, which is to "fight the good fight of the faith," which is "to take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession" (v12). Paul then invokes both God and Jesus in charging Timothy to keep this instruction.

However, he uses an intriguing phrase about Jesus. Paul says Jesus testified before Pontius Pilate "the good confession". At first, one might wonder what "confession" Jesus made, especially in light that he was then put to death, as a confession during a trial connotes admitting to something illegal, which of course Jesus did not do. However, in the context of all Paul is saying, he is declaring something far more profound. Paul states that BOTH Timothy AND Jesus made "the good confession". So what did Jesus state that Timothy now states?

The good confession - which Jesus confirmed before Pilot, and which all Christians profess - is ... Jesus is Messiah.

Application: I have made this good confession. I have made it in my heart with profound purpose and sincerity. I have made it publicly to groups of others, large and small. I made it when I was baptized, into a microphone, for any and all witnesses to see and hear. I have made it repeatedly, almost daily, in my mind. I have written it out in this blog dozens if not hundreds of times. I make it again today.

Jesus is Messiah.

Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God, the Lord God almighty, creator of heaven and earth. He was born of the virgin Mary, and ministered showing promised and prophesized signs and wonders. He suffered under Pontius Pilot, and was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell, but on the third day he rose back to life and ascended into heaven, where still today he sits at the right hand of God, and from which he judges the living and the dead.

I don't just believe. I don't just hope. I don't just understand. I don't just trust. I know.

Prayer: Jesus, my Lord and savior, may my faith be renewed every day, stronger and stronger, in your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Disregarding the Correction

Scripture: We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our ancestors, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine. Jeremiah 44:17-18

Observation: After Jerusalem is destroyed as some of the remnant have fled to Egypt, Jeremiah tells them again to cease in their idol worship, and this is their response. They believe they were living a good life while committing grievous sin, then when Babylon arrived - their punishment for their actions - they ceased worshipping idols as a last-ditch attempt to appease God, and (of course) it didn't work. So they believe ... their land and the temple were destroyed because they stopped worshipping other gods.

This logic is completely backwards, but it stems from one fact. They absolutely refuse to listen to and obey the Lord. They Lord told them to stop worshipping other gods or they would be destroyed by Babylon, and they refused to listen to the warnings and change their ways. They Lord told them that they would now be destroyed by Babylon and there was nothing they could do about it, and they refused to listen, attempting to find a way out of the situation. They Lord told them to not resume their idol worship or they will now be destroyed in Egypt, and they refuse to listen, even defending their actions in the context of the prior circumstances.

This is 100 percent an issue of refusing to listen and thus ignoring correction. If you ignore the corrective instructions ... you can't be corrected. In some cases, such as this, disregarding the correction can become so severe that, when the resulting punishment arrives - punishment that was openly declared and warned of as part of the correction over centuries - it is misunderstood, believed to have occurred out of context of anything, and even twisted to justify the very behavior that caused it.

Application: If punishment were to arrive on my head for the sins I commit and the way I fail to correct myself and repent of certain things in my life ... would I acknowledge the truth of that correction? Likewise, when our nation is punished, or when certain people-groups active in society today, are punished for actions that run opposed to the Lord ... will they even know how to receive the correction?

I believe I am trying to obey the Lord and correct my life in ways that better align to the Lord's will. I have done a lot in this area, and like everyone I have more to do. However, those factions of society that have no desire to even care what the Lord says ... of course when the corrections come, they will twist them to justify their sin. We already see that in various areas, such as twisted ideas of how homelessness is caused by successful businesses and not by drug use, or crime is caused by police confrontations and not by immoral personal greed, or gender confusion is caused by enlightened choices and not by psychological stresses.

So, we know that backwards reaction is coming, because the Lord has warned us and shown us it before. As for myself, I will seek the Lord now, before he has even declared future correction upon me, and forgiven by the blood of Jesus I will seek his will in my life.

Prayer: Lord, I begin this week seeking your forgiveness and guidance in my life. May I move closer to you, and seek more of your spirit within me every day, so I may do your will at all times. You are a wonderful and loving God, my Lord and creator and master, and I am a disciple of Jesus who still has a lot to learn at your feet. Please teach me. Amen.

Please Lead our Leaders

Scripture: I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Observation: Paul begins to give Timothy instructions for how the church in Ephesus should overall operate, and this is the first instruction, that they should pray for everyone, including "kings and all those in authority". This means, Paul was telling the largest city in Asia Minor that they should pray for the wellbeing of Ceasar, of the Proconsul of the region, for their 'city council' that was allowed to operate and run Ephesus, and for a group of leaders called the 'Asianarchs' who ran much of the city economy and some associated cults and games in the city.

This is a great diversity of people, not all of whom are in alignment with each other, and all of whom are likely not supporters of an upstart religious sect like Christianity. However, collectively these groups ran the city, and going back to Paul's other themes, if they succeed in how the run the city, Ephesus will prosper, and if Ephesus prospers the Christians in Ephesus can prosper, and if the Christians individually prosper the church can prosper, and if the church in Ephesus prospers they can aid other Christian communities.

However that implicit chain of logic is considered, it begins with one simple idea ... pray for kings and those in authority. It doesn't matter who they are. Paul doesn't qualify to "pray for leaders you like" or "pray for leaders who are themselves Christian" or "pray for leaders to manipulate them to do Christian things". He just says ... pray for these leaders, and the result will be peaceful and quiet lives, within which we may live our Christian lives in godliness and holiness.

Application: In our day and age, this should be a 'sign' of who Christians are. Jesus said others will know we are his disciples by our love for one another. Paul is likewise saying that a sign of being a Christian should be that we pray for our society's leaders.

We don't have to agree with them, and we don't have to pray for the success of their political agendas. However, at the very least, we shouldn't be cursing them personally.

We can care about those political agendas. I know I have cared about acts taken by leaders that were a clear and obvious attack on Christianity (and there HAVE been such attacks perpetrated by our government). However, I have still even prayed for those individuals. They are people, and if the Lord could adjust their hearts our lives could all be peaceful.

I believe that anyone who is attacking government leaders on a personal level - attacking them as people - is acting in a manner opposed to Christian values. I believe that anyone who prays for the wellbeing of government leaders - their personal wellbeing ignoring their political agendas - is acting in a manner aligned to Christian values.

Prayer: Lord, I do again pray for our government leaders. I struggle with where our culture is going, and often where policies are headed, but it would be wonderful if our leaders had softer hearts, harder feet, and a willingness to love one another. Please lead our leaders, Lord. Amen.

Make the Meaningless Talk Stop

Scripture: As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. 1 Timothy 1:3-4

Observation: Paul's first letter to Timothy begins as a commission for his ministry, and that commission is to intervene is some of the false teachings occurring in the church. These teachings are described as false doctrine, myths, genealogy study, meaningless talk, and improper use of the law. In other words, church leaders have taken the Jewish scriptures, and either misapplied them or taken them to extremes, adding to them non-bibilical concepts, and are using them in combination to "teach" non-Jewish Christians about proper living.

Paul is clear ... this type of teaching - especially this teaching done by people who they themselves don't really know scripture - must be stopped. Furthermore, the teaching done by 'leaders' who do know scripture but then misapply it, adding in concepts and intermixing it with myth to appeal to Greek educated believers, is even more dangerous, as it takes on the air of authority. While many sources exist that, based on close study and understanding of the issues, have a good idea what was being taught in Ephesus, the real point in Paul's letter isn't to combat those ideas, but just to give Timothy the confidence and authority to stop it, because such activities actually harm the faith of believers.

Application: We just got through a period of time where the world ... didn't end. Once again. And while I agree that, when Jesus returns, there is logic that it will happen during the Jewish celebration of Rosh Hashanah, understanding that logic is far different than declaring and teaching, with prophetic authority, that it will happen. This is the very definition of ... controversial speculation, which as Paul says interferes with advancing God's work.

Likewise, there has existed for some time - and continues today - all other sorts of teaching and prophesy being declared by very popular Christian leaders. These messages discuss the relationship between bibilical information and current events, interrelated modern social concepts with theological principles, and delve into concepts like (for example) discussions of the Nephilim in the Old Testament being related to modern-day extraterrestrial sightings.

Everything I just said ... sounds a lot like what Timothy was instructed to stop. It is church 'leaders' using parts of scripture, parts of myth, and parts of social norms, to create "meaningless talk", to "confidently affirm" concepts that they don't really know about, to make controversial speculations, and to distract the Church from its purpose, which is serving Jesus through love and faith.

And I'm sick of it. I truly wish the Lord would strike those false teachers ... not just show them they're wrong, but take action upon them. Okay ... maybe I don't truly wish that, for in their hearts they are faithful believers who are just making a mistake, and the Lord knows my mistakes are far worse. However, this activity needs to stop. They are, as Jesus said, the great number of false prophets rising up to say 'here I am' and 'look over here', creating meaning talk that distracts and undermines the Church.

Who will the Lord send to stop them?

Prayer: Lord, I strive not to judge these people, and please forgive me if my words do judge them. Right or wrong, I have no right to do so. However, please help all of us, your faithful Church, know how to filter out the meaningless talk, ignore the false teachers, set aside the myths mixed with scriptural references, and focus on you, on Jesus, on love, on hope, and on your great commission. Amen.

Claiming the Promise of the Future

Scripture: Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’ I knew that this was the word of the Lord; so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver. Jeremiah 32:8-9

Observation: There is a lot to unpack about Jeremiah's action of buying the field at Anathoth. Anathoth is the Levitical town closest to Jerusalem, was Jeremiah's hometown, and early in his prophesy his own family tried to kill him there. At the moment of this transaction, the town has already been destroyed by Babylon. Now, Jeremiah's family, completely destitute and in danger, comes to him while he is imprisoned and effectively asks him to give them money for something that now has no value ... and he does, even going through the process of having it legally witnessed, documented, and the documents secured for safekeeping.

Again ... a lot to unpack ... but perhaps the most important part to unpack is the context of when and to whom Jeremiah is even telling about this. He is talking to King Zedekiah here, and explicitly doing so in response to the king's questioning of Jeremiah's prophesy that Babylon will win, destroy Jerusalem, and capture Zedekiah. One might think the reason Jeremiah tells this story is that, since he predicted his cousin would come to him to request this action, the fact it happens proves his prophetic authority. That is a minor point. It seems the real reason Jeremiah tells this story is to remind King Zedekiah that he has actually pronounced TWO prophesies of the Lord.

The first prophesy is everything Zedekiah is self-centeredly worried about, that Jerusalem will fall, all Judah will be sent into exile, and Zedekiah himself will be captured.

The second prophesy is that Judah will someday be restored, that the exiles will return, and that the Jews will again own the promised land, live in their villages, own vineyards and livestock, and worship the Lord.

In the telling of this story, Jeremiah is pointing out the stark difference between he and Zedekiah when it comes to being obedient to the word of the Lord. Zedekiah is fighting against the Lord's word because he hears only the short-term impacts and especially the negative ramifications on his life. (Side note, these probably go hand-in-glove ... he is unfaithful to the Lord and ignores his word, therefore the problems are at his doorstep.) Jeremiah is in full alignment with the Lord's word, thus is focused on the long-term hope and promise of future restoration, and therefore not only buys a field but ensures the transaction is documented and legally secured for the benefit of future generations.

Neither Jeremiah nor Zedekiah will survive to see the promise of restoration. Zedekiah therefore ignores such a promised future even exists; Jeremiah lives his life as if the promised future is all that matters.

Observation: I have promises in my life. The Church has promises for faithful believers. In the end, the most important promises we have are the ones that exist in a future beyond our own lifetime, promises we trust in and hope for ... a future salvation and eternal, heavenly life in the presence of the Lord.

My problem is, I spend too much time like Zedekiah, trying to figure out why the world is so broken in the here and now, even reconciling this brokenness against biblical prophesy, instead of living for that promise of the future. I should really care about only one thing in life, which is how am I personally living so that my life aligns to that hope, a hope that will be part of me for millennia, not just another couple decades. That promise of the future should be so dominant in my life - so outweigh the present challenges - that I can't even conceive of taking time to worry about the present.

I do have to function within this present. Even Jeremiah, in this same section of his book, begins it by clarifying that he is currently imprisoned. We function and operate within our present context. However, my attitude needs to fully embrace the future context. I need to claim the promise of that future, and make it so central in my life that current issues and hardships are irrelevant.

Prayer: Abba, my daddy in heaven, I spend so much of my time on petty activities and worries in the present. I would so much rather sit at your feet, be held in your arms, and think only upon eternity in your presence and your love. Please forgive my sins, wash those sins away by the blood of Jesus in whom I have full faith as my savior, and help my mind embrace your promises of the future. Amen.

Set Aside Worthless Things

Scripture:
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
Psalm 119:37

Observation: Consistent with many of the proverbs, this one verse emphasizes the fact that we should not dwell on worthless things. This includes what we look at, and what we think about, for doing so sucks the life out of us and consumes our time. Rather, to preserve our lives, it is better to dwell on good things, those thing from heaven ... this is also a consistent fact stated throughout scripture.

Application: I spend a LOT of my time looking at worthless things. From things I enjoy - like football games - to things I actually couldn't care less about, like phone apps.

Here is the truth ... every second I spend on worthless things sucks true joy out of my life, and keeps me from experiencing the Lord. And the more worthless the thing (like the phone apps), the worse this truth stings.

Prayer: Lord, may I set aside worthless things in my life, and thus find the time to be closer to you, to worship you, to meditate on your word, to pray, and to pursue a holy vocation that brings you honor. Amen.

Learning More as an Exile

Scripture: Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. Jeremiah 29:5-7

Observation: Jeremiah sends this letter from Jerusalem to the exiles who were taken to Babylon during the first defeat by Nebuchadnezzar. It tells them instructions for how to live, for it will be 70 years before the Lord brings them back (in other words, they aren't coming back because they won't live that long). They are to settle in, live their lives, and even hope and pray for the peace and prosperity of Babylon, because it is now their home. It is in this way that they will prosper ... if Babylon prospers, and they live within that prosperity and even support it ... "for I know the plans I have for you."

This is the great teaching of this letter from Jeremiah. The exiles are hoping for delivery and return. Their false prophets are telling them they will soon be returned and Babylon will fall. They pray over and over that their lives will return to the way they were and they can live in Judah again. However, the Lord declares that he DOES in fact have plans to prosper them, to give them hope and a future, and that plan is for them to ... settle into their new and permanent lives in Babylon. That life will be even better than the lives of the people still in Jerusalem, who will soon die in terrible ways.

Yes, the Lord has a plan to make the lives of the exiles good, but it won't be to restore their old lives. It will be to give them a new life.

Application: I ALWAYS learn so much about how I am to live when I learn of the life the exiles. It is also for this reason that I know many people misapply verse 29:11 to their situations. None of this section is about correcting or reversing hardships that have befallen anyone. This letter from Jeremiah is about living forward, into the future, with those hardships as part of your backstory, trusting that the Lord will provide a good way forward.

In Jeremiah's letter, the Lord removes their hope that they'll go home, telling them his timing, and that timing excludes them. Interestingly, Daniel - one of these early exiles - clearly is an example of someone who trusted in this prophesy. We know he received the letter because he even references it in his book! He then settles in, takes up employment in the kings own court, and prospers.

I see people so often praying for old times, old ways, and old attitudes to return. I do this! Even while I sit here knowing that my country is breaking, that these internal conflicts are terrible, and the culture in which I live has turned against the Lord in dark and powerful ways, here is what the Lord - through Jeremiah - teaches me ... we aren't going back, therefore we all need to learn how to live and prosper within this 'new normal' of society.

That doesn't mean we support and champion that culture. It doesn't mean we conform to the world. It means we figure out how God wants us to live in the midst of this, and move forward, holding onto both our faith in Jesus and our understanding in the Lord's commands and precepts.

I once lost my entire career because those who hate the Lord decided they hated me and acted upon that hate, and the Lord prospered my family. I still struggle to live into that new prosperity as a professional exile if you will, but the Lord provides. Likewise, ever aspect of our current culture makes every Christian an exile, living in a world where popular opinion and sometimes mandated morals are opposed to the Lord's word, yet we need to live our lives moving forward, even hoping for our nation to somehow prosper and find peace, so we can live within that prosperity.

Again I am reminded of this fact: I am an exile. All Christians are exiles. I am a citizen of heaven, a servant to the king of kings, forced to live in a world of darkness and deceit and anger and sin. I need to live within the Lord's commands, but moving forward within the context of this foreign land.

Prayer: Lord, as an exile, I do not know your clear timing like the first exiles knew it. I do not know if I will be called home in my lifetime, or if it is still beyond my years. However, I do know you have plans to prosper me and my family. May your peace and prosperity reign in this land regardless of the attitudes of the majority. May I find ways to succeed within the context of these people, holding onto your laws and precepts, and with your power and direction guiding me. And, by the examples of love and patience shown by your people, may the people of this 'land' get to see and know Jesus. Amen.

I Put Myself to Shame

Scripture:
Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying your decrees!
Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.
Psalm 119:5-6

Observation: This section of the psalm - Aleph - is about being obedient to the law, how doing so brings joy and blessing, and not doing so brings shame. This is about as straightforward and obvious as instructions get. We are to live a life in obedience to the precepts and commands of the Lord. When we do so and are blameless in this regard, we are blessed. However, even those that try fall short and feel shame when they consider their failure.

Application: I feel shame every day. I do things that are wrong, know it, and feel like I am a shameful, lesser person.

Consider that cycle! I know the right things to do, and I want to not only have a blessed life and receive the Lord's blessing and favor, but also to just feel good about myself. So what do I do? I sin ... lie, lust, swear, laziness ... and then feel bad about it, criticize myself, think upon myself with shame and disgrace and even anger and hate, and worry that my life will fall apart as the Lord removes his blessing and his spirit from my life. I mean, my life would be better if I just didn't do stuff I'm not supposed to. How easy should it be to NOT do something?!

I do this to myself. I put myself to shame as I consider the Lord's commands and know that I fall far short of obeying those decrees.

Prayer: Lord, again I ask for your strength today. I know what I should do, how I should work, how I should spend my time. I desire to meditate on your word, and not on other thoughts. Please, Lord, give me your strength and your spirit, and aid me in obeying your decrees and precepts every moment of every day. Amen.

Warning of the Appearance of Wisdom

Scripture: Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. Colossians 2:20-23

Observation: In advising the church in Colossae, Paul discusses their compliance with human advise and practices. His advice is broad and applies to a great number of potential topics, ranging from proper celebrations, to eating practices, to possible taboos about types of people. However, in all cases, what he is teaching about is how to properly delineate between practices that are declared by society, versus practices that align with the Lord's instructions for a good life. And here is the issue ... they can look similar because earthly regulations often take on four major characteristics.

-- They seem very wise and logical.

-- They invoke celebration, even joy and a form of worship.

-- They involve language and actions that appear to be humble.

-- They require discipline even to the point of physical challenges to comply.

You know what? The precepts for living within God plan can involve all four of these characteristics, too. However, the difference is easy to determine. The ways of the Lord are found in the bible, taught by Jesus; The ways of the world are found in social norms, taught without any context of faith in Jesus. And ... satan actively embraces and encourages the latter, while stirring violence against the former. 

Application: Recently a friend was talking about the sexuality of their relatives, and stated that - in discussing the matter with them - that the relatives said they "sometimes felt" like a different gender ... and of course that must make this issue "even more real" because "feelings are always valid". I didn't say anything, but I wondered how it is possible that we, as a society, can reach a point where something can sound so wise and logical, and yet be so completely wrong. And here is Paul, 13 hours later, discussing the same issue from 2,000 years ago.

Of course feelings aren't valid! This is the entire method of attack by the enemy, pointed out over and over again, from riling up Cain with jealousy and anger, to filling David with lust, to attempting to appeal to Jesus' pride, we see that human feelings are actually one of the most obvious ways satan manipulates us into sin and isolates us from God, and it is rejecting those feelings in favor of the Lord's proper teaching that keeps us aligned to Jesus. Yet here we are, in a society where the idea of personal feelings is promoted as the highest form of wisdom, and openness to the sins that result from other feelings is considered morally good, personally humble, and physically proper.

Today's social issues have the appearance of wisdom. They seem to declare that even those who disagree with them should 'advocate' for them as a means to keep others 'safe' and 'secure' and 'accepted', thus creating the concept of humble compliance. They even create models where behaviors that destroy the body (extreme and harsh treatment) are celebrated (worshipped).

I am guilty of this same behavior. I have "feelings" that I don't reject, and which I know are actually satan manipulating, attacking, and lying to me, and that I need to fight. This isn't about those who succeed versus those who fail to reject the enemy's lies. This is about a base understanding that ... the enemy is active, spreading lies through the feelings of many, and hiding those lies in the sheep's clothing of humble 'post-modern wisdom'.

Prayer: Lord, please teach us all to filter everything, our feelings, our social norms, and our opinions, through your word, and your word alone. Amen.

Everywhere the Lord Touches

Scripture: Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel. Jeremiah 7:12

Observation: As the Lord declares what he will do to Jerusalem and the temple due to the false worship of the people, he points out Shiloh as an example of his wrath. And what did God "do" to Shiloh? He destroyed it so thoroughly that it was never again inhabited.

From the time of Joshua entering the promised land, until Samuel was a boy - approximately 1406 BC to 1050 BC, or 350 years - the Tent of Meeting (Tabernacle) was set up on the hill of Shiloh with a village built around it, and an amphitheater made out of the hillsides surrounding it. Every festival occurred there, and every priest served there. However, as their sacrificial practices become more and more corrupt, and as all of Israel turned away from the Lord, eventually this ended. The Lord brough the Philistines into the land, settled them where the tribe of Dan was supposed to be, and they attacked, destroyed Shiloh, and even took the Ark of the Covenant for seven months. When the Ark was recovered (returned), there was never even a thought of returning it to Shiloh, so destroyed was the location, and to this day Shiloh is nothing but a ruined archeological site.

Jerusalem is a fortified city, not some hilltop village. The Temple is a large complex with one of the largest buildings on earth, not a tent. However, the Lord is declaring that, unless the people correct their worship practices and return to him, he will turn it all into a heap of burned stone.

But here's the point of Jeremiah's warning ... the people don't have to imagine what the Lord might do, they can go and see it! The ruins of Shiloh were, at that time, still just ruins. It was a burned-down village that never recovered. They didn't need a tour guide to show them where things might have been in and around the new construction. Shiloh remained destroyed, and if anyone wanted to they could go see that and learn its lesson. However, here's betting ... they didn't go and see it.

Application: I am becoming more and more fascinated in the places where the Lord well and truly 'came down' and touched the earth. Shiloh is one of them, as he dwelled there in the Tent, spoke to Samuel there, and had it destroyed for Israel's transgression.

However, it is important to remember that ... the Lord is everywhere. Creation and everything in it is the Lord's, and he manages and guides and controls it all. The Lord has been in my house, and he has been in the woods out back, and he has been in the park down the street. He has 'touched' it all, and within every place and every space I should act honorably toward his presence, seeking his peace and his love.

The Lord could destroy my house, reducing it to burned-out rubble, for my transgressions. I need only look to a village that was the epicenter of the Lord's own power, then permanently erased from existence, to know he can do this to correct behavior. The Lord has touched my life and all aspects and places surrounding it, and I need to honor him in that context, with my life, daily.

Prayer: Lord, again today I ask for your forgiveness for my sins. My sins harm me the most, and drive a wedge between us. I repent and desire your forgiveness in the name of Jesus. May I improve this day, doing your will more and more, by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

There’s Some Things that Need to Die

I’m at war with my humanity
Trying to reclaim my sanity
Nothing in my veins but vanity
It's the same old, same old

Service that Lasts Millennia

Scripture: But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Philippians 2:25-26

Observation: Epaphroditus appears as one of those mysterious one-time characters in the bible, upon whom ancient church tradition then grows.

What is known for certain (within the bible) is exactly what is in these six versus written by Paul; Epaphroditus was sent to Paul by the church in Philippi to assist his work while in prison, once there he became sick and almost died, but once recovered Paul sent him back to Philippi with this letter. Based on some of the ancient Greek used in this letter, there are some interpretations of these six verses that conclude Epaphroditus was himself rather rich, and a leader of the church in Philippi. Extra-biblical tradition states Epaphroditus was at some point THE leader of the church in Philippi, recognized as the bishop of that city, one of the 70 most prominent disciples in all of the first century, and the bishop of even a different city too. (The last of these claims is almost impossible due to the timing and practicality.)

There is no doubt Epaphroditus was a faithful Christian and a good man. He traveled at his own peril to aid Paul, and impressed Paul enough to not only be entrusted with the letter but to also receive instructions about certain other church issues. Traditions established real-time are more trustworthy than those created decades or centuries later, therefore the idea he was one of the 70 greatest early-church leaders is possible but not certain. The fact that the Lord inspired Paul to discuss him in what is now part of the bible, thus commemorating his service for millennia, is evidence enough of his great faith.

And that is the great point. Epaphroditus was such a good and faithful servant of the Lord that the Lord himself decided to document his faith in a manner that would pass down to us as an example, for thousands of years. The titles and positions he held are meaningless. Whether or not he belongs on some list of '70 greatest' is meaningless. The fact he was a beacon of service that shone so brightly that the Lord himself chose to aim that light at us through the generations as an example ... that's infinitely meaningful.

Application: I have never once done anything positive for someone else that would be remembered for even a year or two, let alone generations. That is a very strong statement - and even as I write it I know it isn't completely true because I've been told by people that I have positively changed their lives - however it is true that my work is small ... and it is becoming smaller as I get older.

I am doing less, and I am messing up more. I am becoming less passionate, less mission-focused, and less active. I am finding excuses for not engaging rather than ways to serve more, or even just ways to serve differently.

Even the things I did in the past that are continuing and lasting ... my role in them has been forgotten, and soon my name will be so disassociated with them that within a decade I won't even be remembered as a part of anything.

I will never do anything that is remembered for millennia. I would like to do more, in the name of and in service to Jesus, that is remembered positively by someone, for their lifetime. To do that, I need to reprioritize my time, quit doing the empty things in life, and start filling that time with love and service.

Prayer: Lord, this is the worst thing of how I spend my time; it distracts me from meditating on your word, and doing your work. I am trying, but I struggle. I need your strength. Please, today and every day, give me the strength of the Holy Spirit so I can fight the demons, ignore the temptations and distractions, and do your work. Amen.