Classic Themes Begin Somewhere

Scripture: Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting for his blood.” They did not realize that Joseph could understand them, since he was using an interpreter. Genesis 42:22-23

Observation: This scene is straight out of a movie ... a group of people are talking in one language, and the protagonist understands them because he secretly knows that language but has hidden that fact, using an interpreter during their conversation ... he therefore understands their hidden motives; the audience knows he understands, and simply waits to see when he will spring a trap to catch them in deception.

Joseph does trap his brothers, forcing them to bring Benjamin to see him, and the fact is he is much further "ahead" of his brothers in understanding the situation, as they don't even recognize him in the first place. This is an archetypal 'thriller' scenario, with one person of power holding all the cards, and the reader/audience just wondering how long he'll allow the game to play out.

Application: One of the funnier things in my education is when someone who never studied literature reads Shakespear and finds a phrase or plot even that is common today, and they say "wow, that was popular even in Shakespear's day" ... and those who know say "um ... no ... Shakespear invented that, right there in this play, and everyone else copies it now."

I feel the same here, with faking out someone about what language you speak by using an interpreter when. This was written about 3,400 years ago, about events that happened almost 4,000 years ago. This is the first 'literary' reference to this. Now, maybe this wasn't unique, and maybe this was easily a ruse so obvious that others not only did it but anyone could (and still does) think of it as a plot device. Still, this is the origin of this means of gleaning information from someone through hiding ones understanding of their language.

All I'm saying is that it is fun to read the bible and recognize its influence on others, even when perhaps they don't know they're being influenced.

Prayer: Lord, you are great and wonderous and powerful and glorious, and you are also interesting. Your word fascinates me not only in how it instructs, but how it can entertain and educate as well. May I meditate on your word more and more every day. Amen.

Only One Person to Please

Scripture: Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet. Matthew 14:5

Observation: Herod is a bad king and a bad Jew and a bad man. This is rather well established by how he weakly runs his country while committing all kinds of sins, and this one verse establishes the basis for why his is so bad. Herod has no fear of God.

When it comes to John the Baptist, even today people familiar with his story would argue that either he was a prophet of God, or not. Those who would say 'no' are mostly in the mindset that there is no God and therefore there are no prophets. Herod was right there, observing how his people interacted with John, seeing that he had a following of disciples, and easily knowing that John was born of a priestly family. He had every bit of information he could need to know John was a prophet. However, this one sentence calls out the major flaw in Herod.

Herod knew everyone thought John was a prophet, therefore he was afraid to kill him because of that public opinion ... NOT because he thought John was a prophet and thus may incur God's wrath.

For Herod, the opinion of people was far more important than the commands of Yahweh. When considering killing a prophet, Herod doesn't care about whether or not it is right to kill, or if he would be cursed by God for killing a prophet, or if prophets even exist, but he's afraid "people" will get angry. When he then does kill John, he does so to please a woman, pressured by the opinions of his dinner guests who heard him make an oath, without giving God even a momentary thought.

Application: I am tired of thinking about public opinion and social issues. I've written at length about these issues. However, it bears repeating over and over again that there is an 'answer' to all of this, and there is one way that we can all properly prioritize how we interact with others in this world.

I am to do that which pleases the Lord. I am to obey his commands, speak of his love and his promises, love others in his name, and live within the guidelines of his peaceful kingdom on earth. If my thoughts and activities run opposed to those of "people", I am to consider only one thing, which is understanding what Jesus' opinion is of the situation, and then I am to think and act in accord with that. If that is opposed to majority opinion, so be it.

I have a quote on a post-it right here on my desk ... "I have nothing to prove; I have someone to please." Herod lived like a man who was trying to prove his kingliness to everyone. I want to live like a man who focuses on pleasing only Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, I continue my weak life, and you continue to forgive me and tolerate me. I thank you for your mercy and love and forgiveness. I do ask today for your spirit to be upon me as I work. May I do so for your glory, and may I remain focused only on pleasing you. Amen.

Don't Gotta be Somebody

This is a statement of fact ...

I've got nothing to prove anymore, so there’s nothing to lose anymore. You’re gonna keep on loving me for more than just the things that I do, so I’ll sing it till there’s no doubt. Nobody can count me out because I’m already somebody to you.

Laban is the Middle East

Scripture: When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods. ... "May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." Genesis 31:19,51

Observation: Part of this topic was covered before, but it is greatly relevant here ... Abraham and Nahor were brothers, however it is most likely their father Terah did not believe in Yahweh. Most experts agree that Terah's profession was an idol-maker, which is why he moved the family to Haran (and Abraham's other brother is named Haran). The "household god" Rachel stole was likely a family heirloom originally made by her great-great-grandfather.

This of course begs the question ... whom is Laban calling upon to judge between himself and Jacob? The God of Abraham is Yahweh. However, his father was most likely a polytheist who worshipped several gods common in Mesopotamia. There is no record about Nahor's faith, if he followed his father or if he adopted his brother's singular belief in Yahweh, though it seems his ancestral line is at least familiar with Yahweh. There is reason to doubt if Labon exclusively worships Yahweh, with the best evidence against this being the existence of - and importance given to - the idol in his home.

That said, by invoking "God" not by any name at all but under the umbrella of three family patriarchs who very clearly had different belief systems, Laban is doing what he always does. He is manipulating the situation to cover all the bases, so that no matter what Jacob believes - now or in the future - this covenant will still apply. By everything he declares, Laban sets the terms of how he and Jacob are to interact, and manipulates it all so every term is in his favor. However, the net result will be harm only to himself ... Laban will die lonely, and never again see his daughters or grandchildren ever again.

Application: The complicated attitude and actions of Laban intersect interestingly with the issues in the middle east still today, especially in the contextual fact that Jacob IS Israel.

It is unclear if Laban really worships Yahweh, and if he does he has tagged on several characteristics or understandings of the Lord that are contradictory to the Lord's nature. Laban is out to swindle and deceive Jacob/Israel, going so far as to threaten Israel simply because he had the gall to succeed through hard work. Laban declares terms under which Israel can function that are very one-sided in his favor, then gets angry when Israel succeeds within the framework of that agreement while he suffers. Laban even declares that 'property' that very, very obviously and unequivocally belongs to Israel - his children! - actually belong to him. Finally, Laban calls on a vague and ambiguous version of "God" to oppose Israel, ignorant of the fact that the Lord has a covenant relationship with Israel.

In a very literal sense, Jacob is Israel. In a metaphorical yet very clear sense, Laban is the middle east. Before Jacob was even renamed Israel, God showed us the behavioral pattern of the future ... others will hate God's people and work to undermine and harm them, even when that hate is without logic and harms only themselves.

Prayer: Lord, things are about to go down in "Persia" again. I once said there were "no innocents" in Iran, but I was mistaken. I was young, foolish, uninformed, and unloving. Please forgive me. I ask you to be with the innocent people in Iran, and especially be with the Christians who believe at the risk of their very lives. I know all that happens there is evidence of your movement here on earth, and of the spiritual war satan fights to try to hurt you by harming your beloved people. May thy will be done in this conflict, as it has been done since the very beginning of attacks against your people thousands of years ago. Amen.

Upon a Place Being Cursed by God

Scripture: Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. Matthew 11:21-22

Observation: Jesus spends much of his ministry in and around the Sea of Galilee to the point that, when he is in Jerusalem, most consider him to be Galilean (and if not him, at least most of his disciples). However, here Jesus does something interesting; He curses three key towns of Galilee.

Jesus declares woe over Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, stating their fate will be even worse that Sodom. They will be judged because they did not repent when they personally witnessed the acts of Messiah. He juxtaposes their future punishment to the cities of Tyre and Sidon, places not known for any special amount of faith or relationship with Jesus at all.

And what happens? Well, today, Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum are archeological sites, having been abandoned and destroyed likely within 50 years of this pronouncement. Meanwhile, Tyre and Sidon are existing cities in Lebanon.

Certainly, towns and cities don't make decisions about whether or not to honor Jesus ... these are choices made by the people who live in them. However, such groups - as found in communities and towns and cities - develop a culture, and people choose the extent to which they will be influenced by such cultures when they make decisions for themselves about Jesus. What we see in Jesus is that, when a community has developed a negative culture that is so strong that when God himself walks among them performing miracles, and they reject or ignore him, the place itself is worthy of curse.

Application: I actually cry when I am in Seattle now days. It isn't the city I grew up in, where I walked along 15th and Broadway on Capitol Hill, took dates to eat ice cream at the waterfront, went grocery shopping for big meals at Pike Place, played soccer in West Seattle and Rainier Beach, Christmas shopped on 5th Avenue, visited friends in Fremont, bought unique coffee blends in the U District ... now, every place I just mentioned is a rundown cesspool with homeless tents and failing businesses by day, and empty streets I wouldn't dare walk around at night.

Has the Lord cursed Seattle due to the culture that has been fostered here, a culture that has caused literally millions of people to reject Jesus? Honestly ... I feel the answer has to be 'yes'. Can Seattle be redeemed? I know the Lord can do all things, so I know the answer is 'yes'.

Prayer: Lord, you are right to curse Seattle. It is a place that, due to influences of lost people, has corrupted many and drives them away from your light and your love. If it be your will, may your light prevail here again, and if not throughout the city then in the hearts of those you call out of the darkness. Amen.

Holding onto One's Purpose

Scripture: When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Matthew 11:2-3

Observation: John sends this message to Jesus, and Jesus will answer the messengers not with a direct response, but with statements about what he is doing - healing the blind, curing lepers, etc. - which are the signs of the Messiah. Jesus then goes into a speech to everyone about who John is; John is the prophet foretold in Malechi who comes and prepares the way for Messiah.

However, John's question is curious. If John is the prophet that prepares the way, and he knew Jesus was doing great things, why ask this question? In fact, what John really asked was ... Are you, Jesus, the prophet that prepares the way for the Messiah who is yet to show himself? Or, to put it another way, John was asking ... Am I really the messenger, or was I just some guy baptizing people?

Jesus not only knew who John was, but he clearly also understood THAT was the question, and then answered it by both stating that, indeed, he is Messiah, AND that indeed John is the prophet who prepared the way. Jesus understood that, in that moment, sitting in a prison cell, John was doubting his own life's purpose.

Application: John was a great prophet, himself a fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy. His own birth was surrounded by miracles, and he was so in tune with the spirit that he recognized Jesus as Messiah even before either of them were born, and immediately upon seeing him every time in life. He knew his mission and life's purpose, and did it dutifully in full submission to the Lord's will. And yet, at the end of his life ... he doubted if it had all been true, and thought that maybe he was nobody and he had gotten the order of things all wrong.

I know I'm a nobody. There are no prophesies about my life, and no purposes spoken over my existence from birth. I wouldn't know how to hold onto my purpose and believe in it, as no such grand purpose exists.

However, that's not completely true. I have a purpose, to love the Lord, and serve him in faith and obedience. I am to be an organizer and administrator of activities that foster outreach and evangelism. And I do question that, as I have exited doing those things after literally decades of doing so. I am also to be a good and loving husband and father, though currently my kids are grown and moved away and my wife is angry with me often. Most days I sit in this room, not much bigger than a cell, doing work I don't really understand, and wondering ... did I miss something along the way?

I do have a purpose within the Lord's plan, and I need to return to it. All of it.

Prayer: Lord, as we enter a new season of faith and our walk with you, may you lead me and my family where you would have us go to serve within your purpose for us. Amen.

Trying to Understand Passive Peace

Scripture: Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him. Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. Genesis 26:19-21

Observation: Isaac has a series of interesting ... confrontations ... throughout this passage. It begins with him settled near Gerar where Philistines are settled. He pulls the ol' "my wife is my sister" ploy of his dad to avoid conflict. He lives there in peace, and in the middle of a famine he plants crops and receives a 100-fold harvest, therefore the Philistines become afraid of his power and ask him to leave.

So he leaves. Isaac moves to a nearby valley where his father had camped before, and there he takes time to unclog wells that the Philistines have clogged up. He then digs new wells, which the Philistines (who clearly didn't need the water since they clogged other good wells) claim as theirs, and Isaac just says 'okay', digs another well, and the Philistines take that one too. He will ultimately move on to Beersheba in the Negev where no one will claim what he digs. However, even once there, the Philistines will come seeking him (with a small show of military force, no less) and demand he sign a treaty with them, which he does.

Throughout all this, Isaac just passively submits to whatever others demand of him. They kick him off his successful farm, order him to leave town, vandalize his father's wells, take from him wells he labored to build, drive him out of their valley, require him to legally agree to terms of non-aggression, and Isaac ... just shuts up and complies with a shrug and a smile. Oh, and also throughout all this, the Lord blesses Isaac SO much that all Philistines are afraid of this quiet, passive, peaceful wanderer and his small family.

Application: My first inclination today, upon reading Isaac's behavior, was to find fault in a man who was such a passive pushover. Isaac is the least discussed of the patriarchs, sometimes seen as just the bridge from Abraham to Jacob. His passive nature is one of the key sources of generational friction between Jacob and Esau (Israel and Edom). He gets pushed around by others, and just takes it.

And yet ... he is blessed so richly that an entire people-group lives in fear of him and his family's campsite. They do everything they can to sabotage this one man's family, kick him out of their cities, then fearfully ask him to not destroy them.

As I examine this, I realize Isaac was the man of peace who simply knew that, if others in this world closed a door on one part of his life, God would open a new door for him. The world - and worldly people - might act in ways that attempted to harm and intimidate Isaac, but Isaac just looked to the Lord and said, "okay, where to next?"

I am one of those men who thinks I need to take action to be successful. That mindset is opposed to the Lord's model for living. I need to take action only as directed by the Lord, and above all I need to find actions that foster peace and love. If those "actions" look "passive" by the world's standards, so be it.

Make no mistake, all my worldly efforts have brought me is frustration, anger, sadness, depression, and a lack of fulfillment to the point of self-loathing. Every joy I have is not a result of my efforts, but a blessing from the Lord. From my wife, my family, my home, and the resources I have to enjoy free time ... these are all from the Lord, and they are the only parts of my life I enjoy.

I should probably become a passive man of peace.

Prayer: Lord, in this context and this realization, please guide me in my daily work. May I be transformed in alignment to your will and your ways, and not conform to the ways of this world. Amen.

Teaching About Life, not Rules

Scripture: When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. Matthew 7:28-29

Observation: When Jesus concludes this sermon on the mount, this is what is thought of him ... his teaching is amazing, because he teaches as one with "authority", which is not how local rabbi's and pharisees teach. this generates a question about what the real difference is. We have just read how Jesus taught, so how was it different?

The answer is likely about how Jesus presented the word and then expounded upon it, not just by explaining it but taking it further and going beyond the text. Throughout the sermon, Jesus says that everyone has "heard it said" and then quotes scripture. From there, he goes beyond the scripture. Sometimes he explains what it really means, and other times he is actually going beyond the mere words to get at the heart and attitudes that required such a word of the Lord to be given in the first place. Avoiding adultery becomes a lesson about all kinds of lust; Not committing murder becomes instruction about reconciling all anger and emotional hostility; Encouraging prayer turns into a lesson about how and where to pray, because non-performative praying conveys your true heart to the Lord.

And how did rabbis teach? We don't have much evidence, but we know they often read from the scriptures - not from memory, but opening the scroll and reading in order to get it word-for-word accurate - and then spoke briefly on the meaning of the words. They would have adhered closely to the idea of avoiding adding anything to the Lord's word, and thus would never have expounded on the underlying meaning of scripture. As individuals who led public compliance with the Law, and perhaps had their lives sustained by people needing to interact with the Lord through the synagogue as assisted by the rabbi, they absolutely would not have taught about having a private relationship with the Lord.

In other words, they likely taught about "compliance" with the word of the Lord through scripted actions performed daily or regularly, and stopped short of "application" of how the word should define every action in one's normal everyday life activities. 

Application: This remains the challenge for me and most Christians ... allowing the Lord to drive my thoughts and actions every day, in everything, all the time. I always pray before meals and attend church on Sunday morning. I try more and more to pray other times, have some meditation or worship some days, and (of course) do a daily devotion. However, I still fall short of making God part of absolutely everything, like praying before meetings, seeking the Holy Spirit for guidance at work, or meditating on his word (instead of playing a game on my phone) during downtime.

Jesus' teaching with "authority" meant that his teaching was telling people how to live within the spirit and context of the Lord's word, not how to comply with the rules as explicitly outlined in the Lord's word. Obeying his teaching improves life, not just defines procedures.

Prayer: Lord, I want an amazing life, and I know that is available to me when I live a life that is aligned to your teaching every moment of every day. May I seek your will today in all actions and activities, and explicitly interact with you in all matters. Amen.

Doing Right vs. Not Doing Wrong

Scripture: All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37

Observation: As Jesus teaches about the true meaning of the law, he gets to a discussion about oaths. The teaching is simple ... if you "swear an oath" the implication is that, when you are making a declaration that you are not swearing to, you could lie. In other words, by swearing an oath you are stating 'THIS time I'm telling the truth, I really mean it.'

When we decide we will prove our obedience to the Lord on a case-by-case basis, there arises a very clear conflict, which is the idea that proving compliance only in selected events makes it clear we are not complying other times. Perhaps more accurately, when someone "swears" to something they are declaring they are removing the future choice to violate their word, and therefore if they don't swear it is because they want to keep that choice available. Even if they comply with their promise, the fact they wanted to keep an 'out' is an issue.

In fact, this is what many of the elements of this section of the sermon on the mount is about ... how evil works in our hearts when we believe we have options about whether or not to be good. This applies to oaths, revenge, lust, divorce, and even violence. When we know the right thing to do and we do it, yet we keep ourselves open to perhaps making a different decision in the future as circumstances evolve, then we are really not doing the right thing now ... we are just not doing the wrong thing.

In my logical mind, I can make the case that "not doing wrong" is what compliance with the Lord's instructions looks like. Perhaps this is because of how the law is written, when we are told "don't do x" we just avoid doing x. This is the difference Jesus introduces because he tells us "do y" instead, and y is ... love others. It is also why the greatest of the commandments isn't part of the ten commandments, but is to "love the Lord your God."

Application: The Lord wants me to do what is right, not to just avoid doing what is wrong. Avoiding what is wrong isn't just "minimal compliance", but it is failure to comply because the Lord's instructions for my life is active. The instruction isn't "don't hate others", it is to love others, and when I love them I won't hate them as a byproduct of that love.

Likewise, the instruction isn't really "don't lie", it is "tell the truth". The instruction isn't really "don't curse", it is "speak kindly and gently". The instruction isn't really "don't lust", it is "honor your wife" and "respect others". The instruction isn't really "don't get angry", it is "live in peace". The instruction isn't really "don't be afraid", it is "trust in the Lord".

I need to start actively doing what is right, instead of trying to just avoid doing what is wrong.

Prayer: Lord, your teaching is so good and true. It is amazing to think that we have the ability to listen to the wisdom of the Lord and live a life you would teach us. Please forgive me when I fail to do so, and when I ignore your wisdom. May I fill my life with doing what you would have me do every day. Amen.

Confusion is the Takeaway

Scripture: When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said,
“Cursed be Canaan!
The lowest of slaves
will he be to his brothers.”
Genesis 9:24-25

Observation: There are many, many interpretations of what Ham did when he found Noah drunk, everything from simply failing to help him, to disrespecting and mocking him, to possibilities of rape and incest. Regardless of the act, Noah takes an interesting action. He curses ... not Ham, but Ham's youngest son. Since Ham was the youngest of Noah's sons, it is possible that Noah is cursing his own youngest (out of 16) grandson.

In fact, the curse does seem to play out in this manner. Two of the other sons of Ham are Egypt and Cush, and in the future they are strong nations with dynamic relationships with Israel. However, the nations from Canaan - the Hittites, Jebusites, Hivites, Amorites, etc. - are the nations Israel eventually expels from the land Canaan. In this, it seems Noah's curse was in fact targeted at Canaan, and not Ham.

Application: I began studying this issue, and quickly saw that all of this is a confusing rabbit hole. Scholars disagree about whether Ham was really the youngest child, if Canaan could have even been born yet at the time of the curse, etc. Taken all together, it seems Genesis 9 may be one of the most confusing and ambiguous chapters of the entire bible.

And maybe ... maybe ... that's the point. The flood did not restore order to mankind. It culled the population and brought punishment for certain acts, but it didn't fix anything, implement new structures, or eliminate confusion over how mankind was supposed to function. Sin, anger, disrespect, chaos, and confusion are all still present in this chapter, just like these characteristics existed before the flood.

Perhaps the takeaway is the immediate realization that the flood didn't fix anything. If that's true, then no punishment of the Lord can "fix" our world, except for the second coming of Christ. Not even a massive release of supernatural power could make people realign their lives to the Lord, until it is proven without doubt that Jesus truly rules the world, and salvation is from him alone.

Prayer: Lord, may I receive your guidance this day. I know there is no lesson to learn other than one, which is that Jesus is my Lord and savior. My faith is in you alone. May I serve you today by serving others, and may my actions only reflect your will. Amen.

Daily Death During Life

Scripture: “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5

Observation: As is well known, in this exchange with the serpent Eve misquotes the Lord about the one rule they have been given, misstating the act that is forbidden. She says she will die if she touches the tree, but the serpent corrects her that she will not die, but instead will 'know good and evil.'

It is true that the Lord said they would die if they ate from the tree (verse 2:17), and the Lord's word is always true. In one sense, that curse was proved true because Adam and Eve are no longer alive on earth. However, many scholars would say the death that is this curse is spiritual, as it is now possible to sin and thus be removed from the Lord's presence. That said, there is another way they died that day ... they sought the will to know good and evil, which is the true definition of earthly hardship and death.

We know the Lord seeks to give all mankind everything good, and that the real source of sin is the act of Adam and Eve, which is to define 'good' and 'evil' for ourselves. If we would merely seek the Lord as our only source of wisdom, we would have amazing lives. When we turned away and sought good and evil for ourselves, we didn't just sin ... we died. Our lives became a mess, full of pain and sadness and depression of hard work and anger and fear and anxiety and hopelessness and sorrow. All that - every bit of those words - are now part of the lives of every person, regardless of station or status or riches. Maybe some aspects are worse for some, but we all know all about all of these negative aspects of life. That is true "death", and that was never the Lord's plan for any of us.

Application: Original sin is such a deep topic, but it can also be made very basic, and that is how I see it ... due to our decision to disobey the Lord, we will have hard lives, and while Jesus provides eternal reconciliation, faith does not protect us from hardship.

And this is true because I still sin, I still disobey, I still decide good and evil for myself and judge others by some definition I have placed in my own mind, every day. This is daily death during life on earth.

I have thought recently about what heaven will really be like ... specifically about how it works when beings that have free will are now together not because we were good but because we have faith in Jesus, and somehow don't inflict problems on each other. Perhaps this is the answer: In the presence of the Lord, we will finally accept that he is the only definition of good and evil, and will obey his words and his will instead of our own, and in so doing all bad actions will disappear. That was the way the world was supposed to work in the first place, so it makes sense that the "new heaven and new earth" would reinstate that model.

Prayer: Lord, please do forgive me when I chase my own definitions of good and evil, and especially when I know your definitions and behave differently. I would like to call upon your direction in all my actions more and more, every day. Amen.

A Promise and a Plea

Scripture: He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. Revelation 22:20-21

Observation: This is how the entire bible ends, with this very declaration of Jesus, "I am coming soon," and with this response ... "Amen, come, Lord Jesus."

These words are not just casual words of encouragement, followed by an offhanded choice to 'agree' to the words as a sign of faith or obedience. This is a promise and a plea. Jesus promises and declares that he will come again to the world, bringing with him the new heaven, the new Jerusalem, and the new and permanent kingdom on earth so we may live with him and with the Lord forever. As believers, we plead that this will happen, and happen soon, so we may be with Jesus forevermore, living in the perfected future within the warmth and grace and love of the Lord.

Application: I say again, come, Lord Jesus. This is a prayer I have declared hundreds of times, and I would expect that makes me average among Christians. It may not be a stretch to say therefore that, throughout history, this three-word phrase is the phrase most said, ever.

Come, Lord Jesus.

This is a plea. It is my plea. I know there is life left ahead of me and my family, and within that life are future joys that we would all like to have and to share. However, nothing can compare to just being with Jesus and experiencing the Lord's presence. Joys will be replaces by greater joys, and hardships will be removed. The greatest moment in creation is yet to come, and it is the moment that Jesus finally claims the world and all within it in the name of the Lord. And as we use human logic to track created dynamics to measure what we call 'years' and 'time' ... perhaps 2026 will be the year when Jesus comes.

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for a wonderful year, full of our grace, your blessing, and your love. You have cared for me and my family far beyond what I could hope, and absolutely beyond what I deserve. May I be a better man in 2026, finding a new passion to serve you in word and deeds. I end this year by praying it again, please, come, Lord Jesus. Amen, and amen.

Turning God into a Thing

Scripture: We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God: for the bread set out on the table; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed festivals; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God. Nehemiah 10:32-33

Observation: Under the system of tithes and offerings established by the Law, the people are to bring forward four types of giving. One is the tithe, or one tenth of everything they produce. Another is the first fruits, a gift of the first harvest of the year and the firstborn of the flock every season. A third is any kind of offering associated with events, which can range from the birth of a child, to the participation in one of the annual feasts, to the commitment and admission of sin. Finally, the fourth is a 'goodwill' or 'friendship' offering, which is just whenever someone feels like they want to give more to the Lord.

It appears Nehemiah replaces that fourth type of offering here, and introduces something Jesus will address ... the "temple tax". Verses 34-37 discuss the recommitment to the other three types of offerings, then verses 38-39 review the logistics of all the collection of offerings, declaring that the people "will not neglect the house of the Lord." However, nowhere is there discussion of random friendship offerings. The people do not commit to just loving the Lord so much that they feel they want to give him even more. Therefore, Nehemiah implements - as the very first recommitment to offerings - a tax of a third of a shekel (~$550 in today's money) per male, so the procedures within temple can operate and the building can be maintained.

It is no wonder this was a controversial tax. It isn't part of the Law, and by being a significant fixed amount it doesn't 'scale' based on an individual's ability to pay (like the tithe or first-fruits do). However, the largest issue might be that it changes the relationship people have with God. Instead of giving to the Lord out of love and relationship, they now give out of obligation; Instead of giving to the Lord because of who he is as the eternal and loving sovereign creator, they now give to a building because it needs maintenance and supplies for weekly rituals almost no one ever sees.

In other words, it seems the temple tax represents the idea that ... Yahweh went from being the most important being in the universe, full of love and mercy and hope ... to being the most important building in Israel, full of crumbling stone and day-old bread.

Application: It is interesting that this 'tax' becomes the one the Jews question Jesus about, and that Jesus ultimately pays via a miracle. As God incarnate - and the son of God - Jesus knew what relationship with the Lord meant, and it didn't mean taking care of a building.

What "thing" have I turned God into? In what parts of my life has an object - and perhaps caring for that object - become a proxy for actually interacting with, and carrying about my relationship with, the Lord? Perhaps my home and my family, though I am confident that I don't really care for them, but the Lord cares for them perhaps despite my efforts.

This is a good lesson to keep in mind. My heart should always be pointed toward the Lord, and not toward the "stuff" I have that may even be from the Lord. I must spend time every day maintaining my relationship with the Lord, and not focused on "keeping" the blessings he provides.

Prayer: Lord, you have been with my family and I throughout this Christmas season, and I thank you. I love you greatly, and I don't say that to you nearly enough. May I keep you not just in my heart, but in the very front of my mind, every day. Amen.

To Live by the Crystal Sea

Scripture: And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God. Revelation 15:2

Observation: As the "seven bowls" are about to begin, John sees both the seven angels but also this gathering of the faithful who "been victorious" during what seems like the tribulation. They are standing beside a "sea of glass glowing with fire". This is a great sea that doesn't just look like liquid water that moves and reflects light, instead it appears more solid yet it also shimmers with an intensity.

This is the crystal sea of heaven. It is peaceful because it can never roar or rage with the energy of waves. It is beautiful in its purity and splendid reflection of dancing light. It is vast and thus still projects the strength of the great power of the ocean.

Application: Laurie and I have talked about "where to live" in heaven, and she is firm that she wants to live near "the crystal sea". I never knew this was actually in the bible until today, as I guess I've always overlooked it. This is a sea of both beauty and purity, but also calm and strength. It portrays the wonder and greatness of an ocean as we would understand it, but without any of the dangers we might think of related to flooding or storm waves. And it is uniquely capable of reflecting light in a manner so grand it makes it seem that it's "glowing with fire", and of course the source of light in heaven is the Lord himself.

I may still want to live by the river of life that flows from the throne, but I doubt I'm good enough for such real estate. I could live by the crystal sea.

Prayer: Lord, today I discovered your great sea in heaven. What more do you have to show me next year, in my next reading of the bible? Your word is new every day. Amen.

A Rare Rant and Commentary

Scripture:
Let beer be for those who are perishing,
wine for those who are in anguish!
Let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
Proverbs 31:6-7

Observation: These proverbs offer guidance for kings and leaders, especially warning them to remain focused on their leadership and obligations and not be distracted by vices like 'wine and women'. These two verses allow for the drinking of beer and wine by those who are not leaders, so that they can be distracted from their hardships. In this manner, it is clear that the issue is not that taking of such items are sin (for the bible could not declare 'let them do sin'), but rather that such actions do distract and numb those living in misery, and leaders should not be numbed to life.

Application: I am going to discuss something I rarely do. While I often express frustration with the 'political direction' of our modern society, I almost never discuss what I know about government activities based on my 25 years working in and with governments. If anyone reads this and doesn't want to read a political commentary, I invite you to ignore the rest of this post.

Related to this biblical verse, I will say two things:

1) At least at the local level in the U.S., there is no such thing as a "major conspiracy". Due to both their structure and collective intelligence, government could never, ever pull off a major conspiracy (though individual leaders could cover up their own activities).

2) There ARE actions the government performs that they do openly and publicly, and then convince the people of altruistic reasons they did it, when in fact they did it for more sinister purposes that support their own goals.

(Somehow, "the people" are convinced of exactly the opposite ... that there are huge conspiracies being masterminded by local politicians and leaders, but that everyday policy changes performed openly are generally good.)

I will declare here and now ... the legalization of marijuana falls into #2. Politicians know that marijuana has two side effects. First, it relieves general pain. Second, it affects brain function in a manner that decreases motivation to action. The net result of these is ... if you make marijuana available to those who are struggling in life, they are less likely to be angry toward the government about it because they aren't motivated to action, and don't feel the hardship so acutely. As a result, such people don't take action against local politicians who, instead of addressing issues of homelessness and meth epidemics, legalize marijuana so everyone can just cope with their terrible lives.

Instead of helping the poor and destitute, our local politicians have provided those who are in anguish and are perishing access to the modern chemicals so they can ignore their poverty and misery. They did so because then fewer people complain and they can get reelected. And make no mistake, looking at local political jurisdictions, there is correlation between a) widespread and massive homelessness, b) greatly relaxed policies and laws pertaining to drug use, and c) the dominance of one party - and especially its incumbents - in elections.

I am not saying that politicians were obedient to Proverbs 31 by following its advice, giving such chemicals to the poor and dying while avoiding its use themselves! I am saying that, for 3,000 years, political leaders have understood those who live in hardship can be subjugated through chemical means, and for some reason the majority of people are okay with that.

Prayer: Lord, please forgive my judgment. May your church, myself included, find ways to help and serve the poor and the broken and the destitute more and more, as you have commanded us to love others. This is the work of the church, not the government, so may we be your hands and feet and heart every day. Amen.

Prayer and Worship Come First

Scripture: Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. ... On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid. Ezra 3:3,6

Observation: King Cyrus has ordered the reconstruction of the temple in Jerusalem, and when they Jews arrive they take inventory of who has arrived to help and the materials they have to work with, and ... instead of initiating construction, they initiate worship and sacrifice.

They know this is an act that could land them in trouble, as it will be seen due to the smoke, and they are effectively defenseless from anyone who may oppose their return. However, the Jews also know that they must thank the Lord for their return, and they cannot be successful in their endeavors without the Lord's blessing. For this reason, the returning leaders and priesthood first implements sacrifice.

Application: The acts of these first Jews returning to Jerusalem are a positive lessons about pursuing the Lord's will. Yes, I am to do as the Lord wishes, but central to that is initiating such pursuits with a heart of worship, thanks, and honor to the Lord. Instead of charging head-long into my earthly work, I always should take time to honor the Lord, pray, and worship.

I do this okay on days I do my devotions, but that is only about half the time. On other days, I just jump into what I'm going to be doing. It would be better to at least spend time in prayer every morning, and to pray again before beginning any significant activity.

Prayer: Lord, you have given us your instructions for the way to live a good life, and it begins with something I absolutely want to do, which is just to put you first in my heart and mind. May I seek you first every day. Amen.

Answering the Prayer of Wrath

Scripture: The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Revelation 8:4-5

Observation: As we are told of the 'end times' playing out in heaven, we see the opening of the seventh seal creating a short respite, followed by an angel who presents incense before the Lord, then hurls the fire of the alter and the incense censer down upon the earth. There is first a connection made between the censer of incense and the alter. Both are now together, creating smoke and a pleasing aroma that is rising before the Lord, and we know that the smoke that rises from the alter in this way is actually created by prayers. It is our prayers that rise before the Lord, and they are now intermixed with this censer of incense and together create a great natural attack upon the earth.

Application: Without getting into side issues like the timing of events, there is something about this assault on the earth that "feels" important. Several of the seven seals/trumpets/bowls produce natural disaster on the earth, but only this action described during an intermission involves explicitly intermixing the source of the heavenly action with ... prayers of the faithful believers.

That is what happens here (I think). The angel presents the censer of incense, and intermixes it with the prayers, then together launches that upon the earth. There is an implication here that the introduction of these disasters is, in some way, an answer to prayer.

If so, I totally get that. How often have a looked at our society today with diminished hope, and prayed that the Lord would just show up not with tenderness and love, but with wrath and fury and judgment? How often have I prayed that the Lord would appear with so much power and authority that his existence was no longer up for debate, and instead all non-believers would cower in fear? How often have I prayed that it would be great if the Lord just 'ended it'?

I think there are a LOT of prayers that we believers say that actually wish the Lord would hurl an attack on the earth with great thunder and lightening from heaven. We may vary in our idea of what that would produce - fear, belief, or even merciful death - but we do pray for it. It is interesting to think that there is an angel prepared with exactly the right combination of tools and materials to actually answer those prayers someday ... maybe soon.

Prayer: Lord, as our prayers rise to you today and every day, they will include prayers seeking your wrath upon the evil and unbelievers of earth. We see so much of this every day, along with so much pain, that we would rather just have it end and be called home, and having that happen through an undeniable expression of your ultimate power and authority feels right. May thy will be done in heaven and on earth. Amen.

Wearied by Original Sin

Scripture: You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?” Malachi 2:17

Observation: As Malechi continues to reveal how the people have continued to disobey the Lord, he includes the manner in which they declare evil as good and question the justice and judgment of God. In other words, they decide for themselves what is good and right, and then either they use their own judgment to declare something that is actually evil as 'good', and/or they see that which is they believe is evil and wonder why the Lord doesn't oppose it even though.

Again, what was - and is - original sin? It is the act by humans to decide for themselves, and by their own standards, what is good and true, instead of turning to the Lord and asking for his teaching and decision in everything.

Application: This is how we continue to weary the Lord, by declaring for ourselves what is good. The ways a sinful and sin-filled society does this is obvious, however we as believers do this too when we declare even those words and actions as evil. Some are evil, but it isn't for us to judge, nor is it for us to seek justice broad and general justice, for we do not understand everything in the world within the context of the Lord's purposes.

We can know evil as we relate it to the true word of the Lord, however we cannot know the judgment the Lord has for such evil. And we must not declare as 'evil' things that are simply outside of our wish for how the world should be, without evidence within the word of the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, you do know the evil perpetrated in the world. May I continue to seek only your wisdom and knowledge and understanding and truth when it comes to living within this world. Amen.

Fear of Death and of Life

Scripture: When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!” Revelation 6:5-6

Observation: John watches as the first four seals of the great scroll are opened, releasing the "four horsemen." The first (white), second (red), and fourth (pale) all have to do with violence and death ... conquering by war, killing by violence, and death by natural causes, respectively. However, the third (black) is different. He comes not with signs of violence, but with a balancing scale. Likewise, we are not told what his 'authority' is, but rather John hears guidance and instructions about food prices and produce.

These images are often referred to as the "four horsemen of the apocalypse" and it is assumed they are released in the end-times to bring pain on the world. If so, then we also see a glimpse of what 'pain' looks like in the end times. There are violent dictators bringing pain and suffering on weaker people (white horse). There are acts of violence and hate perpetrated by individuals and people groups (red horse). There are disasters and plagues causing widespread death and panic (pale horse). And there is ... economic hardship and uncertainty that upends personal lives (black horse).

This does indeed feel like the meaning of the black horse. The others are clearly about violence and death, but the black horse is about turmoil in daily lives of the living. All of these produce fear, as people are afraid of dying whether it be by war or random violence or disease. However, the black horse brings fear in a different way, through struggle and strife and confusion and difficulty and worries about survival. The black horse speaks to the part of everyone's life that produces a different fear, which is the fear that even before we face the fear of death, we experience a life of hardship and struggle, one where we can't afford what we need, let alone the niceties we want.

Application: I have resisted looking up commentary on this topic because I'm sure there are thousands of different interpretations of the horsemen, and everyone reads them into their current worldview. But wow, this all sounds like it's taken straight out of today's (sensationalist and fear mongering) news reports. Wars and tyrants ... shootings and assassinations ... pandemics and disasters ... and now job losses and inflation.

Yet here is the point: All of these are fears for people who don't have faith. While I don't want to die, I don't fear it. While I want to have provision and even blessing, I trust in the Lord for my daily bread. However, if you're a person who thinks the purpose of existence is to live the best life you can, and then you'll just cease to exist, ALL if this sounds fearful.

The horsemen tell me that, while we all know that people are afraid of the coming of death in all its forms, and especially if it is random and out of our control, the other prominent fear in everyone's hearts is about economic struggle. That is why many perceive the rich as 'evil' - because they assume they have avoided such base fear - and why many will commit evil and compromise their values to even just stabilize their economic situation. It is also why Jesus spoke of money often and indicated it is an indicator of your heart.

As Christians, we surrender our fear of death because of faith in eternal life. We must also surrender our fear of financial hardship because of faith in the Lord's love and provision.

Prayer: Lord, may I acknowledge and celebrate your provision every day, regardless of the form that takes. I glorify you, Lord, for your love surrounds me, and that is truly all I desire in life. Amen.

I Open the Door Again!

Scripture: Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3:19-20

Observation: The message and warning to Laodicea is one of the more famous (and my favorite to consider), as it discusses both hot and cold water, with a complex historical metaphor behind it. However, after that warning is this amazing statement ... one of the most famous representations of Jesus in the entire bible, yet most don't know this is the source of the imagery.

Jesus warns the church about their lukewarm deeds and attitudes, and that as a result they may lose out on their blessing. He then effectively says two key messages as a response to this warning.

1) I rebuke you because I love you, so please, please respond to this rebuke and repent.

2) This is how much I love you ... I stand at the door of your hearts and knock, earnestly desiring you to let me in and to truly live within you. If you repent and open the door of your heart, I will gladly be with you.

Application: I have said this several times in the last six months especially ... I'm struggling with having the Holy Spirit inside me. I want that! I used to have that!! Now I feel I am missing him, and it hurts. It is evident in my actions and attitudes and my thoughts and my daily practices.

Well, I'm done with it. I open the door again!!! I am earnest in this and repent of my distracted life. I hear Jesus knocking, and I am answering again, renewing this in my life, and allowing the Holy Spirit into my heart and soul, hoping - begging - that he will enter, eat with me, and stay with me.

Prayer: Lord, with all my heart I say this today, please my your spirit live within me. Give me strength to remain on your path, not just as a general direction for my life, but as the one path I won't stray from hour by hour, and the narrow gate I will pass through, every moment of every day. Amen.

Finding God in the Details

Scripture: She [Ester] was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. Ester 2:16

Observation: The first two chapters of Ester set the stage for what is to happen, telling the story of Xerxes' great banquet, the refusal of Vashti the queen to be displayed at it, and the process to select a replacement for her that results in Ester becoming queen. Interestingly, there are some strange details included in this introductory section, and two of them seem to jump out as peculiar.

The first peculiar detail is about people. NOT including the key people in the story - Xerxes, Vashti, Mordecai, and Ester - we are introduced by name to 16 other people who will have absolutely nothing to do with the story. In fact, of these 16, only two are of any consequence even to this part of the story ... Hegai the eunuch who helps Ester prepare, and Memukan the noble who recommends how to punish Vashti for her disrespect.

The second peculiar detail is that the number seven pops up three times. Seven is ... the number of servants sent to fetch Vashti, the number of nobles consulted about her refusal to attend the party, and the year of King Xerxes reign in which Ester becomes queen.

One of the famously interesting elements of the book of Ester is its inclusion in Jewish scriptures despite the fact it never once makes any reference to God. However, that isn't to say that Mordecai, as the author, isn't revealing the hand of the Lord throughout. These two peculiarities are nods to that. The number seven is considered special to the Lord as it comes up many times in association with the Lord. In addition, there is a respectfulness in Mordecai giving names to insignificant messengers and servants that is consistent with how the Lord loves all people, and can use the actions of all people to work toward his own purposes. It would seem these details as provided in the prologue of the story - the part that is setting up the true action - is a way for Mordecai to call out to the reader, "I am telling the story of Ester, but as you can see this is actually about the Lord's hands-on actions even in influencing foreign people in the foreign city of Susa."

Application: I am reminded today that the Lord can do anything, anywhere, anytime, using anyone. He doesn't just use faithful believers at church, but his purposes can be manifested on earth even through the words and actions of people who don't know he even exists (Persian eunuchs and pagan governors?) and in the most unexpected places (at a drunken party and within a king's harem??). In the end, everything follows his order and plan, right down to how many people show up at meetings, and the timing of when final decisions are made.

Do I "leave room" for the Lord to show up and structure the day-to-day things in my life, using whomever happens to be around? Am I prepared to celebrate and honor the Lord when his plan falls into place in unexpected places - like work - through unexpected people - like unbelieving coworkers - at any moment?

Prayer: Lord, again I pray for your forgiveness and strength today. May my mind focus on you, and in seeking you in every moment of my daily walk. I desire to again move closer to you today and every day. Amen.

Do the Things Done at First

Scripture: Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Revelation 2:4-6

Observation: John recounts the message to the church in Ephesus by including this about their failures, that they have "forsaken the love you had at first". While they are still faithful and faith-filled, remaining consistent in their belief in Jesus and their hatred for wickedness, they have lost their first love ... they have lost that child-like spark of joy and commitment to Jesus someone has when they first believe.

Yes, the church does not tolerate wicked people, and tests false teachers (v2). They also hate the Nicolaitans, who accept worldly behaviors with a declaration that, as believers, they are forgiven so all is permissible. However, these are acts of obedience only. They aren't joyful. They aren't loving. They don't celebrate daily the fact they are redeemed and worship with happiness. While the obedience is good, the joy and love is better and even necessary for true faith.

Application: I often do this ... hate others while declaring I am 'good' due to some practice, while failing to truly be faithful to the Lord. I hate the practices of some in the church, but I am not a 'good Christian' who shows love and joy and happiness. The fact I hate disobedience is ironic compared to my own lack of obedience.

I want to eat of the tree of life, planted by the river that flows from the throne of the Lord. I want to repent and find my first love again, and thus have joy and celebration fill my spare time and occupy my mind day and night.

Prayer: Lord, please forgive my sins and my ways, and help me return to the love I had at first, the love I find when I'm not just hating what others do, but loving you and our word, meditating on it day and night, and celebrating the gift of salvation from Jesus. May my mind be filled with you. Amen.

God is With Us Now

My Christmas tradition ... that modern take on a classic.

Oh come, Emmanuel! I rejoice in this season, for the Lord will come to us. He is with us now, and he is with us in every moment of our lives when we either sit in peace, or when we want to cry out in pain and anger at the world. In our darkest moments, he is the light that wins through.

Again I say, rejoice!!

No More Performance-Based Faith

Scripture: This is what the Lord Almighty said: "Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other." Zechariah 7:9-10

Observation: As the exile is ending and the people return to Judah and Jerusalem, they come and ask what they should be doing. Specifically, they ask about a special annual fast they had been performing during the exile. This is how the Lord answers them ... they should care a lot less about 'procedures' they developed to show faith to the Lord (for were they even really doing those things for the Lord, or for themselves and their own guilt?), and they should instead just do what they were told to do for centuries by the prophets, which is to love one another.

Zechariah says this in more specific language; The people are to administer justice fairly, show mercy and compassion, caring especially for orphans and widows and the poor and anyone else in need, while never planning evil against anyone. However, that boils down to 'love one another', which is also how Jesus later paraphrases this same collection of instructions when asked about the greatest commandment.

The people, coming out of exile - a time when they were punished for failing to obey the Lord by following his commandments, but instead attempted to outwardly exhibit faith simply by clinging to perfunctory rituals instead - immediately wonder if the new rituals should be continued. The Lord responds just as he always does ... just obey my simple command to love the Lord and love others, and everything else falls into place.

Application: I have been trying to learn to love others more and more, yet I also know I do some performance-based faith myself. I can do that when I pray publicly without really thinking about what I'm saying, or perhaps even by posting this blog in a public-access forum.

Tonight, I will again serve at Christmas lights, and it will be a 'light' night as the weather will be terrible so we won't have many visitors. The issue is that I need to remember in my heart and mind that the goal is to love others, and show them the love of Jesus, not to be 'seen' as someone serving.

I know this is what bothers me about some other believers right now, who serve only for the social media photo op. Interestingly, whenever I see that in others, I also know how their lives are going, what is happening in their families, and I know there is correlation between how they exhibit their faith publicly, and how their faith then operates privately. This has always been the Lord's teaching ... when our faith is a performance, it results in a troublesome life, but when we have true faith, our actions will become a sincere outpouring of love to others.

More and more, I hope I can show love to others, instead of just acting like a Christian.

Prayer: Lord, I am here to serve others with your love, tonight and every day. Here I am. Amen.

Praising the Lord Before the 'lower case gods'

Scripture:
I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
Psalm 138:1

Observation: The psalmist (David) opens this song with a declaration that he will praise the Lord publicly, even before the other "gods". This represents an interesting sentiment that is common throughout the Old Testament, but that for some reason many faithful believers today struggle to grasp, which is the existence of "lower case gods".

We know for certain there is only one God, the Lord, Yahweh, God of Abraham, the creator of heaven and earth.  However, throughout the Old Testament, the Lord himself addresses issues with other gods by name. He calls Abraham out of a life of creating idols. By the nature of the plagues, he directly attacks 10 Egyptian gods. The prophets declare how Israel, as they turn away from the Lord, turn to named deities. Throughout all this, the Lord declares that idols made by human hand are exactly that - wood and stone made by man - and thus they are not gods in any way. On the other hand, he seems to acknowledge that named gods are out there, and is willing to even take action to subvert their presumed powers.

The issue here is that "lower case gods" are earthly concepts. Those concepts might - might - take a form and have a name, and it is even possible that this name and form is inspired by a demon with the purpose of turning people against the truth of the Lord. The earthly concepts might also be just that ... concepts that humans have placed at the center of their lives and lifestyle, making that concept central in their daily behavior.

And according to this psalm, we are to sing and praise the Lord, right in the face of these "gods".

Application: This is important for all Christians to understand. One of the best things we can do when confronted with a world that makes concepts like ... pursuing success through money, seeking pleasure through sexuality, championing good-sounding causes, achieving virtue through political fights, winning at work ... central in the lives of many, is we can publicly praise and worship the Lord. We can do this in song, we can do this by exhibiting peace, we can do this by holding onto joy in all circumstances, and we can do it by naming the Lord as the source of our joy and comfort and peace and trust.

I know I would do well by spending less time thinking about worldly topics and partaking in social media, and instead spending more time in praise and worship and meditating on the Lord's word. I would like to sing praise more often right in the midst of the "lower case gods" of this world.

Prayer: Lord, I do desire to praise you more, and especially all the more in public. I also desire to spend more of my time in general simply keeping you central in my heart and mind. Again today I ask for your Holy Spirit to fill me, so I may have your peace within me, rejecting all the lower case gods of this world and holding fast to you. Amen.

Trusting the Lord's Equation

Scripture: Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. Daniel 9:25-26

Observation: Recently, I learned a lesson that this passage is one of the most key verses to understanding the timing of how Jesus as Messiah comes to the world. It is about "seventy 'sevens'", which are then broken into units of 7+62+1 'sevens'.

The trigger moment becomes the royal order to rebuild the temple. That rebuilding will require 49 years (7x7), then it will be 434 years (62x7) before the Messiah is revealed and immediately put to death. Sure enough, these numbers work out perfectly, with some scholars mathing out the timeline and stating that from the date the King of Persia declared the temple should be rebuilt to the day Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey ("the Anointed One, the ruler, comes") is 483 years to the exact day (and he was "put to death" five days later). What happens next is the Romans - "the people of the ruler who will come" - destroyed Jerusalem and the temple, re-scattered the Jews, and they have not had a true day of peace since.

(Side note: By this text, the final 'seven' clearly takes place in some other timeline, and many believe it is the seven-year period of the rapture/tribulation associated with Messiah's second coming, the confirmation of the Messianic covenant to "many", aka Christians.)

Application: When I watched the video where I learned about this timing, I was a bit shocked. There is so much of this that just ... fits, and I don't understand why people doubt it. Okay, the original language is vague when it talks about "sevens" with no explanation of what a seven is (most would assume it's weeks), then also says there are 70 of them but explains what happens after 62 of them. I would admit that much of this only makes total sense after the context of Jesus, and therefore sceptics could think we are forcing all of these pieces of the puzzle together.

Then again, at this point in his life Daniel was in charge of the Magi, and was teaching them about the future movement of a specific star in the night sky that would signal the arrival of a great king of Israel who would rule the entire world. He was teaching this at a time when such movement of this specific star had never occurred before, and when Israel didn't exist! Daniel was a man of math and science, who could both solve complex problems AND function within abstract uncertainty. Or, perhaps a better way of putting it, he was like a mathematician that knows all the variables in an equation, but doesn't know their values.

As a Christian ... how does that work for me? Am I okay knowing the names of the variables, but since I don't know their values I can't calculate the result? Am I okay knowing that the result is already fixed and known by the Lord, and someday I'll be able to work out the variables and see how they all came together in the end?

Prayer: Lord, I thank you for your love, and for the mysteries of your plan that continue to move around us. Please forgive my sins and continue to help me overcome my mistakes and moments of weakness, by your Holy Spirit. I desire to continue to work the equation as it were, to place my faith in Jesus and strive to obey his teaching and love others in your name, even though I don't understand how it all fits together within our modern society. I don't need to know the outcome, only that you do know it. Amen.

Unknowable to the World

Scripture: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:1-2

Observation: In his conversation about God's love for us, John declares that all believers are "children of God". However, he also discusses the worldly problem with such a great and loving 'adoption' into the family of God; Since the world itself does not know God, it cannot know or understand us. Furthermore, what we will be - our form in heaven - isn't worldly, and therefore we don't even know ourselves what that will look like, for it "has not yet been made known" even to us.

Application: When I think about how 'the world' - our current society and all its social and political norms - reject faith because the truth of the Lord is far outside humans' core understanding of the world, I forget this truth ... the world CAN'T actually KNOW the truth. By its very definition, that wouldn't be faith.

The Lord created the world and reveals himself within that creation. The Lord speaks and interacts with people, and acts in their lives. Jesus was the Lord's own son and a component of his very being, who taught the truth of God and a hope in salvation through faith. The Holy Spirit is the power of God that can indwell within us and provide reliable truth and insight and guidance in our lives, in obedience to the Lord. However, when it comes to "knowing" the Lord, either you must believe that everything is of the Lord and therefore you see and hear and feel him around you all the time, or you do not believe that and therefore you never see or hear or feel the Lord.

In this manner, within the overall context of the world, the world - and the worldly - cannot know God. As a result, people cannot just innately know or understand Jesus and Christianity and Christians. It isn't their fault. Instead of knowing, they must find faith, believing in that which they cannot (yet) see and hear and touch.

Interestingly, once we as children of God do believe, we still don't even know what that means for our future selves. We don't know the form of our heavenly selves, likely because - still bound to the world as we are - we cannot fully comprehend a 'perfected self' in a spiritual form. When Christ appears, we will then know, for we will see his form and thus understand our own form. So at this time, there are elements of our faith that remains unknowable to us, and yet we have faith in the Lord ... those who don't have faith cannot begin to contextualize future salvation, and again that is not their fault.

Any and all level of knowing the Lord, therefore, begins not as an act of learning, but as an act of believing. Upon believing, we still won't know everything, but we'll have a path to learn.

Prayer: Lord, as we have now entered the Christmas season and working the lights at church, give us all your truth in our hearts, which is that the many non-believers we encounter in the next three weeks do not know you and cannot know you yet, but they can begin a journey toward faith. May love and joy help them on that journey, and help them understand beyond the world they see and feel and hear every day. Amen.

Attacking God's Instructions for Life

Scripture: He gave me this explanation: "The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws." Daniel 7:23-25a

Observation: Daniel recounts his first prophetic vision, and it is complex. Scholars have tried to understand it for centuries. It includes this "fourth beast" that is "different" from the others, and it seems logical (to me) that the difference might be that it is not a kingdom based on a specific ruler, but rather on a global ideology. Eventually, one powerful 'king' comes out of this beast and speaks in a manner that directly opposes the Lord himself, and actively oppresses the "holy people".

However, the most interesting element of this king's actions is this ... he will "try to change the set times and the laws." In other words, one of the ways this king will attack the Lord and the people of earth is to take actions that change the manner in which holiday observances are kept, and to alter the moral laws, both of which represent ways mankind is to behave as defined by the Lord.

Application: I cannot possibly understand what or who or when this "horn" is or is about. However, I can completely understand the attack it makes on the world, for it is the attack we are experiencing now in our current age. This is an attack on God's instructions for life. What the horn does is attempt to undo all those instructions, and how it does so is by speaking loudly and boastfully (aka powerfully and arrogantly and defiantly and continually) in direct opposition against the Lord himself and, by extension here on earth, against his holy people.

That is a perfect description of what is happening in this part of the world. The Church is publicly attacked loudly and arrogantly by people representing an ideology that looks to alter ... natural order, moral code, government operations, and even holiday traditions. The weapon of choice is loud, angry, confrontational public rhetoric, which manipulates the populace until hateful ideals that are in direct defiance to the Lord become popular opinion that many accept as logical facts.

I feel like this eleventh horn is here, now, and active. If so, even Daniel in verse 21 noted that this horn "was waging war against the holy people and defeating them" ... and we are being seemingly defeated in this part of the world for sure. However, this also means I can celebrate, for soon the Lord himself will intervene.

Prayer: Lord, let us all continue to live by your instructions for life. As the boastful lies of the enemy lead others astray and change their understanding of both your set times and your laws, may we continue to fight the good fight, bringing the truth to all, and declaring Jesus as the son of man who offers hope and salvation. Amen.