Help from Jesus Directly

Scripture: For it is clear that he does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. Hebrews 2:16

Observation: The writer of Hebrews is making a case about the status of mankind and our relationship with Jesus. He has used multiple scriptural references to show that the Lord has placed the world under the authority of Jesus, and not just to 'angels'. He sent Jesus in the form of a man to relate to us - thus temporarily "lower than the angels" - then raised him, "crowned him with glory and honor," and "subjected everything under his feet."

And why did God do this? He did it to ... help mankind. Jesus isn't powerful so that he can help angels, who can then help people. We are directly connected with Jesus for our help, hope, and power. This connection began through Abraham, and then became for all believers as we are adopted into the priesthood through faith.

Application: This is amazingly comforting to know that it is within both the will of Jesus, and the authority of Jesus, to help me here on earth.

I am not doing well lately. I feel ... cloudy. My mind wanders, and I spend time focused on mundane and unimportant matters instead of on my work or my wife. "Focused" is the wrong word, as I'm not even focused on those trivial items, either, and I am just as likely to have no concern or connection to anything I have done at the end of the day. Maybe I am in a little bit of a depression, though I do not know what may be triggering it other than a simple feeling that my current life is a bit meaningless (though of course it could be connected to the inevitable fracture of society as we await next week's elections).

I need Jesus' help to address my daily walk, as a believer in his salvation and an adopted offspring of Abraham. The Church needs Jesus' help to contend with all matters of societal collapse and moral failure, as the body of the Lord's priests on earth. Israel needs Jesus' help to protect from truly evil nation-state hostility, as the literal offspring of Abraham.

Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus. If you are not returning soon, may your spirit and power and love still come to help us all, your children. We need your authority over the evil of the world. We need your Holy Spirit to move and influence us to action. We need your protection from material and spiritual dangers. Most of all, we need to be closer to you in our relationship with you. At least I do. Amen.

What Will Be our Curses?

Scripture:
Let’s examine and probe our ways,
and turn back to the Lord.
Let’s lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven:
"We have sinned and rebelled;
you have not forgiven."
Lamentations 3:40-42

Observation: This poem of woe tells of the downfall of Jerusalem and the people of God. Some stanzas tell of the terrible scenes of destruction now in the city. Some recall the horror of those who were attempting to survive the siege, living as cannibalistic savages. Some recall the actual attack and destruction inflicted by Babylon, and others mourn what exile life will be like for the survivors. However, this stanza represents a moment of internal reflection, when the write considers this fact ... this was done because we had abandoned the Lord, rebelled against his ways, and he was actually faithful to his centuries-old promises, so let us turn back to him and worship him.

Application: I live in a nation that is turning away from the Lord, and I know it. Everyone knows it, and many are actually proud of it. I wonder when this time comes ... when we will hit the point where we have sinned and rebelled, and instead of forgiving the Lord will exact his promised curses.

Which leads me to consider, what are his promised curses? The curses brought upon Jerusalem were explicitly announced when Joshua led the people into the promised land, and it was clearly intended as a warning for Israel, not a general warning for mankind. What will be our curses?

My wife and I have been discussing 'the rapture' for some time now - both the evidence there may be one, and the pre/mid/post tribulation timing - and I'm beginning now to think that the tribulation might be the clearest curse left to befall mankind. There is certainly alignment between other end-time issues in the world today, and now this general move of the 'western world' falling away from God. If this is true, then I can only hope for a pre-tribulation rapture.

And for those who experience and live within the curse, will they examine and probe their ways, and turn back to the Lord?

Prayer: Lord, there is an amount of both fear and comfort in everything I am thinking about today. With all my heart, I do love you, my Lord, and place my full faith in Jesus. Please soften my heart toward others so I may tell them of the hope found in you, and perhaps help them discover Jesus before a curse befalls them. Amen.

Discovering the Promised Salvation

Scripture:
I have done what is just and right;
do not leave me to my oppressors.
Guarantee your servant’s well-being;
do not let the arrogant oppress me.
My eyes grow weary looking for your salvation
and for your righteous promise.
Deal with your servant based on your faithful love;
teach me your statutes.
Psalm 119:121-124

Observation: Throughout Psalm 119, the writer petitions for the Lord's protection from those who oppress him. His claim for protection over and over is his own faithfulness, born out by how well he obeys the precepts and statutes of the Law. Here again, in this section titled Ayin, the writer begins (and ends) with a similar claim. However, he has a bit of variation, as he finally has another idea ... that the Lord brings salvation not as a response to our work, but as a promise he previously made, poured out as a result of his own love. And with that realization, the psalmist goes from declaring that he has "done what is just and right" because he knows the Law, to "teach me your statutes" because there are things he does not know.

Application: I do believe there is deep subtlety in this very long psalm, and the naming of the sections after Hebrew letters is part of it. Ayin has two interesting qualities. The first is that, in Hebrew, it is a vowel that is generally silent, and instead of making a noise on its own it alters the sound made by the adjacent consonant.  In modern spoken Hebrew, this has become a glottal stop, like the ' in Hawai'i. The second interesting quality is that, when translating Hebrew, Ayin is usually translated as an O, and thus when Hebrew is translated to Greek Ayin becomes Omega.

Let's put all this together.

In this section, the writer realizes that he is oppressed despite his compliance with the Lord's commands. He therefore looks for another source of the Lord's salvation ... a fulfillment of the Lord's own righteous promises, and in such he desires for the Lord to deal with him not on the quality of his works under the Law, but simply based on the Lord's faithful love. With that, the psalmist could begin to truly learn the Lord's statutes and purposes. And this change of perspective (even if it is only briefly stated in a couple verses) occurs in the Omega ... the completeness of all things claimed by Jesus Christ himself. It is also a concept that stands alongside another - creating a new understanding and relationship with that other thing - just as the Messiah came into the world to stand alongside Yahweh, and thus create a new relationship for mankind's salvation.

Yes, I believe that in this passage, the psalmist is declaring an understanding that complying with the Law is insufficient for salvation, and perfect compliance is in fact impossible. He therefore knows there must be another source of salvation, and that source comes directly from the loving promises of God to bless all nations by the Jews, and to establish the permanent global rule of the line of David.

Prayer: Lord, your word is deep and complex, yet simple and loving. Your message is permanent and consistent, and it is that you love us all and desire a relationship with us. May I turn to your as my father today, adopted by my faith in Jesus. Amen.

Behavior in Political Context

Scripture: Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. Titus 3:1-3

Observation: Paul's instructions toward Titus include how faithful believers are to interact within the social and political context. We are to "avoid fighting." The descriptions of proper behavior are not particularly passive, but they are non-confrontational. They include obediently submitting to rulers and authorities. While slandering no one, we are also to do good works. In bullet-point summary:

-- Obey the government even when you don't agree with it.

-- Avoid fighting over issues.

-- Do not slander those you don't agree with.

-- Do good work.

-- Be kind and gentle toward all people.

Are these the way non-believers behave? No, for Paul even reminds us what poor behavior looks like, for it is how we behaved before coming believers. Non-believers are fools. They are disobedient to the gentle kindness Jesus would advise us to exercise. Mostly, they become deceived by 'issues' and thus are victims enslaved by the emotions stirred by such issues. As a result, they live in conflict ... malice and envy and hate pervade.

Application: With one week to go before the U.S. presidential election ... here we are. Malice and envy and hate pervade. Everyone fights, everyone slanders, and everyone declares they will stand opposed if the 'wrong party' that doesn't support their 'issues' is elected.

What would being kind and gentle toward each other even look like? Certainly many Christians aren't pursuing that stratagem when it comes to the election.

And I am tired of it. I so dislike this human process we have created for identifying earthly leaders. I know alternative methods (like rebellions and wars) are worse, and that is probably the point. Human's weren't designed to select human leaders. Yes, each of us has varying skills, and thus can take the lead in various endeavors and activities, but when it comes to defining the direction of us as a people group, the Lord is our leader. The Lord identifies his spokespeople, and they reveal the Lord's direction.

We don't do this for several reasons, but one reason is that it is difficult to be kind and gentle in a world where half the people are murderous and hostile and angry. Even as I view this verse in the context of our election, new missile attacks are being launched upon Israel ... Iran and Syria are not being led by God-selected spokespeople.

All I can do is what I am trying to do. I do not engage in the issues and the vitriol and the debate. I will live with the outcomes, pay my taxes, and move forward regardless the outcome. Above all, I will try to be kinder and gentler toward all people, at all times, and to strive to do the good work of Jesus. The politics will just be the noisy nonsense I'll try to ignore.

Prayer: Lord, I do pray that the outcome of this election be whatever will advance your will and your kingdom. None of the leaders are what we would hope for, but I know you can use them no matter who wins. May thy will be done. Amen.

He was Not a Lost Sacrifice

Scripture: For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time for my departure is close. 2 Timothy 4:6

Observation: Paul writes to Timothy from his prison in Rome, and most tradition says this is soon before he dies. He is ready for death. He describes his coming end this way, as he is being poured out as a drink offering.

Jewish law had several offerings, both in type and substance. Animal, or burnt, offerings were placed on the alter, where most of it would then be eaten. Grain offerings were sometimes presented as whole grain, and sometimes as flour; when grain, it may be burned or it may be used by the priests and Levites, and when flour it too may be burned or it may be mixed with oil and thus baked into bread for consumption. However, drink offered were typically raised up before the Lord, and then dumped out on the ground. There was no 'use' for the drink as part of the offering process. It wasn't only partially destroyed and the rest consumed or used for priestly purposes. A drink offering was a total sacrifice ... here it is, and now there it is, absorbed into the dirt, gone.

Application: Paul, declaring himself a drink offering, is leaning into this idea. When he dies, he is a sacrifice, but he hopes that when the time comes that he has nothing left to give. At his death, he will be spent ... there won't be even a little more that he could do. That is what grain and burnt offerings do; They are sacrificed, and once sacrificed they have a little more to do by feeding others.

Perhaps, however, Paul was completely wrong. By the survival of his letters, Paul had so much to give to millennia of believers after his death. His words have been food for so many disciples of Jesus. His death didn't result in him just disappearing into the dirt, with no more value.

I myself read his words often during these devotions, and I read the first verses of Romans 12 almost daily. His words nourish me and many others.

Prayer: Lord, I know you have honored Paul with a valued position in heaven already, and I know his is just a man who pursued your direction in his life. If I can learn anything from him, may it be that I truly need to become a sacrifice for your kingdom. Even if, at the end of my life, I am just dumped in the dirt and forgotten, may I be obedient toward you from this day to that day. Amen.

Again Considering People-Groups

Scripture:
But I will strip Esau bare;
I will uncover his secret places.
He will try to hide, but he will be unable.
His descendants will be destroyed
along with his relatives and neighbors.
He will exist no longer.
Jeremiah 49:10

Observation: As Judah is about to be destroyed and taken into exile, Jeremiah takes time to review the Lord's declarations regarding the neighboring nations. In such circumstances, there is always special attention to Edom, as it is the nation descended from Jacob's brother Esau. The family feud always persisted, to the point that Edom celebrated the destruction of Israel and Judah, and the Lord responded. He declared Edom would be wiped out, and it was.

Application: I have thought often about this, but it bears repeating over and over. Today, as we live, ~2,600 years after Jeremiah was written, the Jews - a designation for the descendants of Abraham, through Isaac and through Jacob - remain a people-group and a nation. This is not true for any nation that opposed that one family. Edom, Ammon, Moab, Kedar, Hazor, Elam, Philistia ... the seven nations of the Canaanites, Girgashites, Amorites, Hittites, Hivites, Jebusites, and Perizzites ... even Babylon ... all gone. The nations don't exist. There major cities are now empty and uninhabited hills. There are no clear records of even whom might be linked through ancestry explicitly to them.

In my mind, this remains one of the greatest proofs of the Lord's existence and authority. The Lord declares that one family will exist as his priestly nation, and thousands of years later that family remains a nation that is interwoven through all elements of human history, while also enduring the supernatural hate and genocidal programs of other people-groups. Meanwhile, every historical people-group that has hated that family - most of whom were nation-size groups, and some of whom were regional superpowers - has been thoroughly wiped from the earth.

I hope it doesn't take hundreds of years to wipe the current haters off the face of the earth. However, even when they are removed, there will be new haters.

Prayer: Lord, may you be with Israel more and more, every day. Protect your people. May the move closer into fulfillment of your plan and your prophesies, eventually coming around as your nation of priests to recognize Jesus as Messiah, and bringing into existence a new way of honoring you. Amen.

Finding New Ways to Serve

Scripture: I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, when I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day. 2 Timothy 1:3

Observation: Paul greets Timothy with this kind statement, that he prays for Timothy constantly, thanking the Lord for him. Timothy is a companion, a son-like friend, and a young church leader whom Paul continues to pour into by his words even when he is forced to be away due to imprisonment. Timothy was effectively a disciple of Paul during his earlier missions, and Paul continues to mentor Timothy in his letters.

However, in this greeting, Paul says something provocative, given his personal background and history. Paul says that the "serves" the Lord "with a clear conscience" ... and this is just "as my ancestors did." This is provocative given the knowledge of Paul's ancestors, both generally (Jews) and specifically (legalistic leaders from Tarsus). Paul has stated his background before. He was an upright and staunch Pharisee, born of the most Jewish of Jewish parents, with a well-documented lineage defining his legacy in the tribe of Benjamin. He was a strong keeper of the law - even fanatical in compliance with the laws of Moses - and proud to have been raised as such.

Now, Paul is a "Christian", an apostle for Jesus, who is often in conflict with Jews. It is almost the opposite of the life of the Pharisees, who were opposed to Jesus when alive and remained opposed to The Way. That is the apparent conflict in ideology that Paul declares to be the same as each other.

Of course, Paul is not saying he does the same things as his ancestors. He is saying he serves the Lord - with clear conscience and effort - just as his ancestors did. These are the same in their passion and zeal. Just like his own family ... just like the Pharisees ... just like upstanding Jews ... Paul has learned of the plans and purposes of Yahweh, and dedicated his life to following the Lord's plans, teaching the Lord's message, and serving the Lord as commanded.

Application: What it looks like to be obedient toward the Lord can change over time, as the Lord reveals himself more and more. I have heard how this has changed over the last 250 years here in the United States. At one time, following the Lord meant going to church and obeying daily and weekly activities - just like almost everyone else did - because serving and loving within a community was at the heart of Christian living. Now, there is less interdependency on each other, and the majority of my neighbors aren't Christian, so the daily work of the Lord is more about spreading the good news in ways that are acceptable to current cultural sensibilities.

Yes, it would be great if we could just all commune at church a few times a week. That isn't how it works anymore. Paul knew this ... he knew there had been a time when following rituals for ceremonial cleanliness and sacrifices were the right daily and weekly actions, but later sharing meals to create communities that learned of Jesus' love and helped others maintain hope in salvation by simple faith was now the right behavior.

We are in a time that requires new ways to serve the Lord, beyond motivating and reenforcing each other's faith at church. We try various approaches, and some seem to work. I hope I can find my own niche within these approaches, and once again serve the Lord with the clear conscience.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray to you often about my path and purposes. I don't need to know where I am going, but sometimes I fear I am going nowhere at all. I am just standing in a place I'm not supposed to be in the first place, doing nothing. Please take my hand and lead me where you would have me serve you. Amen.

Not Deserving Faithful Love

Scripture:
I know, Lord, that your judgments are just
and that you have afflicted me fairly.
May your faithful love comfort me
as you promised your servant.
May your compassion come to me
so that I may live,
for your instruction is my delight.
Psalm 119:75-77

Observation: As the psalmist continues to write, this section - "Yod" - focuses on the balance of a faithful life. The faithful seeks the Lord's compassion, desires the Lord's instruction, and hopes for the Lord's loving comfort, all for a delightful life. However, they do fail, and receive judgment and correction and affliction. These are fair and just, and may also be received as comfort as they teach and instruct.

Application: I am so distraught by my actions and thoughts, a quagmire of sin and anger, rooted in my dark and prideful and corrupt core. Even as I desire to be a good and faithful servant, following the Lord's instruction, my mind turns from the Lord over and over and over, all day long, with my thoughts and actions taken away from the Lord. In this, not only are the Lord's judgments and afflictions that have been brought upon me just and fair, I struggle to even look up out of the ash heap of my mind and dare for hope and compassion.

I do not deserve any of the faithful love of God.

Here I sit today, blessed without reason, cared for beyond measure, while I fail and fail and fail again to follow the Lord's instruction. I desire the Lord's comfort and compassion. May his instruction and precepts and word truly become my delight, and not my own dark and prideful mind.

Prayer: Lord, I am unworthy of your love and forgiveness, yet that is all I can ask for today. Please, Lord, forgive me for my sins. I struggle to overcome my thoughts, and I know the enemy takes advantage of that. Your corrections and afflictions are indeed just. This day, and all my days, may I pursue your word and your instruction. Again, please forgive me in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and savior, and may your hope and love restore my mind and renew my heart to seek your purposes. Amen.

Goodness Found in Submission

Scripture: This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Like these good figs, so I regard as good the exiles from Judah I sent away from this place to the land of the Chaldeans. I will keep my eyes on them for their good and will return them to this land. I will build them up and not demolish them; I will plant them and not uproot them. I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God because they will return to me with all their heart. Jeremiah 24:5-7

Observation: Jeremiah is given a vision of two baskets of figs, one with very good figs, and one so rotten they are inedible. This is after Nebuchadnezzar has defeated Jerusalem the first time, taking many leaders into exile, but before it will be fully destroyed. The Lord declares the bad figs as those who remain in Jerusalem, and in fact they will remain in rebellion against the Lord. They will reject Jeremiah when he tells them to return to honoring only the Lord. They will disobey instructions to become humble vassals and accept the punishment and correction they are receiving through Babylon. They will eventually rebel and incite Nebuchadnezzar to the full destruction of Jerusalem and to their own terrible deaths by famine, starvation, war, and execution.

However, the good figs are actually those now in exile ... those living in Babylon and serving new, foreign masters. And who do those exiles include? They include King Jehoiachin, who will eventually be allowed to eat dinner at Nebuchadnezzar's own table and will father the kingly line of David that one day returns to the throne. They include Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego, who will oppose idol worship in Babylon and by their great faith be saved in the fiery furnace. They include Daniel, who with his friends will oppose the eating of unclean food, interpret dreams for Nebuchadnezzar by his amazing connection to the Holy Spirit, and eventually become the leader of the magi. They include Ezekiel, another great prophet who will pronounce the Lord's comfort and instruction to the Jews about how to live in exile.

By becoming the first to accept the word of the Lord and submit to his direction and plan, even though it involved captivity and removal from the promised land, it is this good group that will become the anchoring remnant that can someday return. No matter how painful that moment of exile was, submitting to God's plan made them good, and turned out to be the better of the alternatives.

Application: Most of the time, I have no idea what God wants me to do in life. I struggle to hear his direction, and of course that is because my pride has kept the Holy Spirit at arm's length too often in my life. However, when I have heard his whisper, I also struggle to fully accept and submit to it. If I am honest with myself, my greatest hardship likely resulted from twice ignoring the Lord's guidance.

So what does the Lord want me and my family to do now? Are we being obedient to his direction and timing? There are some elements that seem obvious, but others that are vague at best. It is legitimate to worry if those 'obvious' elements are truly that, or if they are actually our human plan that makes such logical sense to us that we therefore call them obvious.

I wish to submit to the Lord's plan, for I know it is best. I do hope it becomes clear and obvious. Even if that plan does not at first to appear to be something I would want, I can trust it will be better than any alternative.

Prayer: Lord, I would like to be a good fig. You know we have begun praying and meditating about your path for the final third of our lives, especially where we will live and what we will do. That status quo seems unlikely, and some directions feel obvious, but we continue to seek your clear word. Thank you for your love and care and guidance and blessing and wisdom in all things. Truly, may thy will, and not our own, be done. Amen.

Rejoice, Meditate, Delight, and Not Forget

Scripture:
I rejoice in the way revealed by your decrees
as much as in all riches.
I will meditate on your precepts
and think about your ways.
I will delight in your statutes;
I will not forget your word.
Psalm 119:14-16

Observation: With wonderful enthusiasm, the psalmist declares his love for the word of the Lord, and for all the teachings found in the Law. He declares he will rejoice for the very way of life they teach. His daily activity will be to meditate and deeply consider how they apply to his life. He will delight in the very instructions themselves, and never forget even a word of them. These teachings are as valuable as all the treasures of the entire world.

Application: This would be such a great way to live! I spend so much time in 'meditation' to other things - past issues, current events, family matters, imaginary outcomes of all kinds - that I fail to just think about the word of God and how wonderful it really is.

There are many passages ... from psalms but also in other books of the prophets and letters of the apostles ... that openly declare that the one who meditates on the Law will have a fulfilled life. They will find joy and delight and peace. They will be blessed in very real and practical ways. They will be like a tree planted by a stream that therefore never wants to water and can easily grow in health and produce its fruit year after year.

The fact is, this is all any of us really want from life. It is all I want for sure. I just want to have a joy-filled, stress-free, fulfilled life. Somehow, we think we can't have all three of these. The Lord teaches very clearly that we can, and all we have to do is lean into and embrace his teachings, laws, precepts, decrees, and ways. These are all found in his very word.

Prayer: Lord, my daily devotions have been a blessing in my life. They have given me your word in new ways, but also in a consistent way. I do not memorize your word, but I know of it, and I have regular time to think upon it. I desire to make that a deeper discipline, with more time spent pondering and meditating on your word as the thing that stirs around in my brain during downtime, when walking about or going to bed. May your Holy Spirit more and more lead my mind to consider your word, and not my own thoughts. Amen.

Having a Crisis of Hope

Scripture: We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:3

Observation: Paul has spent time with the Thessalonians, and thus he hasn't just heard about the good work of the church. Rather, he remembers it. He watched in begin and grow, and then he saw all that they did, and what motivated them to such actions. Here, he gives three categories of their actions as a church ... their work, their labor, and their endurance. Side by side with each, he also defines their motivations ... the work was a direct output of their faith, the labor was motivated by love, and they found endurance as a result of their hope in salvation through Jesus.

By these parallels, we then see how Christians are moved to action:

-- Daily activities become aligned to the will of the Lord as a result of faith

-- Acts of kindness and service and mercy are an outpouring of love

-- Strength to keep doing all if it every day is fed by hope

Application: Just to be clear ... if I struggle to make my job a holy vocation, and my service toward others has been lacking, and I am tired of doing it all anyway ... I have a serious problem with my faith, hope, and love.

I would say I have been kinder and gentler toward others than I used to be, so perhaps my love is improving. I would also say I try more and more to at least reflect goodness in my workplace. However, I have backed off from a few ministries over the last couple years. Perhaps, then, I'm having a crisis of hope in my life. I look at my country, and often see no possible way out of its downward spiral. I see young people falling apart mentally and emotionally and morally and don't know how the trend reverses. I believe it is likely core elements like law enforcement and the economy will soon just crumble. And while I know for certain that eternal salvation and joy is assured as a result of Jesus' redemption, I more or less dread the next 25 years.

So, yes, my hope is waning, and as a result my strength is not maintaining, which has impacted my actual labor and work as a Christian.

I ask for the better love of others so I can serve them well. I ask for daily guidance so I can be a light in my workplace. However, I clearly need to work on my hope, because without it I just cannot find the endurance to do the Christian walk.

Prayer: Lord, this may be what I really need, hope. It is true I am struggling to find the possible good outcomes of our current society, to the point where it is hard to think on anything I could be hopeful about. However, I have hope in Jesus, and in your promises, and that is enough. I know you can do anything, and I have hope that every possible future is in your hands. Please renew my strength and endurance today, through hope. Amen.

Choosing Trust for Joy

Scripture: For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: I am about to eliminate from this place, before your very eyes and in your time, the sound of joy and gladness, the voice of the groom and the bride ... However, if you listen to me—this is the Lord’s declaration—and do not bring loads through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it, kings and princes will enter through the gates of this city. They will sit on the throne of David; they will ride in chariots and on horses with their officials, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem. This city will be inhabited forever. Jeremiah 16:9 and 17:24-25

Observation: The prophesies given through Jeremiah declare the destruction of Jerusalem and exile of Judah, however they sometimes offer a way back from the brink (which the people don't observe). One such time is a simple message given by Jeremiah while stationed at the People's Gate of the city. The offer of redemption - a way to be forgiving and avoid the promised punishments - was actually easy to understand and observe. It was to ... obey the Sabbath. In fact, obedience was made even easier, as it was defines as just not carrying loads in and out of the city.

Sabbath has always been a key element of the Lord's commands for his people. It is based on trust. If believers trust in the Lord, they can fully rest on the Sabbath knowing that nothing will go wrong because the Lord will provide and take care of them. In this case, that trust could now be exhibit by not taking loads in and out of the city, or in other words not conducting trade. There was no need to conduct import/export for one day a week.

And the issue to be avoided was not just the destruction of the city, but the emotional destruction of the people. Jeremiah is being told to not marry or have children. He is told that no one is to mourn the dead or celebrate marriage because all the people will be forsaken by God anyway. And beside famine and violent death, what does "forsaken" look like for the living? It looks like ... the removal of all joy and gladness.

The choice is put before all the people and leaders of Jerusalem. They may either take a day of rest and thus live with joy, OR work all the time and suffer without any hope or happiness. They chose the latter.

Application: This remains, of course, the choice given to all people today. We may choose to trust in the Lord, and the reward will be joy and happiness and contentment. We may instead choose to trust in our own skills and work and decision-making, and the reward may be human-defined success, but it will be joyless and unfulfilling.

I choose to trust in the Lord. I desire joy in my life. In fact, I find more and more that what I really want is just that, joy and gladness and contentment. I desire that far more than rich food or another trip. That said, while both those things bring me joy, it is possible they will manifest as my joy.

Prayer: Lord, may more people trust in you every day. May intentional Sabbath become the norm, not self-reliant industriousness. Amen.

Properly Defining Idolatry

Scripture: Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5

Observation: Paul gives the church in Colossae a thorough lesson in proper Christian behavior. Verse 5 provides a list of behaviors to "put to death". Verse 8 then provides a second list of behaviors to "put aside", and lastly, verses 12-17 define both attitudes and behaviors to "put on" in order to be Christ-like.

The two lists of bad behavior are interesting, as they are given different treatment. The second list are activities to "put aside" and generally involve the way we speak. They include anger, slander, lying, and swearing. However, the first list seems to be worse. These are things we are to "put to death", and they fall into two categories:

1) Immoral sexual acts (desire for pleasure)

2) Greed (desire for riches) 

Paul has a provocative summary for these two things. He calls them ... idolatry.

Application: I find it fascinating that so often, we struggle to identify what is "idolatry" these days. So many sermons have been given on the topic! We know that non-believers - and potentially believers who struggle to align their behavior to Christ - are likely committing some form of idolatry, because that is the action God most condemns in history. However, for some reason we cannot come up with a clear answer to what is idolatry.

Well ... here it is! Idolatry involves placing one of these two pursuits ahead of our pursuit for the Lord's will and righteousness. If we desire money to the point that we will set aside a direction in life the Lord has given us, we are making money an idol. If we reject the Lord's will regarding sexual relationship between a husband and wife, we are making sex an idol.

We stand today in a society where the current 'young adult' generation is self-reporting as 30 percent homosexual or bisexual ... it's pretty obvious which of these idols is dominating the United States for this younger generation.

I struggle with elements of idolatry, and I continue to pray for assistance with that. I see my struggles as a curse of my "earthly nature" however, and not something I desire, and definitely not something that I wish to hold up as a defining quality of my life and proof of my strengths (as either evidence that I am successful, or that I am openminded or progressive).

Therefore, while I know I make mistakes, I also now know what idolatry true is, and therefore what issues are dragging our world toward judgment.

Prayer: Lord, I repent of all that could be idolatry. Yes, I desire not to commit any sin, but for the greatest of these, idolatry, I truly wish to remove all elements from my life. You are my God, and the only thing in all the world I worship and honor and cherish. Amen.

Peace through Rejoicing

Scripture: I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:2-4

Observation: Paul has one final message before his true farewell to the church in Philippi, and it is about an issue involving two members. It is not clear if they are in disagreement with the church, or they are in conflict with each other. He asks others to provide them council. However, what he says next is the most interesting, for he does NOT ... speak an opinion about the conflict. He does not offer correction, truth, or wisdom (as Paul freely does in other letters). Instead, Paul tells them all to ... rejoice!

Paul doesn't just say 'rejoice,' he says it again! Then he goes on to expound on such behavior, telling them to be gracious to one another, to be thankful and not to worry about daily life, and to pray about both needs and joys. The final summary of the instructions is the more famous verse 8 ... that we are to simply focus and dwell upon those things that are honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, morally good, and praiseworthy. When we simply focus on these things in life, we will have peace.

In the end, whatever is the issue involving Euodia and Syntyche, the solution is this: If they would just focus on rejoicing and experiencing all the great things the Lord has done, then whatever other matter is the problem becomes utterly meaningless to the point of not even needing attention.

Application: We are all human, and all of us - especially me - take "issue" with others. These 'others' may be part of the secular world around me, but sometimes they are my brothers and sisters in Christ. Sometimes they are even my pastor or my family members. Paul's point is so true ... if I were to simply spend time praying, worshipping, and meditating on the great joy the Lord has placed in my life and in all the world around me, there could never be an 'issue' with anyone, ever. I wouldn't even have the mental bandwidth to acknowledge such issues, let alone spend energy to care.

Expending energy and active behavior in rejoicing would create a bubble of peace all around me, and permeate every aspect of my life. I don't need to hypothesize about that as a potential outcome, but rather it is obvious and I intuitively know it to be true.

Today, I will rejoice instead of worrying about all the terrible stuff like elections, work goals, travel plans, etc. Oh, all those things still exist; I'll be exposed to them and/or have to address and solve challenges associated with them. However, they won't bother me. I'll be at peace. And the Lord will hold my heart.

Prayer: Lord, in you I give all praise and thanks. May I focus on your goodness and your good things today, those things are the honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, good, and praiseworthy. I rejoice in you, my Lord and my God. Amen.

It Is the Very Truth of God

I believe in God the father,

Almighty maker of heaven and maker of earth,

And in Jesus Christ his only begotten son ...

I believe what I believe,

It's what makes me what I am!

No, I did not make it,

Though it is making me.

Both Will and Work

Scripture: For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world. Philippians 2:13-15

Observation: Paul continues in his encouragement to the church in Philippi, pointing out that God himself is working within the believers. The movement of the Lord and his Holy Spirit within the church will align them to the purposes of the Lord ... it will align both their will (what they desire and hope for) and their work (what they do in his name to advance toward that will).

Again, work follows hand-in-hand with will. What the church does is an activity that reflects what the church is called to. For example, as the church is called to preach the gospel to non-believers, care for orphans and widows within their own body, and be a reflects of kindness and joy and honor even in the midst of a "crooked and perverted generation", then their actions must involve ... preaching and care and public kindness.

Application: I am seeing the repeated messages about work, and recognize I am in need of working again in my faith. I have served in many activities over the years, and honestly have grown weary as I have grown older. I can no longer just be the 'muscle' that moves heavy items in order to make programs work. My body just cannot do that anymore. As a result, I have backed off of active work on many activities.

My work needs to better align to my will. I still wish to serve the Lord's purposes of reaching others with the good news. Most of all, I wish to somehow - in a very real and demonstrable way - show those in our community whose lives are in total turmoil because they have embraced a lifestyle that mentally, morally, and physically opposes the Lord's guidance for living, that true joy and happiness is found in the Lord and in a life of following Jesus, and not within some post-modern philosophy, spiritual pursuit, political rhetoric, social cause, internal pronoun-based discovery, or physical human relationship.

I can't do that in my chair in my office, or in front of a TV in my family room, or through social media posts only my friends see anyway. I need to work according to the Lord's purpose. At this point, I am convinced that the Lord's purpose for our town and our region can only be one of two paths ... ambivalent surrender and eventual destruction, or miraculous and earthshaking revival. I should be figuring out how the Lord would like me to work in the context of his will.

Prayer: Lord, as I look to you for guidance in all things in life, please guide me on your path. I desire to actively walk with you, and thus work for you, serving others in alignment to your will. Amen.

Curious that We Never Learn

Scripture: The word of the Lord came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah. It also came throughout the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah, king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile. Jeremiah 1:2-3

Observation: The prophesies of Jeremiah begin by introducing him (based on his home town, he is a Levite that lives just north of Jerusalem), and dating his prophesies. With the years given - the 13th year of Josiah until the 11th year of Zedekiah - Jeremiah's prophesies were given over a period of 42 years, beginning before Babylon even appeared on the horizon and continuing through two conflicts that eventually took all the people into exile.

The people were given plenty of warnings and signs, plenty of instructions for improvement. These were given by a prophet clearly called by the Lord, and with a good "pedigree" for a prophet (not like some of the others whom Israel and Judah had already rejected). And they would stand against Jeremiah anyway, even eventually imprisoning him, while everything he said early on came to pass during his later times, and all while they never changed.

Application: We are now about 2,000 years after the passing of Jesus, and in all my reading of the bible ... the letters of Paul, the proverbs of Solomon, the teaching of Jesus, the laws revealed to Moses ... I see this over and over again: The Lord has given us wise instruction, and our behavior still pursues whatever we feel is right for ourselves, by our own judgment.

I know this is why we need Jesus, but it seems curious that we never learn, and I am no better than everyone else for sure. In some ways I obey the Lord well, and in others I at least am familiar with right teaching to pause and reconsider my actions. However, I still do things every day that are, at best, foolish, and sometimes just plain sinful.

With Rosh Hashanah this week, I am filled with desire for Jesus to return. I am tired of the struggles of this mortal life, and those include both the struggles within myself to overcome my sinful nature and properly pursue the Lord as I truly do desire, and the struggles of living is a society that is all-in on "baal" worship and the open embracing and celebration of every evil ever imagined. Forgoing all this - even the wonderful blessings around me - and joining Jesus for eternity has become something I am truly hoping for more than ever. However, if that does not happen soon, may I still heed the words of the prophets and make more and more effort to correct my life, my behavior, my thoughts, my attitudes, and my work, for the honor of the Lord God almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Prayer: Lord I pray, come Lord Jesus. Amen.

Gather All Nations, Says the Lord

Scripture: "Knowing their works and their thoughts, I have come to gather all nations and languages; they will come and see my glory. I will establish a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations—to Tarshish, Put, Lud (who are archers), Tubal, Javan, and the coasts and islands far away—who have not heard about me or seen my glory. And they will proclaim my glory among the nations. They will bring all your brothers from all the nations as a gift to the Lord on horses and chariots, in litters, and on mules and camels, to my holy mountain Jerusalem," says the Lord, "just as the Israelites bring an offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. I will also take some of them as priests and Levites," says the Lord. Isaiah 66:18-21

Observation: The word of the Lord as revealed to the prophet Isaiah ends with this message ... while some will remain faithful, people will choose to rebel against the Lord in their practices, and so the Lord will expand his people by gathering the entire world to him. He will give a sign, and send faithful Jews out into the world to proclaim the glory of the Lord, and those people will respond. They will come to the Lord, and the Lord will embrace them into his family, even making them inner-circle priests and Levites. In this way, the entire world will worship the Lord.

And this has unfolded exactly as the Lord declared. He gave the great sign - the coming of Messiah - and beginning with believing Jews, the entire world knows of this sign, and of the love offered by the Lord. Of course, everyone still makes their own choice, and just like Israel many choose a different path and celebrate their choices. However, many others (like myself) have chosen the Lord, and become part of his redeemed family.

Application: I cannot believe the amazing love of the Lord, so great that he would choose to offer his love to every single person on earth across all time. He never planned to just save one people, but to redeem everyone to himself. I am just one small person in that great plan, and I am so very, very grateful for the Lord's love.

By the work of those first believing Jews, my soul has been brought to the Lord's holy mountain. I have been gathered to the Lord. I wish to be a clean vessel, cleansed by the power of the Holy Spirit, so I may be a worthy offering, pleasing to the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, may I be that clean vessel brought before you. Again today I say yes to the Holy Spirit, I am willing, even desirous, to have your spirit stay and live within me. May I be worthy of your spirit, and made all the more worthy by your spirit's work within me. I cannot be good on my own, as a sinful human, and therefore truly need and desire the assistance and strength of the Holy Spirit to manage my body, mind, and soul. I submit to you. Thank you for your plan to redeem me, a person born and raised so far away from Israel. By your Holy Spirit, may I be a gift to you, my Lord and my God. Amen.

There is Love Again

Scripture: Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

Observation: Paul's letter to Ephesus is full of generic instruction, addressing broad topics of proper behavior instead of discussing a specific, known issue. As he begins to wrap things up, his summary begins this way ... walk in love, as Christ did, imitating the Lord. Because the Lord loves us all, so much so that he offered Jesus as a sacrificial and fragrant offering, we are to exude love toward others.

Application: I know this to be hard, cold fact ... my lack of love for others - the overall way I act toward others with little or no love at all - is the great failing I will be held accountable for before the Lord. Yes, I commit sins and violate the Lord's instructions and precepts in my life, but the way I act with cold indifference and even occasional malice toward others will be the primary accusation that Jesus will have to shield me from. If it is true that we receive rewards for our works, this is the attitude that will minimize my reward the most. Every day, I am given opportunities to act toward others with love and kindness and gentleness, and I generally choose the opposite.

The most difficult part of this knowledge is that I am not really sure where my un-love toward others comes from. Sure, I've been betrayed and hurt by others, but so has everyone. I was once kind and meek and gentle. I once cared about people I barely knew with my heart breaking for their losses and challenges. However, I cast that mindset aside along the way, and instead adopted a hardness that sees strangers as problems, associates as inconveniences, and broken people as jerks. It is a mindset that harms me much more than it harms anyone else.

I fail to walk in love. That hurts me - not others - every day, and it will hurt me even worse in the long run.

Prayer: Lord, please soften my heart. I would life to show your love, the love of Jesus, toward others more and more, every hour of every day. I would like to operate from a position of kindness and gentleness, rather than hard and focused toughness. I do think I am better than I was a few years ago, but I am nowhere near the proper attitude and aspect of a disciple of Jesus. Jesus, I am your disciple, so please teach me in this matter. Amen.

Acquire the Lord's Teaching

Scripture:
Buy—and do not sell—truth,
wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
Proverbs 23:23

Observation: Among the wise sayings of Proverbs is this ... we are to use our resources to acquire the very things that are contained in the word of the Lord. These four words - truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding - are the ones most associated with scriptures themselves, and it is this that we are to desire and acquire. It is a good and sound use of money to purchase an understanding of the very word of God.

Application: Just yesterday, I reengaged in watching a series about money and giving. It is all something I know, and which I already try to put into practices. However, the preacher has made all his points in the context of 'here is how you should spend the money the Lord has given you.' Well, this verse fits well into that model ... Here is how you should spend the money the Lord has given you: Acquire a sound understanding of the Lord's word and teaching.

While access to the word is almost free, this is a reminder of how truly valuable it really is. Access to - and deep understanding of - the Lord's truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding is the key thing to pursue, and is the most important thing we could purchase with the resources we have. The Lord's word is gold for my heart and mind and soul ... may I value it as such.

Prayer: Again I say, Lord, may I be reminded this day to value your word, your truth, your wisdom, and your instruction. Please give me understanding so that I may continue to observe your ways in my daily life. Amen.

The Right Heart in Disciplines

Scripture:
Isn’t this the fast I choose:
To break the chains of wickedness,
to untie the ropes of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free,
and to tear off every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
to bring the poor and homeless into your house,
to clothe the naked when you see him,
and not to ignore your own flesh and blood?
Isaiah 58:6-7

Observation: The Lord clarifies what he expects of faithfulness. For many, the act of fasting is considered to be a great demonstration of faith ... denying one's own body of sustenance in a disciplined manner in order to be obedient to the Lord. However, the Lord doesn't like the way it is often done because of the attitudes and behaviors of those fasting. They either make a 'show' of it by dressing poorly to make it clear they are fasting, or they adopt a bad attitude out of their discomfort and take it out on others such as family and servants.

Instead, the Lord desires that fasting also produce a right heart, that then acts in accordance with the faith and the love of the Lord. Someone fasting should ... be righteous and good as they are reminded of God's teaching, assist others in kindness and generosity, take the very resources they are forgoing and pass them to others, spend the day caring for those less fortunate, and even caring for themselves as they remain the Lord's great and beloved workmanship. This is the fast the Lord wishes to see and chooses to favor.

Application: I do not regularly fast. The most regular discipline I have is my devotions, and for the most part I do not have regular routines that are otherwise designed to remind me of the Lord and his direction in my life. I should have such routines, as they would help me. That said, this passage is a reminder that routines and disciplines are not good if they don't produce the right heart and the right results in my life.

Do my devotions produce improved results in my life. I think 'yes', as without them I would fail to know the Lord's word as I do. Even though I do not perfectly remember and apply all its lessons at all times, I have more than I would without the practice. And I do believe the Lord "chooses" my devotions, as there are times I feel true revelation ... times where the insights that come to my mind are absolutely beyond my own mind and my limited understanding.

As we approach to Jewish holy days of Rosh Hashanah, I would like to consider additional disciplines like fasting. I believe it will help me focus on the Lord. In this, I will keep in mind this lesson of the Lord, which is that such times of fasting need to result in the Lord's own outcomes - kindness toward others, care for the downtrodden, passing along blessing - and not become a show or even a hardship that I pass on to others.

Prayer: Lord, the words I have heard these past 24 hours are in my heart, and I am considering them closely. May I look to you more and more, even minute-by-minute, in the coming days. Amen.

Not Saved by, but for, Works

Scripture: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Observation: As Paul presents the conversation to the church in Ephesus on the difference between Jews and Gentiles - and that in Christ there is no longer a difference - he gives his famous statement that we are all saved by grace through faith, and not by works (verses 8-9). And this is very true! Moreover, this is a great comfort to all, because it removed all concern about what actions it requires to ensure salvation. Salvation by grace and not works changes everything, making it possible to retain salvation despite mistakes, and to have confidence in salvation through our own faith. This is a cornerstone of salvation through Jesus.

However, the very next verse is important, yet often forgotten. It is (or at least part of) the 'why'. The Lord offers us salvation through faith because ... we are his created beings, his workmanship that he loves, and we have a purpose in being created, which is to do good works. God wants us to do his good work, and first created us and now saves us in order to do so.

Application: There are several verses in the Bible that many people cling to for hope. They are good verses, and the word of the Lord certainly exists as a source of hope. However, they are often held onto out of context. It is a great comfort to know we are saved by grace, not works ... that our daily activities and resulting failures aren't the ultimate judge in our lives, because if they were we would all fail. That said, we overlook the very next instruction from God, which is that we are to do his good works.

And what are those good works? Well, sin is not one of them for sure. We should start with alignment to the Lord's precepts and laws, which I fail at daily. Second should be love of others, and perform activities that demonstrate that love and extend peace to all. Again, I fail at this daily, too. Lastly, there is the work of the church, which is to tell others the good news of Jesus and lead them to discover the same path toward salvation by faith. I may not fail at this, but I don't do it often enough or well enough.

I have been saved for works, and I am not doing them. I am very, very certain that could be said by most Christians, but I need to pay attention to this for myself. My daily works need to be the Lord's work, which he prepared in advance for me to do. That work includes compliance with his prescribed practices in life, and loving others ... in other words, loving the Lord my God with all my heart and soul and mind and strength, and loving my neighbors as myself.

If I started there, I would be going a long way toward feeling better about my salvation by grace.

Prayer: Lord, I have prayed over and over the last week with thanks for all the blessings you have given me. Now, I return to the place where I need to be doing your work, and I have so quickly failed. Please forgive my sins and my wayward thoughts. May I renew my focus on two key works, which are obeying your instructions out of my love and gratitude toward you, and loving others out of the overflow of your love for me. Amen.

Pray I do Nothing Wrong

Scripture: But we pray to God that you do nothing wrong—not that we may appear to pass the test, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear to fail. For we can’t do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. 2 Corinthians 13:7-8

Observation: As Paul will be visiting Corinth soon, he has a warning for ... someone. It seems someone is saying that the Lord does not really speak through Paul, and his warning is simple. They had better be prepared for he is confident they will be unable to present valid evidence, and thus making such an accusation would constitute sin. However, the better alternative is for them to realize this fact on their own, and thus "do nothing wrong" and to cease their slander against him.

In this, Paul makes an interesting distinction. He does not wish for the individual to change their behavior because he fears the test. Rather, he simply wants them to do what is right and not sin. That could even mean that, without a test, some may believe the original stories, and that in their eyes he "may appear to fail". Paul is fine with that. All he can do is live according to the Lord, "for the truth" as he puts it, and that truth is that he wishes their to be peace and kindness and communion and joy within the church. That kind of fellowship, and a fellow believer who rejects pursuit of a sinful confrontation, would be the God-honoring scenario.

Application: There are times I worry that I am violating this principle ... that I am an individual who, by questioning the motives of certain leaders in the church, am gravely sinning. I look at the way issues are handled - from liberal and unregulated use of money for certain projects, to a non-existent structure for discipleship - and I speak my mind here at home with my family.

However, I do not speak these thoughts publicly. I do not seek division, and I do not seek to in any way sidetrack the great work our church does in many areas. I don't and won't challenge anyone, and I do know that there are leaders who hear the word of the Lord, and if they sometimes get wrong the methods by which they pursue the Lord's will then that is normal human nature worthy of honor and grace.

I do pray I am doing nothing wrong in this matter. I do not desire to test anyone, nor see them tested. I trust that we are all pursuing the Lord's "truth" and his will.

Prayer: Lord, may your hand and guidance remain on our church as we head into the fall and winter. This is always a key time in the mission you have given us, as a light in the community. May you provide the necessary resources for everything you would have us do, and may your wisdom be upon all the pastors and leaders of our faithful body of Christ. Amen.

His Love Endures Forever

Scripture:
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 107:1

Observation: Though I cannot remember which, it seems like several psalms include this line, either as their introduction, or repeated multiple times. It is such a basic yet powerful proclamation of praise and thanksgiving. Specifically, within just 14 words, it declares that all mankind should be thankful because of SIX characteristics of Yahweh:

1) The Lord is ... he exists as the creator God.

2) The Lord is good, and thus the outpouring of his character is goodness.

3) The Lord is faithful and keeps his promises for our good.

4) The Lord is love, and this is the even stronger anchor point of his goodness.

5) The Lord endures, and therefore never tires of giving us his good love.

6) The Lord is forever, so this enduring, loving goodness is eternal and permanent.

Application: How many times did I sing this verse as a child in Sunday School? It is shocking to me how much I sang it with enthusiasm, and then when I entered my late teen years ... I didn't believe a word of it.

How much do I give thanks that I have learned the truth about the Lord, and discovered a blessed life in a way only he can provide.

Prayer: Lord, again I say it, thank you so very, very much for loving me, and for Jesus Christ who is my salvation and my Lord. I praise you and I thank you. You are good, and I know your faithful love endures forever. Amen.

Coming Back from Desolation

Scripture:
Did the Lord strike Israel
as he struck the one who struck Israel?
Was Israel killed like those killed by the Lord?
Isaiah 27:7

Observation: As Isaiah talks about the judgment of the Lord, he makes this important distinction ... there is a difference between how the Lord acts against Israel in the midst of their disobedience, and how the Lord acts toward other nations that truly perpetrate evil. Even when Israel and Judah have been sent into exile and defeated - when their land has been removed and their cities burned - there is always a way back to restoration. That is what correction looks like. However, when the nations that have fully rejected the Lord and spread evil, like Babylon and Assyria, are addressed by the Lord's wrath, they do not have a way back. They don't become ruins, they become wasteland.

Application: I have been watching a series on archeology of the bible, and have seen two videos about discoveries at Ninevah. The site of Ninevah actually exists within the suburbs of the modern city of Mosul, however it is a desolate and empty (albeit very large) field ... a barren site outlined by a partial ancient wall that was mostly avoided even as the new city was built ... a place where people don't often go because literally wild dogs roam.

In contrast, Jerusalem was absolutely and intentionally destroyed and fully depopulated as the Lord punished Judah for their disobedience - TWICE - yet it exists today as the center of Israel, the heart of the Jewish people. Its ancient sites still exist and are identifiable.

I know I have been disobedient to the Lord, and it is likely that certain issues in my life have been intended to correct me. At times it felt like my life was in ruins, however that has never, ever been the case ... not even close. I know of truly desolate lives, involving people who have so thoroughly rejected God that every element of their existence falls apart. I am not saying this is because the Lord has struck them or punished them, but I am saying that, without hope in the Lord, there are limited lifelines available to bring an individual back from the pit of desolation.

I do think much of our world is in the midst of being "struck" right now, and soon we will have to understand if this is a correction and our return to the Lord will bring about renewal, or if we are looking at real desolation in our future.

Prayer: Lord, again today I say it, thy will be done. May I spend time today in meditation on these ideas, and on your word in general, as even this comforts me, knowing you are in control. Amen.

Modern Definition of Faithful Strength

Scripture: For you, being so wise, gladly put up with fools! In fact, you put up with it if someone enslaves you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone is arrogant toward you, if someone slaps you in the face. I say this to our shame: We have been too weak for that! 2 Corinthians 11:19-21a

Observation: Paul is in the midst of discussing the challenges of being Christian (for lack of a better definition). He describes both his great qualifications for being an evangelist and an apostle, and he describes the hardships he has endured mostly at the hands of violent people. He calls both of these 'foolish boasting'. Multiple times he calls himself a fool for even discussing these matters. At the same time, he calls the church at Corinth "wise" because they put up with so much. They have endured financial exploitation, work slavery, arrogant insults, the cheating of others, and even physical belittling. Their quiet and patient acceptance and endurance of such things is credited to them as strength.

Application: While it would be true, it would also be foolish boasting to discuss how I have endured these things. Instead, let's focus on Paul's teaching. What he describes - the things Paul points out that the church in Corinth has suffered through and by their strength endured - are exactly the things the faithful modern church is called to endure.

There are churches that don't endure this. They instead change their doctrine to avoid any type of conflict or potential insults by outsiders, and based on these pressure of modern society they compromise the teachings of Jesus.

There are other churches that don't put up this. They face such confrontation not with wise patience, but with returned aggression, ready to fight the issues publicly, declaring their righteous high ground.

Clearly, both of these models have been on my heart recently, and it has been with sadness and despair that I have seen both these types of responses to our modern society. Paul would seemingly describe these as weak responses.

I hope I am at a strong church. I have seen first-hand the attacks on our church, both pastors and members. I have witnessed exploitation, along with the understanding it is occurring and the choice to just allow it. I know of attacks on the lives and livelihoods of several, and the choice to just move forward from those circumstances without retribution. I have heard the arrogant insults, and watched as faithful believers respond with a smile and kindness.

And I agree with Paul, for I know the strength this takes. I know the level of wisdom - a wisdom that can only come from the Holy Spirit - needed to put up with every kind of fool. I also know that I (and others) don't always have that strength within us at every moment, and we make mistakes in how we respond from time to time. However, I hope we can all have more of this strength, for it is the best path for exhibiting Christ's love.

Prayer: Lord, I do ask for your strength today, for myself especially but also for every member of my church, and every member of the life-giving churches in our region. We all face these modern confrontations from time to time, and we can only be strong by your Holy Spirit. Please give us your strength and wisdom. Amen.

Lord of Precision and Clarity

Scripture: For the Lord said this to me: “Within one year, as a hired worker counts years, all the glory of Kedar will be gone. The remaining Kedarite archers will be few in number.” For the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken. Isaiah 21:16-17

Observation: As Isaiah pronounces the Lord's decisions about all the people of the region, he provides this specific phrasing about the timing, which is that the decree will occur within one year "as a hired worker counts years." This begs the question, how does a hired worker count years?

The answer is ... very accurately! I hired worker - someone who is truly paid based on the time they work, or (as often in ancient times) bound by a contract in almost a slave-like manner to a job - keeps exacting track of time. They work their day, but they don't start and end 'whenever' but begin and end at prescribed time, and they absolutely do not begin one minute early or end one minute late. Likewise, if employed for a year, they begin on a specific date and end on a specific date, not some vague time in the future. In modern context, if they work for 'a year', they would not begin on some date here in the late summer of 2024 and work until around the end of 2025 ... they would begin on September 9, 2024, and end September 8, 2025. At 5:00pm PDT!

Others may be more general in their measures. A day may mean any timeframe (like from the time we get up to the time we go to bed, whenever those may be). A year may be rounded up or down based on the needs of the work, or in ancient times may have been measured by harvest seasons which could naturally vary depending on weather. Without a doubt the Lord is capable of giving prophets such vague messages and timings, to the point that it can be unclear if something will happen immediately or centuries later. However, the Lord is also the Lord of precision and clarity when he chooses.

Application: So often we hear the word of the Lord, be it in a sermon or a modern prophet, and there arises an issue of timing. Some will declare a word of the Lord, then clarify that there is no timeframe to it and thus their words cannot be judged as to if they have or have not yet occurred. Others will declare a word of the Lord, with specific dates, then provide reasons when such events do not occur by the dates.

When Moses said Israel would wander for 40 years, he didn't mince about with timing. When Elijah said there would be no rain from that very second for three years, he didn't mince about with timing. When Jeremiah said the exile would last 70 years, he didn't mince about with timing. When Isaiah said Kedar would fall precisely within one year, he didn't mince about with timing. When Jesus said he would resurrect on the third day, he didn't mince about with timing.

And lest you say that Jesus was vague in the timing of the end times and his return ... he wasn't! He actually said the timing was a certainty, but only the father knew the timing. He wasn't vague, but rather he was truthful in the fact it was secret.

I believe our Lord is precise and clear. I believe his timing is known and in his control. Therefore, I believe we have many false prophets today, using social media to pronounce "ideas" they call a word from the Lord, but they are at best ideas informed by the Holy Spirit ... and at worst, they are false prophets fed by satan for deception and division. With the U.S. elections right around the corner, I expect many of them to be vocal and in full force again, as they were four years ago, and I pray we will be able to discern the truth properly.

Prayer: Lord, you know my thoughts about politics, that I abhor our current situation, and see how the evil one has truly used our human process against us as a means of deception. However, I also believe in your true word, that you are in full control of the issues on earth, that you manage the rise and fall of leaders and nations, and that we are to pray for leaders regardless of our opinions of them. May our prayers to you, and our understanding of your authority, be at the forefront of your Church throughout our nation, and not the words of false prophets. They will appear, and may we be wise in our disregard of them. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Begin with a Hallelujah

Scripture:
All this happened
so that they might keep his statutes
and obey his instructions.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 105:45

Observation: The psalmist has been recapping all the great things the Lord did for Israel in order to bring them out of Egypt. List among the blessings are ... he gave them riches to take with them, he fed them with quail and manna daily, he made water come out of barren rocks for them, he guided them with a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night, and he gave them the lands of multiple entire nations to live in. In summary, the Lord gave them a wonderful home, massive land holdings, all the sustenance they could want, earthly wealth, and the comfort of knowing that the very creator of the universe was actually directing their very path every day.

And what does such a Lord expect in return? Only obedience to his loving guidance. Praise the Lord!

Application: The Lord blesses me so that I will obey him. This isn't a manipulative test ... this isn't about some give-and-take deal where God is saying "if I do this favor for you, you will do these things for me". This is about the Lord loving me so greatly that my logical response would be to know he has my best interest at heart, and to therefore do what he asks of me because I trust him.

And yet I don't. None of us do. Just like Israel, I am obedient in the short term, then fall to temptation, do things opposed to the Lord's directions, and think some ritualistic act will fulfill the basic instructions.

I know I'm a flawed human. I know satan is out to get me. I know I'll make mistakes. But I'm so tired of failing. I receive so very, very much from the Lord - blessings literally innumerable and unquantifiable by any measure! - and yet I fail to just obey his instructions.

So let's begin here ... Hallelujah! More and more, may I actively praise the Lord!! May I sing a song to his glory and honor, declaring his wonder, and aligning my heart to his splendor. My actions can be better, though they will fall short from time to time, but I can always praise the Lord. With my heart and my soul, I will raise him up.

Prayer: Lord, I do this now. Hallelujah to you, my Lord and my God. Amen.

I can do Nothing Successfully

Scripture: But when the Lord finishes all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for his arrogant acts and the proud look in his eyes.” For he said:
I have done this by my own strength
and wisdom, for I am clever.
I abolished the borders of nations
and plundered their treasures;
like a mighty warrior, I subjugated the inhabitants.
Isaiah 10:12-13

Observation: The Lord, after declaring and knowing that Assyria will wipe out the northern kingdom, declares judgment upon Assyria. That judgment is NOT because Assyria destroyed Israel, but because their king proudly declares his own strength and wisdom as the source of victory. God has given over Israel to punishment and chosen Assyria as the instrument of that punishment. Therefore, they should honor the Lord in their victory, and absolutely must not declare they succeed by their own merits.

Application: We watched the conclusion of The Bachelorette last night. It ended poorly with sorrow and heartbreak, as it almost always does. I was particularly drawn toward the conversations that were occurring. As people are supposed to be falling in love with each other, almost all of their statements were about ... themselves. They declared how strong they were, how much they deserved love and a good life, what they wanted, why they wanted it, how hurt they were, how they would endure, in what way they failed. It was all about what they were doing to manifest what they wanted in the manner they wanted it.

So of course it failed.

Trusting in oneself instead of in the Lord - and giving oneself credit for any success instead of thanking the Lord - is an ancient failure. It defines so much human behavior, and we all fall into this trap. And it is a trap for sure, a double-edged sword, for if one declares they are responsible for their own success, then their only options when failure comes is either to blame themself, or to blame others and likely create conflict.

I have fallen into this trap ... both sides of it. I still do sometimes, though I am at least aware of it. Furthermore, when my heart is right, I am keenly aware of the foundational truth of life. The Lord is my strength and my provider. All good things in my life come from him. When I surrender to the Lord and seek his will and wisdom, every outcome is better than it would have been with the alternative. I should never make my own decision about what to do in life.

I can do nothing successfully. The Lord can provide any success in my life he chooses. May I remember this every moment of every day.

Prayer: Lord, you are my provider. You are Yahweh Yireh. May I seek only your direction, instructions, wisdom, and purposes every day, and in every matter of my life. Amen.