Sweet dreams are made of these (1)

Revelation 21:3-4
"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Isaiah 11:6-9
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,
and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.

Things are not always what they seem.

If we judge character by appearance or outward behaviour, we could be so wrong.

Not all people who live upright and moral lives do so because they are exceptionally pure and holy on the inside.  Some character flaws can help us avoid evil.  Pride keeps us from stealing; timidity keeps us from promiscuity; fear keeps us from killing, etc.

On the other hand, people who do apparently bad deeds may have righteous inner cores that surprise even themselves.  There are stories of gangster bosses who live the life of crime to keep their underlings employed; they are misled leaders who love to provide.  Many disgruntled idealists have become members of totalitarian regimes over the years; they are pursuing justice--just down the wrong path.  Even some sexual offenders purposely re-offend to get themselves back into jail and out of harms way.

God forbids that we judge and He has good reasons for it.  1 Samuel 16:7b says that the Lord looks at the heart.  

Second Class Christianity

Somewhere along the line Christians in the West picked up the notion that serious believers in Jesus, if they truly listen to His call, become either a pastor, a missionary or a full time ministry worker in some para-church organization.  Any other job ends up being less than the higher calling of preaching or serving others.  Ministry related professions are considered sacrificial while other vocations are perceived  to be about personal gain.

Although we don't say it out loud, this notion is always in the back of our minds.  And the way our churches operate affirms it in many different ways.  For example, pastors receive special prayer because they are "in charge of the flock".  Missionaries also need extra prayers because "they are on the front line".  Ministry staff deserve applause because they often work long hours that are "above and beyond their duty".

While pastors, missionaries and ministry staff all deserve our prayers, support and applause, the indirect affect of putting them on pedestals is the suggestion that lay Christians are mere spectators surrounding these champions.  Lay Christians become dependent on paid pastors to interpret the Bible for them, rather than learning to understand Scripture and integrate God's teaching into their particular situations.  This dependency is both dangerous and unscriptural.

In addition to the dependency problem, there's the motivation problem.  By elevating a few ministry related professions, we tend to view all other vocations as secondary in God's eyes, depleting the motivation to pursue excellence in areas that are also part of God's domain.  Doctors heal.  Lawyers uphold justice.  Business owners provide employment, goods and services.  Artists shape and influence culture.  Scientists, philosophers, anthropologists all are seekers of truth.  Christians working in regular jobs can certainly devote themselves sacrificially; it doesn't have to be about personal gain for them either.   Everyone can serve Christ in their vocation.

The term "Sunday Christians" is often used to label people who live religious lives only when they are at church.  But if there is little encouragement to understand Scripture in ordinary contexts and if we fail to see the kingdom significance of "regular professions", then how are believers supposed to avoid being "Sunday Christians"?

Why the Holy Spirit?

In the Old Testament, God spoke through certain individuals here or there to convey his message to the people.  At least that's the way stories were recorded; from Abraham to Moses to various kings and prophets, God appears to have spoken only to a chosen few.  And the text indicates that God veiled himself in these encounters to ensure that His pure holiness would not instantly destroy men.

Then came Jesus, God incarnated within a human body--a fantastic veil to protect people from God's holiness.  He was audible, touchable and perceivable in every sense, yet did not destroy us while he walked amongst us.  Some did not believe Jesus was God because He was too ordinary.  Yet in Jesus, God came deeper into relationship with his broken people.

In dying for us Jesus accomplished a further step in the process.  He gave to those who rely upon Him ("believe" or have "faith" in Him) his own purity--and therefore the ability to have God's Spirit come into their lives as the Spirit is in His life.

And that's what happened: God's Spirit did come into those who believed in Jesus giving birth to the Church of Christ as described in Chapter 2 in the book of Acts--an event called Pentecost.  This was where the shift began, the Spirit descending on every follower of Jesus rather than just coming near someone special like before when dealing with His people.

Ever since Pentecost, all believers of Jesus have been given the Holy Spirit, and thus no longer have to depend on human leaders to connect with God.  For this reason, no one believer is counted above another in the Kingdom of God, because we each gain fellowship with Him through the same means--that is through Jesus' Spirit.

Just a hole in the ground

                                  The Grand Canyon  Feb 2010

Blue sky and sunshine

                                  Death Valley, California.  Feb 2010

A horse is made to run!

The Horse and His Boy, the third book of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series, is a story about a horse named Bree.  Bree was born a free horse but was captured as a babe and became a slave for most of his life.  He had a cruel master that made him work by inflicting pain and fear.  Later, Bree was freed from the old master.  But when the familiar pain and fear were gone he lost all motivation to work hard; he drifted along without aim or passion, neither realizing his true nature nor the purpose that he was born for.  That is until Aslan, the Good Lion, chased him--even scratching him superficially--so as to teach him to run hard again as a free horse.

Christians are like Bree.  Before we experienced freedom in Christ, we were under the slave masters of this world, working and toiling for all the wrong reasons: pride, lust, greed and fears of all kinds...things that ultimately destroy us.  When Christ comes into our hearts releasing us from our old master(s) we also lose the old motivations to work hard.  We gain a choice: should we run hard for our new master or should we just coast along?

A horse is made to run, and man is made to work.  Before the fall in the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had jobs too.  And Christ is at work to help us work as free people.

Jesus is a good master.  As with Bree, He may sometimes use discipline to push us forward.  But unlike the old earthly masters, He never acts in a way that will destroy us.  Scripture tells us that whatever He demands from us He also gives us the where-with-all to accomplish it.

Should the Church be perfect?

With all the teaching on good values and virtues it seems natural for the world to expect Christ's Church to be a squeaky clean institution that every member can be proud of.  But the fact is, church history is marred with stains of crime and cruelty, like the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, and more recently Jim and Tammy Baker plus a whole host of child molesting priests and pastors.  When confronted with these facts we become speechless.

But Christians should know better than to expect the Church to be perfect.  Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous but sinners." (Mark 2:17)  To become a Christian, one does not require a criminal check, a moral index check, nor any other condition.  All are welcome as they are; the door is wide open for anyone who desires Christ.  As a result, sinners come carrying their old selves and old habits.

Richard Wurmbrand said it best, "A hospital may stink of pus and blood; in that lies its beauty, for it receives the sick with their disgusting sores and horrible diseases.  The Church is Christ's own hospital.  Millions of patients are treated in it, with love.  The Church accepts sinners - they continue to sin, and for their transgressions the Church is blamed....The politics and prejudices of its servants are distortions of what comes from God -- that is, the Bible and its teachings, worship and the sacraments.  Whatever its faults, the Church has much that is sublime in it.  The sea drowns thousands of people in it every year, but no one contests its beauty." (p. 28, In God's Underground)

To walk humbly with your God (3)

Of modern saints, Mother Teresa (Agnes Gonxha) is probably the most well known example of humility.

She sensed God's call to belong completely to Him at age 12 but struggled with that desire for 6 years.  At age 18, Agnes joined the Order of Loreto Nuns, whose missionaries were working in Bengal.  One year later, in 1929, she arrived at Calcutta, where she would spent most of her life fulfilling God's call upon her by serving the poor, the unclean and the despised.  

Her humility became evident through her obedience to God: showing his love to the lowly outcasts -- India's 'untouchables' amidst the dirt of unpleasant places.  With few resources, at least in the beginning, her service was not just from an arm's length, living in a clean convent then commuting to the slump each day as if it were her day job.  She moved in amongst the poor, demonstrating the kind of love that her Master humbled himself to give to similarly unclean people.  

And while her service benefitted many, her devotion was towards Jesus alone.  In serving them she served Jesus.  

To love mercy (2)

One individual really stands out to me as someone who embraced God's call to love mercy: Richard Wurmbrand (1909-2001).  A Romanian Jew, Richard converted to Christianity at age 29 after having chased a life of pleasure in Bucharest during the pre-Second World War era.  When God took hold of his heart he became a Lutheran minister, pursuing the life of faith in Christ with the same abandon as his former life of pleasure.  When the communists took power after World War II this meant that he would spend 14 years in different prisons suffering various forms of torture at the hands of interrogators and prison guards because of his belief in Jesus.

During this imprisonment, Romania's political regime changed like a revolving door; power passed from one group within the party to another continuously.  When Wurmbrand was not in isolation, he ministered to fellow prisoners with words and with deeds, preaching the Gospel and giving away his precious morsels of dry bread or sugar to those in dire need.  And, because of the changes in the political climate, he often encountered prisoners who had previously been his tormentors, having tortured him years before when they were in power.

But that did not deter him from showing love and mercy.  One time Wurmbrand nursed a former torturer on his death bed, cleaning pus, blood and feces from his dying body--without the luxuries of running water or clean cloths.  Where did this deep mercy come from?  How was it conceived in such circumstances?

Wurmbrand understood that his calling was to 'build a bridge between good and evil; a bridge of tears, prayers and self-sacrifice for sinners to cross over and join the blessed.' (p.53 In God's Underground)

Reading and re-reading elements of Wurmbrand's story bring new meaning to the words "To love mercy"; they don't just conjure up warm and fuzzy feelings that shift with every changing wind.  Rather they trigger thoughts of mercy so powerful that even unimaginably awful circumstances cannot overwhelm it--mercy that must come from God's nature in us...mercy beyond our good intentions.

What does God require of me? (1)

Micah 6:8 states: "He has shown you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

This doesn't sound so hard, or does it?

William Wilberforce took the words 'to act justly' seriously.  A British politician in the late 1700's, he became convinced of the injustice of African slavery practiced within the British Empire and took up the task of abolishing it.  Many others joined him, responding to the call for justice; together they worked tirelessly, giving birth to the world's first grass roots human rights movement.  But ultimately it was Wilberforce's position in parliament that gave the opportunity to legislate against slavery.  His unlikely success had far-reaching influence over the entire British Empire.

At the time using and trading slaves was common and profitable business, and Britain dominated the practice.  As a result, Wilberforce's mission was both counter-cultural and formidably difficult.

What caused Wilberforce and others like him to conceive the need for such social change?  And what empowered them to think that the abolition was even possible?  His biography tells us it was his faith-- not merely faith in human ability, but faith in God who loves justice and brings about His will on earth.  In other words, Wilberforce did what he did because the King of Heaven wanted better for the citizens of Earth than did the King of England.

While we're often tempted to treat Christianity as a hot tub religion where we comfortably wait for Heaven to come, this verse stirs the water.  Hearing Christ's call, we set our minds to consider His Kingdom business in a decaying world that eagerly waits for renewal.

Does God not have any middle ground?

No, it sure doesn't look like God is into compromising. He gives us an ultimatum of either life or death, blessings or curses. Deuteronomy 28's first 14 verses describe the incredible blessings for those who obey Him while the remaining 54 verses describe the curses for those who don't. And the difference between blessings and curses are on opposite extremes.

We don't like black and white extremes today. We like compromises and take pride in creating win-win situations. Conventional wisdom tells us it's all about making both sides happy. But God isn't happy when we choose to disobey him; there is no half-way obedience with Him.

The fact is, as black and white as God may seem, He has been incredibly patient with His people. His warnings are stern but notice that His punishments typically are slow to come. For example, the Assyrian overthrow of Israel was essentially the fullest curse outlined in Deuteronomy, but only occurred in 721 B.C., over 500 years after the events of Deuteronomy and after centuries of Israelite moral failures.

Can God be blamed for the cruel misfortune of His people after He had given them ample opportunity to change their course time and time again?

Can we blame God for the existence of Hell when we have been given ample opportunity to avoid it?

Where is your Egypt?

Listen to Moses' words to the Israelites just before they finally entered the promised land (Canaan).

"The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven. It is a land the Lord your God cares for; the eyes of the Lord your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end." Deuteronomy 11:10-12 

Egypt was a known entity to them.  While they were ruled by cruel masters, they were nevertheless able to depend on the Nile River to provide steady, dependable, regular water for the crops they needed to produce.  In contrast, the land God promised them was full of unknowns.  And here Moses tells them that Canaan will not be like Egypt with its river.  They will need to depend on the Lord to bring rain; it will require faith and trust in Him.

It is obvious that whether on the way to the promised land or living in the promised land, God wants His people to rely on Him.  There is no way around this simple requirement.  Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith, it is impossible to please God.

If our lives do not require us to rely on God right now we're probably living in Egypt.  Apparently, the 'promised land' is not a place where we 'live happily ever after' or 'have not a care in the world'.  It is a place where we absolutely rely upon Him.

Are we on a 40 year journey that should only take weeks?

Apparently the distance from Egypt to Canaan - which took the Israelites 40 years to cross - was a mere couple week journey if you'd just travel in a straight line.

So, why 40 years? Numbers 14 tells us that it was punishment for the Israelites' lack of faith. Israel had two occasions to move into Canaan. The first time came after relatively straight line travel - not 40 years. But when the Lord told them to enter into Canaan on that occasion they became afraid, began to grumble and complain, then refused to go in. In the space of a few weeks they completely forgot how the Lord delivered them from Pharaoh's powerful grip. Only a few like Joshua and Caleb trusted God the first time Israel stood at Canaan's door. Except for these few - who God later allowed to go through that door, everyone else died during the 40 years of desert wandering.

The wandering was a way of letting the doubters die out ... the punishment seems harsh ... doesn't it? Then again, God did give them what they wanted - safety, food and mediocrity. He took care of them for all 40 years. No one died for lack of food, water or shelter in the harsh desert. He remained faithful to them.

At the same time, He trained up a new generation - a group poised to trust Him more than their mothers and fathers. These young people, along with Joshua and Caleb, entered Canaan 40 years later - and saw God do amazing things on their behalf...

What about us? Do we hear God saying "go" but we hold back because of fear and our lack of faith?

Are we travelling on a 40-year journey that should only take a few weeks and being in danger of missing out on God's big adventure?

Can any good come out of falling to temptation?

After all, Romans 8:28 says:  "...in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

King David failed to withstand temptation - committing adultery with Bathsheba, then murdering her husband to avoid a scandal when it became obvious she was bearing an illegitimate child - David's child.  Yet here is the curious fact: in spite of this enormous failure, God later blessed David and Bathsheba with more children including the wisest son a man could ever have.

Doesn't it look wrong that God would bless a union like this?  One borne of sin upon sin?

Apparently God really does forgive people - more completely than we can even imagine.

On a different note, failure with temptation is a great antidote against self-righteousness.  There's nothing like a significant moral failure to pop the bubble that formed in our heads - that we're quality Christians with big spiritual muscles.  All our effort, high morals and strong will power go out the window.  And then when God continues to love and cherish us as we lick the wound of our failure, we become the most surprised sinners; God shows us what grace really means.

The best outcome from falling to temptation is being picked up again by our gracious God.   Our hearts get softer when we really understand that we don't deserve His love.

What does a life of faith look like?

In Hebrews 11 we find this definition of faith: "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." It sounds like an internal thing - believing in something or hoping that event will pass. Faith seems to just be a cerebral activity.

However, the rest of the chapter relates past heros of faith in the Bible who all DID something. They usually pursued something that did not initially make a lot of sense: like Noah, who built a boat while living on a desert, like Abraham, who left the familiar and went to an unknown place for his inheritance, like Moses, who led the Israelites out of Egypt instead of enjoying the life of a prince etc. These people took extraordinary action because what they believed moved them to act.

Their faith was not merely internal; it manifested itself in big decisions and behaviours, often resulting in significant consequences to their lives.

What does our faith propel us to do today? What is the task at hand calling us out of the ordinary and commonplace and into the unknown place where God will be pleased with our faith?

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one

We often think of temptation as being enticed to do something we should NOT DO.  As a result, most Christians that live morally upright lives--avoiding certain forbidden activities--mistake themselves for being righteous.

Sure, everybody has 'sinned'; I've lied, thought bad thoughts and lost my temper now and then, but that's not like murder or infidelity or theft which are the sins that require deliverance.  Because our sins are not all that bad, we don't get why we need God's forgiveness, but we'll take it anyway.

What we often neglect is the temptation to not do what we should DO.  An indication of how serious this is to God is revealed in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-28).  Here the servant who didn't do anything with his talent was harshly rebuked as being wicked.

No, it's not enough to just avoid the obvious DON'Ts of the Bible, we have to pay attention to the DOs.  Doing good is tougher than not doing bad.  A lot tougher.

Temptations of all kinds have an all consuming quality that distract us from setting our minds on God's business.  We need deliverance from these distractions so that God gains glory from the good that is accomplished.

Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors.

What is this petition really saying?  That God's forgiveness is conditional upon our forgiving others?  It sure sounds like it, but that goes against the theme of grace present throughout the Bible.

God's forgiveness is completely free and unconditional, it doesn't depend on my forgiving others.

Jesus is teaching people that he presumes want to become godly, that is, gracious.  If God's forgiveness is free and unconditional, it would be the natural thing for His followers to want to forgive in the same way.  And so Jesus provokes us to ask, with all of our being, to become gracious like God.  Praying this prayer exactly the way Jesus taught enables us to desire costly grace not just toward us, but through us.

Give us this day our daily bread

Why not weekly, monthly or yearly?

Daily is very short-term planning. And yet, contrary to conventional wisdom, it seems God wants his children to resist planning their futures.

He taught his people to have a daily mentality in Exodus 16:4, "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way, I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions," which Jesus reiterated when he taught his disciples to pray "give us today our daily bread"...

How often are we preoccupied with future needs that we miss God's voice. Instead of trusting Him, we take matters into our own hands and miss out on things that matter to God and ultimately ourselves.

Your will be done

In the Bible Jesus prays these words on two different occasions.  The first time we hear him teaching the disciples how to pray (Matthew 6:9-11) and the second time occurs when he prays them before his crucifixion (Matthew 26:42).

I've noticed that when I pray for God's will to be done, I'm usually doing so regarding something outside of my control, or something unknown in the future.  When Jesus prayed this petition he does so regarding a situation in his control, about a known outcome that he could have avoided: his own crucifixion.

How often do we face a situation or hear a call to action that we don't particularly want to perform?  (i.e. my will vs God's will)  Such is the proper context of this petition: 'Heavenly Father--your will be done'.