FALSE SHEPHERDS

Ezekiel 33:1-34:31; Hebrews 13:1-25; Psalm 115:1-18; Proverbs 27:21-22

“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds, the leaders of Israel. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: What sorrow awaits you shepherds who feed yourselves instead of your flocks. Shouldn’t shepherds feed their sheep? You drink the milk, wear the wool, and butcher the best animals, but you let your flocks starve. You have not taken care of the weak. You have not tended the sick or bound up the injured. You have not gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, you have ruled them with harshness and cruelty. So my sheep have been scattered without a shepherd, and they are easy prey for any wild animal. They have wandered through all the mountains and all the hills, across the face of the earth, yet no one has gone to search for them.”

“Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.”

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.”

“Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.”

We must resist the temptation to read today’s Scripture from Ezekiel as if it only applies to ordained ministers or televangelists. We are all responsible for each other. As the Lord told Ezekiel, he would be held accountable for the deaths of those to whom he did not minister if he denied the call of God to share the Word with them. By the same token though, not all those who claim the mantle of spiritual leadership are worthy of the title. We must be exceedingly careful not to obey those who would lead us astray, or whose only motive is money or personal notoriety. The key, of course, is determining who’s who. Charlatans do not typically identify themselves, and some can be pretty convincing. The lingo is not all that difficult. With the right look of piety and a flock more interested in hearing what they want to hear without any real regard for the Truth, false shepherds can go far. Believers have the imposing task of separating the wheat from the chaff.

The litmus test of godly spiritual leadership comes down to: 1) who gets the glory; and 2) how they handle praise. These two tests of spiritual leadership are mirror images of each other, but sometimes, mirror images are needed to get the full picture.

First, spiritual leaders are – must be - signposts guiding others to the Spirit by His Word. Too many pastors and other spiritual leaders, over time, get too used to speaking for the Spirit and drawing attention to themselves, instead of listening to His voice and sharing His Word. Presumably, this gets the attention they think their messages deserve. Contrariwise, no one really stops to reflect on the beauty or form of a signpost. They are just one means to a much greater end; they tell direction and location, little else, and they say only what others have painted on them. Effective spiritual leaders do much the same for Christ. If they are doing the job right, folks look right through or past them at the revealed Jesus to which they point. Signposts play a role in the overall outcome, but they never oversell their individual importance or forget they are not the journey’s end or specific goal.

There’s also the question of diverting praise. Try as they might, effective spiritual leaders cannot help but be identified with the ministries they serve. The problem comes when they themselves become the ministry. They can get so closely identified with their subject it can be hard to tell where substantive content ends and personal chrisma begins. Even well-intentioned spiritual leaders fall into this trap. More than one worship leader, for example, has left their ministry feeling that, somehow, the congregation’s adulation has become too directed toward the one in front of the microphone. It is a natural human tendency to see a man (or woman) as the message. Only One, Jesus Christ, ever effectively lived as well as He preached. Thus, human spiritual leaders need to always keep their limitations and fallibility in mind, walk humbly, and continuously reflect all praise back to God.

It’s actually amazing how easy these two tests are to apply, and how accurately they predict long-term viability of a leader’s so-called ministry. Let’s do be absolutely clear about one thing: fervor counts for very little, if anything. It takes no religion to show us that passion is often just the Devil’s tool of misdirection and ruin. Many people have run into the abyss enthusiastically. Fervor may be a characteristic of ministry, but when emotion becomes the ministry, it’s time to believe in something else.

Years ago, I had a boss who clearly wanted to run the law firm. His problem was he was too transparent, and no one trusted his ambition. So, he set out to establish himself as the most important person in the Firm instead. One partner got caught up in this with him, and the two embarked in a series of not-so-friendly one-upmanship. They both had their own secretary (back in the days where this was the norm), so the first hired another. In response, the other hired a second paralegal. The first then insisted on the largest corner office, and got it, and the other had a conference room transformed into his office. So it went for years, until the hunger of the first man for signs of respect and prestige simply could not be satisfied. He then left for another firm.

The bottom line of all false shepherds is that they have no true loyalty to the flock. When the money gets tight or the wolves come, they abandon ship and leave those who trusted them to fend for themselves. As Ezekiel was told, their reservations for eternity are already in place, and they are not going to like the location or menu. Our focus should be on making sure we do not get pulled down with them. The Spirit will guide. We just have to put the sound of His voice above all others that would tell us how to live.

TRUE TERROR

Ezekiel 31:1-32:32; Hebrews 12:14-29; Psalm 113:1-114:8; Proverbs 27:18-20

“They struck terror in the hearts of people everywhere, but now they have descended as outcasts to the world below. Now they lie in the pit and share the shame of those who have gone before them. They have a resting place among the slaughtered, surrounded by the graves of all their hordes. Yes, they terrorized the nations while they lived, but now they lie in shame with others in the pit, all of them outcasts, slaughtered by the sword…. They once struck terror in the hearts of people everywhere. But now they are outcasts, all slaughtered by the sword. They are not buried in honor like their fallen heroes, who went down to the grave with their weapons—their shields covering their bodies and their swords beneath their heads. Their guilt rests upon them because they brought terror to everyone while they were still alive.”

“You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.”

“Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high? He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth. He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people! He gives the childless woman a family, making her a happy mother.”

“As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.”

It seems almost strange, given the times we live in, that the Spirit has not lead me to deal much with political issues or, most particularly, terrorism. I have been intentional about trying to avoid all but the most general statements of secular ideology because the Lord had no interest in this blog becoming any sort of manifesto. Still, the balance between politics and religion matters. Whatever our founding fathers may have felt about the separation of church and state, the fact remains that our country was founded on theological principles and many of those who gave it birth professed a strong sense of spiritual guidance and reliance. Moving to the present, one need only look at the nearest newspaper to see how closely religion and politics tend to effect each other. The heart of terrorism is, as it has always been, a religious zealotry that provides one individual with the justification for preferring their individual agenda over the rights and safety of others.

This much is obviously clear: any theology that gives its proponents the presumed right to deal with others as if they were disposable has taken a very wrong turn. Any spirituality that provides a basis for judgment and condemnation of our fellow humans has jumped clean off the track. Any religion that believes its followers are just intrinsically better and more worthy of the Lord’s grace needs to have its tenets more closely analyzed with a much more intentional focus on the word “why.” Any or all of these failings can give rise to the phenomenon we now refer to as terrorism (and which we Christians used to consider simple expansionism and “conversion” of the masses back in the Middle Ages). But the foundation of terrorism, I believe, rises from something even more basic. Terrorism directed at others is a manifestly visible sign of a far deeper terror being experienced by the actor. That is a terror nearly all of us face at one time or another. It is the primal fear that we may have got it wrong, and that the only way to avoid the humiliation of having been clearly misguided is to preach (or rant) while holding the biggest weapon, the greatest fear, one can muster to direct at others. Then, there’ll be no one to criticize, no one to point out the emptiness of our lives and our doctrine.

Terror is always grounded in fear. There is the obvious fear of the victims who do not see or understand the forces directed so callously against them. But more important, perhaps, is the fear that motivates the terrorist: fear of exposure; fear of failure; fear of being a fool. Most of us have learned to deal with such fears more productively, or at least less destructively, than those we know as terrorists. But most of us also understand – in the dark reaches of our souls where even we do not often venture for fear of what we will find – what it is to be terrified.

Christ has a simple solution to all the forms of terror in the world: “Fear not!” The diet of terror is fear. Without fear, there is no terror. Jesus says something else which bears on this problem as well. “Perfect love casts out fear.” Putting it all together, Scripture decrees that if we are perfectly engrossed in love, we are beyond terror. We are secure and strong where we once were weak and needy. We become new creations where we once were fundamentally flawed.

If we want to avoid fear, we need to focus on love, until our obsession with love just expels all thoughts of fear. Easier to say than do, of course. But until we absolutely commit ourselves to immersing ourselves in Love, we should not give up the theory as unworkable or too idealistic. The Holy Spirit may actually know a thing or two about what He would teach us, however utopian our cynical hearts may be tempted to see it.

CLOUDS OF HEAVEN

Ezekiel 29:1-30:26; Hebrews 11:32-12:13; Psalm 112:1-10; Proverbs 27:17

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.”

“Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor. The wicked will see this and be infuriated.”

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”

I could not let today come and go without quoting my favorite verse in all the Bible. Hebrews 12:1-3 is both a sword and shield for me. The shield part is easy to recognize and claim. Previous verses clarify that Yahweh’s All-Star Big Hitters – Abraham, Moses, Pete and Paul, Mary Magdalene and so forth – along with those we knew more intimately during our own lifetimes, are actually sitting in the bleachers, rooting us on as we go about the business of living our lives. It’s pretty cool to think that those giants of the faith care how we are doing. Hard to believe, but there’s no arguing with Scripture. Which brings me to the sword. Yahweh’s All-Star Big Hitters – Abraham, Moses, Pete and Paul, Mary Magdalene and so forth – along with those we knew more intimately during our own lifetimes, are actually sitting in the bleachers, rooting us on as we go about the business of living our lives. YIKES! Gosh, there’s a lot in my life I’d prefer no one saw, let alone the renowned saints of God… or my grandma, or my father-in-law and his wife, for example. If those folks are part of my cloud of witnesses, I may be too embarrassed to walk through the pearly gates! It gives one pause when we stop to think that our actions may be seen by far more eyes than we thought.

Yet, why should that make any difference at all? We know God sees everything. Maybe that’s become such a cliché it has lost its power to alarm us or cause us to change our ways. Maybe the whole idea of eternal judgment just isn’t personal enough to truly get under our skin. But if the idea that our family, friends and even pastors really are our witnesses does not make us straighten up and fly right, we are either shameless or simply do not believe what the writer of Hebrews tells us.

Rather than seeing the heavens as populated with a bunch of spiritual Peeping Toms, though, I prefer to focus more on the positive aspects of having a holy cheering section on my side. I can recall various athletic events where our fans kept us in the game, kept us from giving up and throwing in the towel. I remember too how catcalls and criticism from the stands were expressly verboten. That’s probably something like heaven. The saints aren’t really all that interested in the times we fail. Their attention is focused on our potential, and their hearts harbor no judgment of any kind.

Moreover, it is those in our clouds of witnesses who provide us with examples that give us courage and strength when we most need them. As I think I’ve said before, my father-in-law showed me an absolutely unearthly love when he continued to care for his dying wife at home, even after she became completely debilitated and was plainly made vicious by her brain tumor. My grandmother shared any number of goofy stories and therein, something more valuable: smiles, and even an occasional guffaw. My other Granny left behind memories of the best scrambled eggs one could ever hope to find… and cherished memories around the breakfast table with family to go with them. Her husband taught me how to die: courageously and without complaint, cramming every moment so full of life that even an untimely end could not cheat us out of knowing one of the most fulfilled humans ever. All our heavenly witnesses are resources, not judges. They are wise enough to know there is no need for their judgment. If the time comes, One will judge who is both more knowledgeable and better able to judge without rancor or bias. Witnesses know there role is just to give voice to the facts. They will not miss our failures and foibles. But neither will they hold them against us.

This seems a bit like what the writer of Proverbs had in mind when speaking of iron sharpening iron. We are all participants in the great adventure of life, and we are all witnesses to the actions and efforts of others. We need to be accountable to each other, and allow the examples of our heavenly witnesses permeate our minds and our souls as we live out our days. Finally, when the end comes, may we all handle our roles as well as those All-Star Big Hitters who have gone before and are rooting for us to join them!

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Ezekiel 27:1-28:26; Hebrews 11:17-31; Psalm 111:1-10; Proverbs 27:15-16

“In your great pride you claim, ‘I am a god! I sit on a divine throne in the heart of the sea.’ But you are only a man and not a god, though you boast that you are a god. You regard yourself as wiser than Daniel and think no secret is hidden from you. With your wisdom and understanding you have amassed great wealth—gold and silver for your treasuries. Yes, your wisdom has made you very rich, and your riches have made you very proud.”

“It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau. It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff. It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.”

“All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity. He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has! Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom.”

“A quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping on a rainy day. Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind or trying to hold something with greased hands.”

There really is no arguing the fact that a lot of what the Old Testament says can be directly applied to America today. We got fat, happy and prideful. Now, we’re getting our comeuppance, along with the rest of the world of which we were so careless. Such is the way of Scripture. We may think we are reading it, when all the time, it is reading us. Its pages can teach us much about ourselves, even if there is not a religious hair on our heads. The question is whether or not we want to be that knowledgeable. Plausible deniability can cover a multitude of sins.

Take, for instance, the problem of personal pride. When not limited to boasting in Christ, pride lulls us into thinking we are good enough and don’t need to worry about growth or stagnation. The fact, however, is that as long as there is room for additional growth or a risk of stagnation (and when isn’t there?), we take our current spiritual condition for granted at our peril. The Lord is not impressed with our self-congratulations or our tendency to take credit away from Him. He expects us to remain humble and open to His prodding, no matter what life throws at us.

On a personal level, I tend to grow more and better when I’m willing to accept teachings from the Spirit in the very middle of life. That’s when it counts, when the chance is immediately given to put up or shut up, to trust or walk away. But I must first of all be attentive so I do not miss the Message. I have to evaluate myself and my acts and omissions honestly, allowing the Son to show them to me as He sees them. Then, I must be reconciled His coaching. None of this will happen, though, if pride is in the way, blinding and deafening us.

So, we must initially listen unceasingly. The Spirit’s voice – at least when I hear it the most - usually begins with gentle chastisement. I typically find I have affirmatively messed up, or haven’t been doing any affirmative thing at all. The Spirit attempts to bring me back ‘round, to focus on Him and His ways. (It seems the Spirit doesn’t waste time reviewing lessons that don’t need to be taught, all the more reason to listen when He does instruct.) Once the Lord has my attention, the process of course correction can begin. This is typically akin to sticking a spiritual bridle around my head and giving several good yanks to one side or the other. Ordinarily, it’s hard not to respond to such guidance from the Father, like it or not. However, there are times when vanity refuses to accept the direction and insists on its own way regardless. This results in significant problems for both the proverbial horse (me) and rider (God). I try to buck Him off or just ignore Him, until each tug gets weaker and less definite. I eventually find myself without His guidance… or inspiration. That’s when I know I’m in trouble for sure. My pride has resulted in prejudice to me and others with whom I may come into contact. Simply, I’ve missed the point.

See, that’s the price of pridefully rejecting God’s instructions: He allows us to get lost, usually long before we realize it. Pride always gives rise to prejudice, unless it is a justifiable boasting in the Lord. The Author of Change has created a world where everything changes over time. Stagnation is never an option, not really. Those who disregard Jehovah’s commands will eventually find themselves victimized by the same change they seek to avoid by resisting the Spirit. How do we work around this? By faithfully acting out what the Son has commissioned us to do. Make disciples.

Not only does the recruitment and care of disciples teach those we come in contact with, but it teaches us as well. It teaches us to discern between those who honestly have the appropriate spiritual gifts and those who are mere pretenders at the Throne of Grace. As the Creator uses us to speak His words of encouragement, we also come to understand just how well He has planned for our own spiritual development, and the related choices He gives us to make. We can only make the right decisions if we are free of personal pride.

THE LIMITS OF FAITH

Ezekiel 24:1-26:21; Hebrews 11:1-16; Psalm 110:1-7; Proverbs 27:14

“Then this message came to me from the Lord: ‘Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there be no tears. Groan silently, but let there be no wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the usual rituals of mourning or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends.’ So I proclaimed this to the people the next morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did everything I had been told to do. Then the people asked, ‘What does all this mean? What are you trying to tell us?’”

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”

There are certain things the human soul and psyche just cannot accept. Today’s Scripture from Ezekiel may be one of them. I understand about personal sacrifice and the Lord asking us to give up our many and varied vices in exchange for an eternal lifetime with Him. When it comes to taking our relatives as sacrificial lambs, though, that collides against the limits of my personal faith and obedience. I am glad the Spirit has never so tested me. I’m pretty sure I would have walked right out of the exam.

For example, I’ve never grasped how Abraham could so unquestioningly lead his son Isaac to the altar as a potential sacrifice. The Bible says Abraham acted out of faith. Here’s my question: faith in what? Did Abraham have faith that God really didn’t mean what He said, and would not, in the final moments, actually require him to take Isaac’s life? If so, that was not faith at all. It would have been the opposite: pure denial, disbelief. Perhaps Abraham’s faith was that God would guarantee him a place in heaven if he sacrificed Isaac. Sounds no better than unadulterated selfishness masquerading as misguided spirituality. Nowhere do the Scriptures suggest we can sell out others and still expect to get to heaven; quite the contrary. We are to sacrifice ourselves in serving others if we want to see eternal greatness.

So, what was it that Abraham had faith in that led him to lead Isaac to the sacrificial altar? Inscrutably, the Bible does not really clarify this. “Abraham had faith, and it was accounted to him as righteousness.” That’s no help. It comes down to one of two things: either Abraham had faith God would take Isaac and care for him in a better place; or Abraham just had a blind and unquestioning faith in faith. I’m sorry, but I do not personally find any of these answers particular satisfying. First, there is simply no support for the proposition that we can make anyone else’s spiritual decisions for them. God has no grandchildren. Second, a faith without a specific object, even if unseen, is not much better than wishful thinking. It has no focus, no goal, no destination, no end result. Now, I am well aware Abraham came from a pagan society where child sacrifice was not unusual. The concept likely did not shock him as much as it does us. That still does not make it right. Perhaps the point was to show Abraham a better option, a more worthy deity, than what he was used to as a Canaanite nomad. OK, but wasn’t there a better way to make that point than claiming his son for a sacrifice? For sure, if it came to my son, and certainly my wife, I’m pretty sure I’d say no way, no how, regardless of the consequences.

Which brings us to Elijah and his wife. Oh, my gosh! From any human perspective, how unfair! How tortured and used Elijah must have felt! What courage, what obedience it must have taken for him to stick with the Lord after his wife was taken from him. The Bible never even implies Elijah did anything but follow Yahweh’s directions. However, when the people could not understand the message, it takes little imagination to think he might well have felt his wife’s life was wasted. I’d have gotten angry; I’d have turned away. Why didn’t Elijah? Why didn’t Abraham?

Elijah and Abraham obviously knew something I don’t. I question whether even a personal, face-to-face meeting with Jehovah would be worth the death of my son or wife, recognizing that may be the wrong way to say it. More accurately, more certainly, if the Lord required me to sacrifice my wife or son as the price for admission of me or anyone else into His Presence, I seriously doubt I’d be willing to pay. I’d give my own life; I can honestly say that. But it is simply not my place to take or give any other person’s life for the benefit of another.

The Lord’s ways are sure not ours. That could be the point. After all, look what the Father did to His own Son. Perhaps there’s another way to see both Ezekiel and Abraham’s problems. Maybe, Ezekiel and Abraham can help us understand the genuine anguish God felt at Calvary watching His Son die. That was no test. It was genuine tragedy and horrifyingly real. It hurt. Recognizing the pain the Lord felt watching His Son die may not make our own losses any easier to understand or accept. At least, though, we can know our Creator knows exactly how we feel.

INTO HIS PRESENCE

Ezekiel 23:1-49; Hebrews 10:18-39; Psalm 109:1-31; Proverbs 27:13

“And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies…. So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised….”

“Help me, O Lord my God! Save me because of your unfailing love. Let them see that this is your doing that you yourself have done it, Lord. Then let them curse me if they like, but you will bless me! When they attack me, they will be disgraced! But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!”

There it is: the entire Bible in a nutshell, certainly the New Testament, anyway. It really is that simple, and that complex. And it’s not that we don’t, or can’t understand the verbiage, either. We recognize the meaning; the jist of it, anyhow. What does not translate, in any language, is the sheer enormity – to the point of incomprehensibility – of the ideas behind the words.

Look closely. Slowly digest the Scriptures quoted above. The artificial separation between man and God caused by sin is truly a thing of the past. Not only can we call “from here to there” for Him to help. We can go for a personal, face-to-face visit! That particular blessing, as counterintuitive and metaphysical as it sounds, has nothing to do with our opinions or beliefs, either. It is fact, not faith. If we remain separated from our Creator, it is now a matter of personal choice, not circumstance or bad spiritual DNA. The Law has been fulfilled, for those willing and wanting to seriously, radically claim that fact. The nitpickiness of “right” and “wrong” and the use of worldly priests and pastors as go-betweens is an obsolete approach to the things of eternity. We really can go directly to the Source. More to the point, though, is that we actually are expected to stand upright before the Father, the very source of Holy, as if we had nothing to be ashamed of or apologize for, and as if we deserve to be called His children.

Now that, to me, seems the very pinnacle of audacity. It presumes a braggadocio I, for one, just don’t possess. Besides, whatever happened to humility? OK, let’s start there. Humility does not mean doormat. It means teachable, and we will never find a more teachable moment than when standing at the feet of the Father. He has much to explain, and many mysteries to reveal, and on that day, we will ultimately be free to give Him our undivided attention without fear. Then, as we face Him, we will finally learn just how often we spoke irreverently or inaccurately of things we “did not know, things too wonderful to understand.” It will be one of the few experiences in this life or the next honestly deserving of the term “awesome!” To have the ability to finally understand and share the wisdom of the One who made it all… Oh, my! That’s an enormity too stupendous for words, but a promise nonetheless.

Still, we have not escaped Satan’s wiles completely yet, have we? Dare we so quickly forget the seemingly eternal “yeah, but” that begins, “Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning….”? Here is what I am only now, after all this and over 50 years of intimate experience with sin, beginning to understand. No, we neither escape nor avoid sin, not in this life. We will all – especially Christians – be obsessed with it for as long as we live in this world. It cannot be avoided, spiritually or pragmatically. We live in a completely fallen world, and it really is presumptuous to assume or expect temptation to just disappear. No, sin cannot be avoided, but it can be, it MUST be, superseded by something for more important, something with much greater priority. That something is Christ, again, pure and simple.

Christ not only paid the penalty; His Spirit actually will eventually replace the sin nature of those who fully depend on Him and open themselves completely to His influence. Our persistent focus on Christ, if we do it right, will overcome our desire to sin. If we get good enough at staying open to Him and are dedicated enough to not just leap off the wagon, so to speak, the Spirit will finally train us in such a way that we just become unable to sin. Sin then will be contrary to our nature and thus, much easier to avoid. Imagine that possibility and potential!

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I know of no one that dedicated but the Author and Perfector of the whole process Himself. Nevertheless, I am coming to believe the system works when we give it a chance. Call it “the audacity of faith,” if you will. But try it anyway. Open fully and consistently. Who knows? We may just come to like it.

We are expected to face the Great Yahweh Almighty and stand. It is our right, our calling and, to some extent, our destiny as His kids. However illogical it sounds, it also is His heartfelt desire. I will never comprehend how the Holy can even tolerate, let alone love, the unholy. But I can and do praise the Lord because I do not have to comprehend. I only have to accept the invitation to allow the Son and His Spirit to totally fill me before I get to the Father. We’re all still workin’ on that, but at some point, I actually think I will ask Him to just take over. On that glorious day, I’ll actually mean it, too, and He’ll just totally do it.

Pretty cool, and definitely something to look forward to!

A NEW CONFIDENCE

Ezekiel 21:1-22:31; Hebrews 10:1-17; Psalm 108:1-13; Proverbs 27:12

“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

“And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, ’This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.’ Then he says, ‘I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.’”

“My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart! Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth.”

“A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”

There is simply no greater blessing than being one of the Lord’s “gap fillers,” and no greater calling than to be given the opportunity to do so. Still, most of us are inappropriately reluctant to stand strong and tall for Jehovah and righteousness because we are afraid to do so. We fear being ignored. We fear being labeled hypocrites. We fear being mocked or persecuted. Fundamentally, we fear failure. But here’s the problem with our logic. Today’s Scripture from Ezekiel is painfully clear. Our preference for self-preservation is actually counterproductive. Our failures to step up for God will result in the very destruction we seek to avoid when we refuse to stand in the gap for Christ. Moreover, far beyond our limited ability to see or comprehend eternal consequences, rejections of our mission may result in even greater tragedy than we will ever know. Those who refuse to stand for righteousness will in no way save themselves from catastrophe, and we may also unwittingly expose others to judgment we could have helped them avoid had we been willing to take a chance on the Spirit. In other words, we are our brothers’ (and sisters’) keepers. We have responsibility for their eternal well-being which we cannot fulfill if we are not willing to present ourselves as examples of righteousness. However flawed our examples still may be, we nevertheless have a duty to stand as proof of the redeeming work of Christ.

Moreover, there really is no excuse for our failing to do so. We must be committed to living out what we say we believe. After all, the Advent of Christ brought a new sherriff to town. The rules did not change, exactly, but the Law was fulfilled, and we were shown a higher calling. We are forgiven. We are washed in the Blood of the Lamb. We have a new Spirit within that will fully guide us if we allow it to do so. Ergo, we can, quite literally, bet our lives on Christ with no fear of losing, provided we understand the true stakes involve eternity and not temporary comfort or lack of conflict in this life. We need to claim and experience the fact that we have the option to choose to live triumphantly in Jesus, whatever our temporal circumstances. We have the right to live audaciously, fearlessly. We can be examples of new life awash in the creativity of a loving Father. We just have to set our minds to do so, and most of us are just too timid to completely immerse ourselves in these ideas.

It gets back to refusing delivery on pessimism and learning to accept the incredible illogic of Jesus’ love for us, along with its many benefits. It is possible to live as an overcomer in the midst of adversity! Christ wants us to put ourselves at risk for Him so we can test our wings, as well as his provision. But we will never learn to fly if we will not leave the nest of our pretend security in this world, or if we refuse to set our sights higher than the horizon of this world. Step up, and step out! The Lord calls us to stand in the gap for those who do not understand what we already ought to know.

MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS

Ezekiel 20:1-49; Hebrews 9:11-28; Psalm 107:1-43; Proverbs 27:11

“When I bring you home from exile, you will be like a pleasing sacrifice to me. And I will display my holiness through you as all the nations watch. Then when I have brought you home to the land I promised with a solemn oath to give to your ancestors, you will know that I am the Lord. You will look back on all the ways you defiled yourselves and will hate yourselves because of the evil you have done. You will know that I am the Lord, O people of Israel, when I have honored my name by treating you mercifully in spite of your wickedness. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!””

“So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.”

“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor! Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation.”

“Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad. Then I will be able to answer my critics.”

Our church is beginning a very interesting project. One of our young pastors had an inspiration, or vision, of 100 men praying and reading the Bible together for 30 days in support of the entire church. We began our month this week with a 24/7 straight through reading of the entire Bible, out loud. No one was specifically scheduled to read at any time. The entire thing was an exercise in faith. Amazingly, though, someone was always available to read. I took a very early morning (around 3AM) shift. It was actually a surprise to feel emotion flow through me as I read through Ezekiel’s commissioning, because I have heard similar words myself. Our pastor was completely overcome while reading the opening chapters of Lamentations. The neatest thing, though, was just watching guys come and go at that most difficult hour, as if they really had nothing more pressing to do, and fully understood what they were doing as a mission and purpose. In some strange way, the place in which we were became an oasis of God’s Living Water, nourishing us all, individually and collectively.

It came to me, then, how many of us have lost our hunger and thirst for God’s Word. The parts we know, we have heard to the point that they have become almost clichéd. We stumble over the less recognizable parts like strangers using an unfamiliar map. Overall, then, Scripture has lost its “magic” for many of us. As I sat there listening afresh to the inspired Word, I mourned the times I have sat in church and taken the Father’s love letter for granted. But the Lord is good, and His steadfast love does endure forever. Because as I sat and allowed His Word simply to flow over me, I also felt His power flow into me. I wondered at what I have been missing, even as I have read through the Bible when doing this blog.

Having thought more about it now, what has been missing is the experience of hearing the Word in a fellowship of like-minded believers who have actually sacrificed something in order to share it together. So often, we come before the Lord – we occupy His pews – without expecting or sacrificing anything, and we are never disappointed if that is our approach. But one natural human tendency actually would serve us better in such a case. Each of us tends to value the things for which we sacrifice the most to encounter. What doesn’t cost may not count for much at all. We tend to take for granted the freebies in life. When we allow ourselves to think of grace as a “gimme,” though, we cheapen the Gift and end up cheating ourselves, and our Savior, of the wonder of it all.

In short, worship is contagious. But it also costs; it costs our heartfelt and uninhibited participation. I’m not talking about hand waiving and shouting. Those things are a matter of personality and personal preference. But the immersion in the Spirit true worship requires is non-negotiable, and it’s hard to do in isolation. Anyone who tries to worship alone is shortchanging themselves. There is a reason that the only time the Son guaranteed his Presence is when two or more are gathered together in His Name.

Bring a friend to the altar. Support each other when drinking in the Spirit. The Church is an oasis, a sanctuary. But the best refreshment is refreshment that is shared.

BLACK POTS AND BLACK KETTLES

Ezekiel 18:1-19:14; Hebrews 9:1-10; Psalm 106:32-48; Proverbs 27:10

“‘What?’ you ask. ‘Doesn’t the child pay for the parent’s sins?’ No! For if the child does what is just and right and keeps my decrees, that child will surely live. The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done. Do you think that I like to see wicked people die?’ says the Sovereign Lord. ‘Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins. Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you? …Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions,’ says the Sovereign Lord. ‘Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!’”

“Again and again he rescued them, but they chose to rebel against him, and they were finally destroyed by their sin. Even so, he pitied them in their distress and listened to their cries. He remembered his covenant with them and relented because of his unfailing love.”

“Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father’s. When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance. It’s better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away.”

Good news and bad news today. The good news is that God truly does not desire that any of His children die. He wants us to live, now and eternally. The bad news is that He also holds us personally responsible and accountable to Him for our own lives, whatever our circumstances. We make our own beds to lie in, so to speak, and our parents, friends and others will not be blamed for the results. We are each responsible for our own choices, so we had better start doing a better job of choosing our own paths and do less finger pointing along the way.

Personal accountability actually is a very good thing when viewed the right way. It’s tough enough to attend to our own ways; being responsible for those who have gone before, or those who come after, is a burden only One Man carried successfully. But this brings to mind a new, logical question: if the Lord judges us only on the basis of our own acts, why then are we still so concerned with the affairs of others? Why do we focus so intently on the specks in our brothers’ and sisters’ eyes and virtually ignore our own faults? We resist the idea that we should be held guilty for the sins of others and yet are all too quick to castigate friends and enemies alike for even the most inconsequential errors. That kind of focus is a complete misdirection, and it fools no one.

It is far easier to judge others than to judge ourselves. It can be cathartic, in fact. That does not, however, make our judgments right. We frequently “punish” those who share our own weaknesses. We work to see their failings as somehow worse than ours, thus hoping to justify our tendency to overlook our own sins. How inconsistent that is! How inconsistent we are! If our heavenly Father wants ALL His children to live, who are we to wish them worse? We need to build others up, not tear them down.

I do not like the fact that I wish ill on others, but that is exactly what I do whenever I judge someone else. More to the point, I bring God’s righteous wrath upon myself in the process. I need to see my personal judgments for what they truly are: self-administered poison.

Being heavily involved in the church for years, I’ve been around any number of supercilious “religious” folks. These are the ones who pretend to be spiritual leaders and yet do all they can to undercut and disparage anyone who does not agree with them. They gossip, devastatingly, as they cloak their pettiness and jealousies in the name of Christ. Their theology is framed to promote and protect their own positions and opinions. They wear their so-called “spirituality” like a merit badge. I have less than no use for them. Like oil meeting vinegar, we just don’t mix well. Such saccharine personalities alienate others only slightly less than does their presumed spiritual superiority….

See how easy and dangerous judgment is? Before I realize it, my “righteous” indignation and frustration can turn me into one of “them,” and I disgust myself. I could not blame the Lord for being just as disgusted with me. Life is just a whole lot easier and better when we tend solely to our own business.

If, as Scripture declares, it truly is Christ’s desire to bring all people to life in Him, then we do His plans a grave disservice any time we place ourselves above anyone else. Of course, that is precisely what judgment does and why it is so dangerous. It brings others down, sure. But it also artificially elevates those who do judge until they lose perspective on their own lives. If judgment continues long enough, we may even come to believe we can live above the law, and that the rules don’t apply to us. Fortunately, the Spirit makes it rain on the just and the unjust. The yardstick we use to measure others is exactly the same as the one applied, metaphorically speaking, to our own hind ends any time we presume to dole out judgment.

The Great Amen is not the least bit interested in how we judge others. He is only concerned that we not do it at all. Judgment is His job. Only He has all the facts. Only He is capable of operating from a completely holy perspective, using a completely untarnished agenda. Any time we pretend to voice or carry out His judgments, we do nothing more than attempt to usurp His authority for ourselves. We cannot handle that much responsibility. The sooner we realize that, the better off we’ll be. The pot has no need to call the kettle black. Our personal traits are all quite obvious to the One who created us in the first place, and only His opinions about them will matter at the end of the day.

BETTER THAN WE DESERVE

Ezekiel 16:42-17:24; Hebrews 8:1-13; Psalm 106:13-31; Proverbs 27:7-9

“Now this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘I will give you what you deserve, for you have taken your solemn vows lightly by breaking your covenant. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were young, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you. Then you will remember with shame all the evil you have done. … And I will reaffirm my covenant with you, and you will know that I am the Lord. You will remember your sins and cover your mouth in silent shame when I forgive you of all that you have done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’”

“’But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,’ says the Lord: ‘I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, “You should know the Lord.” For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.’”

“The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn’t believe his promise to care for them. Instead, they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the Lord.”

“A person who strays from home is like a bird that strays from its nest. The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense.”

If the Lord truly gave us exactly what we deserve, we’d all be in a lot of trouble. Thankfully, He does not give us what we deserve; He gives us Himself as a perfect sacrifice in the Person of Jesus Christ. He gives us direction and purpose and wise counsel through the Holy Spirit. As Creator, he has given us life itself. But still, many of us hold back from claiming and fully experiencing all the Lord’s blessings. Knowing we are not worthy, we are too timid to approach the Throne of glory. Or, we decide we can handle things on our own and just don’t need Him. Either way, we convey the greatest insult of all to our Father: we reject His gifts and His grace.

Make no mistake: it is an insult when we reject the gifts of God, whether our rejection is based on unworthiness and timidity or whether it is based on our own arrogance and lack of perceived need. It all comes to the same end. We refuse to take hold of the hand that would save us, and we thereby condemn ourselves. We affirmatively choose not to allow the Lord to have any say in our lives and no control over our destinies. He will certainly honor our decision, but that does not mean we don’t hurt Him in the process. The Lord really cares about our decisions, and when they do not include Him, it saddens Him.

I don’t pretend to know exactly how the Father feels when He is rejected by His children, but I do know how I feel. I recall specifically how it felt last Fall. Readers already know about our Spring Break ski trip and the wonderful time I had with my two sons. However, half the fun was definitely not in getting there. I remember clearly discussing the possibility of a ski trip with one of my sons in October, only to be met with fairly staunch rejection. I am too slow, don’t ski black diamonds and could not keep up. It would not be any fun for him, I was told, to be skiing alone. I think, maybe, he had thoughts of putting a trip together with his college buddies – which would have been fine – but that’s not how it came out. What I heard was, “You’re too old. You’re not cool. I don’t want to be with you, even if you’re paying.” I’ll admit this was not totally unexpected – there comes a time for each of us as parents, I suppose. I know I’m not cool, and I’m clearly getting older by the day. But even knowing that did not make the rejection any easier to bear. I started out wounded and then, in a decidedly un-Christlike way, I just got mad. That would have been the end, probably, of our annual ski trips. Except for my wife, whose wisdom and perspective I have come to cherish. Her question was direct and to the point: “Who’s supposed to be the adult here? Who is supposed to model Christ?”

I still found it surprisingly difficult to forgive the rejection. Wounded pride never heals as quickly as we’d like. My son and I found very little to talk about that winter. But one day, he asked whether I’d made the ski reservations for us yet. The first time, I put him off. I did not want a mercy trip, and I guess I needed to test his sincerity. After the third time, it became clear he was serious about wanting to go with me (probably, because the trip with friends did not pan out, but I found I did not care why). When he asked the fourth time, just like that, I found I’d forgiven him, and we had a great time.

Truth be told, we both ended up getting better than we deserved, and I now understand things better. Even though my son mainly wanted something from me, once he realized he had to accept me to get it and was willing to do so, I was only too happy to provide more than he’d asked for (literally, his first lobster tail and butter dinner during our trip, for example). He accepted me; it became my joy to give; and I soon forgave and forgot the personal insult.

I do not claim to be any great model of spirituality or right living, but this experience did help me understand my Creator a bit better. It provided much greater insight into just how much the Lord longs to be with us, and how it hurts Him to be rejected. But recognizing that, it also allowed me to see more clearly the depth of His love and forgiveness. We reject His gifts more often than we know. We flatly reject Him as well. Nevertheless, as soon as we are willing to let Him into our lives, even for a little bit, He is ready and waiting to forgive and bless us, in spite of the pain we’ve caused. I don’t understand the depth or breadth of such a love. I don’t know why God still insists on giving us all better than we deserve. But I do know He does so, and I know I don’t really have to fully understand the hows or whys. I just have to accept Him as He is.

OUR FATAL PREDISPOSITION

Ezekiel 14:12-16:41; Hebrews 7:18-28; Psalm 106:1-12; Proverbs 27:4-6

“’And so you were adorned with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods—choice flour, honey, and olive oil—and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were! Your fame soon spread throughout the world because of your beauty. I dressed you in my splendor and perfected your beauty,’ says the Sovereign Lord. ‘But you thought your fame and beauty were your own.’”

“But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.”

“Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough? There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right.”

“Anger is cruel, and wrath is like a flood, but jealousy is even more dangerous. An open rebuke is better than hidden love! Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.”

Y’know, it’s hard enough trying to avoid affirmative sin. To even attempt to keep up with the times we inadvertently turn our backs on God would be a full time job. The problem is, we don’t have to be what humans usually consider as evil to be sinful. We just have to prefer our own ways. Our behavior need not be criminal to fall short of the Lord’s standards. It just has to miss the mark of His perfection. That’s why there is just no profit in trying to be good enough to get into heaven. We have a fatal predisposition to sin. Invariably, we trip ourselves up. Our instinctive preference for self is too automatic for our own good. At the very least, we let our guard down and forget to be as considerate as Christ calls us to be.

I continue to run into this issue, particularly at work. Because I am fairly intense and insist on being full-time productive (or else, I am not at work) when I’m in the office, I have developed a reputation far in excess of what I think I deserve. During this last trial, I was again reminded of the ghosts which haunt my past by my new legal assistant. Once the dust of trial had cleared, we had a chance to do a post-mortem and discuss how we might work together even better in the future. In the course of that discussion, she shared how I intimidated her, largely because of what others had told her about me, and because of my perfectionism and intensity. (Yes, I am something of a mess….) Now, I have an open door policy. One of my requirements of any colleague is that, if they have problems with me, I hear it from them first. But that seldom happens. And it genuinely distresses me now whenever I find out I have inadvertently offended anyone. Even when I don’t intend it, I find to my chagrin that “I have done it again.”

I used to be able to fade that heat pretty well because I had a wonderful secretary who truly knew my heart and considered it one of her professional responsibilities to go around the office telling people my reputation was grossly inflated and that I actually was an OK guy. When her life changed and she left for Oklahoma to return to her family, I was left without a mediator. Because I lost my go-between, in just a short time, I was reminded again of how important having an advocate can be.

That’s just what Jesus does for us before the Father. He seeks out opportunities to remind the Lord of the qualities He put in us which reflect His image, His spiritual DNA. I don’t know that God ever really loses sight of the facts behind our creation and His love for us, but I am certain Christ tirelessly defends us against the charges of the Evil One, regardless. He defends us against the death sentence we so richly deserve, even when we fool ourselves into thinking we’ve been “good.”

The point is, we actually need a full time Priest, one who indefatigably advocates for us before the Father. We need Christ to graciously keep on crediting His sacrifice against our punishment. We need the Son reminding the Creator that our sentences have been fulfilled, our time served, not so much because the Father has forgotten, but so that every one of our sins is clearly dealt with and discharged individually.

This is one of the things that will make heaven heaven. When we come before the Almighty Yahweh, we will likely be quite surprised, appalled and embarrassed by the number of times we have turned away from the Lord when we were not even aware of it (let alone the times we knew exactly what we were doing). We will be overwhelmed by the enormity of what Christ has done for us, the unrecognized grace His sacrifice truly required. But the thing that will finally bring us to our knees will be the ultimate recognition that, when Jesus cried, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do,” He was really talking about us.

TRUE FAITH... AS THE FIRST RESPONSE

Ezekiel 12:1-14:11; Hebrews 7:1-17; Psalm 105:37-45; Proverbs 27:3

“Son of man, you live among rebels who have eyes but refuse to see. They have ears but refuse to hear. For they are a rebellious people…. Son of man, you’ve heard that proverb they quote in Israel: ‘Time passes, and prophecies come to nothing.’ Tell the people, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will put an end to this proverb, and you will soon stop quoting it.’ Now give them this new proverb to replace the old one: ‘The time has come for every prophecy to be fulfilled!’”

“And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed.”

“The Lord spread a cloud above them as a covering and gave them a great fire to light the darkness. They asked for meat, and he sent them quail; he satisfied their hunger with manna—bread from heaven. He split open a rock, and water gushed out to form a river through the dry wasteland. For he remembered his sacred promise to his servant Abraham.”

“A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but the resentment caused by a fool is even heavier.”

There is a very human temptation to give up on God in the midst of adversity. The idea that the Holy Spirit will reach down and lift us out of trials is a very appealing one. Indeed, the whole concept of the Rapture is grounded on the idea that the Lord will spare a select few from the Tribulation just as an act of sovereign mercy. Time, however, is passing. Society shows no signs of improving character; in fact, it seems to be sliding down into ever greater depravity. The Lord has provided no indication that He is any nearer to the end of His patience or any closer to creating the New Jerusalem. So, let’s face facts. It’s extremely difficult to keep the faith over time when the Spirit is apparently not intending to take any affirmative action to protect and preserve His people. What are believers to do without the encouragement of obvious miraculous acts to sustain us over the long haul?

This is not an unreasonable question, but it begs a deeper question. When life becomes mired in the ordinary or the difficult, we need to examine the real basis of our faith. Over the years, I have noticed most people base their faith on one of two things. There are so-called believers who must be immersed in the mystical world of Godly manifestations and inspiration to sustain their faith, and there are those for whom faith is simply the prerequisite for spiritual growth. While the former certainly boast of great revelation and intense inspiration initially, over time, their enthusiasm eventually dies, and they often end up worse than before their conversion. Their faith is simply a response to recognized grace which tends to fail when they are forced to confront the harsher, continued realities of life sans the Spirit’s obvious leading. Their “what-have-you-done-for-me-lately” attitude provides little stability and even less depth. As soon as they realize they cannot legitimately claim to summon Jesus to their side as one might call a genie, they feel betrayed and let down. It’s hard to see the character in this kind of results-oriented faith.

On the other hand, happier by far seem to be those for whom a decision to believe is a habitual first response. Their faith comes before evidence, and probably because of that different perspective, they are better positioned to recognized the touch of Christ when it is revealed, especially in unanticipated ways. They believe not so much because of what Jesus has done for them in the way of daily manifestations or contact, but simply because of who Jesus is.

Faith as first response is a spiritual gift, but it is also one that can be learned over time and with patience. We begin by claiming God’s unconditional love, regardless of whether we feel lovable or not. We move from that security to expecting He will make all things work to good for us, whether we realize it or not. We then develop that expectancy into a habit, until we find ourselves relying instinctively on His ability and willingness to catch us when we fall and to redeem our failures. Soon, we begin realizing our faith has grown from an intentional, sporadic decision to a consistent lifestyle of gratitude and sufficiency.

Claiming. Expecting. Relying. Realizing. These four words make up the mystery of faith. Some get it; some don’t. Therefore, it’s no good simply dismissing those with limited spiritual perspective as having a lack of faith. In fact, it can be downright discouraging, and is certainly not the path traveled by Christ. Instead, we need to encourage our brothers and sisters to be more intentional and aggressive about placing their lives in the control of Christ with no expectation other than that He will gladly receive and use them for His purposes. Only that kind of motivation gives birth to real faith. And, on the other hand, only that motivation so clearly separates feel good religion and spirituality from true faith.

FAMILY REUNION

Ezekiel 10:1-11:25; Hebrews 6:1-20; Psalm 105:16-36; Proverbs 27:1-2

“When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols. And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.”

“So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.”

“Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring. Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—a stranger, not your own lips.”

This weekend, I have been blessed to be a part of the first ever designated reunion of my wife’s family. It’s not that we have been alienated, or distanced, for a long time. Some of the kids have spread out and found new jobs in other states, to be sure. Historically, though, special reunions were simply unnecessary because the whole family just gathered routinely at Granddaddy’s lake place. Granddaddy is gone now and so is that place, and the family has been separated by the inevitable forces of age and opportunity. Thus, after several years, a reunion seemed appropriate. We truly enjoy each others’ company, and we miss seeing each others’ kids grow and celebrate the accomplishments of life. It is a good and right thing to take time to catch up with those we love.

And yet, …it is a tad melancholy at the same time, because time does change things, and certain memories can never be fully recaptured. Not to sound like an old fogey, but I recall clearly holding my oldest nephew in the palms of both hands with room left over. I remember my 2 year old niece after I gently corrected her responding clearly and unequivocally, “I have a different feeling about that!” I also remember her Dad telling her she would have a different feeling if she talked back like that again, and I remember trying very hard not to laugh out loud at the whole exchange. I remember teaching each of the grandkids, including my own kids, how to water ski and tube through the “death spiral” under the watchful eyes of their sometimes justifiably worried mothers. And I have fond memories of watching the whole gang grow up into fine young men and women anticipating the start of families of their own. (Two nieces are now pregnant!) Coming from parents who were both only children, I never had a tribe to call my own until I met my wife. I love my family very much. But being in the middle of this clan has been a truly beautiful experience beyond anything my family has been able to share. In a strange way, I really do feel I have two families now, and that’s a very good thing.

I think, probably, that this is something like heaven will be. Surrounded by those we love in a beautiful place outdoors with no pressure to be anything other than who we are, we will finally be able to rest and relax in the security of the very embodiment of Love. We will be surrounded by new life, fond shared memories and all kinds of exciting new potential. All our needs and desires will be provided for, and we will finally be safe and secure. I’ll be the first to say I am not in any hurry to get to Heaven. But when I do get there, I will certainly be looking forward to the best family reunion ever.

DEPENDENCE DAY

Ezekiel 7:1-9:11; Hebrews 5:1-14; Psalm 105:1-15; Proverbs 26:28

“Terror and trembling will overcome my people. They will look for peace but not find it. Calamity will follow calamity; rumor will follow rumor. They will look in vain for a vision from the prophets. They will receive no teaching from the priests and no counsel from the leaders. The king and the prince will stand helpless, weeping in despair, and the people’s hands will tremble with fear. I will bring on them the evil they have done to others, and they will receive the punishment they so richly deserve. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

“There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.”

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds. Exult in his holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord. Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.”

“A lying tongue hates its victims, and flattering words cause ruin.”

We have been lied to. Independence is really not all it’s cracked up to be. In fact, taken to extremes, independence can kill. America’s own obsession with independence is proving quite counterproductive, as Britain’s already has proven itself to be. Independence decries any attempt to enforce accountability or community. It discourages consideration for the rights of others. The “independent” (read: thoughtless) drunk driver can decide the law does not apply to him. He can then run a red light, and kill a family of four in the process. The adulterous husband justifies his affair by claiming his wife is too possessive, and that he needs some space. No, independence is too often just an excuse we cite for doing the wrong thing, for doing the selfish thing, and the sooner we admit this to ourselves, the better off we will be.

To be clear, freedom is something entirely distinct from independence. In fact, the critical distinction between freedom and independence may be one of the most misunderstood concepts facing this generation. My personal premise, supported by Scripture, is that complete independence (if there is such a thing) is actually just a unique form of imprisonment… called isolation. Freedom is not found in independence nearly so often as in the right kind of dependence. We have allies; we are stronger. We affiliate with others smarter or more learned than us to gain the benefits of their wisdom and perspective, without which we would be lost. Get the point? We simply were not made to be independent, and when we insist on our individual independence to an excessive extent, we actually wind up hurting others and separating ourselves from that which would best strengthen us. Israel had a very hard time figuring this out. The more they proclaimed themselves independent – especially, independent from God – the closer the Babylonians came. We are not so different. The more we insist on our independence, our individuality, the more vulnerable we become.

I admit to harping on this theme, but it’s worth harping on. Our American servicemen and women certainly have to understand they fight for freedom, not independence. There is nothing like a firefight to make one appreciate their wingman. We all need others we can count on to get our backs when the chips are down. America was not freed from Britain’s tyranny by independent rebels. It was freed by a bunch of dependent freedom fighters, and there is a world of difference between the two.

Most of us in the church and elsewhere never stop to consider the difference between independence and freedom. In many ways, the two really are mutually exclusive. When my “independent” thoughts and beliefs begin to run afoul of biblical teachings, I become vulnerable once more to becoming a slave to sin. I need brothers and sisters to guide me home. When I face a crisis, it is always easier to do so in unity, rather than individually.

So today, as we pause to celebrate our American independence, let’s do so for the right reasons. Be clear about what we are really celebrating: our freedom to choose to be dependent on each other, and on Christ. Because we are free, we can make a declaration of dependence this July 4^th. Let us not live in isolation. Instead, let us claim the freedom to be better than we are by being part of something greater than we are: the unified Body of Christ.