Lent Day 36: Anticipation and dread

Dreaming of good things

I sometimes get the shivers when people say, "I've asked God to give me patience (a kind heart / the ability to love everyone / endurance in trials, etc.)"

Now how exactly do we expect to acquire those - or other - virtues? Is God more likely to answer through magical impartation or by guiding us through deep waters and hard times?

"The fruit of the Spirit is learned by interaction within a community, not in isolation," W said the other day. In other words, when someone frustrates us, we learn to forgive rather than retaliate. We wait rather than barging ahead. We speak kindly rather than responding in anger. Ouch ouch ouch, this process of becoming like Jesus. Sometimes it hurts.

Have you ever thought about the many selfish requests we disguise as spiritual prayers? We pray for good things, but we may just want to look good = patient, joy-filled, loving, and peaceful. However, do we expect to pay the price to achieve genuine character? "Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights, in whom there is no shadow of turning." That's certain, but we forget that each gift is exercised with the darkness pressing in. Given to us where we're dancing in the shadows that swirl around humanity.

Casting off for distant shores

Here's an honest personal reflection as we prepare for a new season: when we're asked if we're excited about moving to Indonesia, I admit to mixed feelings. So many cool things await us: meeting new people, sharing the love of Jesus, and living in new surroundings. Tempering my anticipation are other realities, like the reports from every church planter we've met. (They've said it's been harder than expected. To a person, they admit that they have almost quit many times.) Also, every cross-cultural worker talks about culture shock - of feeling out of place among the unspoken rules and customs everyone else seems to understand. We'll feel the cross some times more than others.

Reality is sometimes even crueler than anticipation. This week I think about how Jesus knew he was going to the cross. He warned his disciples that he would be crucified. But he still had to sweat drops of blood, the agony of "no other way" as he wrestling with his destiny in the garden of Gethsemane. He still had to endure the whipping, the spittle, the mocking laughter of Roman guards, and the shrieks of his fellow Jews demanding his death. The weight of the cross dragged on his bloody back. The nails stamped through his hands and feet. The thud of the cross resounded as it dropped into its holder. Jesus endured hours of pain while bystanders shouted curses and his mother cried nearby.

Expected. Harder than expected.

The world is beautiful because of Him

And oh so worthwhile. The salvation of the world depended on him then. For us, he suffered through pain and sin and sorrows.

W and I are becoming part of a long tradition - people who tell the Story here and there, sharing God's hopes for reconciliation with his creatures. We are not especially adventurous or courageous. Others have been fiercer, more zealous, more ambitious. We know we join a mission already in progress, doing our part along with a host of others. We feel lucky to be called. Blessed to be going. Grateful to be giving. After all, it's God's tale of grace and inclusion that we're sharing.

But this week of the cross, oh this Holy Week that I dread each year because of Christ's suffering -- this last time we will joyfully celebrate Easter at home with family ... Ah, my heart is full and there are no more words.

Read more:

*All look to you to give them their food in due season; when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. Psalm 104:27-28

*But now, this is what the Lord says- he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire,     you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43:1-3 NIV

*God has not left himself without a witness in doing good—giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy." Acts14:17

*And being found in human form, Jesus humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. Philippians 2:7,8

*Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3, 4

Do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth. Psalm 119:43

The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!" Matthew 21:9

Moravian Prayer: Loving Savior, your entry into Jerusalem was showered with, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" May our lives continue to shower you with hosannas—you are most blessed. 

Lord, giver of every good and perfect gift, we thank you. May we be your witness for good, helping those in need, bringing joy into their lives, and filling them with your love. Amen.

Lent Day 35: Thankful for the cross

We're within a few days of Passover. In ancient Israel, the lamb has been chosen (Sunday), to be killed on Passover (Friday) in commemoration of God's rescue from oppression in Egypt. We celebrated Palm Sunday, when the perfect Lamb of God was acclaimed by his followers. This Good Friday we will remember his death for our sins, purchasing our freedom from the slavery of sin. Here's a repost from 2012:

If you could relinquish some part of your life, what would you give over to death? Would you be willing to lay on the line your health, finances, relationships, or reputation? Christians emphasize the peace of God but we know living out that peace will cost us everything.

Jesus gave everything up for us. He was not called the Man of Sorrows without reason.

I'm thinking of the horrors and benefits of dying today, after reading reports about the increasing persecution of Family members (Christian believers). Our brothers and sisters are being driven from their villages, maimed, and killed for the sake of the gospel.

Are you and I willing to forsake all for our faith in Christ? That's always been the way of the cross. Following Jesus means identification with a bloody price that reconciles us to God but alienates us from those who hate Him.

Among all the parties and candy and Easter eggs, let's not forget the awful beauty of the cross. It point to the path of denying self to love God and others beyond reason, beyond human logic––because of faith and hope in the resurrection power.
Read more:

*The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. Numbers 6:26

*And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

*I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:20-21 NIV

Moravian Prayer: May the Lord bless us and keep us, lift up his countenance upon us and give us the peace that surrounds us and emanates from our hearts. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

God of the night

In my 20s and 30s, I tried to be thankful and open to God. I often heard people say, "I'm so grateful for dark days and difficulties. I was scooting through life without thinking about God, but trials have made me aware of His provisions and his presence." I read about "the dark night of the soul" and wonderful saintly experiences of God-with-us during torture and martyrdom.

So I reasoned, "Why invite (or tempt) the coming trials? I want to know and appreciate God in good times so that I never wonder if the ugly days are punishment for my inattention when times were good." After all, I grew up in a holiness church where God rewarded your good behavior with good things and smacked your disobedience with pain worse than Job's.

Since our daughter became ill, we prayed our way through many nights. We sought God's face and depended on His strength for each day. We've found no medical solutions and God has not healed her. We've spent weeks at her bedside, wondering at the pain she endures and God's "heartlessness" at her suffering. I honestly don't feel very grateful during those times or when I see others suffer. I rejoice that God stays close and life is short.

Sometimes I've prayed, "This too is from your hands. You alone could help, yet you choose not to. Give us contentment and endurance in suffering."

I've pleaded, "Hope You know what You're doing. We're in the dark when You are supposed to be the God of Light. If there's 'no shadow of turning' in You, why do we feel like You've turned away?"

Or wept, "Enough already, don't You think?"

Watching reports of famines and floods, or sitting at a hospital bedside, I've even prayed, "Glad You haven't allowed it to be worse. Why don't You just kill us all now. Heaven will be relief from this misery."

The cry of a mother's heart (when I think our child can't bear another surgery or painful day or I can't absorb reports of others' traumas) isn't very rational. It's heartfelt though it may not sound very respectful to outsiders.

God hears us and understands human despair. Jesus prayed, "If it's possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not my will but thine be done..." If the Son could hardly bear his cross, why would we think it's going to be easy for us?

Others go through "far worse" than we have. However, comparing pain is impossible. If you're in pain, you hurt regardless of what others feel.

I've always known God cares and will get us through the night. However, that doesn't make life easier though the process of loss and grief is simpler: I'm more resigned to human helplessness. I'm quicker to acknowledge, "Here we go again. You're still enough for the day. Whether we live or die, we live or die to You."

I may never look forward to pain as exhilarating closeness with God: "Thank you, God, for what I know about you now. You are more faithful, more wonderful, and greater than I knew." As I age, I seem to have more doubts about God's will to intervene rather than more faith in his desire to rescue His children. I'm more aware of the brokenness of the world and the stamina of humanity. While He is GREAT, He does not keep the storms from breaking down the house. Life seems more incomprehensible than ever.

Especially, I am amazed that people who never think about God in good times have the nerve to blame him for those awful days when you want to rip out your heart and throw it on the sidewalk to say, "Enough. I give up."

This I am sure of: during the bright days, let's celebrate the gifts of sunshine and beauty. I don't want to wait to seek God in times when we're at dead ends or become mired in tunnels of darkness.

Knowing God is Good and that we have received many blessings from His hands helps us to claim Job's confidence: "The Lord GIVES and he takes away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord." I'm grateful for so many things.

Especially, I'm glad our daughter is coming home for Christmas 2012 without a surgery planned. Though she suffers greatly in Seattle weather, we'll be together. We don't know what the future holds for her or us, but we know Who holds the future.

Read more:

*Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

*The word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. Psalm 33:4

*[Jesus said,] "At that time you won't need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven't done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy." John 16:23–24 NLT

*Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written. John 21:25 NLT

*By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Hebrews 11:11 (NASB)

Moravian Prayer: Steadfast God, we strive to believe but pray for help in our unbelief! Move close to us on those days when we do not feel your presence. We claim your promise that you will be with us to the end. Strengthen our faith. Amen.

Secure as a mountain

Jeanette Fox, between Jim and
Caroline Everard

Lightning flashed across the peaks a few nights ago. The deafening boom of thunder followed shortly. But the mountains were not stirred. The rain gushed through the streams, falling into ravines and crevices. But the slopes did not move.

Likewise, people endure many storms and weather life's changes with God’s help. We stand secure as the mountains in the shelter of God's protection. 

Pastor Erwin ("The Mayor") and Jean Rohde

Two generations came to the cabin for a Creole boil last night. Two of our friends normally reside in California, one winters in Missouri, four live in Montana, and we’re from Washington. Between us, we’ve grown up rurally or lived in national and international cities and towns. We have lots of stories to tell!

W put on Ray Steven's “Mississippi Squirrel Revival” and sparked a memory: “When I was a boy, I caught gophers and sold them to the kids at school for 25c,” said our mischievous friend, who grew up in the Midwest during the Depression. “I made good money on sparrows, too.

Bill Durham tobacco bags

"I’d catch them at night and tie a ribbon around their necks, and pop them in a Bull Durham bag I’d pick up along the roads. If the gophers or sparrows didn’t sell, I let them go. … Sometimes I let them go in the classroom or put them in the teacher’s desk.” 25c was a lot of money back then!

Kathy and Dr. Paul Olson, Waldemar

One friend is a psychologist. Another guest, long since married, remembered him as the speaker at a singles convention in Montana almost thirty years ago. The world of wildernesses, deserts, and forests is small indeed.

We first ate Creole boil with Drs. Jay and Cheryl Taylor at their lakeside cabin in Missouri. Here’s a recipe if you’d like to have friends over, too. Something about the rough setting brings out the best tales of life and God's faithfulness.

Creole boil for 8-10:

Our dinner! (X2)

Set the table by spreading newspaper across the surface. On hand – ice tea in paper cups, lemon quarters, hot sauce, steak sauce, Mixed-Up Salt, Mixed-Up Pepper, and whatever other seasonings you'd like.  

Let each guest sprinkle sauces and seasonings on the newspaper, grab something from the tray, dip it, and enjoy! When everyone's eaten, removed the empty trays and ice tea, roll up the soiled paper and discarded shrimp tails, and toss the works in the garbage. 

Ingredients: 

·      2 onions. Cut into eighths or quarters.

·      3 lb small potatoes. Scrub.

·      1 ear of corn per guest plus one or two for the pot. Break in half.

·      2-3 lb sausage (brats, kielbasa, or cajan sausage). Cut in 1” pieces.

·      2-3 lb raw, peeled and deveined shrimp (20-40 count. Use other seafood if you like.) Thaw in running cold water if they’re frozen.

45 minutes before serving: bring to a mad boil a huge pot of water. Add onions, 1/4 cup Old bay seasoning or Zatarains shrimp boil. Squeeze in the juice of 2 lemons and toss in the peels. Optional, to taste: add a few cloves of garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns.

20 minutes before: add potatoes and sausage to boiling broth.

10 minutes before: add corn.

3 minutes before: add shrimp (cook a few minutes longer for other shellfish).

Strain, dump in trays, carry to the table, and eat! Let the broth boil merrily while you eat. Freeze the concentrated liquid and use as a base for your next Creole boil, or send it home with guests to host their own fun.

Read more:

*Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever" Psalm 125:1–2

*Psalm 89:19-29; Joshua 3,4; Luke 12:1-12

*“I pledged myself to you and entered into a covenant with you,” says the Lord God, “and you became mine.” Ezekiel 16:8

*Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:10 

*But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Jude 17-25 NIV

Moravian Prayer: We are blessed and have received a wonderful covenant with the God of Abraham. We are called by God’s mercy for his people. What a beautiful blessing in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lent Day 9: Thankful for knowing and being known

"Why was David a man after God's own heart?" someone asks. Perhaps because he did not run ahead? Knowing he was to be king, he spared his predecessor twice––during manhunts for his own life.

A group of us circled a beautifully appointed living room last night (thanks, Paul and Bev). Once a month we meet to study Bible characters. Each one exposes God and humanity = God's interaction with us in community and as individuals. Yesterday, David came under the magnifying glass.

We read scripture passages aloud and then discuss the nature of God, the nature of humans, and our response to God within the joys and challenges of our own humanity. On the way home, W and I talked about what we had learned.

• My personal takeaway? Creating opportunity for others to understand God's truths makes me happier than when I learn things myself. Clear as a bell, my heart rang out with the pure joy and energy of leading a group. 
• Training and teaching others feels like finding a puzzle piece or watching internal gears click into place. A sense of ease and comfort comes from facilitating the exploration and application of scripture. This is not something I struggle to learn or do but who I am. I'm surprised by sheer happiness every time I speak in public.
• What we learned about Samuel and David? Samuel, the veteran leader and intercessor of Israel, was stuck. The worst thing had happened to his successor: Saul was a dud. Yet God was ready to move on and provided Samuel with the satisfaction of anointing the next generation.
• David had tremendous self-confidence because he knew his God and himself. He was comfortable in the gifts God gave him, a love of music, the ability to strategize, the confidence to run toward a giant who was defying God's name. When given an opportunity, David seized it and did the job with gusto (unlike Saul whose lack of self-confidence never matched up to his kingly appearance.)
• David did menial jobs with enthusiasm and never pushed himself into the foreground. Knowing he would be king and having accomplished champion feats, David willingly stood in the background of the palace, playing music and lugging armor while Saul ruled. (I wonder how many of David's ideas for sound monarchy came from observation: "Wow, good plan there!" or the contrast: "Saul, what are you thinking!? This is a bad idea." 1 Samuel 16)
• As the youngest brother, he got no respect from his dad, who didn't even call him to dinner with Samuel. (Read the full story below.) His older siblings discounted him––even after they had watched Samuel anoint David for kingship (shades of Joseph?) David's feisty response of "What have I done wrong now?!" possibly exposes a pattern of family put-downs and "Go away, little brother, you don't know anything." (1 Samuel 17)
• David used his own gifts, training, and experiences rather than relying on the proven armor and battle plans of others. He laid aside the burden of Saul's armor (though he had been an armor bearer for the king and probably knew it well) for smooth stones and a stick, tools he felt comfortable with.
• David pinpointed the heart of the issue rather than looking at circumstances. He recognized Goliath as God's enemy, not as a human giant or seasoned opponent and dealt with him on that basis. The fight as well as the victory belonged to God. However, David did not let go of Goliath's severed head until he was taken to the king as proof of his accomplishment. Hmmm.
• David had many opportunities to make God's plans come true but he was unwilling to act beyond what he knew of God's character. Because of this, he and those allied with him suffered while: 1. others got credit and lived in the inner circle; 2. David was hunted like an animal and led a rabble pack of raiders; and 3. he absolutely rejected chances to seize power through "divine appointments," even when prompted by others.

Maybe David's patient humility, decidedly unusual among those in power or the ambitious, endeared him to God. Though David committed adultery, murder, and disobeyed God in many ways, God saw a heart that longed for obedience and surrender.

When Samuel came to anoint one of Jesse's sons as future king, he noted that God looked on the inner person rather than the outward appearance. David's quest to please God and his willingness to let God work out the details in God's time set him head and shoulders above seven brothers. It made the shepherd "of a few sheep" (according to a snide remark from his brother) an amazing leader of a nation.

I'm ending a season of study. I get many suggestions of what I could do and where God might be leading me. The study of David reinforced my caution against moving forward and making things happen. I'm going to wait for God's go-ahead and a clear call to action.

Oh God, may we seek and obey you with the humble confidence that knows you are pleased with how you made us and have a place for us. You are able to use us without our "help" in pushing others aside, propelling ourselves forward, or boasting about our accomplishments. 

Make us beautiful inside so that your Spirit can direct us in life's menial and circuitous paths as needed, whether kingship or sheep herder is our destiny. Amen.

Read more:
*The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”

The LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ ³ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”

Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.”

Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed stands here before the LORD.”

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the LORD chosen this one.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.

Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. 1 Samuel 16

*Read more about David in 1 Samuel 17 through 2 Samuel 2.

Lent Day 4: Thankful to be forsaken

"I feel so alone."

"It feels like no one cares about me."

We've all said (and heard) those words. The cry of Jesus on the cross, "My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?" echoes our hurts and feelings of abandonment.

I am thankful today that God experienced all the pain of humanity and humiliation. Christ, God and man, knows the depths of our despair and the heights of our joys.

Jews, hearing Jesus call out, would have known the entire Psalm 22 - (read more below), in which his expressions of loneliness and his anguished tears balance with abandon to God's will and assurance of His triumph. Like our Savior, let us rest in God's goodness, which reveals itself as most abundant when we feel most helpless.

Read more:

*I rejoice in your salvation. 1 Samuel 2:1 (NASB)

*My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the LORD,” they say, “let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.

The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it! Psalm 22

*When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene. She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. Mark 16:9,10

Moravian Prayer: Precious Lord, we rejoice with the angels and the disciples in the salvation of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who died for our sins and was raised as King of kings. Amen.

Eternal peace or insecurity?

My husband is writing a paper on the idea of "once saved, always saved," an issue that seems contentious at worst, confusing at best. How nice to have a theologian in the house - his work and passion to know God inspire me to a closer walk with God, too.

I read Scripture this morning, still mulling over last night's conversation about some theologians who want to give us peace in following Jesus. They so passionately want us not to fear that we'll "lose our salvation" that they are willing to say, "If you've ever made a commitment to Christ, you're safe, no matter how badly you behave thereafter." ("Hell be damned, I'm gonna live like the devil because I'm in!") Other teachers are so worried of us sinning that they say, "If we fall away, we deceived ourselves and were actually never saved in the first place." ("Holy insecurity!")

Yet I read in God's Word:
         Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father-to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him.  So shall it be! Amen.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:4-8 NIV

Here's what I understand:

• God, holy and magnificent above what we can grasp, is utterly terrifying to humanity.
• Our Maker restored the possibility of a relationship between us, based not on our merits or works, but on his amazing provision through a Sacrifice that satisfies his justice and demonstrates his love.
• Woohoo! We are free; we live in harmony and beauty; we are pardoned from anything we have done or will do. (Yeah, my heart is dancing with joy!)
• When he comes back, we will understand the past, present, and future grace and peace he extends to us. THAT will be a celebration unlike any other for those who love him. (In contrast, the realization will be an unthinkable horror for those who rejected him.)
• It's an honor to live as God's kings and priests among our fellows, inviting them by words and by peaceful, moral, exuberant lives, into relationship with our God.
• God will examine how we lived and reward us in absolute justice, according to our choice to live in him or spurn his friendship.

Am I insecure? Can I lose intimacy with God like a letter I drop on the way to the post office? Nope, I'm safe in the hands of a mighty Lord who keeps me. However, he expects me to press in, to align with his character, and to serve him and others as his emissary. He also lovingly allows me to walk away and reject him, even when that means I deliberately choose to end our relationship.

We choose Life! To THE ONE, who was, is, and is to come, be glory, honor, power, dominion, authority, praise... over all, and in you and me... as we worship with right living and joyful retelling of his goodness. AMEN.

People like I am...

(Originally named "People like me" but bad grammar, combined with an assumption of affection, required a revision of title.)

It's easy to get frustrated and judgmental, reading the Old Testament. "C'mon, people!" I want to say to Israel. "I'm getting worn out, hearing your repeated failures, generation after generation. Buck up already and do what is right!"


A leader turns his heart to God, taking the people back from idolatry to true worship. Then his son erects Asherah poles, restores the high ground of the Baals, and builds altars under every spreading tree. The same kings commit murders and assassinations, rape and pillage, reaping wars and famines. The people, who have strayed like sheep after these arrogant and idolatrous idiots, cry out for mercy.


Then God raises up a faithful leader again. The nation reaps prosperity and peace. But the cycle repeats. Obviously, we don't learn good character, morals, and law from history.


Few kings spent a lifetime as worshipers of the One God. Not even Solomon, for all his glorious beginnings, endured to the end. Why doesn't God just roll up the historical archives of the Israelites and Gentiles, wipe out humanity, and start a more obedient creation?


Instead, God repeatedly shows his mercy, forgiveness, and patience. Those inherent qualities of WHO he is color everything he does among us. If we got a fraction of what we deserved, we would not survive his wrath.

My eyes and ears burn as I watch and listen to culture. Most of us live in fantasy. We assume we live with justice, riches, safety, and care for others. We can be especially naive if we grew up in church.


At the same time, we lock our homes and cars against strangers (and friends, at times). Weapons are a "right, "not for hunting food, but for protection against others. We sanitize our hands lest unmentionable diseases infect us. We distrust the overtures of salespeople, and scrutinize offers of neighborly kindness for hidden motives. A quarter of our schoolchildren don't get enough food at home, according to a recent study.


I occasionally play piano at a local hospital, watching people stream by. I listen to snatches of conversations, and catch slivers of many unique stories. It's humbling to recognize that God knows and loves each passerby as much as he knows and loves me and those I care about. He waits for us to turn to him, so his loving, forgiving, and healing arms can embrace us.

I want to grow old with a faithful heart. To show tender mercy and patience to others as God extends it to me, day by day. To recognize that human hearts are desperately wicked, while living joyfully because God - knowing the depths of our condition - lifts us up, signing our pardon on a New Covenant with the blood of Jesus.


When I read the Old Testament, I have to remember it's not just stories about "awful us." The Bible is a showcase for the spectacular. It reminds us that our loving Creator interacts time and again, based on his goodness and infinite love, with all those who are willing to receive his attention. His untiring advances invite us to know and love him in return.


I need grace more than anyone else. So,


"Thanks be to God! Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. Thanks be to God!" He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever... even on a day when I'm crabby about another overcast sky, reading the news on the BBC, shuddering at the hardships of followers whose rotten leaders drag them through hell.

Read more:
Who is a God like You, who pardons
Iniquity and passes over the rebellious
Act of the remnant of His possession?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in unchanging love.
He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:18-19 NASB