"But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might." Judges 5:31b
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Imagine a world of darkness. Nuclear winter, perhaps. Cramped into bunkers underground, around the world, isolated from each other and the land Above, human beings struggle with boredom and family interactions in the light of lamps. Bright Colemans that grate on the nerves with their incessant hissing. Old folks tell the young 'uns about the good old days in the Above. But the youngsters have no concept of day, no concept of sun, no concept, even, of space and air.
Slowly the Old Ones die. The Young Ones grow up, and their parents become Old. Finally -- FINALLY -- enough time has passed, and life can resume in the Above.
Families emerge from underground cement bunkers like groundhogs thinking of shadows. They stand at the entrance to their existence, ready but wary of stepping into the Above.
The light is blinding. They squint and throw up their hands to block the glare. And yet, slowly, the hands come down, the eyes scan the horizon.
No matter what it is they see -- whether gray destruction or a land reborn -- it is beautiful to them. The light touches every feature of the landscape. It warms. It illuminates. It enlightens.
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God's people are called to be like that sun. Bright, warm, illuminating, enlightening, in a spiritual darkness not unlike a nuclear winter. Even after the longest, darkest night, nothing can stop the rising of the sun in its might.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Thursday, May 9, 2013
The One Behind
I read a lot, and many genres, but my favorite is historical fiction. Lately I have been reading a series set in WWII. The author bases his novels on real historical characters, researches them to the umpteenth degree. In this book, the main characters were General Eisenhower, Field Marshall Rommel (Germany), and Jesse Adams.
Ever hear of him? Probably not. He was a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne. But he is by far my favorite.
The four and five star generals are the ones making the decisions, moving troops and tanks and having meetings to confirm this or that. The three star generals wait for those meetings to end so they know where to send their own troops. Captains and Lieutenants lead the way.
But sergeants...they are the ones behind. Oh, Adams led them, walked before them often enough, used silent hand signals to tell them when to drop, when to advance. But he was also the one bringing up the rear to make sure no one got left behind. And he was the one calling for the medic and someone did get hit.
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Sometimes, I think, we look at the Christian life and we think, "I'm not doing anything if I'm not on stage, or in a pulpit, or writing or speaking or teaching."
I would say those people -- the preachers and teachers and well-known ones -- are the generals. Out front, or making decisions from behind, sometimes taking flak when things go wrong. They organize and impact the lives of hundreds or thousands.
But I think I am better suited to being a sergeant: the one who comes alongside and says, "Keep going, soldier. We're not through yet." A sergeant may kick you in the butt when necessary, but he won't leave you behind, either.
That's the kind of Christian I want to be.
Ever hear of him? Probably not. He was a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne. But he is by far my favorite.
The four and five star generals are the ones making the decisions, moving troops and tanks and having meetings to confirm this or that. The three star generals wait for those meetings to end so they know where to send their own troops. Captains and Lieutenants lead the way.
But sergeants...they are the ones behind. Oh, Adams led them, walked before them often enough, used silent hand signals to tell them when to drop, when to advance. But he was also the one bringing up the rear to make sure no one got left behind. And he was the one calling for the medic and someone did get hit.
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Sometimes, I think, we look at the Christian life and we think, "I'm not doing anything if I'm not on stage, or in a pulpit, or writing or speaking or teaching."
I would say those people -- the preachers and teachers and well-known ones -- are the generals. Out front, or making decisions from behind, sometimes taking flak when things go wrong. They organize and impact the lives of hundreds or thousands.
But I think I am better suited to being a sergeant: the one who comes alongside and says, "Keep going, soldier. We're not through yet." A sergeant may kick you in the butt when necessary, but he won't leave you behind, either.
That's the kind of Christian I want to be.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
There is always HOPE
At the end of Deuteronomy, Moses is finishing his farewell speech. He has led the Israelites for forty years, as they wandered in the desert as a result of their disobedience. Moses will not be joining them in the Promised Land because he, too, has sinned and God will not allow him to enter the Land, though God will take him to the mountain top so he can see it.
After Moses "re-gives" the Law, he lists the blessings and curses that God promises. Last night as I read through them, I was surprised by the length of the curses list. Not that it was as long as it is, but that it is so much longer than the blessings. God lists every possible calamity you can think of -- indeed, He promises that it will be so if (when) the Israelites are disobedient. I was overwhelmed by the utter devastation.
Ah, but when you are in a tough spot of Scripture, keep reading! There is always hope!
Deuteronomy 30: 1-3
When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lordyour God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.
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Yesterday my students were continuing to read through Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Billie Jo's Ma has been badly burned and has pushed the hardship of the drought (the Dust Bowl) from their minds, at least for awhile. Billie Jo went out to get water from the pump.
And the locusts came.
Ate everything, even the apples on Ma's apple trees. Billie Jo says,
I couldn't tell her,
couldn't bring myself to say
her apples were gone.
I never got the chance.
Ma died that day
giving birth to my brother.
Oh, the heartache! The devastation! The utter loss!
But then I had my students look up some Bible verses:
Psalm 42:5 (and 11)
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
I love the way God repeats things that He really wants us to remember, such as vs. 5 and vs. 11. But the idea of hope is also repeated throughout Scripture:
Genesis 3 : the fall of Man -- God promises a Savior
Jesus dying on the Cross -- on the third day He rose again!
And the end of it all: Revelation 19-21 -- after Armeggedon comes the New Jerusalem!
There is always HOPE!
After Moses "re-gives" the Law, he lists the blessings and curses that God promises. Last night as I read through them, I was surprised by the length of the curses list. Not that it was as long as it is, but that it is so much longer than the blessings. God lists every possible calamity you can think of -- indeed, He promises that it will be so if (when) the Israelites are disobedient. I was overwhelmed by the utter devastation.
Ah, but when you are in a tough spot of Scripture, keep reading! There is always hope!
Deuteronomy 30: 1-3
When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come on you and you take them to heart wherever the Lordyour God disperses you among the nations, and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.
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*
*
Yesterday my students were continuing to read through Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Billie Jo's Ma has been badly burned and has pushed the hardship of the drought (the Dust Bowl) from their minds, at least for awhile. Billie Jo went out to get water from the pump.
And the locusts came.
Ate everything, even the apples on Ma's apple trees. Billie Jo says,
I couldn't tell her,
couldn't bring myself to say
her apples were gone.
I never got the chance.
Ma died that day
giving birth to my brother.
Oh, the heartache! The devastation! The utter loss!
But then I had my students look up some Bible verses:
Psalm 42:5 (and 11)
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
I love the way God repeats things that He really wants us to remember, such as vs. 5 and vs. 11. But the idea of hope is also repeated throughout Scripture:
Genesis 3 : the fall of Man -- God promises a Savior
Jesus dying on the Cross -- on the third day He rose again!
And the end of it all: Revelation 19-21 -- after Armeggedon comes the New Jerusalem!
There is always HOPE!
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Malachi
I heard a blurb on the radio this past week about the way Malachi can be summed up in one fell swoop. The speaker read chapter 3 verse 6:
"I the LORD do not change. So you, descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed."
That is a comforting thought. No matter what I do, God doesn't change. No matter what nightmares occur in the world around me, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
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What also strikes me is the placement of this truth. It is not the only time in Scripture God tells us He is unchanging. Immutable, as the theologians would have it.
But He tells us again in Malachi. The last book of the Old Testament. The last bit before the age of Grace begins with Jesus's death and resurrection. The last words before God stops speaking for 400 years.
"OK, people, you won't hear from me for awhile. Here it is, nice and clear and concise so you don't forget: I, the LORD, don't change. And that is so you won't be destroyed."
If you knew you would not see this or that person ever again, what would you say? We use that concept at graduations and saying good-bye to loved ones. What are the last things we want them to know? I love you...I'm proud of you...be good...
God wants us to know: I never change.
You can count on that!
"I the LORD do not change. So you, descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed."
That is a comforting thought. No matter what I do, God doesn't change. No matter what nightmares occur in the world around me, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
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What also strikes me is the placement of this truth. It is not the only time in Scripture God tells us He is unchanging. Immutable, as the theologians would have it.
But He tells us again in Malachi. The last book of the Old Testament. The last bit before the age of Grace begins with Jesus's death and resurrection. The last words before God stops speaking for 400 years.
"OK, people, you won't hear from me for awhile. Here it is, nice and clear and concise so you don't forget: I, the LORD, don't change. And that is so you won't be destroyed."
If you knew you would not see this or that person ever again, what would you say? We use that concept at graduations and saying good-bye to loved ones. What are the last things we want them to know? I love you...I'm proud of you...be good...
God wants us to know: I never change.
You can count on that!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
orphan souls
Once upon a time, I was lost. Lost like Hansel and Gretyl. Lost like the TV show. Lost like a valuable jewel under the seat cushions.
Psalm 119 says, "I have strayed like a lost sheep." God promises in Ezekiel 34 that he will "search for the lost and bring back the strays." I believe that one of the ways he does that is to use believers to reach out to others who are lost.
Right now, and for the next few days, KLOVE is having its spring pledge drive. I am always blessed and encouraged by the stories that are shared about how God is working through this radio station to reach people. Last year, from January to December 2012, more than 10,000 people got saved! They were lost and now they are found!
This year during pledge drive, KLOVE is working with Shoes for Orphan Souls, an organization that brings new shoes and socks to orphans around the world (including the US) who are without shoes. There are over 143 MILLION children without shoes.
But it isn't simply a lack of shoes. That lack means no access to education; no education leads to a cycle of poverty. So, providing these children with shoes can dramatically change their lives!
Not only that, but as the workers from Shoes for Orphan Souls wash their tender little feet and gently put on fuzzy socks and new shoes, they also share the Gospel with the children. Orphans who own nothing and are alone are told the wonderful promises of God:
Psalm 27:10 -- Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
Galatians 4:4-7 -- But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
And if I have been blessed with shoes and sonship, how can I not also give to encourage orphans?
James 1:27 -- Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Psalm 119 says, "I have strayed like a lost sheep." God promises in Ezekiel 34 that he will "search for the lost and bring back the strays." I believe that one of the ways he does that is to use believers to reach out to others who are lost.
Right now, and for the next few days, KLOVE is having its spring pledge drive. I am always blessed and encouraged by the stories that are shared about how God is working through this radio station to reach people. Last year, from January to December 2012, more than 10,000 people got saved! They were lost and now they are found!
This year during pledge drive, KLOVE is working with Shoes for Orphan Souls, an organization that brings new shoes and socks to orphans around the world (including the US) who are without shoes. There are over 143 MILLION children without shoes.
But it isn't simply a lack of shoes. That lack means no access to education; no education leads to a cycle of poverty. So, providing these children with shoes can dramatically change their lives!
Not only that, but as the workers from Shoes for Orphan Souls wash their tender little feet and gently put on fuzzy socks and new shoes, they also share the Gospel with the children. Orphans who own nothing and are alone are told the wonderful promises of God:
Psalm 27:10 -- Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
Galatians 4:4-7 -- But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
And if I have been blessed with shoes and sonship, how can I not also give to encourage orphans?
James 1:27 -- Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
I Own This
Ownership. I own a car. I own my clothes. I own lots of books!
Do I own my faith? Have I taken possession of it? Do I say, as I do of my books, "Those are mine"?
Colossians 2: 6-10:
Do I own my faith? Have I taken possession of it? Do I say, as I do of my books, "Those are mine"?
Colossians 2: 6-10:
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
Make your choices so that your life reflects what you know is True. Do not listen to the world.
One version of the Bible uses the phrase "walk with Christ." What does that mean, exactly? It implies consistency. Day after day, year after year. A rooted tree doesn't go anywhere. It stands where it is planted. Mixing my Bible verses, here: a tree planted by streams of living water will be fruitful, and that stream is the Word.
I want to possess my faith and let everyone know they cannot take it from me! The choice is mine, and I have made it.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
It is Finished
"I'm finished!" The little boy who is trying to hide his peas under his napkin. He's not really finished; he's just hoping Mom will overlook it this time. And it doesn't matter that this tactic hasn't worked in the past. He'll try it every time!
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"Finished!" The relieved college student after the last final exam. Finished the task, but the results are still up in the air...
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"Finished!" The weary mom who has put the kids to bed and done the dishes and swept the floor and picked up the toys and put away the laundry...just in time to fall into bed and get up tomorrow and do it all over, because a mother's work is never done!
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"It is finished," Jesus said as He breathed His last breath, hanging on a blood-soaked cross between two thieves, the final stage in a horrific and humiliating process. Unlike the boy and his peas, Jesus isn't trying to hide anything; it is what it is -- these sinful people made in God's image are unable to save themselves, so someone has to do it for them. And unlike the college student, the results are a foregone conclusion -- God promised a Savior. Jesus is it, so when the sacrifice is made, that is the end of it. And unlike the weary mom, it is finished. It doesn't need to be done again tomorrow.
It is finished.
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"Finished!" The relieved college student after the last final exam. Finished the task, but the results are still up in the air...
*
*
*
"Finished!" The weary mom who has put the kids to bed and done the dishes and swept the floor and picked up the toys and put away the laundry...just in time to fall into bed and get up tomorrow and do it all over, because a mother's work is never done!
*
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"It is finished," Jesus said as He breathed His last breath, hanging on a blood-soaked cross between two thieves, the final stage in a horrific and humiliating process. Unlike the boy and his peas, Jesus isn't trying to hide anything; it is what it is -- these sinful people made in God's image are unable to save themselves, so someone has to do it for them. And unlike the college student, the results are a foregone conclusion -- God promised a Savior. Jesus is it, so when the sacrifice is made, that is the end of it. And unlike the weary mom, it is finished. It doesn't need to be done again tomorrow.
It is finished.
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