Speak

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.  Ephesians 4:15 (NLT)

The other morning at a little gathering I’m part of I told a guy, “I probably shouldn’t say this to you, but I’m going to anyway…”  At this point, he and the other fellow in attendance just started laughing.  Profusely.  At me. 

They evidently know me too well.  They know that I often say things that maybe shouldn’t.  They know me well enough to feel the freedom to laugh at me openly.  And I hope they  know me well enough to believe that I try to speak what is true, and that my motivation is love….at least in my better moments.

To speak at all is risky.  To tell people the truth is even riskier.  To speak up with the truth in love is not easy to do, and often it is even harder for people to hear, if they will even listen in the first place.

So I guess the laugh at my expense is OK.  Love you guys.

See God?

Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”  And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence.  I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.  But,” He said, “you cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live.”  Exodus 33:18-20

Our pastor is teaching a series this summer on Exodus, which has been exceptional by the way.  When I read or am taught from this part of the Old Testament I’m left with a sense of awe at God’s might and power and I’m struck by how He didn’t speak directly to the “rank and file” Hebrew.  The Bible says God “called Moses by name” and only spoke and revealed Himself intimately through this specially set-apart man.  God was holy and you couldn’t see Him or even speak His name.  And let’s just say God didn’t cut much slack to people that dissed Him in any way. 

Modern Christians tend to somehow think if we had been Jews in Jesus time that we would have recognized Him and followed, but we should keep the backdrop of Exodus in mind.   The transition from Old Testament to New Testament is no small step.  When Jesus showed up and started speaking, the things He said about God and how people could relate to Him were shocking.  Like this:

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”  Matthew 5:8

Well which is it?  Seriously.  In Exodus, part of God’s Holy Scripture, the Torah, God tells Moses “You can’t see me or you will die.”  Jesus rolls in and says,  “Hey, the pure in heart will see God.” 

Better theologians than me should correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Jesus ushered in a whole new deal….a fulfillment of the Old Testament that we probably wouldn’t have expected.  And not just different, so much better and fuller and more incredible!  Through Jesus Christ, God has chosen to show us mercy and compassion and can actually GIVE us pure hearts….. and then He can show us Himself and His Glory!

Paul:Timothy

If they were friends on Facebook in 2009 I think this is the kind of thing Paul would write on Timothy’s wall……..

Refuse to get involved in inane discussions; they always end up in fights. God’s servant must not be argumentative, but a gentle listener and a teacher who keeps cool, working firmly but patiently with those who refuse to obey. You never know how or when God might sober them up with a change of heart and a turning to the truth, enabling them to escape the Devil’s trap, where they are caught and held captive, forced to run his errands.  2 Timothy 2:23-26  (The Message)

Consequences

Then the Lord said, “I will pardon them as you have requested, but as surely as I live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the Lord’s glory, not one of these people will ever enter that land……None of those who have treated me with contempt will will ever see it.”  Numbers 14:20-22a, 23b

The Israelites rebelled against God and Moses and would not follow and obey.  God was ready to wipe them out and start all over with just Moses and his family, but Moses asked God to pardon the people. (What a guy!)   God showed mercy, but there were consequences…. serious ones.

There are always consequences for sin, always.   Even God’s pardon and forgiveness don’t necessarily save us from the fallout.  An entire generation (minus 3) of Israelites died in the desert, and that was God’s mercy.

Our governor, Mark Sanford, sinned by having an affair, got caught, and is paying a high price in public as well as in private.  I’ve also seen people sin more under the radar, quietly, behind closed doors, in whispers.  I really think there’s more hope for those  like Sanford that crash and burn and suffer horrible consequences because there is less chance of them justifying their actions and evading the truth.  Hidden sin just lurks in the darkness quietly and slowly causing hearts to grow cold and hard.  (Yea, I speak from experience, and no, you don’t need any details.)  The secret sins of disobedience, hatred, gossip, anger, sexual impurity, and pride don’t make near the splash or set off alarms in public, but they are at least as deadly.  They also carry consequences.  But because there’s mostly smoke and so little fire, this kind of sin is harder to recognize and really repent of.

Bottom line, I believe  and pray that Mark Sanford will repent, pay the consequences for his sin, and God will still use the man.  I truly fear for those that justify sinful thoughts and actions, don’t think they are doing anything wrong, never fall on their faces in repentance, and are in danger of suffering far worse consequences.

Desert Song

Below are the lyrics to a tune called “Desert Song” off the new Hillsong United CD.  Words and music by Brooke Fraser.

This is my prayer in the desert; When all that’s within me feels dry; This is my prayer in my hunger and need; My God is the God who provides

This is my prayer in the fire; In weakness or trial or pain; There is a faith proved of more worth than gold; So refine me Lord through the flame

(Chorus) I will bring praise;  I will bring praise; No weapon formed against me shall remain; I will rejoice; I will declare; God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the battle; When triumph is still on its way; I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ; So firm on his promise I’ll stand

This is my prayer in the harvest; When favor and providence flow; I know I’m filled to be emptied again; the seed I’ve received I will sow.

All of my life; In every season; You are still God; I have a reason to sing; I have a reason to worship

My favorite line is “I know I’m filled to be emptied again.”  Ever thought about that?

Again?!

After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves.  He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go to Jerusalem.  Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”  1 Kings 12:28 (NIV)

The king referred to is Jeroboam, who should not be the king, and who is worried he’ll lose control to the rightful king back in Jerusalem.  Confused yet?  Ok, so he decides to keep his people under control by making them idols to worship closer to home in place of  the true God, whose temple is back in Jerusalem. 

But isn’t it interesting the images he chose after getting advice?  Golden calves.  That ring a bell?  Back in Exodus 32, the Israelites get in trouble by making and worshiping….wait for it……a golden calf.

Something was programmed into these people’s heads and hearts to want to worship an image of a calf made out of gold.  Years and years, even generations, passed but the temptation remained and it was the exact same temptation.  Spooky ain’t it?

The point?  I think my temptations, my idols, are more likely to be old ones that come back to haunt me than totally new ones.  If I have a history of substance abuse, it’s likely to be a continuing temptation.  If what has pulled me away from God in the past is ambition, lust, temper, bad relational choices, gambling, gossip, whatever….. that’s very likely gonna come up again.  I think it helps to know that so I can be on the watchout, so I can pray, and so I can make practical plans to avoid the same sin again, and again, and again, and again……

A Lie?

He trusts something that can’t help him at all.  Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, “Is this idol that I’m holding in my hand a lie?”  Isaiah 44:20b (NLT)

Isaiah was talking about a piece of metal or wood that ancient people worshiped.  How foolish of them.  I look down on their lack of sophistication.   I would never trust anything so shallow.  

Yet I often see in myself  and others a reluctance to ask the really hard questions about the things we hold close and depend on and functionally worship.  Are they cheap substitutes  for God and His best for us that we’ve become comfortable with? 

A relationship?  A job?  A hobby (blogging and Facebook counts)?  Church?  Music?  Sports?  Money?  Sex? Reputation? 

 Can I bring myself to even ask?  Is what I’m holding in my hand a lie?

Squirrels

I had a recent experience that caused me pain, sorrow, and anger.  Wanting to be careful with those feelings and really needing God, I walked outside and sat down on a bench to get away from people and to pray.  I read a few verses about how God reveals hidden things…… which helped some. 

Then I heard a commotion up in the pine trees in front of me.  (Southerners hear commotions, I don’t know about the rest of y’all.)  I looked up and there were 3 or 4 squirrels chasing each other, leaping from limb to limb, apparently having a wonderful time 30, 40, 50 feet up in the very tops of the trees.  And this verse came to my mind:

He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: and setteth me upon my high places.  2 Samuel 22:34 (KJV)

To come clean, the only reason you get KJV is because of a book I read once called HINDS FEET ON HIGH PLACES.  It was about a character named “Much-Afraid” slowly learning to trust God (if I recall correctly).

At one point in the squirrel tumbling routine, a pine cone fell, and it took a long, long time to hit the ground.  I am afraid of heights, just so you know,  and I was reminded of this verse:

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.   Matthew 10:29 (NIV)

Anyway, these squirrels  way up in the top of some tall southern pines functioned as a picture for me like the hind (a kind of deer) surefootedly living and thriving in the high rocky mountains of the Middle East.  The squirrels (and the hind) were made by God to live up there, and not a one of them needed to worry about falling unless and until it was God’s time for them to exit his creation.  It was just a reminder, a badly needed one at the time, that God is in control.  Whatever happens, He’s got it.  I can trust him.

Thanks for the squirrels, Lord. 

 

Intolerance

I hate all who deal crookedly;   I will have nothing to do with them.  I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.   I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.  I will not endure conceit and pride.  I will search for faithful people  to be my companions.    Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me.   I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house,  and liars will not stay in my presence.   Psalm 101:3-7

Crooked, evil, perverse, slander, conceit, pride, deceivers and liars describe people and things that actually do exist.  I have to decide how I deal with this reality.  The author of this Psalm,  King David,  just drew a line in the sand and said he’d have none of it…..quite a healthy Old Testament strategy by a man after God’s own heart.

Don’t think I’m going all judgemental on you.  I’m all about grace and forgiveness of Jesus because I need it as much as anyone on a daily and hourly basis.  And the Bible is pretty clear how I am to judge others……VERY carefully, and then only fellow Christians in hopes that they repent.   Having said that, there are a few things I’m developing some intolerance for…. many of the same ones noted in this Psalm.

God’s Way Out

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.  Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.  I Corinthians 10:13b-14 (NIV)

Didn’t want to leave y’all dispondant after the last post.  God is faithful.  He is on control.  He allows us to be tempted, but I read this to indicate that he limits the severity and duration for each of us.  There seems to be do doubt we will be tempted, cause it says “when” not “if.”  And it doesn’t say God will necessarily remove the tempatation, but that God will provide “a way out” so we do not have to fall and fail.  I think the next verse indicates the way God provides out for most of us most of the time.  “Flee” is the key word here. 

I can choose to grit my teeth, try to look the other way, and stay in situation that provides or allows the temptation, but the longer I stay there the more likely I am to give in.  That’s just the way I am and I doubt you’re much different.  My best bet is to take God’s way out, which is to “vote with my feet” and get the heck away from whatever or whoever is a temptation.  Maybe that doesn’t sound deep or spiritual enough, but it’s pretty practical and it is in the Bible.