Waiting to see

My favorite Christmas story is not found in the beginning of Luke 2. While I enjoy the story of the shepherds and the manger scene, this part of the story is my absolute favorite:

"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."

The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem." (Luke 2:15-38, NIV)

Two years ago, I was also waiting to see at Christmas time. After years of being very shortsighted, I finally scheduled a lasik procedure and was in the pre-operative time frame where I had to wear my heavy, thick glasses for a few weeks. Without my glasses, I could see nothing of the lights and colors of the season - just a massive blur around me. With my glasses, I could see, but I also felt the burden of that ability. My nose hurt and my ears ached from the weight of those "lightweight" lenses. But the excitement of knowing that was going to change gave me the patience to go through that season of waiting. It was going to be a thrilling moment when I could see without any help again.

Both Simeon and Anna had been waiting for a special moment, too. For years, they had felt the burden of their nation's sin and their nation's oppression. For years, they had hoped for the redeemer God had promised through the prophets. For years, they had watched and waited.

And they had to know it wouldn't be long now. Simeon had been told he would live to see the Christ and he knew he was closer to the end of his life than the beginning. Anna, living at the temple for many, many years, also waited for this momentous occasion.

How often do you suppose they scanned the crowds that went through the temple each day, wondering if this might be the day? The temple was a busy place, with animals, worshipers, priests and merchants all crowding around doing business. (Remind you of malls at this time of year?) How often do you suppose they searched the faces around them, waiting for that nudge that told them this was the one?

And then they saw. I am sure that they were among the few that did. But Anna recognized the child of this humble couple as the redemption of Jerusalem. Simeon, prompted by the Spirit, met him and praised God for him: "My eyes have seen your salvation." All their hopes were realized in one eight-day-old child visiting the temple because they recognized the One they had been looking for.

And, really, that sums up my prayer for you this Christmas. I pray that in all the hustle and bustle, the people and the noise, the business and the pleasure that you will see those moments of eternal significance; that you will see the child in the manger and recognize Him for who He is; that you will recognize the love that prompted such an amazing story. And that you, too, will say to God "My eyes have seen your salvation..."

Merry Christmas.

Two Stan Toler books (a review)

Stan Toler is a story teller. And nowhere is it more apparent than in this pair of his books, God Has Never Failed Me, But...: He's Sure Scared Me to Death a Few Timesand The Buzzards Are Circling, But...: God's Not Finished with Me Yet. Each book is filled with stories, quotes and snippets that illustrate the challenges and sometimes laughable dilemmas we can get find ourselves facing.

Toler's writing is light, engaging and an easy read even though the topics he covers may not always be so. My only difficulty, if I was to name one, is that sometimes there are so many stories, they jump from one to the next without maintaining any tangible connection to the topic of the chapter. On occasion it reads more like a Coffee Perks, or one of those snippets-and-quotes papers you find in a diner and it becomes a conscious effort to remember what he is talking about.

But on the whole, both books are worth the read simply because they do treat life with an eye to the humorous that can be found in any situation. And sometimes we have to be able to just laugh at the ironies of life.

Review copies provided by The B&B Media Group.

Past sins

At Bible Study tonight we were in Genesis 44, the story of Joseph and a trap he laid for his brothers. There are a lot of things to learn from that story (and a couple things I have questions about) but this verse struck me tonight. Judah is answering on behalf of his brothers when Joseph tells them they are free to go if Benjamin becomes his slave as the penalty for having stolen a cup. And Judah replies:

'We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead, and he is the only one of his mother's sons left, and his father loves him.' (verse 20, emphasis mine)

Here's the thing - in today's terms this was a pretty dysfunctional family. Four mothers, twelve brothers, one father and all the rivalry you could imagine tossed in at both the parental and the sibling level. One of the ramifications of this tension was that one day, in a white hot rage, the brothers sold Joseph as a slave.

I cannot imagine that they thought Joseph would have survived the trip with the men that bought him, or even if he did, that he would have survived for twenty years in slavery. That day, they didn't care. Slaves were a commodity, and were not likely to get the best food, the best treatment, the best chances at living to a ripe age. And so to their minds, after twenty years, Joseph was dead. Period.

They watched their father grieve, watched him turn to Joseph's brother to be the favored son, watched how protective he was of Benjamin and eventually had to argue for their very survival against the strength of that one relationship. For twenty years, they had lived with their choice from that desert day. It would seem that they never shared that secret with their parents, but by the time they stood before Joseph, they'd been carrying that guilt for a long time. And they've run out of excuses,

"What can we say? How can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants' guilt." (verse 16b)

In fact, while Judah still doesn't tell the truth of what happened to Joseph, he made this double-edged promise to his father (and reports it to Joseph),

"'If I do not bring him back to you, I will bear the blame before you, my father, all my life!'" (verse 32b)

Do you see the irony? Judah had already been bearing the blame for the loss of a brother. He had no idea that there may be no need for that burden of guilt. He was convinced that his brother, Joseph, was dead, and there would be no way to be rid of the guilt.

Until Joseph revealed himself to them.

Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?" But his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at his presence.

Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

"So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God." (Genesis 45:3-8a)

So let me ask you - is there guilt you've carried because you assume there's just no option? Choices you've made, people you've wronged and it's simply not humanly impossible to make it right? You've committed the crime, now you'll just have to do the time?

Let me assure you that Jesus is waiting to reveal himself to you. And when he does, you will find that he can take that mess and take the guilt and take the past and redeem it. Judah and his brothers couldn't undo what they'd done when they sold Joseph but they could accept Joseph's forgiveness and the hope he offered them.

And you have the same choice. You can't change the past, but you can let God use it to change the future. Turn it over to Him and let Him "use it for good."

Who prayed for Saul?

Have you been praying for someone's salvation but it seems like there is no hope of them coming to Christ?

I was thinking about this as I read again the story of Saul. Not only did Saul show no signs of believing in Christ, he was actively trying to crush those that did.

"Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem."(Acts 9:1-2)

Here's my question: Do you suppose that anyone was praying for him?

The only recorded prayer we have anywhere near Saul occurred at the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7. As he was being stoned to death, Stephen offered this prayer, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them" (vs.60). And we learn in verse 58 that Saul was among the "them" covered by this prayer.

What impact do you suppose this prayer had on Saul? We don't find out at the time but Jesus had already instructed his followers:

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44)

I hope that there was someone that acted in obedience to Jesus - not just praying for the persecution to stop, but that Saul would also come to know the Jesus that he was so opposed to. And if you remember the story of Saul, you know that he was dramatically changed! Not only did he no longer persecute Christ-followers, he became one of the most ardent preachers of the gospel in history.

I know many people who prayed for decades for someone and perhaps they never did know for certain that the person of their prayers ever became right with God. Others have seen those prayers answered after a long season of pleading with God.

It may be someone in your family. It may be a boss or a civil leader or news maker you don't even know that seems so openly hostile to your relationship with Jesus. But we are encouraged to pray. We are encouraged to pray for those in leadership over us.

Don't give up. God still answers those prayers. And who knows what that person will do for God's kingdom if they come to know Him?

All joy?

Once again, I've been thinking about suffering. How many people cause it. How many people endure it. How much of it there seems to be. Many people have made some good points in sharing their views about suffering and God's role in it, others have simply used it as an excuse to dismiss God.

This has been forwarded to me several times so let me share it with you. Sometimes it helps to see there may be a purpose in it.

(My apologies to whoever originally created it - I'd give credit if I could but I've not been able to find any source for it. Thank you for depicting it this way.)

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4 (ASV)

It's Your Love (Hillsong)

Knowing our limits

Is the shortest way always the best?

"When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." (Exodus 13:17)

This verse helped me realize something today. God knew the limits of the Israelites those many years ago. He realized that war with the Philistines would send them running back to Egypt. (Even with his presence and protection, they threatened to a few times anyways!) But He knew that running back to Egypt would mean running right back into slavery, which was never his plan for them. So He took them by the longer route around the Philistine nation.

Why is this so reassuring?


Because God knows my limits, too. Sometimes it feels like God is taking me on the long route - maybe even through a desert time. But it is helpful to know that even in the desert, God has me on a path that allows for my temptations, my personality, my well being. He knows what dangers may lay on the "short cut". And He knows my limits.

"There isn't any temptation that you have experienced which is unusual for humans. God, who faithfully keeps his promises, will not allow you to be tempted beyond your power to resist. But when you are tempted, he will also give you the ability to endure the temptation as your way of escape." (1 Corinthians 10:13 GWT)

Even if it is the long way around.

True religion

I blogged a little while ago about some people that questioned God. I still appreciate their honesty in bringing their "puzzlements" to Him. And one of the biggest questions that has been asked for centuries is still "How could God allow ... ?"

I think that part of the answer lies in the fact that God has given each of us a choice. We choose to follow His guidelines for life, or we choose to ignore them. And almost always, those choices affect more than just us as individuals. The ripple effect leads one sin to cause a LOT of misery, suffering or strife for those around us. Those choices are man's, not God's.

But there's also another side. What about this?

"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them" Hebrews 6:10

He is watching the work we do for others. Now I don't want to suggest that I'm advocating an entirely social gospel but there are definitely directions in God's Word about helping others - both friends and enemies (see Galatians 6:10, Ephesians 4:32, Luke 6: 27-36). Think of the Good Samaritan. Think of Dorcas and the early church elders. We don't earn our salvation but our salvation does bring an obligation.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows who are suffering and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:29 (NIV and NAS combined)

In times like these, there are plenty of people that need help. Even in the good times, there are people that genuinely need a hand. And there is always injustice to be found. So much that we can't hope to solve it all by ourselves.

But perhaps it isn't that the world is full of injustice or need because God is unfair. Perhaps it's that they are waiting for us to do the work He gave each of us to do, and reach out to them.

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts. What I'm interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.

Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.'

If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people's sins, If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight. I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places— firm muscles, strong bones. You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry."

~ Isaiah 58:9-11 (MSG)

God is not unjust. He has put the people in place to do the work that needs to be done to correct injustice and to help the suffering. God is not always "allowing" the suffering. He's waiting for the people He's called to step in and make a change.

What has He asked you to do?

Pointed remarks

Here's something to think about today -

"Do not pay attention to every word people say or you may hear your servant cursing you -- for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others." (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22, NIV)

The Message puts it like this -

"Don't eavesdrop on the conversation of others. What if the gossip's about you and you'd rather not hear it? You've done that a few times, haven't you - said things behind someone's back you wouldn't say to his face?"

Remember

I attended a banquet last night and the speaker made this point:

The Hebrew word often translated "remember" isn't just a matter of recall. It's active - more like "recall, and then act accordingly".

I also came across this thought on-line:

"The word translated “remember” (zah-khor) means more than merely recalling something past, but suggests actively focusing the mind upon something in the present.

In Hebrews 13:7, the verb for "remember" is set in parallel to "consider ... and imitate."

"Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." (emphasis mine)

In Canada, last Monday was Thanksgiving Day. In America, it's still coming up. It's a time when we typically remember and are thankful for the good things in our lives. Things like family or a home or good friends often come to mind. But the speaker's comment last night got me thinking. Remembering the things we have to be thankful for should not only be an exercise in looking at the past, but should also be a way to plan ahead.

For instance, we remember God's provision.

If we're going to "act accordingly" maybe this will mean trusting God the next time we're feeling in a tight spot. Maybe it means being more generous to someone in need, knowing God will provide for us too.

We remember a time that we didn't follow God's prompting.

If we remember and "act accordingly", the next time we feel that prompting we will follow through (and most likely see God do something remarkable).

We remember a time we gave in to temptation and sinned.

If we remember and "act accordingly", we will be much more aware of the consequences and make a different choice the next time we face that temptation. Think of it as "live and learn".

Why is this important? Well, for starters, God continuously reminded his people to remember. He asked them to do this in order to build their faith, to strengthen their commitment to Him and to teach to those young enough to not have seen the constant pattern of God's work in their lives. And we are reminded, too, to remember (John 16:4, 2 Peter 1:15, Revelation 3:3, Matthew 16:9, Mark 8:18). Because as we see time and time again throughout the Bible, the truth of this saying is evident -

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

- George Santayana

So remember, and act accordingly.

A fun one

Ransomed and precious

A friend passed along this reminder the other day. I'm not sure what translation she used but it was such a timely reminder for me as we'd had several types of disconcerting news all in the same hour. I hope it will bless you too.

"Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you go through deep waters and great trouble,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire
you will not be burned, nor will the flames hurt you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.
You are precious and honored in my sight,
and I love you." (Isaiah 43:1-4)

My schedule

I keep two calendars in my office - one is the "to-do" calendar with appointments, meetings and other events listed. The other is a "have-done" calendar. I use it to track in note form what I accomplished each day in my career. Having an office at home means sometimes those lines get blurred so this helps me stay clear about what happened each week.

Today as I started my day, this verse came up in two separate areas.

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:10).

Prepared in advance, huh? How interesting that God has a to-do calendar for us too. Planned ahead. Ready for us to show up and get the job done.

Let's make sure we leave space in the day for His appointments.

Grand stuff indeed

The Bible (of course) speaks marvelous truths to us about the character and nature of God. And I very much enjoy the variety of ways those truths are presented. There is story, history, parables, romance, mystery and more, including some very literary passages. Consider this:

"[God] spreads out the northern skies over empty space;
he suspends the earth over nothing.

He wraps up the waters in his clouds,
yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.

He covers the face of the full moon,
spreading his clouds over it.

He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters
for a boundary between light and darkness.

The pillars of the heavens quake,
aghast at his rebuke.

By his power he churned up the sea;
by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces.

By his breath the skies became fair;
his hand pierced the gliding serpent.

And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
how faint the whisper we hear of him!
Who then can understand the thunder of his power?"

Job 26:7-14 (emphasis mine)

Jeremiah's complaint

Sometimes the prophecy books of the Old Testament can be tough going. It can be hard to fully understand what (and who) the prophets were addressing as they wrote. And there is some pretty rough language there, too.

But what I always appreciate about the writer of the Psalms, the prophets or Job, is when they really speak their mind to God. Like this:

"You are always righteous, O LORD, when I bring a case before you.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice:
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all the faithless live at ease?"(Jeremiah 12:1)

These men were honest. They were asking the questions that are still being asked today. "God, where's the justice? Why do you allow this?"

But along with that is the certainty that God can take their questions. He's open to our doubts and our questions. We can say whatever we need to say to Him. He's big enough for that too.

Poetry & faith

Found a very cool quote on a favorite blog. I think it has something to say on the matter of faith in God, too.

"Poetry is sane because it floats easily in an infinite sea; reason seeks to cross the infinite sea, and so make it finite.... The poet only asks to get his head into the heavens. It is the logician who seeks to get the heavens into his head. And it is his head that splits."

G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

Therefore I have hope ...

Ever have one of those days (weeks, months, years) when everything just seems to be wrong? I think it happens to almost everybody at sometime. Life can be pretty overwhelming some days.

But then I was reminded of something very simple but very important when I read this:

"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD."

Lamentations 3:21-26 NIV

Christianish (a book review)

I don't normally review two books this close together but I couldn't wait on this one.

I began reading Christianish: What If We're Not Really Following Jesus at All? and was amazed. Mark Steele tackles (like many others) a look at the forms of religion that we often pass off as "being Christian." There can be a lot of concessions we make - often with good intentions, but with the net result of portraying the Christian life as less than it should be. But what Steele manages, where many often fail, is to ask the hard questions without setting himself outside the problem. He admits that "... the chance that everything we each believe about Jesus is 100 percent accurate is not very likely" but still takes a frank look at some of the ways we handle the beliefs we hold. His examples are down-to-earth, accurate, surprising and sometimes hilarious. And they serve very well to illustrate the middle ground that we often try to hold even though we may be on the wrong road entirely. Rather than just a pointed finger, Steele offers the switch to create some of those "light bulb" moments that can be life changing. It's an invitation to "ditch the ish" and be part of an exciting Christ-centered adventure.

Christianish is destined to become a well-worn favorite on my bookshelf and I highly recommend it for yours.


Review copy provided by The B&B Media Group

Make Love, Make War (a book review)

Brian Doerksen has written a variety of well-known contemporary worship songs and in Make Love, Make War: NOW Is the Time to Worship, he gives a “behind-the-scenes” look at 12 of the songs he has written or co-written over his music writing career.

As this book opens, it reminded me of a cross between a literature class and a personal memoir. Passages like

“Musically the chorus was anchored around the root note and chord to signify that the trisagion is at the center of it all. I then experimented until I found that the right melodic anchor for the action words of the verse was the F note – the fifth degree of scale”

may be informative but in no way drew me into the book's context of worship. The line-by-line analysis of word choices, while interesting, were also difficult because I was not familiar with all of the songs he includes. (Perhaps an accompanying CD would have been a helpful option.) It isn’t until later chapters that he transitions to the stories behind some of the songs, and through them begins to really reveal his heart about the role of worship in different aspects of church life and personal spiritual growth in a compelling manner.

Songwriters and worship leaders will find certain aspects of this book more applicable than others. The songwriting tips at the end of each chapter, or his reference to certain song formats that are not explained for the lay person will no doubt carry more impact for musicians. However, Doerksen still manages to touch on some of the key components of worship that apply to all, and may serve as a personal challenge to reconsider the role of worship in a Christ-like life.


Review copy provided by The B&B Media Group.

The Butterfly Circus (a Doorpost Film Project)

I cannot begin to explain how deeply this touched me. The film is 20 minutes and I encourage you to take time to watch it. What a message of hope and a reminder of the unique design God has given each of us.

The hedge

I was reading a couple nights ago and as so often happens, a single word really caught my attention:

Satan was talking to God about Job and Satan says this:

"Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?"

(Job 1:10)

I love the idea of God's hedge. I have a hedge around my yard that provides privacy, shelter, protection and beauty. God's hedge might look like mine, or it might look more like a bristling row of angelic warriors, ready to do battle. We don't know what that hedge is made of. But we can still know it's there.

There are times I count on the hedge. It's good to rest in God's protection. But as the story of Job continues, we also know that Job's faith didn't depend on the hedge. Even when it felt like God's protection has been stripped away, he didn't turn his back on God.

The questions of why God allows evil, or the problem of pain, or why "good" people suffer are questions people have struggled with for a very long time. But in those moments when it feels like we're not sure of God's presence, or that we're under attack, I hope that you too can find comfort in knowing that God still has his hedge around us and that nothing gets through without His consent.

Adiaphorism

I subscribe to A Word A Day and every day, Monday to Friday, a new word is delivered to my inbox. Some are exciting, some are obscure, some are fascinating. One of the words this week was

adiaphorism
(ad-ee-AF-uh-riz-uhm)

Meaning: Tolerance or indifference, especially in the matters of religion.

The editor's note added that "Adiaphorism is the idea that things not specifically prohibited by the Scriptures may be treated with indifference (i.e. they are permissible)."

Now I had never heard this word before but it struck me that I should have. Tolerance and indifference in religion are all too common these days. Some churches, in trying to find the line between cultural relevance and Biblical teaching seem to have decided that a spot of adiaphorism is the safest way to go. They like the definition of tolerance that says "leeway for variation from a standard." In a sense, tolerance has become indifference. (For an interesting discussion on tolerance, visit Wikipedia's page on toleration.)

The attitude becomes "let's cut ourselves a little slack, after all God is love." Or worse, it becomes "All roads lead to God." And so we can pick and choose the bits of religious habit or teaching that makes us comfortable or happy and simply ignore the rest.

Do you see a problem with that?

I'm afraid I do. God's word makes it clear that indifference is inadequate. And that He can't tolerate sin. I think we need to be wary of adiaphorism by getting more familiar with God Himself. Know His heart of love but study His holiness, too. Don't be as concerned with how much deviation from the standard you can have. Instead get to know The Standard by heart.

Secondhand Jesus (a book review)

Glenn Packiam, in Secondhand Jesus: Trading Rumors of God for a Firsthand Faith, joins a growing number of authors addressing “authentic” Christian faith, challenging people to look beyond the customs, habits or traditions of Christianity to the Holy God that wants to know and love each of us individually.

Beginning with a moment when his own foundation was shaken (Packiam refers to it as a “what the heck?” moment), Packiam combines his personal experience with the stories of the ark of the covenant to demonstrate how operating from a rumor of God - an assumption about His character or his role - plays out in real lives both modern and historical. It’s a unique weaving together that he eventually brings to a crux when he asks, “But what exactly does that look like? How does that work in the real world?”

Packiam’s style is a blend of scholarship, Biblical reference and personal experience. Some of the personal anecdotes were too far beyond my experience to be able to really connect with the challenges that spurred this journey for him, but with some thought I could usually find a comparable personal situation that related to the chapter's theme. I did find it interesting that in reading through the book, I could put it down at the end of a chapter and not be sure I’d grasped Packiam’s point, but then the concepts and examples he’d used would come readily to mind in conversation after conversation during the days that followed.

For many Christians this book would serve as a challenge to re-examine their Christianity and the role God is truly playing in their faith. For others, it may serve in the sense that an annual visit to the doctor does – a chance to double-check and make sure things are still on track. There are discussion questions at the end of each chapter to help with personal application or it could even be used as part of a small group study. Either way, Secondhand Jesus will be faith-changing if you take the time to think through the challenge Packiam presents.


Review copy provided by The B&B Media Group.

Too funny to pass up

I gotta tell you, I love this joke:

A priest, a minister and a rabbi walk into a bar. The bartender looks up and says,

"What is this - some kind of joke?"

(Ba--dum- dum) Insert laugh track here ...

Those church words

There are words we toss around in Christian circles that are rich in both concept and meaning but sometimes for those outside those circles or just new to them, they can sound like so much jargon. Even to those of us that use them, they can become rather cliche. But with a little time and attention, those words express different aspects of the lavish love God has extended to us. For example, Paul writes:

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. (Romans 3:22-25a NIV, emphasis mine)

Here are some of my favorite ways to define a few of those words:

Righteousness - "Right standing" with God - we are "put right" with God

Justification - "Just as if I never sinned." - we are made right again before a holy and just God.

Grace - "God's riches at Christ's expense." - Christ's sacrifice paid the whole price to make us co-heirs with him, something we can neither earn or deserve. (see Romans 8:17)

Redemption - "bought back or claimed" - Just as you must redeem a gift certificate to claim the prize, God redeemed us and claims us as his own. There's ownership in redemption. We become God's own.

Atonement - "At-one-ment" - we are brought back to God's original plan of relationship through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

Think about these words and let them amaze you with their story of God's extravagant love.

Where will the music take you?

I did this drawing a couple years ago titled "Where Will the Music Take You?*" I don't often comment on my purpose or intent in creating my artwork but in this case, I remember I was playing with a new medium and working on an idea for a jazz poster. In the end, I was content with how it turned out.

Music is one of those things that talks straight to my emotions. It so often carries me away in a swirl of harmonies that I can't have it on when I'm writing or doing other work I really need to focus on. I think that's probably what was going through my mind and my fingers as I worked on and named this piece.

Then last Sunday, we read in Matthew 24: 31

And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

In this passage, Jesus was talking with his disciples about the end times, those days just before He returns again to earth for the last time. I know there can be a lot of discussion about the hows, whos, whys and whens of His second coming, but what struck me was this: That trumpet call will be the signal for our eternity. As that trumpet's brassy note rings across the heavens, some will be gathered up and others will be left behind. For those who have accepted Christ's work on the cross, it will be a song of triumph and freedom. For others, it will mean they've ignored Him one too many times.

So I want to ask you, when that final trumpet sounds, where will the music take you?

If you're not sure, there are a couple links on the left under "Questions?" that can get you started on the path to certainty. Please don't wait too long. That trumpet might sound any day now.


*"Where Will the Music Take You?" copyright VJCoulman, 2007.
Prismacolor pencil on Crescent matboard, 18" x 24". All rights reserved.

A form of godliness

I was listening to a familiar passage of scripture when a particular phrase caught my attention. You'll probably recognize the passage:

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. "

2 Timothy 3:2-5 NIV (emphasis mine)

I have a vintage dress form that stands in my studio. In a past career, I was a seamstress that specialized in bridal and formal wear. I loved taking a flat fabric and giving it shape and style. Tailored suits still catch my eye and I love to see novel and imaginative touches worked in or on fabric in all sorts of styles.

I don't have as much time to sew these days, so my dress form will occasionally display a vintage suit, a formal gown or a fun jacket. Why? Because it doesn't look the same on the hanger as it does on the dress form. Because the form fills it out and makes it look better. But I also know that if I take it off the dress form it will not stand on its own. That garment will never serve its intended purpose until I put it on a living, moving body.

I think some people are content to display their faith like I display certain outfits. I may have done it myself on occasion. We dress up our faith to make us look good, to let people think there is substance under the surface. We want "the look" of a good Christian.

But if we really examine it (or worse yet, if someone else does) that show of godliness is hollow. Just like the emperor's new clothes, there's no substance. It might fool a few people, but it won't stand up to the close scrutiny of daily life. There is no God at the core of it. That nasty list above might be all too visible if that's really what's underneath. Just like the garments I put on display, the "form of godliness " may look the right shape but it ultimately cannot stand on its own.

But that's the power of true godliness - truly having God fill our lives - it puts substance behind our faith. It helps us fulfill our intended purpose. It helps us stand. It shapes us - past, present and future - as we let God use us for what He intended.

Ultimately, a hollow faith is merely foolishness (see verse 9 of the passage above). So let's not just display the form of godliness, let's keep God at the core and let Him fashion for us true robes of righteousness. It's better than being the dummy in the window.

With All I Am (Hillsong)

This has been a favorite song of mine for some time. Beautiful, simple but powerful. I hope it strikes a chord with you too.

Designer Women: Made By God (book review)

The issue of women in ministry can be a divisive one and there has been much written on the subject from very disparate perspectives. Ruth Tuttle Conard, rather than argue whether women should or not, skips the argument and instead goes straight to the fact that women were used by God throughout history.

In Designer Women: Made by God, Conard looks at ten (11 actually) women from the Bible and the extraordinary way God used them in their unique settings, circumstances and personalities to be part of His plan. As she says, “These women, as leaders and strong examples in varied facets of life, did not act because there were no good men, but rather because they were good women, created in God’s image, gifted by God and working in obedience with their Maker.”

Conard’s tone throughout this book is warm, supportive and reminiscent of a chat across the kitchen table. She has faced the “hoops” that many women in the church face when trying to exercise their gifts and still is confident in God’s desire to use women to advance his kingdom. Too often, it is easy to become strident or militant when defending a woman’s place in the church, but Conard avoids that pitfall and focuses on the qualities of the women God used in extraordinary ways through the Bible. She encourages modern women to develop those same qualities to prepare for God’s opportunities and in the last chapter recommends some tools to do just that. She also footnotes her work for those who want to study further.

Conard does take a brief look at some of the “problem” passages of the Bible, that are frequently used to downplay or dismiss women in ministry or leadership and, again, provides some recommended titles for those that want to explore further. But as she so excellently points out, “ there are some who will probably keep laboring over the minutiae of certain words and customs and never come up with the perfect answer to all of this. … What is extremely fascinating to me is that this continual battle over women does not seem to have caused any problem for God and how he designed his daughters. … God is still creating baby girls, all over his world, who grow, confess Jesus as Savior, and are given spiritual gifts from the complete list of gifts, as the Spirit wills, even while men and women continue to say that it just isn’t possible!”

Highly, highly recommended.


Review copy provided by The B&B Media Group.

Fear itself

I've been reading through the The Chronological Study Bible: New King James Versionpublished by Thomas Nelson. It's got all sorts of archeological and cultural notes along with the ordering of the Scriptures by their time frame, rather than the traditional canonical orderings.

One of those tidbits caught my eye today. On the passage relating to Exodus 15, with the victory songs of Moses and Miriam, the writers of this particular note make this statement:

"Terror, or fear, was assumed to be a separate substance which went before the deity, defeating enemies even before the god arrived."(p. 87, "God Among the Warrior Deities)

Those who are familiar with Franklin D. Roosevelt's inaugural address in 1932 might recognize the same sentiment: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

How often do we let fear defeat us? We're afraid things might not work out so we don't even try. We let fear or uncertainly slow us down when we've been given the go-ahead. And yet one of the most common injunctions in the Bible is "Fear not."

Maybe today we need to buck the trend that dates all the way back to ancient times; to see fear as something in and of itself that is capable of defeating us. Instead, let's remember,

"I've commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the LORD your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 (CEV)

The B-I-B-L-E (or something like that)

This is one of those things that circulates through the internet every once in a while. But it might bring a smile to your face today. Or a challenge - can you spot the mistakes?

The (Children's) Bible in a Nutshell

In the beginning, which occurred near the start, there was nothing but God, darkness, and some gas. The Bible says, 'The Lord thy God is one, but I think He must be a lot older than that.

Anyway, God said, 'Give me a light!' and someone did.

Then God made the world.

He split the Adam and made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, but they weren't embarrassed because mirrors hadn't been invented yet.

Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating one bad apple, so they were driven from the Garden of Eden.....Not sure what they were driven in though, because they didn't have cars.

Adam and Eve had a son, Cain, who hated his brother as long as he was Abel.

Pretty soon all of the early people died off, except for Methuselah, who lived to be like a million or something.

One of the next important people was Noah, who was a good guy, but one of his kids was kind of a Ham. Noah built a large boat and put his family and some animals on it. He asked some other people to join him, but they said they would have to take a rain check.

After Noah came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jacob was more famous than his brother, Esau, because Esau sold Jacob his birthmark in exchange for some pot roast. Jacob had a son named Joseph who wore a really loud sports coat.

Another important Bible guy is Moses, whose real name was Charlton Heston. Moses led the Israel Lights out of Egypt and away from the evil Pharaoh after God sent ten plagues on Pharaoh's people. These plagues included frogs, mice, lice, bowels, and no cable.

God fed the Israel Lights every day with manicotti. Then he gave them His Top Ten Commandments. These include: don't lie, cheat, smoke, dance, or covet your neighbor's stuff.

Oh, yeah, I just thought of one more: Humor thy father and thy mother.

One of Moses' best helpers was Joshua who was the first Bible guy to use spies. Joshua fought the battle of Geritol and the fence fell over on the town.

After Joshua came David. He got to be king by killing a giant with a slingshot. He had a son named Solomon who had about 300 wives and 500 porcupines. My teacher says he was wise, but that doesn't sound very wise to me.

After Solomon there were a bunch of major league prophets. One of these was Jonah, who was swallowed by a big whale and then barfed up on the shore.

There were also some minor league prophets, but I guess we don't have to worry about them.

After the Old Testament came the New Testament. Jesus is the star of The New. He was born in Bethlehem in a barn. (I wish I had been born in a barn too, because my mom is always saying to me, 'Close the door! Were you born in a barn?' It would be nice to say, 'As a matter of fact, I was.')

During His life, Jesus had many arguments with sinners like the Pharisees and the Democrats.

Jesus also had twelve opossums.

The worst one was Judas Asparagus. Judas was so evil that they named a terrible vegetable after him.

Jesus was a great man. He healed many leopards and even preached to some Germans on the Mount.

But the Democrats and all those guys put Jesus on trial before Pontius the Pilot. Pilot didn't stick up for Jesus. He just washed his hands instead.

Anyways, Jesus died for our sins, then came back to life again. He went up to Heaven but will be back at the end of the Aluminum. His return is foretold in the book of Revolution.

__________

My apologies to the original writer of this piece. If I knew who you were, I'd let people know. But thanks for sharing it.

Bill's problem

During a Bible study last night, the pastor made this observation based on his years of counseling:

"If Bill and Mary have a problem,
and Bill and Joe have a problem,
and Bill and Bob have a problem

... then Bill's the problem."

Hmmm. Sometimes one of those gauges for your internal health is your external relationships. It can also be a quick way to do a spiritual inventory. Take a look at the people around you and how you are getting along with them.

How are you doing?

^"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

Romans 12:18 NIV

"Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you'll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God's generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time."

Hebrews 12:14-15 (The Message)

Do and do; rule on rule...

I've been reading in Isaiah and came across this set of verses:

"For it is:
Do and do, do and do,
rule on rule, rule on rule;
a little here, a little there."

(Isaiah 28: 10)

The same thought is repeated again in verse 13 of the same chapter:

"So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:
Do and do, do and do,
rule on rule, rule on rule;
a little here, a little there --
so that they will go and fall backward, be injured and snared and captured."

Does that sound familiar? It sounds like religion to me. So many people have been hurt or trapped by a set of rules that they equate with their faith. Some have completely been derailed by their experiences in a church. Others still labor under a system of "rule on rule," thinking that its the only way to please God or to earn their salvation.

And the alarming part is that Isaiah is speaking about the prophets and priests of his time. Isaiah shared this before the Mishnah or the Koran or Catholicism or Protestantism or many of our other current religions were even around!!

The Mishnah, for example, added to the Torah (the first 5 books of the Old Testament or books of the law) 63 treatises to guide the daily living of the Jewish peoples. Of those 63 treatises of the Mishnah, 2 entire treatises detail proper conduct for the Sabbath. One of those treatises, Shabbat, lists thirty-nine classes of prohibited actions - things a conscientious Jew cannot do on the Sabbath. They are further elaborated so that there are in fact several hundred prohibitions just for the Sabbath. And the whole of the Mishnah (all 63 treatises) is further detailed by the "commentaries" - eighty volumes of explanation that make up the Talmud.*

Now don't think I'm only picking on Judaism. Not at all. How many other religions regulate when you pray, who you pray to, how much you give, how short your skirt should be, if you kneel or stand or raise your arms to worship, who you do business with or any of the other myriad of RULES that have been added to God's plan of redemption and the expression of His love.

What's my point?

Be aware that the rules are no substitute for knowing God. Yes, He places authorities in place, He provides His word to guide us, and He still hates sin. His law, however, is not just the rulebook. It's an expression of the lengths He has gone to because He loves us and doesn't want sin to separate us from Him. It's a Father guiding His children. Because more than anything, He wants to know us personally, intimately, and wants to shape us into the person He designed us to be. Don't get so tangled in the rules that you miss His heart.

*Much of my information of this paragraph is based on an overview given in Designer Women: Made by God, by Ruth Tuttle Conard which I plan to review at another time but recommend.