Hearts On Fire

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord:  I will put my laws upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.  ---Hebrews 10:16-17

Last week I wrote about being involved in a church group for the purpose of encouragement and exhortation.  That is exactly where I was at 6:00 a.m. this morning, meeting with a small group of guys who are not afraid of the cold, or the dark, or even (this week) of the rain, as long as we are armed with a strong cup o'Joe (we meet at a Starbucks).

We are studying Hebrews, and this morning we read chapter 9 slowly and deliberately.  Before we began chasing rabbits and getting off topic completely,  I was struck with verses 3 and 4:

Behind the second veil there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant.

Over the past few months our group has read scripture (particularly the book of Hebrews) in the context of the New Covenant brought about by Jesus Himself.  The Old Covenant contained a number of requirements, such as ritual cleansing and animal sacrifices, all of which were a type and shadow of the new, better covenant.  According to Thayer's Greek Lexicon, "The word covenant is used to denote the close relationship which God entered into, first with Noah, then with Abraham...and afterward through Moses with the people of Israel."  This covenant, this sacred contract, bound both God and the people to certain requirements, and could not be voided.  "By this last covenant (that of Moses), the Israelites are bound to obey God's will as expressed...in the Mosaic law, and He promises them His mighty protection and blessings of every kind in this world, but threatens transgressors with the severest punishments." (Thayer's)

It struck me this morning that God has always desired fellowship with Man.  He has always been willing to meet us in our worldly dwelling, to walk with us as He walked with Adam in the Garden in the cool of the evening.  In return, He expects and even provides (for we cannot attain it in ourselves) some form of sanctification.  Look at Hebrews 9:1.  "Now even the first covenant had regulations of divine worship and the earthly sanctuary."  Notice the confluence of the "worldly" and the "divine" or "holy."  Thayer's defines "holy" in this way:

"(The term) used of things which on account of some connection with God possess a certain distinction and claim to reverence, as places sacred to God which are not to be profaned.  (The term is also used) of persons whose services God employs...set apart for God; to be, as it were, exclusively His."

Friends, that's us.  God calls us to be holy.  In our worldly, profane setting, God calls us out.  Even with our sinful nature, He desires fellowship with us.  So much so, that He sent His only Son to be a sacrifice for our sins, so that the sinfulness that we possess innately is covered by Jesus' blood.

There has always been a wall of separation between sinful Man and holy God.  In the Tabernacle given to Moses, there was a veil or curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies.  When Jesus died, the Bible says that this firewall was no longer needed.   "And behold, the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split." (Matthew 27:51).

Look at what we now have access to.  Hebrews 9:3-4 says, "Behind the second veil (the one that was torn apart when Jesus died) there was a tabernacle (or room) which is called the Holy of Holies (a holier place), having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant."  What do these things represent?

Altar of Incense  We have the privilege of giving our worship directly to God.  We do not need a priest or a mediator, because Jesus Himself is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). Many times in the Old Testament, God described burnt offerings as "a sweet savor".  Today, we who offer our lives as "a living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1).  We have within our hearts a holy fire, and the smoke from that fire is as incense, a "sweet savor" to God.

Ark of the Covenant  Literally a box, commissioned by God to hold remembrances of His miracles of old, and symbols of Himself to us.

• Jar of Manna  A symbol of God's provision, of His grace and mercy.  In the Old Testament, the people of Moses were never without sustenance, because God provided a unique source of food every day.  This stuff that appeared on the ground every morning like dew was unlike anything the people had ever seen--that's why they called it "manna", meaning "what is it?"  It looked like coriander seed, and it tasted sweet like honey.  "His mercy is new every morning." (Lamentations 3:23).  His grace is so sweet, and God provides it for us daily if we walk with Him in an attitude of worship.
• Aaron's rod which budded  A symbol of God's favor, His divine selection or appointment.  If you are not familiar with the story, in the book of Numbers the people of Israel were challenging the authority of Moses.  Basically, they accused him of nepotism, as his brother Aaron was selected as the High Priest.  God told Moses to have each of the twelve tribes of Israel to present a rod, which was a symbol of power and authority.  All twelve rods were marked or identified in some way, so that each tribe knew which was theirs.  They were placed in the tabernacle overnight, and the next morning, they were collected.  Eleven of them were returned just as they had been presented--dead wood, without life or anything signifying God's anointing.  Only one, the rod identified as belonging to Aaron, was different: it had grown a bud, a flower like that of an almond tree in the springtime.  God had endowed it with signs of life, even though it had been cut off from the root.  Believers in Christ also have that endowment, that signal of life springing out of us. It is as if we were grafted into an unseen Vine (Romans 11:23-24).
• Tables of the Covenant  A symbol of the Law of God.  In Exodus we see that God literally wrote the Ten Commandments in stone with His own hand.  Paul wrote, "You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." (2 Corinthians 3:2-3).

Note, too, the order in which these are listed.  If we approach God in a spirit of worship, we will see His provision, His grace and mercy.  As we know grace more fully, we will see His favor and His divine appointment.  Then as we commit ourselves to that divine appointment, we will desire to perform His will as expressed by good works, righteous behavior, and morality.  I think too many times the enemy attacks us because we are not good enough to be in the presence of God.  Shame and remorse keep us from fellowship with God, building again that firewall that Jesus tore down by His sacrificial death.  Whenever that occurs, we should realize that moral living is the last manifestation, not the first.  If it were first, then we would be slaves to a salvation based on our works, not on God's mercy and grace.  "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9) Or, conversely, so that no one should feel separated and ashamed because they do not measure up to a holy God.

In the Hebrew language, there is no word modifier like "-er" or "-est", as in "holier" or "holiest".  Instead they would repeat the word for emphasis.  A holy thing was "holy".  A holier thing was "holy, holy."  The holiest thing of all was "holy, holy, holy."  The writer of Hebrews describes the Tabernacle, the symbol of the Old Covenant, in this way.  Hebrews 9:2 describes the outer room of the Temple, the place to which all had access, as "the holy place."  The second room behind the curtain was described as "the holy of holies"--literally, "holy, holy."  Friends, now, because of Jesus, we have access to this "holy, holy" place.  And one day, we will also have access to the One described in Revelation 4:8 as "holy, holy, holy".  He is the holiest one of all.

Help! I'm out of gas

And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.  --Hebrews 10:24-25

If you are on FaceBook, and you don't yet follow Bangor Maine Police Department, you really, really should.  This essay was posted just this morning:

One of life's simplicities for me, and mysteries for some, is the reserve switch below the gas tank on a motorcycle.
Fridays sometimes demand that last bit of fuel. It only can be accessed by turning the valve in the right direction.
Trickery and deceit abounded over the years when I rode more steadily than I do now. A stop for coffee would inevitably find one or more compadres out with the bikes soon after one or more of the group, usually older and usually me, were finding the sweet relief of the tiny restrooms which hide in the back of fine coffee establishments. Hijinks would ensue.Several miles down the road someone's bike would sputter and shake while other riders watched with impish pride in what they had accomplished by moving the fuel valve to the off position.
Yes, a motorcycle will start in the off position, but the only gas available to the engine for a short time is the fuel that remains in the line and carburetor.
In other words; just when you got up to speed and were starting to enjoy the silence from voices, which is one of the reasons you ride a motorcycle in the first place, you got the impression that your bike was malfunctioning.
It wasn't; it was just running out of fuel.
After a couple of learning opportunities a skilled scooter pilot could quickly scan his/her group of riding partners and make a note to observe who was watching intently. Confirmaton of the culprit allowed plans to be laid to do the same to the miscreant at the next possible opportunity.
The good news is that reaching down and turning the valve to the appropriate mark would cure the sputtering and shaking and the trip could continue.
No need to stop and discuss it.
The valve also has a spot which holds a little extra fuel when the main tank is depleted. The reserve position allowed for access to small amount of gas from bottom of the tank. When the main supply ran out you could switch it to RES and make plans for a fuel stop in the next 15 miles.
In many professions Friday is the day you need to make the switch over to reserve. It might give you just enough to make it to Saturday where you can refill your tank.
There is the possibility that someone screwed with your switch at some point this week and we are hopeful you had the experience necessary to just reach down and turn it back on just to keep on keeping on.
Painful people can drain more than gas from your tank. Your ability to deal with it without much drama can take the wind out of their sails as well.
Just a life lesson from someone who learned through experience.
The cool thing about life is you can sometimes pick who you ride with regularly. Keep that in mind when you top off this weekend.
Have a great Friday.

 Homespun humor and common-sense wisdom aside, this post made me literally laugh out loud, as it reminded me of an episode from my early days.  When I was fifteen, I had a completely different schedule than my little sister.  My parents both worked, and I needed a way to get to Driver's Ed classes offered by the high school.  Rather than ride with a friend, my dad let me get a small motorcycle.  A 100 cc Honda with an ugly orange gas tank.  It was not big, but it could go in excess of 60 mph (don't ask me how I know), which was pretty fast for a near-sighted nerd with horn-rimmed glasses.

While I was learning to ride, but before I had a motorcycle license, we discovered a short in the electrical system.  Whenever I would turn on the headlight or the blinker, the engine would stall.  We took it to the dealer for service, and they worked on it.  On the day of my driving test, we picked up the bike from the shop and went straight to the DMV.

If you don't know how a motorcycle driving test works, the biker leads, riding alone, with a car trailing behind driven by a friend or loved one.  The State Trooper rides shotgun in the chase car, making notes about safe turns, looking both ways, and coming to complete stops.  I was instructed to turn left when I heard the car honk once, and turn right when I heard the car honk twice.

So off we go, and I am being as careful as I know how.  Unfortunately, after the third stop sign, my bike sputtered and died.  My dad and the Trooper waited patiently while I tried desperately to kick-start the engine.  After what seemed like an eternity, it dawned on me to check the reserve fuel switch.  Sure enough, when the mechanic had worked on my bike he had inexplicably turned off the fuel supply.  Once I realized that the switch was turned to the "off" position, I could correct it, and start the engine once again.

Sadly, I failed that driving test.  It probably didn't help that I forgot the signals for left and right turns.  I found out later that when I made a right turn after hearing only one honk, the Trooper asked my Baptist preacher father, "Where the hell is he going?"  Happily, I was able to re-take the test within a couple of weeks, and the second time I passed.

What could possibly be the spiritual lesson from these anecdotes from two former riders who have never met each other face to face?  Well, for one, we should always be plugged in to the source.  When life becomes sluggish and unresponsive, we should always make sure that the fuel supply is turned on.  The fuel tank could be completely full of Premium Unleaded, but if the fuel line is turned off, there is no power.

Paul wrote, "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19).  This is a promise that is always true.  However, the devil will always try to find ways to interrupt the supply.  Your fuel line might be clogged with sin and unrepentance.  We might need someone who will hold us accountable.  A great way to foster accountability is to get involved in a Bible-believing church.  Not just being a church member, not just being a regular attender, but getting plugged in to a small group Bible study with people who are not afraid to ask you the hard questions.

Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."  We need each other.  Did you know that the main reason God created Eve was so that Adam would have some help?  She was not created for the sole purpose of procreation.  She was not created so he could have someone to love, to cherish, to care for.  She was created to be a help to him.  The same Hebrew word describing Eve as a "help-meet" for Adam is also used in Psalm 20:2, "May He send you help from the sanctuary, and support you from Zion."  We usually think of a "sanctuary" as being a room in a church, but it can mean any place set apart for help and holiness--the community, the home, even the bedroom.

What happens when the help is not there?  "Everyone will be ashamed because of a people who cannot profit them, who are not for help or profit, but for shame and also for reproach." (Isaiah 30:5).  I still remember the shame I felt when my bike sputtered and died on my first riding test.  I remember the reproach from my father, who had wasted the better part of a day trying to help me be more independent.  That shame and reproach would not have been there if my fuel line had been flowing freely, and my engine had run smoothly.

Hosea 13:9 says "O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is from Me."  God weeps when we are cut off from Him; He rejoices when we seek Him out.  Like bread to the famished, like clear water to the thirsty, He is the Source of our supply.

Forget none of His benefits

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised us is faithful.  --Hebrews 10:23

Several weeks ago, when I was thinking about my resolutions for the New Year, I bought a soft-bound volume entitled 2018 Weekly Agenda.  The first part of this book has calendars for each month of the year.  On the blank calendar blocks that represent the days, I can write short reminders, appointments or events that are important to me.  About halfway through, the format changes. It is now divided up into weekly blocks, with only seven days showing on the double-page.  There is more room to write in these larger blocks, and I decided that I would journal each day utilizing the space provided in this format.

There is not a lot of space, so I cannot be very wordy in this journal.  This helps me to be faithful, since I do not place big expectations upon myself that I should write daily tomes about my everyday life.  Frankly, my life is not that interesting.   In fact, there are many days that I cannot think of anything to write about at all.  In order to keep this from happening, I have seven subjects or ideas that I list each day, and then follow that with a short statement of what I did to strengthen or support that idea, how God may have blessed me in a specific way, or maybe my shortcomings in that area.

The ideas or subjects are the same every day: 

• Physical
• Mental
• Emotional
• Spiritual
• Financial
• Social
• Professional

Not long after I started doing this for myself, I read a FaceBook post about something called "Bullet-Point Journalling".  Apparently, it's a thing.

Anyway, each day I will write down what I did or what I'm going through in each of those seven areas.  Most of the time, it's pretty boring.  Under "Physical", I almost always write, "Worked out 20 minutes this morning."  Under "Mental", I will document how much I read that day, or whether I practiced my guitar (the only musical instrument I play).  On and on it goes--you get the idea.

Anyway, as I have kept this rather boring short record, I have realized something pretty amazing.  Whenever I am worried or stressed, it usually falls under one of these seven broad categories.  If I am overwhelmed by debt, it affects me Financially.  If I don't get along with my supervisor, it affects me Professionally.  Whatever problem you have, you can probably fit it under one of these broad categories.

What I have learned by Bullet-Point Journaling is that God is faithful.  See, if I am able to document my short, low-impact, daily workouts, I am reminded that God has given me health.  He gives life.  When I document each day that I read something for pleasure, or that I practiced my musical instrument, I am reminded that God has given me an ability to read, to think, to express myself to others.  When I document each day that I have read a portion of Scripture, or that I have gone to Church, or met with a small-group Bible Study, I am reminded that God has given me freedom to worship Him, and an ability to fellowship with Him and with other like-minded Christian people.

So when I am worried about a bad review I get at work, or get stressed about a disagreement I had with a friend or relative, the seven-fold approach helps me put it in perspective.  Yes, I may be struggling in one area, but that doesn't define me.  It also reminds me of God's faithfulness.  If He has given me breath and life, He will help me with my problems.  If He has seen to it that I am fed and clothed, He will also see to it that my other needs are met.

One way that we can know the character of God is experientially.  That is, we can know by our own experiences that God is faithful.  He may not always do exactly what we want, when we want it; that would make Him less than God, and more like a machine.  We get in our cars each morning and expect them to take us to work.  As long as we give the car gas and proper maintenance, it will usually take us where we want to go, barring unexpected traffic or road hazards.  If we get stuck in traffic, or have a flat tire, it was due to unforeseen obstacles in our path.  On the other hand, God (who loves us and knows what is best for us) does foresee the obstacles.  Not only that, He knows whether it would be good for us to go through that testing or that trial, before we go through it.  For us to pray that He would help us avoid all of life's bumps and bruises would be an attempt to limit Him.  He cannot be limited.

We know by our own experiences that God has blessed us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  Given that experiential knowledge about His character, we must trust Him in the areas we have less control over, like our finances, or our social interactions, or our professional lives.  One of the first Bible verses a child learns is Psalm 56:3: "When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You."

When I read the book of Exodus, I am amazed at the lack of faith exhibited by the people of Israel.  God exhibits His grace and his power in delivering them out of Egypt; He manifests His power over natural laws of the physical universe by parting the Red Sea.  Yet within a space of 7 days, the people come to a place called Mara, where the water is bitter, and they are afraid.  They yell at Moses (and by extension, to the God of Moses), accusing him of taking them out of their "comfort zone" in Egypt (which, by the way, was not very comfortable--remember, they were slaves in Egypt, under terrible bondage) only to let them die of thirst in the desert.  In other words, they had experienced God's provision of a way out of bondage; they had experienced God's power over their enemies; they had experienced God's performance of mighty miraculous works--yet they did not trust Him to meet their most basic needs.

Again in Exodus, within 40 days of Moses going up the Mountain of God, with many miraculous signs and wonders, the people asked Aaron to build them a god that they could follow, because they were not sure that Moses would return, or that His God would continue to provide for them.

Sometimes, though, we are the same way.  We see God's hand in what He has created for us to enjoy.  We see God's work in our own health and provision.  We hear God's word in Church or maybe even on TV and radio.  Yet when we find ourselves in a pinch, we forget God and look to others.

As I thought about this subject this past week, I remembered a song I heard growing up.  I will provide a link below if you want to hear it, but it is a song about God's faithfulness.

As I look back on the road I've travelled,
I see so many times He carried me through;
And if there's one thing that I've learned in my life,
My Redeemer is faithful and true.
My Redeemer is faithful and true. 

My Redeemer is faithful and true.
Everything He has said He will do,
And every morning His mercies are new.
My Redeemer is faithful and true. 

My heart rejoices when I read the promise
'There is a place I am preparing for you.'
I know someday I'll see my Lord face to face,
'Cause my Redeemer is faithful and true.
My Redeemer is faithful and true. 

And in every situation He has proved His love to me;
When I lack the understanding, He gives more grace to me. 

My Redeemer is faithful and true.
Everything He has said He will do,
And every morning His mercies are new.
My Redeemer is faithful and true. 

Written by James Isaac Elliott, Steven Curtis Chapman • Copyright © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol Christian Music Group

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOMqZmFjLXk

Recovery, Restoration, and Righteouosness

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter. 'Tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.  --Mark Twain

On the NPR affiliate in my region there is a show that I enjoy.  It is called A Way With Words, and it describes itself as "A public radio program about language examined through history, culture, and family."  Usually on the air they shorten that description to "A show about words and the way we use them."

Not too long ago I heard a caller on the show make a statement about something his father had always told him.  He said, "There is one right or correct word for every occasion."  This brought about a lengthy discussion about English words and the nuances they bring with them.  One might look up a word in a thesaurus, and find other similar words; but those words are only similar, they are never exactly the same.  There is a prime example in the sentence that brought about this discussion: even though the terms "right" and "correct" are almost interchangeable in certain circumstances, each one has its own connotation.  "Right" could mean appropriate to the situation, where "correct" is more technical, meaning it fits within the grammatical context and agrees with the subject in tense, number, and form.

This discussion started me thinking about the different nuances and meanings of the same word.  One of the things that makes the English language so complex and difficult to learn is that while no two words have exactly the same meaning, one word can, by itself, have a dozen or more different meanings.  (Note to my biological sister: this is what I was trying to think of and tell you about when I saw you last, but I got distracted and couldn't regain my train of thought).

For various reasons, I have lately been thinking about the word "recovery."  The term has two broad definitions: 

> The first is, "A return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength," as in signs of recovery in the housing market.  In this sense, some synonyms may be "recuperation," or "convalescence," as in her recovery may be slow. Other synonyms may include improvement, rallying, picking up, upturn, or upswing, as in the economy was showing signs of recovery.
> The second is, "The action or process of regaining possession or control of something lost or stolen," as in a team of salvage experts was hired to ensure recovery of family possessions.  Some synonyms may include retrieval, regaining, repossession, getting back, reclamation, recouping, redemption, or recuperation, as in the recovery of stolen goods.

As I write this, I am waiting for the kickoff of the final game of the NFL season, the championship of American Football, or what some may call "the Big Game".  Whenever a player of a team fumbles the football, there is a "recovery" of the ball either by the offense or the defense.  In this sense, a mistake is made (the fumble), and some amount of physical exertion or work needs to happen in order for a recovery to be made.  The final outcome could be positive or negative, depending upon which team has possession of the football (or depending upon which team you are rooting for.)  Nevertheless, from the instant when the ball is fumbled and the moment when it is recovered, the time lapse is only a few seconds at most.

Another sports analogy:  This month we are looking forward to the Winter Olympics.  Many of the events involve racing on snow or performing intricate maneuvers on ice.  Snow and ice are intrinsically slick, so mistakes are commonplace.  Regaining equilibrium while hurtling down a mountain at upwards of 90 miles per hour might only take milliseconds.  Likewise, an ice skater who catches her toe-pick on the landing of a triple Salchow has only milliseconds to reclaim her balance; if she falls, the announcers may say that she "recovered nicely" in the remainder of her routine, but the judges will still reduce her score.

Other kinds of recovery may be painfully slow.  Recovery from an accident or injury may take weeks or months.  Recovery from addictions may take years or even decades.  Lifestyle changes must be made in order to fully recover.

Recovery.  One word, so many connotations. So many opportunities.  You see, we are all sinners.  Sometimes the sin can be discovered early and repented of quickly.  A lustful glance.  A little white lie.  We may, like the figure skater or downhill skier, be able to recover quickly, before any lasting damage is done.  It may take a short period of intense work, like the football player who has dropped the ball.  Yet if the damage is deep-seated, and has resulted in years of addictive behaviors, recovery may be slow.

A friend of mine was teaching a Sunday School class about 2 Timothy 3:16.  He drew an image on the white board that looked something like this


Then he read the verse: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness."  He explained that, like the line in the graph above, our general direction is forward, left to right.  During those optimal times, we are following Scriptural teaching.  But sometimes we get off track, as when the line turns south and starts going downward.  At those times, God may "reprove" us--that is, He may tell us to go back and try again (represented by the times where the line in the graph reaches its lowest point, and seems to be going backward).  This is when God corrects us, represented by the line moving upward, toward the original path.  The final step is training in righteousness, shown in the graph as movement in the right direction, away from our error.  You will notice that the errors are repeated, much like sin in our lives.  The verse still applies: if we go back to the Scripture that is God-breathed, we can enjoy teaching, experience reproof, endure correction, and receive training in righteousness.

According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, the word for "restore" occurs 1299 times in the Old Testament, in over 948 verses.  That doesn't even count the times restoration is mentioned in the New Testament.  Clearly, God wants to restore us to the way we were first created: to a place where sin is not standing in the way of fellowship between us and Himself.

Psalm 23:3 says, "He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."  Restoration and righteousness go hand in hand.  Any other way is like a blind guide.  "Let them alone," Jesus warned.  "They are blind guides of the blind.  And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit." (Matthew 15:14).

To keep me from falling into a pit (again), I have turned to God's word.  My prayer this past week has been Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Grace Upon Grace

By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.  --Proverbs 16:6

Last week I wrote about sanctification and purity.  We should live our lives in such a way befitting children of God.   1 John 2:1 says, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin..."  Wait a minute, hold the phone!  Doesn't Paul say in Romans 3:23 that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"?  I know.  That's why John goes on to say in 1 John 2:1b, "...and if anyone sins we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

Remember the scene described in Zechariah 3:1-5?  I wrote about it last week--you can read my prior post, or you can look up the passage for yourself.  Jesus is our Advocate, the One who stands with us before God and counters the accusations of Satan that we are sinful and undeserving of grace or mercy.  We are made of base metals, but Jesus covers us with pure gold.  More on that later.

Here's a thought I had in the shower this morning.  How many of us tend to be overcome by guilt and shame?  I do.  We become so overwhelmed that we stop being of any use to anyone.  We can be totally shut down and shut off from others while we wallow in guilt and shame.  So here's the deal.  Guilt and shame are God-given emotions that act as brakes to our sin.  Those emotions are designed to make us stop sinning, until we can turn around, correct our course, and move on.  But sometimes we fail to move on with our lives, even if we are now pointed in the right direction.  It's like Satan has applied the emergency brake in our lives, and moving forward is a strain to our engine.  We've got to recognize that our guilt and our shame have done their job--they have stopped our momentum to keep us from driving headlong into hell.  It is only when we let Jesus correct our course and take our guilt and shame away that we can be useful again.  We must disengage the emergency brake that Satan has set, so that we can continue to move as God intends us to go.

Last week I also talked a lot about gold.  Gold is good.  Gold is valuable.  Gold is precious.  Gold represents the goodness of God in our lives.  Fun fact: of the elements that make up the human body, over 99% are non-metal: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, etc.  However, in the less than 1% that are metals, there are 11 distinct metals: chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, silicon, tin, vanadium, and zinc.  Think about these base metals as being your flesh.  Better yet, think of them as sins.  There are 10 commandments, and a bunch of other sins listed in the Bible; maybe one of them is a habit or a hangup for you. 

So the activities banned in the 10 commandments and one "secret sin" make up the real you.  God wants to infuse His character in you, so let's imagine Him represented as gold.  Now, the way to purify metals is to heat them up.  So let's suppose that you are a Christian, and god has given you a gold plating (referenced in Scripture as the righteousness of God in Christ, something that we are encouraged to put on like a robe--kind of like the clean robe that Jesus commanded to be put on Joshua the high priest in Zechariah 3:1-5.)  But He wants you to have more of Himself.  More "gold" in your make-up.  So He turns up the heat.  You are put in a situation that shows your true mettle (see what I did there?  "Mettle" is what we are made of; we're talking about base metals in the human body.  Keep up, will you?)

The melting point of tin is 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Maybe "tin" is using the Lord's name in vain.  With a little effort, you can clean up your language, and not distract from your testimony.  A little more heat is applied.  The melting point of zinc is 787 degrees.  Maybe "zinc" is coveting.  With a bit more effort, you can learn to be content with what God gives you day by day.  The melting point of iron is 2100 degrees.  Maybe "iron" for you is lying, or adultery, or your "secret sin" that is not listed in the Top Ten.  It takes a lot of heat to get that out of your system.

Here's what I am trying to get at:  every time God points out a sin in your life, and prompts you to get rid of it (by applying heat or whatever), He adds a layer of gold to replace the base metal that was lost.  His desire is to make us full of Himself, pure and holy and set apart.  The more of ourselves we lose, the more grace is applied to our lives.  "For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace." (John 1:16)  When there is more gold and less base metal, we become more pure.  Like we learned last week, the karat weight gets closer to the perfectly pure 24 k when there is more pure gold and less metal alloy.

I am reading a book by Athol Dickson entitled The Gospel According to Moses: What my Jewish friends taught me about Jesus.  There is a chapter on forgiveness.  He talks about a three-fold process involving faith, repentance, and restoration.  I thought this analogy was thought-provoking:

Suppose I have jumped into a deep well.  If I refuse to admit that I am down in the well, how can I be convinced to grab a rope?  Similarly, if I refuse to admit I am disobedient to the Lord, how can I hope for reconciliation?  But I am embarrassed to find myself down here and frustrated that I cannot climb out on my own.  So although God has dropped a rope and stands at the top ready to pull me up, I go to unusual lengths to ignore Him.  I pretend there is no rope.  I pretend there is no well.  I pretend I can climb out anytime I like without His blasted rope.  I pretend I am supposed to be exactly where I am.  Sometimes I even pretend that God is not really up there or not really willing and able to pull me out.  Anything seems preferable to the humiliating admission that I am in a situation beyond my control.  But until I admit that, how can I grab the rope?  So this is why forgiveness first requires confession: to grab the rope, I must first realize that I need the rope.  Confession is admitting that I have foolishly fallen into a bad situation.  I am in trouble.  I am helpless.  I am wrong.  Only then can I accept the help God offers.  Now, having confessed, I have the rope in my hands.  But a question comes echoing down from the top of the well.  God wants to know, "If I start to pull, will you hold on tight?"  The words translated "repent" in both the Hebrew ad the Greek Scriptures carry the connotation of "turning," that is, facing away from my past sinful behavior and back toward God.  I cannot hold the rope yet continue to simultaneously splash around in the muck and mire.  Experience has shown that people who try to do both lose their grip and fall right back down.  So repentance is agreeing to stop messing about.  It is abandoning my sinful ways in order to give God and His rope my full attention.  Fortunately, there is a benefit to all those ridiculous excuses I offered prior to grabbing the rope.  It is this: now that I have admitted where I am, my pride is well and truly shattered, so when I look up at the small patch of sky and promise, "I won't do this any more," the promise rings true.  The rope tightens and, repentant, I ascend.  I used to believe the sole purpose of confession and repentance was to instill humility, as if God only cares about being in charge, like a bully demanding I "say uncle" before He lets me up.  But I have come to understand that confession motivates me to grab the rope and repentance inspires me to hold on tight.  They are for my benefit, not God's.  Remembering that even the Lord cannot make sense of nonsense in a logical universe, I suddenly see that even God cannot lift a person who does not grasp and hold the rope.  But of course, it is not really that simple.  The truth is, I have muddied the water with my floundering about below.  I am covered with the muck and mire I stirred up.  I have even swallowed some of the filthy stuff in my desperate attempts to escape on my own.  So as I am drawn closer to God a second question comes echoing down the shaft.  "Can you leave this well the way you found it?"  It is a fair question.  If someone pollutes a well, the only just and proper remedy is to restore the water to its former state of purity.  It is not good enough to dig another well someplace else, and certainly not good enough to provide a new bucket and rope while leaving the water muddy down below.  This is why the Hebrew Scriptures define justice as "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth."  The only real justice is perfect justice--returning things to exactly the way they were before.  So I dangle here, midway between disaster below and delivery above, wondering how in the world I am going to leave the well the way I found it.  One thing is for sure: I must find a way.  Since "the soul who sins is the one who will die," (Ezekiel 18:4), apparently my life depends upon it.  --Dickson, Athol The Gospel According to Moses, pages 165-167

That verse in Ezekiel speaks to the fear that God would visit judgement on His people "to the third and fourth generation."  The Prophet gave the people hope, in that each person's sin was his own to deal with.  Further, there was hope in a system of substitutionary sacrifice: in the Old Testament, it was redeemed through the blood of bulls and goats.  Yet even this was a shadow of a greater sacrifice to come. 

"I shall take no young bull out of your house nor male goats out of your folds.  For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.  I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine.  If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all it contains." --Psalm 50:9-12

 No animal sacrifice is sufficient for our atonement to a holy God.

With what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before the God on high?  Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves?  Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil?  Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?  He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of  you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? --Micah 6:6-8 (emphasis mine).

This goes back to restoring the well to its former state.  Can it be done with burnt offerings? No.  Is there anything else I can possibly do?  I can know justice and love mercy and walk humbly before God, but I am powerless to fix what my sin has broken.

Given the absence of a perfect human being to balance the scales, I believe God accomplished the impossible on my behalf, reentering human history as Jesus and accepting all the mortal limitations of Adam except for one: Jesus never sinned.  Because I cannot be blameless before the Lord, Jesus became my surrogate, my substitute perfection on the universal scales of justice, providing the perfect life for perfect life that perfect justice requires.  Adam went down to death a flawed, divided man.  Jesus rose up from death a perfectly whole man.  The cosmic scales of justice were balanced.  The divided physical and spiritual selves were reunited, and nakedness once again forgotten.  And somehow--only God knows how--just as Adam bequeathed his imperfect spiritual condition to Seth and through him down to me, Jesus bequeaths his spiritual perfection to all who accept the gift of His sacrifice in our place.  I believe the annual sacrificial deaths at Yom Kippur prepared the way so that Jesus might show me the salvation of God, the perfect balancing of the scales of justice that was yet to come.  I believe in Jesus because I can see no other possibility.  Like a Jewish shepherd searching through his flock for an unblemished animal to take to the tabernacle altar, I realize I have nothing to offer God in return for the wrongs I have done.  Everything I have is flawed.  Moreover, everything is already His.  Like any Jew sincerely longing for teshuvah (repentance), I confess my sin and I repent--I grab the rope and hold on tight--but cleaning up the mess I have made of this well is beyond me.  Just as that Israelite shepherd must have known he had no hope of finding a truly unblemished lamb, I also know that everything I can offer has been damaged while in my possession.  Even the promise, "I'll be good", is doomed to be broken from the instant it leaves my mouth to echo up the shaft.  If the animal sacrifices of Torah teach anything, it is first that death is required for death, and second that a substitute death is acceptable to God.  Still, I suspect the shepherd of Moses' day approached the altar with fear and trembling, knowing the flawed animal in his arms was not enough, but bringing it anyway because God had so commanded, bringing it anyway because he believed his Lord was a loving God who would somehow find a way to mend their broken relationship in spite of his pitifully insignificant offering.  I believe the sincerity of that shepherd's humility and the depth of  his faith was adequate because it was well placed.  The Lord is indeed merciful.  He did indeed find a way to mend their relationship in spite of the fact that the shepherd could never pay the price for his sins.  That way was not Micah's firstborn child, and certainly not the shepherd's pathetic little lamb; it was the Lord's only begotten Son, Jesus, the man who is God, sliding down the rope to take my place because He knows I cannot leave this well the way I found it.  (Dickson, pages 179-180)

 In every popular Twelve Step Program, steps 8 and 9 have to do with identifying those people you have wronged, and as much as possible making amends.  The caveat is there because it is not always possible.  Jesus said, "All things are possible to him who believes."  Well placed faith is not in ourselves, not in our "higher power", but in Christ alone.  Only He can make all things new.  Only He can leave the well like it was when I found it.

A Call to Purity

God's grace first saves and then trains His people for godliness and good deeds.                --Steven J. Cole

When I was in college, my priorities changed.  I was thrust into a community that had different values and priorities than those I had grown up with.  Don't get the wrong idea--it was not bad, just different.  One of the ways I tried to fit in was that I began wearing gold chains (it was the 80's--don't judge).

See, a lot of my new friends were a lot more fashion conscious than I had been.  I tried to emulate them as much as I could.  Although I could not afford the latest fashions, I found that I could afford to accessorize.  So I bought myself an inexpensive gold chain.  After a few months of wearing it, however, my friends started commenting that my neck looked dirty.  As it turns out, as I would sweat and move around, the metal alloys in the gold chain started leaving dark brown stains on my neck.

I had to stop wearing the gold chain around my neck because instead of impressing the people I was trying to associate with, those who had grown up wearing gold knew the truth.  The gold I was wearing was cheap.  Maybe it was just gold-plated, or maybe it was only 9- or 10-karat gold.

A quick lesson on gold:  Jewelers have devised a system of grading the purity of gold.  The purest gold is given a grade of 24 karats, meaning 24 parts gold out of 24.  This, of course, is the most expensive.  The most popular selling gold items are 14-karats, meaning they are 14 parts gold and 10 parts metal alloy mix.  This is less expensive than pure gold, and one can say it is mostly gold because it contains more gold than metal alloy.  The least expensive gold items are 10-karat, meaning 10 parts gold and 14 parts metal alloy mix.  This type of jewelry appears to be gold, but it is mostly other metals.  The metal alloys would leave a dark red stain, like a rust ring, when it came into contact with my sweaty neck.

Metallurgists have for millennia tried to turn lead into gold. Spiritually, this transformation occurs by God's grace the moment we become a follower of Him.  The old self, made from the basest of metals, is transformed into gleaming gold worthy of going into the presence of God.  It is not something we do ourselves; it is done for us, like a jeweler who puts a gold plating over a lead statue.  Something worthless suddenly has incredible value.  What if the lead could choose to change its nature, and take on the properties of the gold plating?

The Capitol Building in Denver, Colorado is gold-plated.  You can see the mountain sunlight glinting off of it in the morning rush-hour.  It is supposed to symbolize the history of the Colorado gold rush.  It certainly does not mean that the legislature meeting beneath the dome is consecrated, or that the laws passed there are in any way divinely inspired.  Some would say that a revival is needed in the hearts of the state government; that would be the only way for the legislature to be more godly in their governing.

If we were to take stock of our hearts individually, each of us would realize that we fall woefully short of what God would call Righteous or Pure.  Even if we are proud and refuse to acknowledge our own sin, others might tend to judge us and point out our shortcomings.  This is what happened to Joshua the High Priest in Zechariah 3.

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.  The Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan!  Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!  Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?" (Zecharaiah 3:1-2)

I can imagine the Angel of the Lord, the Pre-Incarnate Christ, waving his hand toward Joshua, shifting His gaze from Satan the accuser (or prosecutor) to God, the All-Righteous Judge.

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the Angel.  He spoke, and said to those who were standing before Him, saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him."  Again He said to him, "See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes."  Then I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head."  So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the Angel of the Lord was standing by. (Zechariah 3:3-5)

Joshua, the man standing before God, was a high priest of the people.  Yet Satan could still truthfully accuse him.  "Just look at him," Satan might have sneered.  "He's filthy.  How do you think he got that way?  He chose to wallow in it!  Not only is he impure on the outside; his heart is impure, too."  Yet by God's grace Joshua was cleaned up, and was given a holy veneer, a gold-plating as it were.  But it didn't stop there.

And the Angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, "Thus says the Lord of Hosts: If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among those who are standing here." (Zechariah 3:6-7)

What a great promise.  Joshua the high priest could, by modifying his behavior, have access to the very throne of God.  He could retain the Angel of the Lord (an Old Testament name for Jesus) as his advocate against the Accuser, Satan himself.  It was the grace of God that brought him into the presence of the Almighty; it was an act of will on Joshua's part that would lead to godly living and a position of service in the Temple.

 There is a similar statement in the New Testament.  In Titus 2, Paul admonishes an early Christian missionary and church leader to act on the grace of God given to him.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the Glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. (Titus 2:11-14)

God's grace is available to all.  In the first 10 verses of Titus 2, Paul had been speaking of different groups of people: older men, older women, younger men, younger women, and slaves.  God's grace is not exclusive to one particular class of people; it is available to all types of people.  What they do with that grace, that gold plating applied by the Creator, determines whether they become a 9- or 10-karat Christian (who leaves a mark of sin, and is seen by the world as "cheap" or "not pure and genuine"), or whether they become a 14- or 18-karat Christian (one who is more pure, and is seen by the world as "valuable" or "treasured" or "priceless").

What does becoming pure entail?  Again, it starts with God's grace.  As we grow in that grace, we are instructed to deny ungodliness and worldly desires.  We are encouraged to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the here and now.  We are to look forward to the blessed hope of the glorious appearance of Christ Jesus, for it was Jesus who brought grace to us in the first place, giving Himself as a sacrifice to redeem us from our sinfulness.  It is also Jesus who desires to purify for Himself a treasured people, who are zealous for good deeds.

When we are observed by the world, we may be admired for our godliness and purity.  We may also be accused of being legalistic or fanatical about our faith.  As long as our motives are pure and we strive to reflect the glory of God and not ourselves, then there is nothing wrong with our being fanatical zealots for Christ.  See, the purpose of the moon is to reflect the light of the sun.  The sun is the source of that light, but people cannot approach the sun because of the intense heat and energy it radiates.  Men can, however, visit the moon, for it is accessible.  In the same way, people cannot possibly approach God because of His pure holiness and intense righteousness, but they can approach us as we reflect the very light of God to them.

The sign pictured above hangs in my bathroom.  It is a shortened version of Ephesians 5:26, there so I am reminded to be sanctified or set apart every time I wash my hands or my face or even my entire body in the shower.  Some may think I have taken this verse out of context, because Ephesians 5 speaks to the relationship between husbands and wives, and this verse is in the context of how men should treat their wives.  I believe Paul was making a comparison, asking men to treat their wives as Christ treats His bride, the Church, "washing them with the water and with the word."  Each time I wash, I pray that God would wash me with His own Word (not the Scripture only, but the Word whom John said "was with God and was God.")  I pray to be sanctified daily, to be set apart to His holiness and to be purified as gold.

Let this be a season of sanctification, "So that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7).

Resolved: I will be more holy, and balanced

Do, or do not--there is no try.  --Yoda, (The Empire Strikes Back)

Now is the time of resolving to do better this year than last.  We promise ourselves that we will be better versions of ourselves, that we will avoid temptations, or that we will work harder to achieve our goals.

I am no different.  I have resolved to improve in every area of my life:

• Physically
• Mentally
• Emotionally
• Spiritually
• Financially
• Socially
• Professionally

This seven-fold approach is rather ambitious, I know.  It is much easier to say, "I will lose ten pounds", or "I will save more money".  Those are great objectives, and they may fit in with physical improvements or financial improvements you want to make this year.

The reason I have chosen to use this "whole person" approach is to allow God to show me what I need in every area of my life.  In my quest for balance, I have looked at different pie charts, trying to find the fitting representation of my goals.

It's easy enough to make a pie chart with seven different areas, one for each of the life areas listed above.  The problem is that when one area is deficient or needs work, the pie chart gives it a smaller percentage of the whole, still keeping the whole intact.  The areas I need to work on become mere slivers, and may disappear entirely.  The pie remains whole, rounded out, with no pieces missing.  If I eat a piece of apple pie, then it is no longer round; there is a wedge (or a half) missing.  The circle shape dissolves into a shape more closely akin to a flat tire.

What I would like to create is a "tire chart".  If I need work in the area of spirituality, for instance--if I do not pray or read the Bible consistently or faithfully every day, I want that part of the circle to show a concave indention, kind of like a flat tire.  Conversely, if I spend too much time obsessing over my job or my savings account, I want there to be a bulge in the circle, representing an overabundance of effort or thought placed in that area.  Can you see it in your mind's eye?  To keep rolling down the road efficiently, you have to pare down the bulges and fill in the flat spots.

There is a scripture that alludes to the Whole Man concept, and it is one that I hope to memorize and meditate upon in the coming months.

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged--consecrated to Him--set apart for His purpose]; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept complete and [be found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful and absolutely trustworthy is He who is calling you [to Himself for your salvation], and He will do it [He will fulfill His call by making you holy, guarding you, watching over you, and protecting you as His own].  --1 Thessalonians 5:23-25 AMP

See, I want to be set apart for His purpose, no matter my impurity or my brokenness or my half-assed attempts at self improvement.  (Yes, I realize the irony of using a profane or vulgar term to describe my desire to be holy and set apart.  Alas, I am still a work in progress.)

Paul references the three-fold nature of mankind.  We are body, soul, and spirit.  As we are created in the image of God, we reflect Jesus (who came in bodily form), God the Father, and the Holy Spirit.  With this in mind, we can strive to become more like our Creator by honing the creation.

Improvements in the body are made by focusing on exercise, nutrition, and hygiene.  This year I want to be less of a couch-potato, and become more active.  I want to eat better.  I want to take care of myself, so that I can present myself to God an acceptable sacrifice.  "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Romans 12:1).

Improvements in the spirit include prayer, Bible study, and character development.  I don't want my prayers to be shallow, a recitation of a "God bless mommy and daddy" list.  Neither do I want my Bible reading to be something that allows me to check off that box on my To Do List.  I want to actually walk with God, communing with Him as Adam did before the fall.  "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances.  But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-22).

Improvements in the soul can be further subdivided.  The soul is a person's mind, will, and emotions.  To keep my mind sharp, I want to read and write and meditate.  The mind is a muscle, and it must be exercised daily or it will become dull. "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5).  To bend my will in accordance with the will of God, I must want what He wants.  "For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality." (1 Thessalonians 4:3).  To keep myself emotionally in check, I must grieve at that which the Holy Spirit grieves, and I must rejoice for that which the Holy Spirit rejoices.  "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ Jesus also has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:30-32).

There is a part of a phrase in our text, in the Amplified Version, that I do not want to gloss over; I would be remiss if I did not point it out.  1 Thessalonians 5:23 says (in part):  "Now may the God of peace...make you pure and whole and undamaged."  Purity we have talked about.  The other ideas, those of wholeness and without damage, those are things that are maybe more personal to you, things that the church typically skips over.  I work in insurance claims, so I know the concept of making someone "whole" in the financial sense.  Whenever someone experiences a loss, insurance will indemnify that person for her loss.  This is easy enough to do with property (pay the value of a crashed car or a burned out building).  It can even be applied to physical injury (pay the medical bills for your healing, and maybe, depending on the coverage, replace the wages lost during that time period.)  But what about those whose innocence was lost through no fault of her own?  The world is full of broken people, and no man can restore what was lost or repair the brokenness that some people know.  Only God can heal your brokenness.  This past year a huge number of women came together in a show of unity, saying #MeToo.  Some are angry, some are vindictive, some are ashamed.  All are broken, beyond what the justice system may offer as a remedy.  God knows your need; only He can make you whole.  He knows the damage you have suffered; only He can undo that damage, if you only ask Him to.

With all this in mind, I wish for you, as well as myself, success in becoming more Godly, more Christ-like, and more filled with His Spirit.  Have a blessed and joyful New Year.