Pike's Peaked

If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.         --Psalm 139:8

When I was younger, my mom would often look at me and assess my well-being.  If I looked a little pale, drained, washed out, pallid, anemic, sallow, indisposed or ill, she would say, "Son, are you all right?  You look a little pekid."  (I think that is a mis-spelling, but I did it on purpose--the term as she used it had two syllables, whereas the more proper spelling "peaked" is often spoken with one syllable; and that pronunciation has a different meaning, as in "his work peaked in the 90's, and it has gone downhill from there.")

Fast-forward to this week.  I have just gotten back from a family vacation with my sister and our mother.  We spent three days in the Colorado Rockies, marveling at God's creation.  One of the sites we visited was Pike's Peak. At 14,115 feet, it is one of the tallest mountains in the Colorado Springs area.

It was my turn to drive my mother's brand new crossover vehicle--bigger than the car I drive, but not as large as some of the Sports Utility Vehicles on the road today.  Needless to say, I was trying to be very careful.  As we ascended past 11,000 feet, near the tree line, my sister commented that I seemed not to be enjoying the scenery as much as she was: my eyes were focused on the center-stripe in the middle of the road.  After she had made this observation, she laughed.  Out loud.  This was followed by some good-natured teasing.  "Don't drive too close to the edge, it's a sheer drop-off there," she said, followed by more laughter.

My grip tightened on the steering wheel, and after a few switch-backs where the road snaked up the mountain face, I started panicking.  I mouthed a prayer, "God help us."  Apparently, my sister thought I was kidding, because she laughed again.  "Mom," she said, "he's praying up here."  I was very thankful when the park rangers motioned us off the road into a parking area, and we had to ride a shuttle to the summit.  Even then, however, I could not look out the window of the 16-passenger van:  my eyes were focused on the seat-back in front of me.  I was praying for myself, my family, and the thirteen strangers in the van with me, but especially for the driver.

You could say this event brought me closer to God.

I let my sister drive down the mountain.  I was still not comfortable on the descent until we reached the tree line again.  I don't know if I thought that, in the event of an accident, the trees would break our fall, or if I felt more comfortable with evergreens in my line of vision, as opposed to only the sky and a sheer cliff past the edge of the road (mere inches from our vehicle.)  I suppose that I should be grateful that my sister felt secure enough with me behind the wheel that she could engage in some light teasing and laughter.  Unfortunately, I did not share in her revelry at the time.

You know, people sometimes talk about "mountain-top" experiences contrasted with periods "in the valley," to describe the highs and lows of their spiritual pilgrimage.  I get it.  In the modern mind trained by charts and graphs, up is always good, and down is always bad.  However, in the real world, valleys are often lush and fertile, while mountains are treacherous and steep.

Jesus said that with a little faith, we can move mountains (Matthew 17:20).  As we watched the mountain move past our vehicle, it took all the faith I had to continue the ascent.  It is the same with our walk:  if God has called us to climb the mountain, it is our duty to continue the ascent, step by step, even if our path seems unstable.  Even if the devil laughs at us, and mocks our fear, and points out the perils in our path, our God-given responsibility remains the same: to put the mountain behind us, and move past it.

There may be a time when our faith is strong enough to remove the mountain, and cast it into the sea (ref. Matthew 21:21).  I believe, however, that the only way to strengthen our faith to the point where we can remove the mountain completely is to climb it ourselves, as many times as it takes to conquer it.  The lady who was driving the shuttle to the summit of Pike's Peak was about as old as I am, but she was not afraid like I was.  She had been on that same road before, many times.  She was more familiar with the terrain because she had been over it time and again.  To her, it was like driving in the valley, but only because she had developed the skill and confidence brought on by climbing to the summit again and again.

You may think that your situation is difficult, that the climb is hard or the path treacherous.  You may wish that God would remove the mountain from your path.  However, it might be that God has placed you on that path for a purpose.  As John Bunyan wrote in Pilgrim's Progress,

“This hill, though high, I covet to ascend; 
The difficulty will not me offend. 
For I perceive the way to life lies here. 
Come, pluck up, heart; let's neither faint nor fear. 
Better, though difficult, the right way to go, 
Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.” 

Friend, do not think your spiritual walk has peaked.  You may feel pekid along the way, but the Great Physician is by your side. I would encourage you to read the rest of Psalm 139.

You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it.  Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.  If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.  If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night," even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day.  Darkness and light are alike to you.  --Psalm 139:5-12

My weekly men's Bible study has been reading through the book of Jonah.  In chapter 2, Jonah said he prayed to the Lord from the belly of the fish--a cold, dark, isolated place that Jonah likened to Sheol, which means the placed of the dead.

I called out of my distress to the Lord, and He answered me.  I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.  For You had cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the current engulfed me.  All Your breakers and billows passed over me.  So I said, "I have been expelled from Your sight.  Nevertheless, I will look again toward Your holy temple."  Water encompassed me to the point of death.  The great deep engulfed me.  Weeds were wrapped around my head.  I descended to the roots of the mountains.  The earth with its bars was around me forever, but You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.  --Jonah 2:2-6

Jonah was truly in the "valley of the shadow of death" (see Psalm 23:4), yet God was with him.  He is with you, as well.  Revelation 21:1 says that in the new Heaven and new Earth, there will be no more sea.  The treacherous oceans will no longer be allowed to swallow us up.  The pit will be there for the devil and his demons, but the mountain of Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be the throne of God.  We will be on that mountain in the presence of the Lord if we seek His face, and call on His Name.

Is it any wonder, then, that when I was feeling pekid on Pike's Peak, I prayed God's protection?

The Kindness of Strangers

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.  --Hebrews 13:2

God has abundantly blessed us.  He really has.  You may not realize it at any given moment.  You may seem overwhelmed by the pressures of a materialistic society, and only see what you do not have, what you wish you had, or maybe what you once had but don't have any longer.  But when you think about it, if you are breathing, you are blessed.

If you have everything you need, take a moment to thank God for giving you your daily bread, your job, your skills and purpose--He has uniquely placed you where you are to be blessed by Him, as well as to be a blessing to others.

The Bible is replete with stories of how God has blessed His people, both individually and corporately.  As an outgrowth or a continuation of reminders of God's blessings, we are commanded to be a blessing to others.  No less than 36 times the Old Testament records the command of being kind to strangers.  God gave the command to Moses, who in turn commanded the people.  The reason given was so that the people would remember their history, how their forefathers were oppressed in Egypt, and how God delivered them out of the land.  They were to recall how they wandered in the desert for 40 years, a nomadic people without a homeland.  They were never to forget how they were treated during this time, so that they would treat strangers and sojourners in their land with greater respect and love.

The writer of Hebrews repeats this command, but his reasoning pre-dates the Mosaic law.  He reminds his readers, who were mostly from a Jewish background, to be a blessing to all, because in so doing, "some have entertained angels without knowing it (some translations say unaware)."  I can think of two stories of men who entertained angels, and one of an angelic confrontation that might also fit the description given in Hebrews 13:2.  In each instance, the men extended an invitation to one they did not know, and it resulted in a blessing.

The first occurs in Genesis 18.  Abraham is sitting in the shade of his tent during the heat of the day.

When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass your servant by.  Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that, you may go on, since you have visited your servant. --Genesis 18:2-5

I believe Abraham was a good man.  He had been blessed richly by God.  He had lived a good, long life.  I also believe that when he saw these three men travelling in the heat of the day, his heart went out to them.  He got up from the shade of his tent, and ran to the path or road as the men approached him.  Finally, I believe that Abraham had no idea who they were; to him, they were total strangers in need of rest and refreshment.

Abraham gave them more than a little water and a piece of bread.  He killed a tender and choice calf, and prepared it for them to eat.  He presented the strangers with cakes of bread, curds and milk--all freshly prepared for them.  While all of this was being prepared for them, Abraham spent time talking with the strangers, and listening to them.  At some point, he must have realized that they were not mere mortals, but rather from the heavenly realm.  Perhaps it was when one of them asked for his wife Sarah by name.  Maybe it was when they prophesied that in a year they would have a son.  It could have even been when one of them asked why Sarah had laughed at this prophecy--I can imagine she remained out of sight (but within earshot) of the men while they talked.

The point I am trying to make is that Abraham offered them hospitality first, and then discovered their identity later.  He did not offer them a Mitzvah, (a blessing, or act of kindness) knowing that he would be blessed in return.  He simply offered a meal and the shade of his tent to some weary travelers during the heat of the day.  It was only afterward that he learned of his blessing  We, too, should take this to heart.  When Jesus was on this earth, He relied on the kindness of strangers.  His message was that we should not only offer kindness to those in a position to repay, to those who can offer kindness back to us; rather, we should offer kindness to those who cannot possibly repay (Luke 6:33, 14:14).  When we do this, God will bless us, either in this life or the next.

The second story of showing kindness to angels unaware of who they are is found in Genesis 19, involving Abraham's nephew Lot.  While Abraham detained the Angel of the Lord (who I believe was the pre-incarnate Christ) and interceded for Sodom, the place where Lot lived, the other two angels walked through the city gates.  Lot was sitting at the gate, which meant that he was likely seen as an elder in the town.

Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down his face to the ground.  And he said, "Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant's house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go your way."  They said however, "No, but we shall spend the night in the square."  Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.  --Genesis 19:1-3

Again, I believe that Lot did not know who these angels were, or even that they were angels.  They did not appear in glowing white robes, they did not have visible wings, there was nothing angelic about them.  Being an elder of the city, Lot knew those who lived in Sodom, and those who frequently did business in the town.  When he saw the two men enter the city gate, he knew he had not seen them before.  He approached them and offered them rest and refreshment in his home, much like Abraham had.  I believe he would not take no for an answer, because he knew the city streets were not a safe place to be after dark.  I believe he offered them hospitality because he knew they had nowhere else to go.

I also believe that Lot did not realize they were angelic beings until after the feast had been prepared and consumed.  Perhaps it was when the wicked men outside the house were all struck with blindness by the two visitors inside his home.  Perhaps they had told Lot during the feast who they were and why they had come.  In any event, the blessing came only after he had showed them kindness.

What was the blessing?  He was given the opportunity to escape with his wife and daughters before God destroyed the city.  Interestingly, even after being given the opportunity to escape, Lot's wife looked back longingly, and was destroyed just like those within the city.  In a similar way, Jesus taught His disciples to forego the pleasures of this life and strive diligently for the next.  "Remember Lot's wife," Jesus said.  "Whoever seeks to save his life will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] will keep it [from the consequences of sin and separation from God]." (Luke 17:32, 33 AMP).

The third angelic encounter to which the writer of Hebrews could have alluded is found in Genesis 32.  This is the account of Jacob leaving the land of his father-in-law, and heading home toward Canaan.  Foreshadowing the story of his descendants, he left a life of servitude, of forced labor (in that he had served Laban for 14 years for the privilege of marrying his wife Rachel, with Leah thrown in as a bonus) and was headed home, toward the Promised Land--the land of his Fathers, the land bequeathed by God to his descendants, a land "flowing with milk and honey."

Unlike the stories of his grandfather Abraham and his cousin Lot, Jacob knew that the encounter was with angelic beings.  The story begins, "Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him.  Jacob said when he saw them, 'This is God's camp.'  So he named that place Manahim (Two Camps)." (Genesis 32:1).  Some commentators cite this passage as a bookend to the story of Jacob's exile: some 20 years prior, Jacob had a dream of angels ascending and descending a ladder; and now, he has a vision of a company or encampment of angelic beings, whose purpose is unknown to us.  Other commentators say that this angelic sighting is a transition to the next adventure in Jacob's life, one in which he will encounter his brother Esau, and receive the promised inheritance.

In any case, Jacob hears that his brother Esau is heading toward his family and flocks.  Further, it is reported that Esau is accompanied by 400 men.  Jacob is deathly afraid.  He knows that he had cheated his brother out of the birthright, and that he had stolen the blessing of his father Isaac.  Now, he assumes, Esau has amassed an army and they are advancing toward him.  What to do?  They cannot retreat, as Esau's army would surely overtake them, and Laban would not likely defend him.  Perhaps Jacob could appease his brother by sending a huge gift.  If that didn't work, he separated his family into two companies, the first with Leah and her children and servants (if Esau attacked her party, perhaps the others could escape unharmed).  The second company he sent had Rachel and her family and servants.  Jacob stayed behind, isolated and fearful, worried to death about what Esau would do to him.

As Jacob was hiding by himself, with all these unresolved fears and worries, he sees a figure approaching.  It looks like a man; is it a messenger from Esau?  A spy sent to find his whereabouts and report back to his brother?  I can imagine Jacob pouncing on this person.  Genesis 32:24 says they wrestled until daybreak.  As dawn approached, Jacob could surely see that this man was not who he had thought.  Maybe he recognized the angel as one of those within the camp he had seen in verse 1.  Perhaps he realized that this was a supernatural agent when the angel touched his thigh and dislocated his hip.  Maybe the Angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Christ) identified Himself to Jacob as they fought.  In any case, Jacob's focus clearly changed.  He wanted certain assurances.  Perhaps remembering the stories he had heard from his grandfather Abraham, Jacob demanded a blessing from this encounter.  He was promised he would prevail, both with men and with God.

From that moment on, Jacob walked with a limp; he likely needed a cane or walking stick to help him get around.  Similarly, when we meet Jesus, our lives are forever changed.  Simon Peter was a gruff fisherman, profane and uneducated, and quite fearful; after he met Jesus, he became a bold proclaimer of the Gospel, a spokesman for God at Pentecost, and an eventual martyr for Christ.  Paul had been a persecutor of the early Church, but when Jesus spoke to him on the highway, he became a prolific defender of the faith and authored much of the New Testament.

In conclusion, angels are messengers from God.  Whenever we meet them, we should treat them well, with respect and hospitality.  However, angels can appear in human form, and we will not know them when we see them.  Therefore we should treat everyone we meet with respect and hospitality, feeding them when they are hungry, clothing them when they are naked, taking them in when they are destitute.  We should do this, not only because we may entertain angels without realizing it, but because Jesus commanded us to do it.  Either way, we will receive the blessing "pressed down, shaken together, and running over."

Our Purpose and Our Calling: Our Faith

I feel like I'm too busy writing history to read it.  --Kanye West

I used to love to study history.  It was so interesting to me, the things that people did that made them famous.  Some stumbled into fame, but most worked hard to make a difference in their world.  George Washington led men into battle, successfully leading a revolution by overseeing the Revolutionary War, then helped shape the new government that transitioned America from being a territory of a foreign monarch into a self-sustaining democratic republic.  George Washington Carver overcame slavery and racial discrimination to gain an education that allowed him to develop innovations in agriculture, compile and promote uses of alternative crops such as peanuts and sweet potatoes, and offer advice to such luminaries as Henry Ford, Calvin Coolidge, and both Roosevelts (Teddy and Franklin).

Some people, however, do not enjoy the study of history.  They claim it is a waste of time to remember names and dates in order to regurgitate them on some academic exam, only to forget them soon after.  The names and dates of the past, they believe, are not as important as the people, places, and things that are going on right now.  The events of today that will somehow shape the future, or will soon be forgotten, consume their thoughts and feelings, their hopes and dreams.

In my men's Bible study that meets every Friday morning, bright and early at 6:00 a.m. (before the workday kicks in and the weekend starts), we have been studying the book of Hebrews.  We have camped for several weeks on chapter 11, the Hall of Fame of Faith.  After six or eight weeks of study, we have finally gotten through that one chapter.

In a way, Hebrews 11 is a historical study, a place where the writer mentioned the names of people throughout Israel's history, with special attention given to the importance of faith to their lives and legacies.  A list of people mentioned specifically includes Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Rahab in some detail.  Other names mentioned in passing are Gideon, Barak (an assistant to the only female Judge in the Bible, Deborah), Samson, Jephthah, David and Samuel.  Each of these people made a difference in the world, and in history, through the faith that they each individually had in God.

Now, some may say, "So what?  I'm not a king like David; I'm not strong like Samson; I haven't heard God's voice like Noah, Abraham, or Moses.  What does all this have to do with me?"  Fair question, and one that I think the writer of Hebrews addresses in verses 33 and 34.  Each of these people are mentioned by name for their faithful obedience

who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.                 --Hebrews 11:33-34

If we look at our existence not just in the physical realm, but also in the spiritual, we can begin to see the purpose of our calling.  Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."  This is why Paul advised us to take up the whole armor of God.  We can, by faith, make a difference in the spiritual realm.

 Who by faith conquered kingdoms....  The King James Version translates the word conquered as "subdued."  The Greek term actually means "to struggle against, to overcome."  Remember, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood..."  1 John 5:4 says, "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith."  Fellow Christian, this means you!  The Ruler of this present darkness, Satan himself, comes against you with all his demonic forces to make you weak, ineffective, and demoralized.  Let me remind you, Believer, and Jesus has defeated the enemy--greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.  "Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:5).

...performed acts of righteousness....  The word translated perform is a word that actually means "work; produce; acquire."  The King James Version translated this term as "wrought"; when we think of wrought iron, we think of metal that has been shaped, hammered and twisted until it becomes something both beautiful and useful.  The word righteousness can mean two things:  In a broad sense, it is the condition acceptable to God; but in a narrow sense, it is the virtue of justice which gives each his due.  Philippians 2:12 admonishes us to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling."  Part of that work is to point out error (not in a judgmental way so as to condemn someone to hell, but rather to bring them to the knowledge of God.)  If someone will not heed our warning and mend their unrighteous ways, we are to follow Jesus's admonition in Matthew 10:14, "Whoever does not receive  you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet."

...obtain promises....   You can obtain something in one of two ways:  either you can work for it, or you can come upon it by chance.  The promises of God are outside of ourselves, and by the Providence of God (by His grace and mercy), they are available to you free of charge--you don't have to work for them.  As for the promises themselves, they are an announcement or proclamation of life in fellowship with Christ.  As a child of God, a joint-heir with Jesus Christ the Son of God, you have access to more than you know.  "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21).  Again, Beloved of God, that means you.

These divine promises do not come without peril.  There may be obstacles placed in our path. There may be persecution for doing the right thing.  Seeing the next phrase, shut the mouths of lions, I am reminded of the story of Daniel.  However, we know that 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." If we are faithful, we can not only ignore the growling we hear from Satan, but we can actually shut it up completely.  Be vigilant, my friend.  Never let your guard down.

Many martyrs throughout history have been burned alive for their faith.  The phrase quenched the power of fire reminds me of Joan of Arc.  Some may remember her as one who was burned at the stake for her faith.  But it was her words that are her lasting legacy.  When asked at her trial whether she believed she was in the grace of God, she said, "If I am not, may God place me there; if I am, may God so keep me."  Like the Old Testament story of Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego, the fire had no power to command them to renounce their faith.  The fire was ineffective; their faith remained.

Though many have been killed for their faith, many more have escaped death in order to accomplish God's purpose.  In the 1950's, there was a Dutch missionary who called himself Brother Andrew.  His mission was to smuggle Bibles into Eastern Europe, past what was called "The Iron Curtain."  His 1967 book God's Smuggler is a testament to one man's faith and the good that can be done for God if we are obedient to Him.  Truly we can escape the edge of the sword by God's hand.

You may be thinking, "But my faith is so weak."  In our text, we see the phrase from weakness were made strong.  The Apostle Paul got a word of knowledge from God, a divine message that he shared with us in 2 Corinthians 12.  Paul was being beset by "a thorn in the flesh."  Whether this was a physical ailment, or (as the phrase was commonly used in the Old Testament) a reference to nay-sayers, people who would follow him around and refute everything God had told him to say, we don't know for certain.   What we do know is God's response:  "And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness'.  Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me." (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Do not lose faith.  Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces of darkness.  Thankfully, God has equipped us with the tools to overcome.

Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  --Genesis 1:27

Have you ever gone out in the country at night, away from all the city lights, and looked at the night sky?  You can see millions of stars that seem to go on forever.  Sometimes, when I gaze at the universe, it makes me feel small and insignificant--one of almost 8 billion people on the third planet from an insignificant star, one of billions of stars in one of trillions of galaxies.  Yet all of these galaxies, all of these solar systems, all of these people--everything was created with a word.  That word was spoken by a God who loves us deeply, passionately, without equivocation; a God who lives within the heart and soul and mind of every believer.

Knowing this, that the God of the Universe created me, and loves me without end, what does He require of me?  One of the Pharisees in Jesus' day asked that very question.  Jesus answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27).  Have you ever stopped to think why Jesus would answer in this way?  I'm not talking about the battle of wits the Pharisees were trying to have with God-in-a-man, or how He was so adept at side-stepping their attempts to trap Him with His words.  I'm talking about the truth that was spoken by Jesus in this statement: we can do nothing more holy, more righteous, more god-like, more loving or respectful or pleasing to Him than to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Why is this so?  I believe I know the answer.  He wants us to love Him in this way, because this is how He loves us, and we are created in His image.  We were made to be like Him.  "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10).

So how can we know what God is like?  How can we emulate His heart, His mind, His soul, and His strength?  The only way we can truly know God is by studying His word, the Bible.  Yes, we can confirm experientially what God says in His word, but we cannot change the word of God by our limited, sometimes sinful, experiences.  I would like to point out a few verses that show us what His heart and mind and soul and strength is like.

His Heart and Soul
Ezekiel 36:26 says, "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."  God wants to take away our hard-heartedness, and replace it with a soft heart.  The term "of flesh" here is the same as we would use in the phrase "my own flesh and blood," when speaking of a close relative.  Several scriptures use a similar term, "my bone and my flesh" (see Genesis 29:14, Judges 9:2, 2 Samuel 5:1 and 19:13--in all these examples, people were expecting grace and favor because of the familial connection).  So when God takes away the stony heart, and replaces it with a new one, it is as if He endowed us with His own heart, or welcomed us into His family.

Gazing upon the heart of God is like studying astronomy--thousands of scholars working thousands of years could not fathom it all.  But there is one man that Scripture said had the heart of God, and that was King David.  David was said to be "a man after God's own heart", not because of David's righteousness, because David sinned many times.  Rather, it was because God had chosen David (see 1 Samuel 16), and David answered God's call.  The least of Jesse's sons was destined to be the greatest of Israel's human kings; and when God through Samuel sought him out and anointed him, David took his anointing seriously.

We, too, were chosen by God.  "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).  It was God who reached out to us first so that we could respond, either by accepting His call and His anointing, or by rejecting Him completely.

The Bible also says that David was led by the Spirit of God.  "Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward." (1 Samuel 16:13).  We, too, must be led by the Spirit of God.  This does not mean we must be perfectly righteous for all time.  It does mean that our world-view is a spiritual world-view; that our foundation is a spiritual foundation; and that our goals are generally and specifically spiritual goals.  We are to glorify God in everything we do, and when we fail, we must pick ourselves up, accept the consequences, and keep on trying to glorify God.

Finally, the Bible says that David spent time alone with God.  After Samuel anointed him king, David went back to his job as a shepherd.  He wrote many of the Psalms we find in the Bible during this time of preparation.  In the same way, when Jesus was on the earth, he often got away by Himself to pray.  How much more should we zealously protect alone-time with God!  We must not waste the time that God gives us, but rather turn off electronic media, and redeem the time by getting to know God first-hand through Bible study and prayer.  It's what David did.  It's what Jesus did.  How many more examples do we need?

His Mind
1 Corinthians 2:16 says, "For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him?  But we have the mind of Christ."  As we begin to know God's heart, He will give us insight into His mind.  Paul said:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  --Philippians 2:5-8 (NKJV)

God thinks of us all the time.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (NKJV).  We, therefore, should think of Him all of the time.

Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God's word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them within your heart].  --Philippians 4:8 (AMP)

 His Strength
God is all-powerful, yet He became a man--a man unlimited in power, but limited in strength.  Jesus slept, because He was tired.  He ate, because He was hungry.  He had all the physical limitations of a man, but spent all of His strength doing good.  He taught men about God.  He healed the sick, raised the dead, caused the blind to see and the deaf to hear.  And when all of His strength was ebbing away in death, His last prayer for us was, "Father, forgive them."

He literally spent all of His strength so that we could have access to God.  By His sacrificial death, our sins were atoned for; we can stand spotless before the Throne of God because "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16).

Knowing what we know about the heart and soul of God, the mind of God, and how His omnipotent strength was applied, how can we not follow Him?  How can we not love Him with all of our heart, with all of our soul, with all of our mind, and with all of our strength?  We must, so that the world may know Him through us.

Going against the grain

In return for my love they act as my accusers; but I am in prayer.  --Psalm 109:4

Yesterday we heard a sermon on forgiveness.  One of the things the preacher said in passing really stuck with me.  He said when someone comes to him complaining about being mistreated, or being called names, or generally getting their feelings hurt, his first response is generally, "Well, did you die?"

His point was not that we tend to blow things out of proportion, which we do.  His point was not that we are raising a generation of coddled, thin-skinned, crybabies (which we are).  His point was that we shouldn't be taking our complaints about someone to another person.  We should first take it to the person who offended us.  If they don't repent, we take one or two of the elders to act as mediators.  Finally, if that doesn't work, we give it to God, who knows all about mistreatment.

You see, Jesus was mocked.  He was spat upon.  He was smacked around, beaten by fists, flailed at with reeds, flogged by a Roman cat-o'nine-tails whip, and finally nailed naked and bleeding to a wooden cross.  His reaction?  "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

This attitude of forgiveness was foreshadowed in Jesus's teaching to His disciples.  Matthew 5:44, Jesus rebuked those who preached hate by saying, "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."

The words Jesus used do not really translate well into English.  We have all heard great preachers and orators.  One of the things that made them great was the word choice, the cadence, the alliteration and imagery and synecdoche.  Let me explain.

The Greek word Jesus used that is generally translated, "those who persecute (you)" is dioko which means to pursue, to chase, to drive or cause to run, and when used in a legal context, is means to prosecute.  This is who Jesus was telling the disciples to be on the watch for.  He knew beforehand what He would suffer at the hands of the relentless prosecutors.  He also knew that His followers would be persecuted in much the same way.  He told them this, not to scare them or to make them avoid persecution, but rather to encourage them.  "Count it all joy, my brothers," James said, "when you fall into various trials." (James 1:2).

How do we do that?  The Greek word Jesus used that is generally translated "bless" is proseuchomai (pro-seh-YOO-koh-mah-eh).  Sounds a lot like "prosecute", doesn't it?  But its meaning is quite different.  It literally means to offer prayers for.  It is a combination of Greek words: pros, meaning towards or by reason of, and euchomai meaning to pray to God.  It is the root word for eucharist, which we usually think of as a Latin mass, but literally it means thanksgiving.  Can you imagine someone who would endure a beating and think, "God, thank you for that person who just struck me.  I lift up that person to Your throne; make Yourself real to them."  It is almost unfathomable, but it reveals the heart of Christ.

But wait--there's more!  The companion verse in Luke 6:28 says, "Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you."  The Greek word for bless is eulogeo.  It's where we get the term Eulogy, the nice words we say about someone when they pass away.  Jesus's message to us, however, is not to wait until they die to say something nice about them, but to even say it when they are mistreating us.

Now, I'm not saying that you should stay in an abusive relationship.  But when you get to a safe place, I believe that Jesus was telling us not to speak ill of that person.  I must confess, this part of Sunday's sermon hit me pretty hard; I know of several people that I like to bad-mouth when they are not around.  One of the points made in the sermon was that God will give us the same measure of grace that we give to others.  Forgiveness doesn't necessarily help the one who offends us, but it certainly helps us.  (Plus, there's the added bonus of "heaping coals of fire on their heads" as described in Romans 12:20, but that is conditional--it only follows if we find our enemy hungry and we feed them, and if we find our enemy thirsty and we give them a drink.)  How many times do we gloss over the verse that says, "But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." (Matthew 6:15).   Again, let's drive home the point--God gives us the measure of grace that we give others.

Bless all people, especially those who hurt you.  Pray for everyone, but especially for those who have done you wrong.  Then you will be able to see the heart of God.

We are known by our struggles

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God  has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  --Romans 5:3-5

Last night my daughter and I went to see comedian Michael Jr.  You may have heard of him.  If not, I would encourage you to do an internet search.  He is a Christian, and he does "clean" comedy that is really, really funny.  But then he gets serious about his purpose, what God has put him here to do, and how it is working out for him as he continues to be obedient to God's call on his life.

My daughter commented during the intermission last night that God has been speaking to her recently about purpose.  This comedy show that we attended and thoroughly enjoyed merely confirmed what God was speaking to her recently.

In fact, God has been working in my life recently about the very same thing. Purpose.  What, I often wonder aloud, is my reason for being here?  Why was I ever born?  God knows I have not lived up to my potential for His glory and purpose in my life.  Why was I allowed to live this long?  Some of you may know that I was involved in a bad car wreck when I was two years old--you may know my story, or may have read it in this blog a few years back.  Fast forward to the present day, and I wonder why God allowed me to survive.  With all of the mistakes, the willful misdeeds, the sins of omission and the sins of commission--why didn't God take my life some 53 years ago?

One of the points in the message Michael Jr. gave last evening was that God can use our past for His glory in the present if we allow Him to.  The art of comedy, Michael Jr. explains, is first the "set-up", which usually involves telling a story so that the audience is led in one direction, followed by the "punch line", in which the story takes an unexpected turn, suddenly moving the audience in a direction they did not expect.  I won't steal Michael Jr's material, but I saw a pun online this past week that serves as an example.  An expectant couple was seeing their obstetrician, who said that the baby should be delivered within a few weeks.  We can visualize the pregnant mother looking forward to having the baby, and the father anticipating the event--most of us have been there, or if we haven't, we have known someone who was in that position.  But in this pun, the husband tells the doctor, "Thanks, but we would rather our baby keep his liver."  The punch line goes against our expectations, and takes the narrative in an entirely different direction.  We don't usually think of delivering a baby in the same way that we terms like "detoxify" or "dehumidify".  Therefore we didn't expect that take on the term "de-liver".

This underscores something that God has been showing me for a few weeks now:  we are often defined by our struggles.  We are best known by our ability to overcome the struggle.  Let me tell you what I mean.

In the book of Daniel, the story begins with the exile of Israel into Babylon.  This exile was due to the unfaithfulness of the Jews.  Yet in the story, we see four young men who did remain faithful to God in the most trying circumstances.  I'm sure that these four young men did not wish to be forcibly taken from their homeland and re-settled into a pagan country.  There was enormous pressure to conform to their culture, and yet they remained faithful to their God.

Three of these young men were named Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  The name Hananiah means "God has favored."  The Babylonian captors, however, gave him a new nickname, Shadrach, meaning "little friend of the king."  The name Mishael means, "Who is like God?", or literally "Who is what God is?".  In captivity, his name was changed to Meshach, meaning "guest of the king."  The name Azariah means, "Jehovah has helped."  In exile, his name was changed to Abednego, meaning "a servant of Nebo" or perhaps "worshiper of Mercury".

In other words, the parents of these three friends had given them names that respected Jehovah God, but their Babylonian captors called them by names that reminded them

1. That they were in the land of the Chaldeans now, not in the Jewish heartland;
2. That they were selected by and given power, position and sustenance by the king of Persia;
3. That they could very easily lose favor with the Persian king, and all that they had been given could be taken away very suddenly.

Which is exactly what happened.  The king commissioned a statue, a large image of himself.  He commanded by royal decree that at a certain time all within view of this idol should bow down in an attitude of worship toward it.  The three friends declined, and were arrested.  When they were brought before the king, they were given another chance, which they again declined.  The anger of the king was so intense that he was not satisfied to throw them out of the royal program to which they had been selected.  He could have made them slave laborers like 99% of the Jewish captives had become.  Instead, he commanded their execution.  They were to be burned to death.

Did their faithfulness to God keep them from being thrown into the furnace?  No.  But their faithfulness did result in the physical presence of God being with them in the fire, resulting in their having no hair singed, and not even the smell of smoke on their garments.

When we remember these men, even remembering them by their Chaldean names given to them by their captors in exile, we remember their deliverance by Almighty God through their faithfulness.  We know them because of their trials.

Daniel, too, was given a new name.  The name Daniel means, "God is my judge."  The name given to him by Nebuchadnezzar was Belteshazzar.  The meaning of this name is a bit more complex.  "Bel" means lord or prince.  But when you add the "T", it feminizes the term, so literally it means "Lady".  "Zar" can mean gold (as in treasure), but can also mean old.  So the name could mean "The Prince's lady", or it could mean "Treasured by the prince" (but with a feminine root, such that Daniel's manhood was constantly in question).

Even so, Daniel is known by his struggles.  He was elevated to a position of power within the king's court.  His advice was sought by the king quite often, and the other advisers to the king (we might liken it to the Cabinet level officials under the American president) all became jealous.  They had him arrested for faithfully praying to God, and as a result he was thrown in the lion's den.  His faithfulness did not keep him out of danger--he was physically in the presence of lions--but Daniel was not harmed.

One more example.  This week my men's group was studying Hebrews 11, the Hall of Fame of Faith for Old Testament saints.  Verses 20, 21, and 22 are very similar: they all mention a Patriarch by name, and then give a short sentence summarizing their last tasks on this earth.  "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.  By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.  By faith, Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones."

All men of faith.  All mentioned in this chapter at the end of their lives.  Easy to gloss over and forget.  But don't.  Slow down and think about it for a minute. Why was Isaac concerned about things to come?  Because his father, Abraham, had spoken of a promise of God that his (Abraham's) descendants "would be many, like the sands of the seashore," yet Abraham only had one son (the son of promise), and that son, Isaac, only had two sons.

Why did Jacob (who had 12 sons, by the way) lean on his staff while blessing Joseph?  The significance of the staff speaks to Jacob's struggles.  He had wrestled with God (Genesis 32:22-32), and would not let Him go until He blessed Jacob.  God did two things in response:  He changed Jacob's name to Israel ("contends with God"), and He touched his hip socket, so that Jacob had a limp from that moment on.  From then on Jacob had a staff or a walking stick wherever he went, as a reminder of the struggle.

Back to Michael Jr, the Christian comedian.  One of the things he said last night really touched my heart.  Knowing the definition of a joke, the set-up and the punch line, he made the application to life in this way:  everybody has a story.  We have all had our share of struggles.  That is our set-up.  What God wants to do with that is to use us for His punch line.  When we take it in an unexpected direction, He is glorified.  When we go with the flow, we have no story, no punch line.  But when we go hard in the opposite direction, it is memorable, and God can use it to change lives.  "As for you," Joseph said in Genesis 50:20, "you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive."

It's kind of like a sling shot, Michael Jr. said.  The more we get pulled back, the more pressure life puts on us, the greater the tension.  But when we are set free, when we are loosed from the grip of the world, we are shot in the opposite direction.  Our job, then, is to take aim where our lives can make the biggest impact

Full of Grace and Truth

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.  --John 1:14

This week I was insensitive to a good friend.  My friend was wounded by my careless words.  I was very afraid that my insensitivity might have cost us our friendship.  When I read the text message this person sent to me, I was devastated.  "I'll admit," this person wrote to me, "your statement did hurt."

My first reaction was repentance.  I apologized profusely (probably over-abundantly), and begged their forgiveness.  Thankfully, this person did show grace to me.  I am forgiven, thank God.  Our friendship remains solid.

Why was I so quick to seek forgiveness?  Because I like this person, and I value our friendship.  There is a connection there, based on history and trust and mutual respect. 

If, on the other hand, I had offended someone I did not know, or did not know well, or did not particularly care about, would I have been so quick to apologize?  Probably not.  You can't break a connection that isn't there.

Yesterday I heard a sermon by Chris Hodges, pastor of Church of the Highlands based in Birmingham, Alabama, with satellite campuses all over the state.  His passion, he said, is evangelism.  He, like the Apostle Paul, aims to "become all things to all people so that by all possible means" some might be saved. (cf 1 Corinthians 9:22).  In this message, Pastor Hodges said something profound:  he said when we are taking the message of Christ to the masses, we must balance grace and truth.

You see, both are important; but grace must come first.  "Truth without grace," he said, "is just mean."  How many of us know people who speak truth without love.  "Your sins will lead you straight to hell," they proclaim loudly.  They may be right, but they are not necessarily helpful.  Very often, truth hurts.  Truth wounds.

When I learned that my friend had been hurt by the insensitive comment I had made, my heart ached.  Knowing the truth about a potential wedge between us caused me pain.  Would I have been better off not knowing the truth?  Of course not!  The truth was that my sin had potentially broken fellowship with my friend, and unless they made me aware of it, I could not have done anything about it.  The wound could have festered, the schism could have widened to the point that nothing could have bridged the gap.

In the same way, we are called to speak truth to a dying world.  We just don't need to be mean about it.  We need to speak it in love, with a measure of grace.

On the other extreme, we all know people who seem to spread a message of "all grace, all the time."  Yet, as Pastor Hodges said in his sermon yesterday, "Grace without truth is meaningless."  If what we do doesn't matter to God, then there is no need for repentance.  This is cheap grace, and it is a false gospel.

I read a blog online this past week about the need for forgiveness.  The writer said that all to often, when we offend someone and then apologize to them, the response is usually, "It's okay.  It doesn't matter."  This is a lie from the pit of hell!  It's not okay to be offensive.  It does matter.  That's why repentance is necessary, but forgiveness is just as necessary.  It is important to speak the words, "I forgive you."  How much more powerful to hear that I'm forgiven rather than it's okay.

Pastor Hodges summed it up this way:  when we approach someone with the Gospel (which is what we are commissioned to do as Christians), we must balance our approach.  What we say may be right, but it may not be helpful.  On the flip side, "the truth will set you free", but we must connect before we correct.  God didn't call us to be right; He called us to be effective.  The goal is not to prove your point and send people on their way to hell.  The goal is to win them to God.

The disciple John described himself often as "the disciple whom Jesus loved."  He is known in some Christian traditions as St. John the Evangelist.  We see a story in John's gospel that we do not see in the other gospel accounts.  In the 8th chapter we are told of a woman who was caught in the act of adultery.  The Pharisees had apparently set a trap for her, intending to trap Jesus by placing Him firmly in one extreme or the other (wrath or grace).

They burst into Jesus' presence, with this half-naked woman in tow, stating one truth after another.  Yes, the woman had been caught in adultery.  Truth.  Yes, the law of Moses did state that she should be publicly executed as a consequence of her actions.  Truth.  What, they demanded, did Jesus have to say on this?  Was the Law of no consequence, and did grace extend to one who habitually and flagrantly disobeyed?  Or was Jesus just like them, condemning others to hell while they smugly sat in the seat of self-righteousness, hiding their own sins from view?

Jesus does not answer right away.  He begins doodling in the dust.  In so doing, He does not stand over her, but brings Himself down to her level.  He squats down in front of this woman lying prostrate before Him.  The Pharisees wait.  Then, miraculously, each of the accusers drops his stone, and slinks away silently. 

Jesus addresses the woman.  She knows she is guilty.  He knows she knows.  His first words express grace.  "Woman, where are those who condemn you?  Neither do I condemn you."  But what we often lose in the telling of this story is the expression of truth that Jesus gives in follow up.  "Go," He said, "and sin no more."

Grace and truth in equal amounts, but grace comes first.  Grace does not negate truth, but there must be a connection before there is correction.  Otherwise the truth is lost, and the person remains condemned.  Thank God for what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."