Exit Signs

On my way to work I see signs everyday. Some of them are confusing with messages that make no sense. Some of them have pictures and attempt to get me to buy a hamburger or a car or something else by attempting to stick an image in my head that will cause me to desire it and purchase it. Some of them are confusing because they just have too much going on. Yet, all of them are a metaphor for life and this world.

Many in this world are traveling down a road of destruction headed to a life of discontentment apart from Christ. Each of them see signs promising money, riches, fame, or simply satisfaction in the things of this world. Signs which entice, suggest, tempt, and create desire to continue on this highway to hell.

Yet, all along the way there are different signs. Signs which Christians post. Some of them are signs preventing sin. Signs like "Speed Limit 55" remind them not to do certain things. Don't drink. Don't smoke. Don't do drugs. Don't have sex before marriage. Some of these signs are helpful. They encourage a moral lifestyle but they are desperately lacking and I don't want my life to remain focused upon such messages.

Why? Because as Christians, I believe Christ calls us to be Exit signs. Exit signs are simple, clear, concise, and point to somewhere else. They typically consist of white letters on a green background. The only purpose for their existence is to point to a different road, a different pathway, a different destination. Therefore, I want my life to be an Exit sign pointing toward the Highway of Holiness (Isa 35:8).

Your life is your sign. It points somewhere. Your lifestyle is the decor of your message. It either adds to or detracts from your message. Your sign may be pointing people to pleasures of this world by showing off the jobs, cars, money, women, or things which you possess. Your sign can only point to that which you love the most. It can only show people how to pursue the things you have chosen to pursue. Therefore, most signs point to such things.

I want my sign to be different. I want it to be an Exit sign to point to Christ and Him crucified. I want it to reveal the fact that Jesus is alive. I want it to point to the resurrection and to the hope found within it. I want it to point to the One who can forgive, the One who can redeem, the One who can save.

What about you? What type of sign are you? Examine your own passions and pursuits in life. They will reveal your sign.

Joshua

The Mystery of God

In the book of Ephesians, Paul refers to six "mysteries" (1:9, 3:3, 3:4, 3:9, 5:32, 6:19). Specifically, he refers to the mysteries of God's will, God's revelation to Paul Himself, the mystery of Christ, the mystery of Christ and the Church, and the mystery of the Gospel.

Paul's use of this term and his insistence on referring to "mysteries" ought to give us reason to pause. Paul was an apostle, a "sent one", God's chosen messenger and an evangelist, preacher, and teacher to the Gentiles. He wrote much of our New Testament under the inspiration of God. He performed miracles through the power of God. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and had seen how God worked in his life, revealed truths, and enabled Paul to understand more than many others. Paul had been called by Jesus Himself to be an apostle (Acts 9) and therefore had been given a special message and ministry for his life.

Yet, in the midst of all of this, Paul continually refers to "mysteries". Why would such a man of God do this? Didn't he understand the Gospel or Christ? Aren't these simple truths that all can comprehend? Evidently not. We could discuss a variety of topics at this point but one remains crystal clear to me. Paul never lost his sense of the wonder of each of these "mysteries". Yes, he understood that God has a will and that he could discover it but he must have wondered, "Wow. How is it possible that the God of this universe can reveal His desires to someone like me?" Paul certainly understood how he was inspired but must have imagined, "Wow. How does it work exactly that I am being used by the Holy Spirit and through my words He is revealing His truth? Paul must have understood Christ but had to have thought, "How is it that God existed as both God and yet a man?" Paul thought a lot about the church, he himself being a chief cause of the building of its foundation. Yet, he must have pondered this "mystery" and wondered, "Wow. Christ is the groom and we are His bride. What does that mean and how does that work? How does it now differ from God's previous relationship to ethnic Israel long ago?" Additionally, Paul knew the Gospel message for he preached and taught it regularly both to Jews and Gentiles. Yet, he must have wondered, "How did all of this finally come to be? God sending Jesus with the good news that acceptance of Him as Lord leads to freedom in Christ and that through faith we can obtain the Eternal Life that He offers?"

Wow. Wow. Wow. Paul was in continual amazement of God Himself and what God had done through Christ. The question that you and I ought to consider is "Do we do the same?" Has the Gospel message or Christ as the Son of God become so mundane or routine that you and I have lost our sense of wonder at what God has done? If so, we need to repent of such thinking and actions. We need to re-examine these seemingly simple Gospel truths that so many have grown up with and once again proclaim their "mysteries".

Paul was not afraid to admit that while he had been given a tremendous understanding there was still a great deal of mystery within the very ministry he was apart of. He declared these mysteries to the church in Ephesus and asked them to recall the same. Maybe they had become lackadaisical because of the tremendous leadership at the church. Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus and certainly Timothy would have done a great job. Maybe the people had grown apathetic because Paul himself had been there and taught for several years.

Whatever the case may be in the book of Revelation we see that the church in Ephesus had left their "first love" (Rev 2:4). Having become enamored with doctrine and learning or having felt like they had "figured it all out" these people had grown cold and were no longer doing things in love. Paul calls them to change in this letter to the church in Ephesus and reminds them once again of the "mysteries".

Good study of the Scripture should not simply bring more understanding of God and His Word. It should also produce within us a "wonder" and desire as we discover the truths of so many of God's "mysteries". As you seek God for the first time or remain faithful to Him for the course of your lifetime, recognize these mysteries of God. Allow them to produce within you a desire to discover the truths contained within things which you may have known for quite some time.

Let's not forget the mysteries of God Himself and the Gospel message itself as we seek to know Him and make Him known to others.

Joshua

Jesus the Slave Owner

Christians often have a number of misconceptions about Christ.  As a result, we present these wrong conceptions of Jesus to others.  For instance, some Christians seem to believe that Jesus' last name was Christ.  However, "Christ" was simply a Greek name for Messiah.  Both mean "the anointed One".  So, Jesus' name should be understood as "Jesus the Christ" or "Jesus the Anointed One".

Another misconception is that Jesus came to earth in order to offer you an "invitation".  This invitation was to join Him and His Father in a Kingdom and to live forever more.  If each person would simply accept Jesus as Savior, they could receive all of the benefits of Salvation will little or no effort.  This position, of course, is defended by stating that we are saved by "grace through faith" and that this is a gift from Christ.  If only we would accept this gift, we would obtain Salvation.

There is truth in many of these statements but unfortunately they are often misconstrued to present a message of Salvation that is built solely upon acceptance of Jesus as a Savior.  The truth is that "Jesus is a slave owner".  Jesus came into this world to offer an ultimatium, not just an invitation.  Paul, in Romans 10:9 says that "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved." (Emphasis mine).  You must confess Jesus as Lord to receive Salvation.  The statement that "Jesus is Lord" is no different that "Jesus is my master" or that "Jesus is my owner".  He's a slave owner.  He "owns you".  Each person who has accepted Him as Lord must give of their own life to be used for Him and for His purposes. 

When Jesus came into this world, He offered each of us an opportunity to receive Eternal Life but that comes through our acknowledgment and confession that He is Lord.  The New Testament authors knew this well.  None other than Paul, Peter, James, John, and Jude each identified themselves as "bond servants" or "bond slaves" of Christ Jesus.  They recognized themselves as slaves and called all men to do the same.  This message of an "invitation into slavery" was well-received in the 1st Century in which slavery itself was very, very common.  The message of receiving "freedom in Christ" that enables all men and women to be equal to one another was also very pleasant news in the ears of many who were at the time slaves.

When we present the message of the Gospel to a lost and fallen world we must do so in a manner that emphasizes the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  He is a King whom has conquered sin, death, and the grave.  He has conquered the Prince of this world Satan and demands through an ultimatium that all come to Him, accept Him as Lord, and enter into a form of slavery in which He is the owner, master, or Lord.  Thus, the call upon a person's life to be a disciple of Christ is one which demands everything.  It is not a simple acceptance of an invitation.  Though it is a gift that cannot be earned, we need to be careful to not over-emphasize the gift without also emphasizing the appropriate means of receiving it.

Jesus is a slave owner and I for one am happy to have accepted Him as Lord and to have become His slave.

Joshua
 

Change We Can Believe In

Throughout the democratic ticket for presidency, the phrase "Change We Can Believe In" has been used by Barack Obama.  Without making political assessment of him, I want to make you aware that such a statement is self-refuting.  You cannot believe in "change".  Change, by its very definition, is on the move.  It's not stable.  It's not "unchanging".  Its like stating that you believe in the stock market because its up today.  You cant place your trust in just this day alone.  This is because it could be down tomorrow.  Its "changing." 

Change, quite simply, is something that you cannot believe in.  Beliefs are placed upon unchanging truth.  Truth itself does not "change".  You cannot say "What's true for you is not true for me."  Why?  Because that too is a self-refuting statement.  It does not work logically.  The natural response to such a stament is the following:  "Is what you just said true?  Because according to your logic it maybe for you but doesn't have to be for me."

You see, the slogan "Change We Can Believe In" is not a good one.  In 2 Timothy 2:11-13 Paul reminds us of an unchanging truth that we can believe in when he says:

"It is a trustworthy statement:  For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us;  If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself" (2 Tim 2:11-13, NASB)

Note the last line which says that if we are faithless, He (Jesus) remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.  Jesus is Himself faithful.  He cannot change.  To change for Jesus is to deny Himself.  Therefore, and not coincidentally, Paul is reminding Timothy here that Jesus does not change.  Neither does God.  Theologians refer to this as God's "immutability".  To suggest that God "changes" is to suggest that He needs to change for the better and by definition God is perfect. 

This statement also informs us that not only is God "immutable" but so is Jesus.  In making this statement therefore Paul is equating Jesus with God.  He is saying that "Jesus is God" because only God is unchanging.

Regardless of your political views, don't place your faith and trust into a "Change We Can Believe In."  Don't place your ultimate faith in a political party, a candidate, or a party platform. Instead, place your faith and trust into that which is unchanging - Jesus Christ.

Joshua

The Why Question

Recently I have been bombarded with the "Why?" question.  I have a three year old son named Will and a one year old son named Andrew.  Will has become very, very curious.  He asks us "why" to everything.  "Why do I have to do that Daddy?", "Why do giraffes have such a long neck?", "Why do you shave?".  The seemingly endless array of "Why" questions is something that I want to explore with you for a few moments.

In the book of Job, we are told that a number of very difficult circumstances fall upon a man named Job.  These included the loss of his personal property (oxen, donkeys, sheep, and servants - see Job 1:14-17) as well as his family (sons and daughters - see Job 1:18-19).  Yet, throughout each of these losses Job does not let go of his integrity, he does not "sin or blame God" (Job 1:22).  Job laments and is eventually "comforted" by several friends who bring poor advice and needless rhetoric.  Their loftly opinions are indications of an incorrect view of God as One who always allows good things to happen to "good" people and the opposite to "bad" people.

Job experiences obvious confusion in the situation.  He recognizes himself has having been righteous and cannot determine how he should repent. Therefore, in the midst of Job's questioning, he begins to ask the infamous Why question.  When you think about it, each of us often do the same.

What does the "Why?" question tell us about our human nature?  What does it reveal?  Why is it that all children instinctively ask this question?   Why is the Why question so important?  I think we can derive a few applications:

First, the Why question states something very clearly to us.  Namely, you and I don't know everything.  We have questions.  It separates us from the One who does.

Second, the Why question attempts to determine reasons for something that has occurred (loss of life, etc.).  Thus, it inherently teaches us that we believe that there ought to be a reason for certain things happening in our lives.  If we do good, we expect certain things to occur.  If we do not, we expect other things to occur.  Yet, we know from our own experience that this is not always the case.  The Why question attempts to find reason and more importantly "purpose".  If life has no purpose, if our circumstances have no purpose, then quite naturally the Why question is nonsensical.  We do not need it.  We should not use it.  Yet, we instinctively know that there is a purpose to life and define that purpose in many, many ways but in the end all people (regardless of their religious beliefs or even lack there of) believe that life has purpose. The Why question reminds us of that.

Third, and perhaps most significant, the Why question causes us to reflect.  It causes us to examine and to ponder.  It causes us to reflect upon a lifestyle, a choice, a moral, a value, a decision, or even simply a process that occurs in which we do not understand.  The Why question forces us to pause and re-examine.  It causes us to ask tough questions that cannot be answered by mere facts and figures.  It is fundamental.  It is philosophical.  It's underpinnings lie within our basic beliefs about how the world works and our response to it.  It challenges our worldview.

Why did I take the time to write down these thoughts?  I hoped that by stimulating your thought on this topic, you too, might stop and pause for a moment to consider that examining your own life is important.  So, too, is important those deep questions which will determine the way in which you live your life and your ability to discern properly how you should choose to live it.  The Why question takes us down that path and I believe that it ultimately leads to questions which beg deep reflection within us. 

These questions have eternal significance and can challenge you to place your faith and trust in Jesus as Lord.

I hope that today you will re-discover the Why questions of life.

Joshua

Questioning God

Today, I was thinking about the difference between "could have" and "should have".  Have you ever thought about this?  It's very subtle.  The phrase "could have" implies that a choice is involved and that two or more options were available.  For instance, if I said that "Last night at the restaurant, you could have had the steak."  My statement implies that you had options for dinner last night.  You could have had steak but instead you chose pizza. 

The phrase "should have" however is quite different.  It includes a moral clause indicating that a question of moral consequences or values is at stake.  If I said, "Last night on the way to the restaurant, you should have driven slower."  This statement implies that you were driving to fast.  You should have slowed down.  By it, I imply that you have a moral obligation to drive at a speed that is safe.  It is probable that you put myself and others in danger because of the speed of your driving.  Maybe you also drove through a construction zone or a neighborhood.  Thus, you might have risked possible injury to a worker or a child. 

The point is that "should have" entails a moral obligation that "could have" does not.  This distinction is important when we consider people in the Scriptures who questioned God.  In the book of Job, we are told that Job questioned God.  He did not understand why God allowed him to lose his family, servants, property.  He could not see what God might be attempting to do through such a tragedy.  Yet, Scripture teaches us that "in all of this he did not sin" (Job 1:22).  Thus, in principle, it also teaches us that we can question why God would allow certain things to happen or even why He chose to do specific things within our life or anothers.

This is because Job's statements were "could have" statements.  Job often spoke of God's infinite power, wisdom, and strength.  Thus, God "could have" done something different but instead He did not.  Job simply acknowledged this fact and stated to God that he did not understand.  God was capable of handling things differently but did not do so.

Another example of this occurs in John 11 in the story of the raising of Lazarus.  Both Martha and Mary state that "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (Jn 11:21, 32).  Thus, they acknowledge that Jesus could have done something differently.  Martha alone continues by stating that "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give you" (Jn 11:22).

In both accounts, neither sinned.  Each questioned why God did not do something.  Each stated or implied that He could have done something.  Yet, neither sinned.  I think that this is key.  There is a fine line between bringing questions to God and questioning God.

When we bring our questions to God, we acknowledge that we do not understand.  We state that we are frustrated, angry, heart-broken, confused.  However, we acknowledge the power that He does possess and can use.  In both of these accounts, God restored life.  In Job, God restored a man back to a place of physical health and provided for him a new family and new possessions.  In John, Jesus, God's Son, raised Lazarus from the dead and thus restored the physical life of a dead man. 

Stating that God "could have" done something is not sinful.  However, stating that God "should have" done something is sinful.  This is because in doing so we take a stance of moral authority over God and claim to know what God "should have" done in a particular situation.  We claim to be in a position of moral superiority to God and state to Him what He should do.

Therefore, questioning God is a matter of our perspective.  When difficulties come, we need to ask ourselves whether or not we will remain true to God, placing our faith in His Son and in Him, or if we will choose to question Him and His motives.  Stating that God "should have" done something is always sinful. 

As difficulties come, bring your questions to God.  Pour out your heart before Him.  Let Him know that what has happened hurts and has left you confused and wounded.  Then remember the examples found in Scripture of Job, Mary, and Martha.  State emphatically that God is God and that He alone knows what is best in a given situation.  Job's unwillingness to do this eventually brought a rebuke from God (Job 38-39).  We can choose to be different.

Choose today to remember the difference between "could have" and "should have" statements.  It will make a difference in your attitude and faithfulness toward your Creator.  Make sure that your questions to God are not questioning God.

Joshua

I am a Whore

Singer and songwriter Derek Webb wrote in his song "Wedding Dress" that:

"I am a whore I do confess
But I put you on just like a wedding dress
and I run down the aisle
and I run down the aisle
I'm a prodigal with no way home
but I put you on just like a ring of gold
and I run down the aisle to you."

Scripture teaches that the Church is the bride of Christ.  As a member of the Church, I, too, am apart of the bride of Christ.  Yet, just as a wife can be unfaithful to her husband I have been unfaithful to Christ.  Throughout my marriage to Christ, I have often "slept" with the idols of Sports, Careers, Sinful Temptations, and whomever else appeared to be offering a satisfying albeit temporary gratification.  Each time I did so I committed spiritual adultery.

In the book of Hosea, the prophet Hosea is asked to go and to marry a prostitute named Gomer.  Gomer is a woman whom has spent her life sleeping with men for money.  Once married, she eventually turns her back on her husband and returns to her sinful lifestyle.  Forsaking the man who has fulfilled her needs of money, a home, food, and clothing, she returns to her former lifestyle. 

Yet, Hosea is told to remain faithful to her despite her unfortunate decisions.  The point of the story is that Hosea is told to act out physically what has happened to the nation of Israel spiritually.  They have turned from the Living God to worship foreign gods and to participate in idolatry.

The truth is that spiritually I have done the same.  "I am a whore" and "I do confess".  I am the one whom has turned from Christ at periods in my life for the pursuit of worldly pleasures that so easily satisfy.  Yet, it is Christ whom has been that faithful groom.  It is He whom has been perfect to me.  The beginning of the song begins from the perspective of Jesus when it says:

"If you could love me as a wife
and for my wedding gift, your life"

God has asked you and I to be a perfect bride and present to the groom as a wedding gift your life.  Each of us has sinned and turned from Christ.  I don't need to ask you if you, like me, are a "whore". Each of us has turned from God and pursued someone else.

The question for you now, though, is: "Will you put Him on just like a wedding dress?  Will you run down the aisle?  Will you put Him on just like a ring of gold and run down the aisle?"

I pray that you do.

Joshua

Casting Stones

Recent political coverage is all abuzz about the news of Republican Vice President Sarah Palin's 17 year old daughter Bristol and her announcement that she is 5 months pregnant.  Her pregnancy occurred out of wedlock and she plans to now marry her boyfriend, the baby's father.  Critics claim that Sarah Palin's pro-life stance and belief that only abstinence programs ought to be supported did not work out so well for her. 

Screaming for sex education, they insist that all high school teenagers ought to be taught proper procedures for protecting themselves from STD's and unwanted pregnancies.  They also insist that Bristol's mistake is yet another case of a conservative's "holier than thou" message of abstinence and that it does not work.  It is hypocritical and judgmental.

However, for all of the fuss, one thing needs to be understood.  There is a difference between defining a standard of morality and actually living up to it.  All people are guilty of making a mistake and not living up to what they know are the right norms of behavior.  Each of us agree about many, many forms of social and behavioral norms and yet each of us has also fallen short of our own standards.  It's the difference in standards that ought to be discussed not the lack of one's ability to abide by them.

The Bible, of course, has a term for such behavior - it's called "sin".  Sin is the transgression of God's laws and the breaking of His moral code.  It's the outright refusal, denial, and inability to live up to a standard of excellence that only God Himself has kept perfect.

In John 8, Jesus meets an adulterous woman whom has been brought to Him by self-righteous religious leaders (scribes and Pharisees) who claim that she has been caught in the very act of adultery.  Asking Him if they ought to stone her for breaking the Law of Moses, Jesus turns to them and replies, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (Jn 8:7)

Yet, each of them turn away from Him unwilling to cast a stone at her.  Recognizing these actions, Jesus asks her who is left to condemn her.  She responds, "No one, Lord."  Extending forgiveness to her for her sinfulness, He further states "I do not condemn you, either.  Go.  From now on sin no more." (Jn 8:11)

The key here to proper interpretation is to understand what Jesus said to her accusers.  Notice that He did not say, "Let he who has not committed adultery be the first to throw a stone at her."  Instead, He says "He who is without sin".  Wow.  Big difference.  Jesus calls attention to the fact that it is your standard of judgment that is important. 

We can all find people whom sin more than we do.  We look at their lives and can point out countless sins and sinful behaviors.  Yet, we often forget our standard.  Perfection.  Jesus' standard was the exact same as God's.  If we want to point sin in another's life, let's learn to examine sin under the microscope of "perfection".

When we do, we will be hesitant to be so quick to yell "hypocrite" and toss stones at another.  Instead, we will also be quick to see our own imperfections and turn to God in mercy crying "Be merciful to me, the sinner!" (Lu 18:13)

Joshua 

The Pursuit of God

It is an interesting thing to ponder the pursuit of God.  If God exists, does He pursue us or are we supposed to pursue Him? 

Position 1:  God Pursues Us.

The first response is that He pursues us.  Thus, it is God's role and ours to make Himself known and to seek a relationship to each of us.  Some nonbelievers, called Atheists, deny the very existence of God and believe that if He exists it is His responsibility to both make Himself known and to demonstrate that He wants us to know Him.  He must pursue us.  Still others, who are believers, share in this idea but from a different angle.  They believe that because of sin only God can pursue us and  instill within us a desire to know Him.  These adherents to a system of interpretation called Calvinism believe that God must pursue us because in our sinful condition.  We are "totally depraved" and incapable of turning from our current way of life.  Therefore, we cannot seek and pursue God until He first enables us to do so.

Position 2:  We Pursue Him.

The second response to this question is that we are responsible for pursuing God.  It is my responsibility to desire, seek, and ultimately determine if God exists and how He can be known.  Thus, the responsibility lies with us.  We are fully in control and fully responsible for the actions we choose.  Adherents to this belief appeal to doctrines of Free Will and verses which speak of the individuals responsibility to turn from their current pursuits and instead seek God instead.

While both positions make good points, I believe that each touches upon an aspect of the truth that is one complete without elements of the other.  It is certainly true that God is responsible for revealing Himself to us.  He does this primarily through His Creation and through His Word.  God reveals Himself through Creation and makes it clearly known that He can be understood by what He has brought into existence (Rom 1:20).  It is also true that God has chosen to reveal Himself through His Word and more specifically the Word made Flesh, Jesus Himself (Jn 1:1-3).  Thus, passages like John 3:16 tell us that God sent Jesus in order that we would not perish and have eternal life.

However, there is a role in Salvation that we are responsible in fulfilling.  It is a role that accepts, receives, and trusts.  It is not a role which earns any credits, merits, or rewards. 

In 2 Chronicles 20, the Judean King Jehoshaphat prays to God asking God to fight for Judah.  Several nations including Moab, Ammon, and some Meunites had come together to wage war against the nation.  Recognizing his own inability to conquer such an enemy, Jehoshaphat states "O Our God, will You not judge them?  For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You" (2 Chr 20:12).  As a result, God does answer his prayer by sending Jahaziel to prophesy comforting words saying "Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's." (2 Chr 20:16).  He goes on to say that God says to the people "You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem." (2 Chr 20:17)

The key here is that Jehoshaphat did do something.  He sought and pursued God.  Yet, God had been pursuing His people all along.  Thus, after He saw that the king had taken a position of humility and placed his trust upon God alone, God responded by accomplishing the saving of the people.  Judah's enemies, we read, turn upon themselves and destroy one another. 

God waits for you to pursue Him.  He has been pursuing you from your birth.  He waits to award salvation to all who turn and believe, placing their faith and trust in Christ.  He promises that as we seek Him, He will "allow Himself to be found".  2 Chronicles 15:2 states that "if you seek Him, He will let you find Him."

Our one passionate pursuit in life must be seeking God.  No other can take its place.  I invite you to seek Him from wherever you are in life.  He promises to "let you find Him".  This is because within the pursuit of God is the ultimate fulfillment of everything that you and I were meant to discover in life.

Joshua

Awestruck

I need awe and wonder in my life.  I need to have the sense that there is something out there greater than me, something more important, something more valuable, something more beautiful.  I think the need to be awed and to wonder begins at an early age.

My two sons Will and Andrew each love to pretend.  They love to play.  They grab toy cars, trucks, and airplanes and take take them to places unimaginable.  Couches become mountains.  Chairs become landing pads for airplanes.  Window sills become racing tracks.  Each is an attempt to wonder and use their imagination.

It also doesn't take much to make them awestruck.  A quick trip to the zoo will show them animals never before imagined.  They wonder how the monkey could swing from the trees, how polar bears can swim, how dolphins are capable of jumping into the air from out of the water, or how giraffes could ever be so tall.

However, as we grow older we lose our sense of awe.  We no longer are impressed with simply things.  So, we look for new ones.  We see the world from a moutain top, we imagine the deepness of the ocean, or the vastness of outer space.  Our need to be in awe and to wonder is in grained within us.  We each have a deep desire to experience something which "takes our breath away."

One of the saddest results of our Postmodern world is when a person loses their sense of wonder and awe.  The theory of Evolution teaches that all complex forms of life evolved from simpler forms.  If this is true, and that's all there is to it, what a letdown.  For some reason, such an explanation is unsatisfying to me.  It seems too simple.  I have a desire to wonder, to dream, to obtain a sense of awe when confronted with something greater.

Donald Miller, in his book "Blue Like Jazz" explains that wonder is the greatest form of worship.  When we stand in awe of God, we marvel at who He is and the great things He has done.  I need that.  I think we all do.

Let's make an effort to examine that which presents us with a sense of wonder.  Let's examine the attributes of an all-knowing, all-seeing, all-encompassing God who has chosen to reveal who He is and what He is capable of doing in such as a way as to make us "awestruck".

Joshua

Death is a Violation

Recently at the company I work for, Firestone Building Products, we have experienced the death of several teammates. One was a man whom I had known well, traveled with frequently, and spoken to often. Another was a manager within our IT department, a man with whom I had had less interaction but still had known. Still another was a husband of an employee. Three individuals whom experienced the end of their life through very different situations. Yet, each were unaware of the day and hour by which it would occur. Experiencing death makes us recall and reflect upon life.

There are some in this world who mistakenly claim that "Death is a normal part of life". We live and we die. That's it. We shouldn't expect more. We shouldn't be upset with it. We simply "pass away" and enter into a restful and peaceful place. In fact, our loved one goes to "a better place" and "is free from pain now". Unfortunately, all of these therapeutic statements hide a very basic fact.

Death is an affront to life. Death is an enemy to the living. Death attacks that which we hold most sacred - life. Death is the ultimate end to that which was created to be eternal. It ought to bother us. It ought to grieve us. It ought to anger us. It ought to be painful and hurtful. Our reactions to it are an indication of our understanding of it as an enemy, as THE enemy.

We recognize this but rarely state it as such. Death divides and conquers. It destroys life. It doesn't calmly and collectively ask us for permission or verify that such an event fits in our schedule. It is as violating to us as rape or murder. It takes, ravishes, steals, and brutally takes vengeance upon our lives for the sinful decisions made throughout. It is an enemy to all of mankind. It cannot be quenched and will not be satisfied. Each of us will fall victim to its attack upon us.

In thinking about this, I was reminded of the story of Jesus and Lazarus found in John chapter 11. In it, Jesus hears that his friend Lazarus is sick. Yet, instead of going to him immediately He waits. When He arrives, He meets Martha the sister of Lazarus and has a conversation with her which is recorded in verses 21-27. It states:

Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."

I learned 2 primary things from this passage:

1. It's O.K. to Grieve.

Notice what Jesus doesn't do.  He doesn't criticize Martha for grieving.  He allows her to do so. Martha was not happy with Jesus and basically tells Him as much. When Martha spoke to Jesus and stated that if He had been there Lazarus would have lived she spoke in frustration (11:21). Notice though that Jesus doesn't chastise her for that. He doesn't say "Why aren't you celebrating his life? What's wrong with you!" No, recognizing her pain He sympathesizes. He doesn't criticize or condemn.  The Bible states that God is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalms 34:18).

Also, Jesus Himself grieves. Later in the story on the way to raise Lazarus from the grave we find that Jesus is overcome with emotion. In the shortest verse of the Bible we read that "Jesus wept" (11:35). Sometimes its appropriate to celebrate. Other times its appropriate to grieve.

2. It's Your Focus That Matters.

However, the most important thing in this passage is to recognize not only what He didn't do but what He did do. So, what does Jesus do? He asks Martha to fix her eyes upon Him.  He is concerned with her focus.  He wants it to be upon Him.  He is the Resurrection and the Life. He is the One whom has the power over death and demonstrates it her shortly thereafter. He is also the One who one day will die on a cross and be raised again three days later.

This is why His resurrection is so significant. This is why we can have hope. This is why Jesus alone is both Lord and King. He alone has risen and eternally lives. God cannot die. He is often referred to as the "Living God". Neither could Jesus. The grave could not hold back divinity. He alone is capable of such a feat and in Him alone is our ability to do the same. In Him, we have life. Apart from Him we cannot. It is this Jesus who triumphed over death.

Death is a violation to that which was created. It is not simply "unfortunate" and it is not simply "a normal part of life". It is a violation. It is an affront. It is a judgment laid upon the guilty. Yet, it is not the end. Jesus pointed this out to Martha. He asks her to focus on Him. He wants us to realize the same. "Do you believe this?" (11:26) He asks her.

My question for you is the same, "Do you believe this?" Do you believe that He alone has conquered sin, death, and the grave? If so, place your trust and confidence in Him. Place your faith upon His finished work and live accordingly.

Fix your eyes upon Him, the author and perfecter of our faith.  He is the King whom has already conquered Death, our ultimate enemy.

Joshua

Yardsale Theology

As you get older, strange things become hobbies.  Recently, my wife has begun to really, really, get into yardsales.  These garage sales are often publicized events where an entire neighborhood gets together and chooses that on a particular weekend, all who are interested will hold individual garage sales in order to enable them to get rid of the things they don't need and maybe make a few dollars. 

Garage sales and yard sales are a fascinating thing to watch.  They are even somewhat interesting to organize and run.  Recently our neighborhood had their annual garage sale and for the very first time we particpated.  Debbie spent all week preparing for this event.  She determined what would be sold, she made prices for each item, she organized it, and set everything up.  It was scheduled for a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

People came throughout the day.  Many just looking.  Some haggling the price over a $3 item.  I don't know.  Maybe that's just "garage sale etiquette".  I know that in foreign countries sometimes its considered an insult not to try to haggle the price but in a garage sale over a $3 item?  I guess I just wasn't prepared for that.  Anyway, it amazed me what people found important!  What they were willing to buy if the price was cheap enough.  They bought old clothes and old books and old decorations.  Things we considered junk!  Yet, if the price was right they were willing to buy.  Everyone was just looking for a bargain and everyone came with a unique perspective, finding value in the things we intended to throw away or haul off to the Salvation Army.

Then a thought occurred to me.  Value has to be placed upon an object by something outside of it.  Seems obvious but when you stop and think about it is quite profound.  While I never found some of the items valuable at all, others did.  They saw the piece of junk, the "trash" that we had, as valuable and important.  They envisioned it sitting in their living room, theif book shelf, or their closet and suddenly it was valuable to them.

I think the same is true with God.  He loves "yard sales" too.  He sees within humanity a mess of brokenness.   He sees the broken relationships, marriages, frailties.  He sees the sinfulness, the blemishes, the imperfections, the filth that exists.  Yet, He envisions what life would be like when you and I are apart of His kingdom.  He sees us on His bookshelf or within His closet.  He desires to bring us into His home and to make us His own.  He also wants to clean us up and realizes that in order to make us fit for life with Him He needed to send a Savior so He sent Jesus.

Moreover, God saw value, meaning, and purpose in your life.  He looked into a "gigantic yardsale" on earth and saw value in what others could not.  Then He did the unthinkable.  He reached into His pockets and made an offer.  Yet, instead of bargaining with the seller, He paid the full price.  He offered to buy the very thing that others could not and that others rejected and saw as worthless.  He paid an unthinkable price for what appeared to be so void of meaning, purpose, value, and use. 

He offered Life for that which was lifeless and He sent One with a very simple message that "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies" (Jn 11:25).

He offers Eternal Life as payment for your own. 

Joshua

Fear Before the Fall

On Sunday, my son's Sunday School class gave to him a coloring sheet with the words of Psalm 139:14 written on it.  It simply said "I am fearfully and wonderfully made."  I began to think about the notion of fear.  What does it mean to be "fearfully" made?  What is fear and where does it come from?  Moreover, I began to wonder when fear began.  Is it an emotion that has always existed?  Am I born with the capacity to fear or is it a product of my environment?  Where exactly did fear first begin?  And then an additional question came to my mind, "Did fear exist before the Fall?"

Its an interesting question to ponder.  I'm not sure I'm fully resolved on the issue.  The Bible does not state whether Adam and Eve feared prior to the Fall or not.  Did they fear being harmed by animals?  Did they fear their Creator?  Did they fear one another?  I'm not sure.  We are not told.  What we are told is the encounter that occurs just after the Fall of Mankind in Genesis 3:8-10:

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the cool of the day and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.  Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"  He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." (Gen 3:8-10, NASB)

A couple of quick observations here.  Adam and his wife hid themselves from the "presence of the Lord".  Clearly, prior to this point, they were not fearful of Him.  They had no reason to be.  Now that they had disobeyed, something inside of them clicked and they suddenly experienced the emotion of fear.  God asks a rhetorical question and one that He knows the answer to - "Where are you?"  However, I think He asks it to point out to Adam and Eve that something in their relationship to Him has changed.  They are not acting as before.  They now "know" good and evil and have chosen evil.  Thus, they stand guilty before God and are afraid.  Not just a little afraid either for he says "I heard the sound of You".  Therefore, just the sound of God made him run.  He darts into the woods like a deer running from on-coming traffic.  He is afraid and states as much "I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself".  This completes the circle.  God points out that something has changed and they are acting unusual.  Adam confirms it in his reply to God and in his reasoning for why he hid himself.

All of these things do not "prove" that fear did not exist before the Fall.  However, it does make a strong case for it and is convincing in my mind.  Here's the important thing though.  If it is true that fear is apart of our human sinful nature that was given to us from birth as apart of the Fall then it is also true that fear was given to us to turn us back to God.  God knew that the emotion of fear would be a necessary part of conviction.  We need to fear that which is greater than us.  Proverbs 1:7 states that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction." 

Fear is a necessary part in understanding who God is and who we are not.  Fear, if properly understood, should draw us back to God and create within us a desire to come clean before God, to be "naked" once again before Him, to know that we have not lived up to His standards and like Adam and Eve have sinned and turned from His commands.  Fear teaches us that we are not invincible.  We do not posssess all wisdom and knowledge.  We cannot protect ourselves from all that is in the world.

Yet, we can turn to a Savior given to us by a God who also promised as much at this point in history.  God prophesizes that One will come to bruise the serpent's head (Gen 3:14).  This One to come will be Jesus and in Him all fear from God can be removed.  Their can be no fear in love (1 Jn 4:18).

Joshua

Jesus Loves Me

Jesus loves me this I know,
So why do I so often show?
A life of sin, which turns from Him,
A sickening thought, an evil grin.

For the Bible tells me so,
So why do I not read it and know?
How God is love and I am not,
How Jesus came and cleansed each spot.

Little ones to Him belong,
So why do I so often wrong?
The ones He loves and wants to feed,
And hurt the ones He wants to lead.

For they are weak and He is strong,
So why do I not rest upon?
His loving arms and still attempt,
To finish that which He was sent.

Joshua

Just Thinking

If I could look into the past,
I’d see a child who’s growing fast.
A life of promise, full of joy,
A hope of future, a baby boy.

If I could look beyond the now,
I’d question what and wonder how,
A life of promise, which has became,
A realized dream, a brand new name.

If I could look into the past,
I’d see a child who’s fading fast.
A child of sin, who oft’ annoy,
A question mark, a baby boy.

If I could look beyond the now,
I might reflect and wonder how,
My life had come to be the same,
A failed attempt, the same old name.

If I could look into the past,
I’d examine decisions and find at last,
A life that sought, and finally took,
A Savior saved, a Holy book.

So should I look beyond the now?
And focus on the when and how?
Or should I see and focus on,
The God I love and not beyond.

Joshua

My Devotions (Lev 21-23)

Here are some things I learned through these passages:

1. It is possible for a priest to “defile” himself (21:1).
2. It is permissible to defile yourself to protect another (21:3).
3. Priests can marry if she has not been a prostitute (21:7); divorced (21:7) and a virgin (21:13).  Here again we see a significance between sexuality and spirituality.  The two are related in some sense in God’s eyes and should not be taken lightly.
4. If a priest’s daughter has sex outside of marriage, she profanes her father (21:9).
5. All sex outside of marriage is considered harlotry.  God has called His people to be separated unto holiness.  Sex outside of marriage defiles the Godly man or woman (21:7).
6. Men with defects including being blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, having a broken hand or foot, defects of the eye, skin, testicles or other defect makes a person imperfect physically and therefore unable to serve as a priest (21:16-21).
7. Your gifts to God can profane God’s name (22:2).
8. Unclean people are not to touch holy gifts given to God (22:3).
9. Unclean priests cannot eat the holy gifts (22:4).
10. You can sin, profane the name of God, and die because of your unwillingness to obey God’s commands concerning the proper giving of holy gifts (22:9).  This is because once a gift is given to God, it’s His.  Once it’s His, it’s holy.  Therefore, anyone who touches or approaches and defiles that which is holy is guilty and sins.  Sin leads to death.
11. A priest could own slaves (22:11).
12. God required flawless animals for sacrifice.  They had to be a male without defect (22:19).  This was certainly a foreshadowing of God’s own perfect gift, in the form of a man, Jesus Christ on the cross. 
13. Such a gift that was both male and perfect would be “accepted” (22:21).  Thus, these animal sacrifices were acceptable but ultimately only Jesus would be an acceptable sacrifice for sin.
14. You could not offer to God a sacrifice that had been given to you from a foreigner.  God desired that that offered up to Him as a food offering be from Israel (22:25).  This, too, is symbolic of Christ who in order to be the Messiah had to come through a perfect blood line.  He had to come through the line of David.  He could not be a foreigner.
15. God has a “liturgical” calendar which includes ordained, ceremonial feasts such as the Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and several others (Chapter 23).

Joshua

What is a Lie?

What is a lie?  Is it simply not telling the truth?  Certainly it does mean this but is that it?  What does it really mean to tell a lie?  Lying is the conscious act of disorting reality by stating that something corresponds to reality when in fact it does not.  When a person lies, he or she states a reality that is not true.  For example, if my two year old son Will stated that he did not hit his younger brother and yet I saw him from across the room do the very thing he is denying then he has told a lie.  He wants me to believe that the truth is that he did not hit his younger brother.

So, why is this so dangerous?  Why is it so sinful?  Think about this for a moment.  When you and I tell lies we distort what is true and what corresponds to reality.  In essence, we "play God" and proclaim that something is true when in fact it is not.  God created the world in 7 days.  Each day He spoke and things happened.  When God speaks, He only speaks what is true and He dictates reality through His very words.  Because God Himself is Truth, He Himself is the ultimate correspondance with truth.  He is the ultimate source of it.

As such, when you lie you state that you are a source of truth and that God is not.  When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, Satan approached Eve and stated a lie by saying that "you will surely not die" (Gen 3:4) when you eat of this fruit but rather you will be like God knowing good from evil (Gen 3:5).  It was true that by eating the apple that they would know good from evil.  It was not true that they would not die.  In fact, stating this was stating the very opposite of what God had said would happen.  God had told Adam and Eve that they would die (Gen 2:17).

This is also why God's allowing man to name the animals was such a powerful thing.  God gave His authority to name the animals.  Genesis 2:19 states "Out of the ground the Lord formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name."  (NASB - emphasis mine).  Adam evoked God's authority by naming the animals.  Whatever name he gave to them became reality.  Adam, in a sense, created truth in his naming because God allowed him to do so.  God gave to Adam a gift and an authority from Himself.  Yet, Satan used that gift and the image of God that Adam had been created in to turn it against him.  He did so by lying and stating to Adam that there was an additional source of truth - him and that Adam himself could define truth if he would simply question God.

Therefore, Satan's sin was to claim that He and not God was the source of authority.  He wanted Adam to belive that his statement was really truth and it, not God's, truly corresponded to reality.  It is for this reason that Jesus called Satan the father of all lies and the Pharisees by that same description.  Each attempted to create reality through their words.

A modern day example of this is advertising.  Why is advertising so powerful and yet often so deceptive?  Because advertisers know that often "perception is reality".  If you think that their product can do certain things, you will believe it.  If the incredible new stain remover appears to be able to remove any stain then that perception becomes true.  The image is implanted and reality to the consumer is that this product can do it all!

Such techniques as false advertising are illegal for that very reason.  They offer suggestions that do not correspond to reality.  The same is true with lying.  It is a defiant, unholy, and wicked attempt to usurp the authority of God and to claim that there is another source of truth in this world - yourself.  You have the ability to be God.  You can define what is true.  You live by the model that "that may be true for you but not for me." 

Truth is singular.  It is not negotiable.  It is therefore not determined by human beings.  Only God is the true source of all truth and only His truth ultimately corresponds to reality.  Remember this the next time you are attempting to lie and instead tell the truth.  It is what it is and it was created by Almighty God.

Lying is the ultimate expression of a life turned against its Creator.  I pray that God will forgive me for the times in my life in which I have willfully done this.

Joshua