Lord, are there just a few who are being saved? (Luke 13:23)

 Lord, are there just a few who are being saved? (Luke 13:23)

Biblical context is an interesting thing. A word should be understood in its paragraph, and a concept needs to be understood against the backdrop of the book of the Bible. A theme can find its context in the Bible as a whole. There can be geographical context; chronological context; or context of theme.

And so our verse, where the disciples ask, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” should be answered carefully. Certainly the opposition against Jesus seemed formidable, such that conversions would be difficult. Misunderstandings of Jesus did abound. And, when God had saved from judgment in the Old Testament, Peter would later write that only “a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water” (I,3:20). 

Earlier in the same chapter, Jesus speaks of the small mustard seed which later abounds, or the hidden leaven, which eventually leavens all the dough. In light of those references, “few-ness” should not be surprising, nor distressing.

Later in the same chapter, Jesus mentions “the narrow way,” also mentioned in Matthew 7’s later part of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew says, “few there be who find it.” That seems a bit more discouraging.

But God has always started out with just a few. Think of Abraham, son-less for years. Moses later says, “It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples (Dt 7:7). Or God winnows down His people to a remnant: “When they were few in number, of little account, and sojourners in it,” Ps 105:12 (ESV) 

God says to Paul in unfriendly Corinth: “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; ¹⁰ for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” Acts 18:9-10. He says to His disciples, “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. Jn 10:16

We seem to be at a point in the West where the growth of the church is stunted. Oh, there are churches that grow, though I am not one to put much stock in market-driven growth, but am glad when the Gospel finds hungry hearts and draws crowds. My point is that we should not be discouraged. What we must be is diligent in sharing the Gospel, in sharing Christ.

Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them? (Luke 9:54)

“Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” (Luke 9:54)

As the pressure mounts in Jesus’ ministry, both from people’s expectations and the religious leaders’ opposition, the disciples are trying to discern how to posture themselves. They struggled to provide right answers, but often they got it wrong. They tried to express great faith, but often wrongheaded. And that’s what we have here.

A group of Samaritans did not properly honor Jesus. Never mind that Peter, just previously, had put Jesus on the same plane as Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration. But Jesus is no mere man, and Peter is rebuked from heaven. Or, the disciples approach Jesus and ask for special honors in the coming kingdom. This pays little regard to the price that Jesus will pay to redeem their sorry souls (and ours) from the penalty of sins, theirs and ours. You see, we are much more keen to point out the sins of others rather than our own, and when we notice the Samaritans failing to show honor, we seem completely blind to the ways in which we have done the very same thing.

And so the disciples, in the voice of the young “sons of thunder,” James and John, ask the question in our title: “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” And Jesus answers, “No.” He said “No.” It is not our job to command fire from heaven to consume Jesus’ adversaries, or ours.

The truth is, “fire from heaven” is what we all deserve. Every single one of us. The distinctions that we make between our sins the the sins of others are indistinguishable when we stand in the light of God’s holiness and at the bar of His justice. Condemnation is what we deserve. All of us. And so for us to even think that we might call God’s fire down on someone else is to completely miss the point of who God is as holy, and who we are as sinners.

Being saved by grace through faith does not change the equation. Saved sinners are not all of a sudden qualified to mete out God’s justice on those not-yet-saved. Rather, we are to be those who smell like the Gospel, and not reek of self-righteousness. We are to be those who love, not specialize in showing disdain. Yes, there are people with whom we disagree. And we, like Jesus, love them anyway.

Of all the questions recorded in the Bible, I think this is one of the critical questions. Should we call down fire from heaven? The answer is “No.” It comes not from the Spirit of God, but from some other spirit.

Planting with Hope

Planting with Hope

On our re-visit to the Pacific Northwest, Jane and I circled down and around to the Olympic rain forest and the hiking trail by the Quinault Lodge. We read the story of its construction back in 1926. The whole structure was framed from June to August of that year. They put a rush on it.

But not everything was rushed. There was a picture of the original structure, brand new, with a bare front yard. The three trees in the picture above were planted four years later, in 1930, or 93 years ago. They now tower above me, and I can only guess how deep and high they go.

What catches my interest is that the people who planted them had no hope of ever seeing them reach this height. They planted in hope, but a hope that they would not personally experience. They did it for others. They did it for the future. It was not for themselves.

There is an interesting story told in Isaiah about the end of Hezekiah’s life. God had delivered him from the horde of Assyrians that were knocking on the door of Jerusalem, and then a terminal disease, from which he was given another fifteen years of life. God answered prayer in both those cases. But when the Babylonians came knocking, Hezekiah opened the storehouse doors and showed them everything. Isaiah then told King Hezekiah that these Babylonians would carry these treasures away to Babylon, along with several of Hezekiah’s sons. Hezekiah’s answer? “Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “For there will be peace and truth in my days” (Isaiah 39:8).

Unlike those who planted the trees, Hezekiah was only concerned with “peace and truth” in his days, during his lifetime. He wasn’t concerned for the future of his sons, nor for the future of the nation over which he reigned.

We plant seeds for the future. We don’t know what is going to grow, or how big, or how tall. Maybe a good number of the seeds will come to nothing at all. But we can be assured that unplanted seeds will certainly produce nothing at all.

We are not growers of trees or birthers of new Christians. We are not builders of Christ’s church. Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Mt 16:18); and as Paul said, some of us plant and some of us water, but it is God who gives the growth (1 Cor 3:6-7). May God be pleased to bless our efforts with new believers who are towers/trophies of grace.

Once in a Blue Moon

 Once in a Blue Moon

Do you ever sit and stare at the moon? It is much better than staring at the sun, and who has that much time during the day? But in the evenings, or late at night, just to behold it - well, it’s beautiful.

Last Wednesday, a week ago from now as I write, we had what they now call a “supermoon.” Super moons are larger than others, but they are all the same moon. And, that same moon is always the same size, except it looks bigger when it is closer. It was closer last week, big, pregnant, and beautiful with its golden glow. I do not know if there is a scientific standard for designating “super moons.” When I was growing up, I never heard of such a thing, so I think they invented the category more recently. The next super moon, according to some standard, will be September 29.

This particular full moon was also a “blue moon,” that is, the second blue moon of the month (though there are other theories). That doesn’t happen often, because the lunar cycle takes ~29 days. The first full moon must occur very early in the month to catch the second. The next blue moon is May 31, 2026.

Living in Michigan, we may not see a particular super moon or blue moon. It doesn’t mean it’s not there, but it is obscured due tocloud cover. Here is our first pastoral application: just because you can’t see it, or understand it, doesn’t mean it is not true.

Another interesting feature is that the moon produces no light. It should really be a dark spot in a dark sky, and thus invisible. But God so designed the moon with its powdery surface that it reflects the light of the sun. The reflection can be quite bright at times, bright enough to even read the words on the page of a book. It means that either the moon is very reflective, or that the sun, which has slipped below the horizon and cannot be seen, is very bright. Or both.

And, the moon waxes and wanes, depending on how much of it is catching the sun’s rays. No, the whole moon is always there, but only a part of it reflects light, depending how much is peeking at the sun around the dark side of the earth.

So how much to you reflect the Son’s light? Are you highly reflective? Is your “glow” inhibited by cloud cover, and how would you describe that cloud cover? Is it the fault of others, or your own? We are not sources of light, as Jesus is, but we are to be reflectors, unless we are just a black spot in a dark sky, invisible, which would rob the world of a beautiful sight.

Where is He who has born king of the Jews? (Matt. 2:2)

 Where is He who has born king of the Jews? (Matt. 2:2)

I listened from a distance to last night’s Republican presidential debate. What would it have been like if Jesus had been there?

First of all, Jesus doesn’t share the stage. He is the stage. Remember the Mount of Transfiguration? Jesus took Peter, James and John, and then appeared Moses and Elijah. Peter chose to break the silence, and break it he did. He suggested that they build booths, or, for our “stage” setup, give podiums to each of them, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. This great idea was interrupted by this: Matt. 17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” In other words, Peter, “Quiet!” I would have liked to see the bright cloud a couple of times last night.

Or do you remember when Jesus was arrested? The gang of soldiers came from the chief priests, and Judas was to do the identifying. I have never understood why simple finger-pointing would not have worked instead of kissing. It just seems to me like a double offense. Here’s what happens next: John 18:4 “So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. 6 So when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.” That’s what I would have like to have seen. The one anointed and appointed for the position speaks, and everyone else falls to the ground. Now that would be a good presidential debate.

We are not going to get any help on the presidential front. I suspect we may find ourselves told to vote for unacceptable options. It is not that there are no individuals who are up for the job. They just may not be on the ballot. And, God can work all that out.

We are not going to get any help on the presidential front. I suspect we may find ourselves told to vote for unacceptable options. It is not that there are no individuals who are up for the job. They just may not be on the ballot. And, God can work all that out.

But the title above isn’t about presidents. It is about kings. And kings are not about elections. They inherit the throne, and there is no higher throne than the one upon which sits the Son of God, identified in the last passage as “Jesus the Nazarene.” If Jesus is King, and if He is ruler of all, acknowledged or not, then how should I respond to Him? Let’s just use the answers from above. First, it is not so much about what you think, or, these days, feel. It is what Jesus says. That is, as the voice from cloud said, “Listen to Him!” We are to be excellent listeners. Also, we should bow before Him. Don’t wait to be knocked to the ground. Do it now. Worship the King.

Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? (Zechariah 3:2)

 Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? (Zechariah 3:2)

We are presented here with a heavenly scene. Poor Joshua stands accused by Satan in the presence the Lord, and Satan can be convincing! It would be similar to a conversation that Satan had with God about Job (who was not present), saying that Job was only faithful because he was blessed. Remove the blessing and Job would turn away from God. Amazingly, God gave Satan permission to afflict him, only to prove Satan wrong.

But in this instance, God stood up for poor Joshua. I call him “poor” because of how he is described: “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments.” He looked like he had been dragged through the mud, with Satan doing the dragging. Priests were to be dressed in white. They were to be clean. Their appearance was to shout out the idea, “righteousness!” Joshua’s condition communicated nothing of the sort.

The Lord asks what I have listed as one of the critical questions of the Bible: “Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” The idea here is that Joshua, in and of himself, is about to burn. But God has reached in to save him. It reminds me of Lot, living in Sodom which was about to be destroyed by fire, being dragged to safety by the angels (Gen 19, our text for this Sunday). It reminds me of Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3) who emerged without even the smell of smoke on them. It reminds me of the Old Testament text about the future ministry of Jesus, “A bruised reed He will not break, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;” (Isaiah 42:3). It reminds me of you and me and everyone who finds salvation in Jesus. “Are we nothing but brands plucked from the fire?”

In Zechariah’s next verse, the Lord commands, “Remove the filthy garments from him,” and goes on to say, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” It reminds me of the old hymn “When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh, may I then in Him be found; Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne.” Dressed in His righteousness, that is, in Jesus’ righteousness. I don’t dress myself up for Jesus. Jesus dresses me up for God, because my best preparations would be inadequate. A newer song says, “When Satan tempts me to despair And tells me of the guilt within; Upward I look and see Him there Who made an end to all my sin.” The next stanza goes on to say, “Behold Him there, the risen Lamb; My perfect, spotless Righteousness.” That’s what Joshua needed. That’s what we all need. And that is all we need, Christ’s righteousness as our own.

How Much is Enough? (Haggai 1:4 NAS95)

How Much is Enough? (Haggai 1:4 NAS95)

Haggai is a post-exilic prophet, that is, he is writing after a portion of the Jewish people have returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian/Persian captivity. It is a remnant, and the homeland is a mess. It is difficult to put things back in order, to resurrect resources and institutions that will allow the people to cooperate and even think about prospering. The most basic needs of food and shelter and defense are a critical challenge. It is easy for people to think most about taking care of themselves.

But then as time goes on, people begin to move from survival to improvement. They look forward to a better standard of living. The processes are working, and they are able to think ahead a bit.

The age-old question applied then, and applies today: how much is enough? At what point does the believer in God - the God who gives and gives and gives - at what point does the believer increase giving at the expense of gaining? I’ve found very few people, including myself, who have worked through that issue enough to be able to give a straight answer.

In Jerusalem, the house of God was still in ruins, though there were people who had “paneled houses.” I do not know enough about construction materials at that time to even know what kind of paneling they were talking about, and what the paneling was covering up. Is God here referring to something extravagant, or just nice, or a bit nicer than nice? We aren’t sure. What we know is that God says that the people are focusing on their own gain and personal enjoyment rather than developing a thriving center for community worship at the temple.

As we seek to apply this today, the “temple” is Jesus and His Body, that is, the Church. It is the community of the redeemed. It is not the church buildings, though local churches certainly benefit from having buildings in which to meet. But if we are to apply the challenge in a new covenant setting, it is the building up of the Body of Christ rather than the building of “me” or “mine.” Certainly family discipleship is essential. But it is also not the totality of the “building up of the Body of Christ.” In fact, if you are not actively engaged in building up the Body, then you are setting a pretty poor example for your family, perhaps a little like enjoying the paneling and ignoring the ruins.

There are always widows and orphans for which to care. There are those who doubt who must be taught; there are those in danger of slipping into grievous error; plenty are still struggling with their sin. They don’t need your paneling. They need your love and ministry.

Who is a God like You? (Mic 7:18 NAS95)

 “Who is a God like You?” (Mic 7:18 NAS95)

This is the second “critical question” that I have chosen from the prophet Micah. As it stands in the title, it is an important question, but when one considers the context, it is even more dramatic.

One could hardly find a more devastating critique of a culture. I have to be honest: there are things here that remind me of what is going on in our world today, and I know there are many places where these things are constant and happen on a daily basis. I invite readers to turn to Micah 7 and read it for yourselves.

It is not just that Micah is pointing fingers at others around him who are the problem. He identifies himself as part of the problem. In v. 9 he says “I will bear the indignation of the Lord Because I have sinned against Him.” But that is not where his statement ends. Confession of sin is but a step in the process toward restoration. Micah continues, “Until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me out to the light, And I will see His righteousness.”

But with all the terrible sin and perversity of which the people are guilty, who could expect God to forgive? It depends upon what kind of God He is. That is our critical question. And we find that He is a God who pardons iniquity: 18 “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?”

We shouldn’t think this is an easy thing, because God is a God of justice. Sins do not simply get swept under the rug. It required an atonement which could only be provided by the death of His Son.

The reason, though, that God is willing to do this is found in the answer to, “Who is a God like You?” Here is the answer in the text: “He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.” He is not like us, who continue to nurse grudges against people long beyond their expiration date.

And then the text gives us some wonderful word pictures of how He handles our offenses: “He will tread our iniquities under foot.” Yes, He will smash our sins in the sidewalk to be swept aside and seen or considered no more. And here is another: “Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea.” For Jewish landlubbers, this is akin to throwing them into the bottomless pit. They are gone.

Who is a God like You? who is marked by such faithful reliability and unchanging love, traditionally known as “full of grace and truth.”

What Does the Lord Require of You? (Mic 6:8 NAS95)

 “What Does the Lord Require of You?” (Mic 6:8 NAS95)

Thinkers and cultures have asked this question throughout human history. We have always had a sense that we owe religious beings something, and are accountable to them. Depending upon how this “god” or “gods” is conceptualized, the answer changes.

But we are not left to the game of “anybody’s best guess.” People and prophets have put themselves forward to claim that they have particular insight into their god(s), and what they demand. We are all dependent upon intuitions or revelations.

As Christians, we have a particular revelation that we depend upon - the Bible, God’s Word. It is unique in that it does not depend upon one prophet, but upon God’s revelation to prophets over the course of centuries and from radically different situations. Further, the Bible attests to itself of its veracity. It explains its inspiration as not from men but from God. Yes, it is accepted by faith, but faith with evidence. And the self-attestation speaks to believers.

So what do we owe the God of the Bible? Yes, He had established a religion with its own liturgy, involving animal sacrifices. But these routines were never ends in themselves, but pointed to something greater, that redeemed people would reflect the character of their Creator and Redeemer in ways that humans were created to do.

Micah 6:8 is a familiar and popular verse that answers this question. The context is specifically about how to please God. Some people have taken this verse as though it is the sum total of all that we owe God. It is not. It is a behavioral summary of how we are to respond to neighbor and to God. But it is one verse in a very large book.

I do not want to discount what this verse says, and I do not believe that many of us, especially in our groups, have obeyed this verse seriously. We tend to be most concerned with justice for ourselves as opposed to people we don’t know. We are better at being kind to people who agree with us. We all have a pride problem, even if we are just a little proud of our humility.

But to take this verse in isolation would imply that a person can be right with God without faith in Jesus Christ. One could belong to any number of religions and espouse these ideals, even while identifying their “god” if very different terms.

But the largest error would be to conclude that I can be “right with God” based upon my own doings, as though what I “owed” Him, I  myself could accomplish. And that misses the largest truth of the Bible, that Jesus paid it all.

O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? (1 Cor 15:55 NAS95)

 O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? (1 Cor 15:55 NAS95)

This quotation at the end of 1 Corinthians 15, the resurrection chapter in the New Testament of the Bible, is familiar, if not a bit opaque. But there is a back story to it, and it is worth telling.

1 Corinthians 15:55 is a quotation of a verse from the Old Testament, from the prophet Hosea, chapter 13. Hosea 13 is all about the northern kingdom of Israel (they had split, north and south, but hadn’t bothered to fight it out like we did in the States). The Northern kingdom was properly called Israel, but they were also known by their lead tribe, Ephraim. 

The spiritual description of Ephraim in Hosea 13 is all negative. They are arrogant and idolatrous, and therefore, God says they will not last long (and, they didn’t). God had been good and gracious to them, and yet they took the glory to themselves and forgot God. As they had been brutal in their rejection of God, God would be brutal to them. 

It is at this point we come to the quotation in the NT. God asks, from where do you think ransom or redemption will come? Won’t death for you be devastating? And it is coming, soon. “O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion will be hidden from My sight.” It is actually an invitation for death to come and do what needs to be done to this people.

Paul, the author in the NT, flips the quote from negative to positive. Because Jesus is risen from the dead, sinners who believe in Jesus, that is, sinners saved by grace, are now in fact delivered from death’s sting and destruction.We don’t have live in fear of death, because Jesus defeated death. Death as a literal, mortal enemy is destroyed. Our best days are ahead of us.

How could Paul take such liberties with the Old Testament passage, to turn it from a huge negative to a liberating positive? He could do so for two reasons. First, he could do so because Hosea 13 is not the last chapter in the book, chapter 14 is. And in Hosea 14, we see God’s heart and compassion come through, even in what looks to be the end for Ephraim. God says to them, “I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from them.”(Hosea 14:4 NAS95). The second reason that Paul can do this is because of what I have already mentioned above. Because of Jesus. Because of Jesus who died rose from the dead. His sacrifice was accepted; His obedience vindicated; and, we are saved. 

I don’t know where you stand with God, but do you think there could be one last chapter from God for you?

A Royal Priesthood

 A Royal Priesthood

In the United States, we may not have much appreciation for with of the terms in the title, things royalty, or priestly. 

In the Bible, the Old Testament priesthood and the kingship were kept separate from each other. Remember the first king, Saul, who stepped into the priest’s role and performed a sacrifice (a priestly function) just before he was to lead the troops into battle (a kingly function). As a result, God removed him and his family from the throne. Less well-known is the case of the king, Uzziah, who stubbornly offered incense despite the protests of the priests, and was immediately stricken with leprosy. The two don’t go together.

Except with Melchizedek, the mysterious king who appears to Abram after the battle with the kings to recover kidnapped Lot. There is no doubt that Mel- is a king (melech is Hebrew for king). He is king of the city that would later be called Jerusalem. And he brings Abram bread and wine, a priestly function.

Samuel is an interesting figure, his tribal identity a bit conflicted, “donated” to the tabernacle after his miraculous birth (not virgin, but barren). He continues to serve after Eli, the priest’s household is removed from service due to corruption. He rules in the days when Israel has no king. There is a strong flavor or “royal priesthood” in this character who, like Melchizedek, prefigures Christ.

And then there is Jesus, who is Prophet, Priest, and King. He is the One who fulfills all three functions, fully integrated, and in a deeper way than every before. He is the One who speaks the Word, but He Himself is the Word; He functions as priest, but He Himself is the sacrifice. He rules as king for the good of the people, so much so that He gives His life for the people. 

And then, followers of Jesus step into this train. We are called by Peter “a royal priesthood.” We are kings and priests. Now let’s be a bit careful here. Everything we do, we do is in submission to Christ. I am a pastor, a shepherd of the flock, but I must always remember (and you should too) that I am an undershepherd, under the Overshepherd. And so we all, who are followers of Jesus, are kings and priests, under His ministry and rule. We are under-priests and under-kings, and we have no authority apart from Him. But yet, the church is called “a royal priesthood.” He has invested us with this privilege that we might be witnesses/doers of justice and peace; of compassion and truth in a world that has so little of any of these things - a little like Melchizedek, and prayerfully, a lot like Jesus.

Is not My Word like Fire, and like a Hammer that Shatters a Rock? (Jeremiah 23:29)

Is not My Word like Fire, and like a Hammer that Shatters a Rock?         (Jeremiah 23:29)

These words from the LORD may sound threatening. I don’t believe they are meant to be so. They are being contrasted with the words of the shepherds, priests, and prophets of Israel who are talking out of their own heads, not speaking the Word of the LORD. Their words are likened to straw.

Rather, God’s Word is effective. Yes, God’s Word is effective in that it convicts of sin. Paul describes his use of God’s Word in this way: 2Cor. 10:4 “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. ⁵ We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” And indeed that can be a painful process in the life of an individual. And yet it is the path to being “a new creature in Christ” (2 Cor 5:17). The point of “fire” and “hammer” in our title verse is not that they are threatening, but that they are effective in bringing about needed change in one’s life. The “straw” of the false prophets, even though preferred by listeners, proves to be useless.

But there is another point for us to apply. The Word of God is effective because it is the Word of God. Christians sometimes think their job is to “burn” people with fiery Bible verses or to “hammer” people with powerful rebukes. That is not the meaning of these images. The Bible simply is powerful. Simply and clearly present the Bible’s teaching to people, and the effectiveness of the Bible will do its own work. We do not need to turn the Bible into a weapon, much less a terrorist tool.

This is similar to images that Jesus uses in the sermon on the Mount immediately after the Beatitudes, that Christians are to be salt and light. Some Christians interpret this to mean that they are to go about spitting in someone’s eye with salty spit, or to “light up” someone with a condemning remark. This cannot be right, since it leads the so-called Christian to abandon the very characteristics that were taught in the previous verses, like meekness and mercy, purity and peacemaking. When Christians behave in this way, they are anything but meek.

No, Christians are simply to be Christians, and the effect will be salt and light as people see and hear the difference in their life and love. And, the Word of God is to be taught and shared, and the very character of the Word of God is effective in and of itself to change lives, having already changed the person who is speaking that Word.

What god is there who can deliver you out of my hands? (Daniel 3:15)

 What god is there who can deliver you out of my hands? (Daniel 3:15)

The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is well-known, found in Daniel 3. These three friends of Daniel are captives in Babylon, and the king, Nebuchadnezzar, has not yet been humbled  by God. He has built a statue in honor of himself and is commanding that everyone assemble and bow to it on signal. The three young men have refused, and now they are being given their last chance:

Dan. 3:15 “Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”

The story is highly stylized and polished, and the repeated references to musical instruments and fiery furnace indicates that Nebuchadnezzar was conditioning the people to respond to his whims as though they were lab rats or Pavlov’s dogs. But not all the rats and dogs were complying.

We are all conditioned in certain ways, even to the point of being conditioned to resist being conditioned, or not. We live by patterns much of the time. But these boys were not having it. They stood against the authorities and the compliance of the masses, and they stood for their faith for their God.

Dan. 3:16 “Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. ¹⁷ “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. ¹⁸ “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

The one, living and true God is able to deliver. He does it in different ways and at different times, though He has done it chiefly in the gift of His Son to die on the cross and rescue us from ourselves and this world system that has only temporary blessings to offer. God’s deliverance may be temporal, evidenced over the centuries and around the world, but often His deliverance waits for eternity, in which death is vanquished and life is everlasting. Faith in this God allows us to “stand against,” and also to “stand for.”

Can a Man make for Himself gods? (Jeremiah 16:20)

 Can a Man make for Himself gods? (Jeremiah 16:20)

This question in Jeremiah’s prophecy comes at the end of a strong prediction of judgment on the people for their idolatry. Their forefathers pursued false gods, and now the current generation has immersed itself in idolatry even more fully.

But the question stands: Can a man make for himself gods? And the answer is yes, and no.

Of course humanity has delved into idolatry throughout history. The prophets have multiple illustrations of the foolishness of picking out a piece of wood, cutting it in half, burning half for warmth while he fashions the other half into an idol before which he will bow and worship. Over the one half, he roasts a rabbit. Out of the other half, he carves a rabbit and worships it. 

This is clearly a violation of the second commandment, which prohibits the making of a graven image for God. And yet these “craftsmen” would form a god from their own imaginations and depict it in physical form

And so today, we have our material gods formed from human hands, lavishing time and attention upon these objects and, in a real sense, worshipping them. But all of these things will rust, like a car; or leak, like a boat

But it is not only material gods that are a problem. There are also non-material gods, depicted in the first commandment: “Thou shall  have no other gods before Me.” These can be ideas or ideals that we prize above God; philosophies and principles - all of which may be dear to us.

Religious freedom and freedom of speech are among these. Democracy or capitalism might be high ideals. Limited government or fiscal restraint may be highly valued. And these things are not necessarily wrong, just as cars and boats are not necessarily wrong. But they are not to be worshipped. I don’t even like the word “enshrined,” as some of these concepts are described when found in our Founding documents. God is God alone, and He alone is to be worshipped.

Our little verse, Jeremiah 16:20, has been only half quoted. The first half is a critical question: “Can a man make himself gods?” The second half is the reply: “Yet they are not gods!” Contrary to expectation, they cannot deliver or save. They have no eternal value. They are subject to change. Unlike the living God whom we worship.

No More Pronouns!

 No More Pronouns!

I applied for a job recently and was asked if I would agree to only use the preferred pronouns of fellow workers. I said, “No, I’ll go you one better. I won’t use any pronouns at all, and I forbid anyone to use any pronoun to refer to me. And from this moment on, other persons may only refer to the person who is now speaking as Mr. Rabbi.

Now some people are more worked up about pronouns than others, and some people don’t know much about pronouns at all. In Mr. Rabbi’s case, all pronouns are abolished, including “I” and “me;” “we” and “us;” “he” and him;” “she” and “her;” “you,” “it,” “they,” and “them.”

The interviewer asked, “Why do you wish to be called Mr. Rabbi?” I exploded. “The person with whom Mr. Rabbi is conversing must refer to Mr. Rabbi only as Mr. Rabbi. “You” is a pronoun. The person speaking to Mr. Rabbi cannot call Mr. Rabbi “you” That person cannot ask “how are you doing?” It is now prohibited, and if the person speaking persists, the person speaking will soon be looking for another job.

Mr. Rabbi could tell the interviewer was a bit rattled, but the person speaking was a quick study. “Why does Mr. Rabbi wish to be called Mr. Rabbi. Is Mr. Rabbi Jewish? Mr. Rabbi replied, “No, Mr. Rabbi is not Jewish, whether biologically, religiously, or culturally.” But when it comes to how a person wishes to be addressed, does anything matter other than that person’s own personal preferences? It is who Mr. Rabbi feels Mr. Rabbi to be, and who is any other person in the world to object?

The person conducting the interview seemed to understand, though the person conducting the interview seemed unsure that the person conducting the interview would be able to secure the cooperation of other persons, especially those who had already chosen their own alternate personal pronouns, and would be somewhat shocked to find out that those designations were now forbidden.

I said it might be just as well. Pronouns are almost essential to communication, and to do without them makes any conversation terribly ponderous. Plus, in the Bible, there are some pretty cool pronouns, like “Thou” and “ye,” and if God is in favor of pronouns, then maybe we should be as well. And when God addresses Adam and Eve, He says, “of every tree in the garden you may freely eat;” - even God calls people “you,” or he or she, according to how He created them. And so maybe we shouldn’t abolish pronouns, or choose alternate ones, because God already chose some for us.

What Will You Do when the End Comes? (Jeremiah 5:31)

What Will You Do when the End Comes? (Jeremiah 5:31)

“For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth.” (Zephaniah 1:18 NAS95)

Jeremiah is a sad book written by “the crying prophet.” Hard times have come to Judah due to their disobedience, and the consequences will be widespread: “ An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?(Jer 5:30-31)

Is there an end coming? Strange characters used to stand on street corners with a sign that said, “The End is Near.” But that was a long time ago, and evidently, the end wasn’t as near as they thought. And since the end hasn’t come recently, our biases tell us that it is not then likely to come in the near future.

But yes, there is an end coming, though we know not when. Jesus says, “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come (Matt. 24:13-14). That is, Jesus is telling us that His kingdom in this world will have a slow, difficult growth that requires endurance, but will indeed come about, “and then the end will come.” Paul says, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death.” (1Cor. 15:22-26). These words tell us that Jesus is coming again, and that this coming will set up a contest for power in which all enemies will be defeated, cancelled, or abolished, even, finally, the enemy of death. Yes, the end is coming, though most prefer not to even consider it.

I’ve been hearing my whole life that “the big one” is coming for California, an earthquake that will wreak havoc. More recently, we have been warned about climate change that could end life in this world as we know it. Well, “the big one” has not yet come, and life as we know it is still going on. They may be right, or wrong, but it must be admitted that these are but the prognostications of men who are delving in matters much bigger than their own brains.

But when considering “The End,” we are not talking about the predictions of men, but rather the promises of God. He, unlike men, is never wrong, and He does not lie.” He says the end is coming. That means, the end is coming.

Maybe you read a book, a thick one, and you think, “this book will never end.” But, of course, this is only a figure of speech, because every book has a beginning and an ending. This world and its contents, including us, are part of a story, God’s story. We could call it “the drama of redemption.” And that story has a beginning, and it has an end. The critical question is, “What will you do when the end comes?”

Stricken for Me? (June 4, 2023)

 Stricken for Me? (June 4, 2023)

“Striken” is related to the verb “to strike,” the noun form being “stroke.” In our current culture, “stroke” makes us think first of traveling blood clots. But that would be the wrong use. Here it means to hit or beat, with the sense that if the stroke were heavy enough, it would be lethal. It was for Jesus. In His trial, He was beaten and abused, but the “striking” continued with nails in His hands and feet, and a sword in His side. He died.

Isaiah 53 and many references in the New Testament as well give us not only the historical detail that Jesus died, but also the purpose of His death: He died for me. He died in our place, in our stead. It was us that deserved the stroke, the penalty and punishment for our sin. But He stepped into our place. He did this “for us.”

Jesus shared these words in the upper room at the Last Supper, just before He was arrested and crucified: “this is My body which is given for you” (Lk 22:19); and repeated by Paul in 1 Cor 11:24. Also, “This cup which is poured out for you” (Lk 22:20). 

“For” is a funny little word, and the original language gives us a bit more depth. The Greek preposition communicates that what is done “for you” is done “in behalf of you,” or, “on behalf of you.” Which is it? Maybe both.

When Jesus does something “in our behalf,” it means that He is acting, not in His own interest, but in ours. And since in our case Jesus is dying on the cross, and it is clear that He did not deserve to die for His own sins, then He was acting in our interest. He died in our behalf; in behalf of you and in behalf of me.

But Jesus also died “on our behalf,” which is the sense when someone acts are our agent or representative. There is a line from the modern hymn “Before the Throne of God Above” that goes like this: “Before the throne of God above. I have a strong, a perfect plea; A great High Priest, whose Name is Love, Who ever lives and pleads for me.”

So we have a Savior who acted both “in our behalf” and “on our behalf.” We could not do it ourselves. The value and worth of His sacrifice as eternal Son of God is the only sacrifice that could bring about salvation. Our own punishment would have merely eaten us up, eternally. We could not and cannot save ourselves.

So what do we make of this Jesus, and what He has done for us? Here are words of another song: 

“No other King would stand the mockery; Be led to slaughter and refuse to speak; Take up a cross and choose to die with thieves; Take up a cross and give His life for me.” For me. Stricken for me. That’s Jesus.

Content? Yes; Satisfied? No (May 28, 2023)

Content? Yes; Satisfied? No (May 28, 2023)

There was an interesting discussion at the end of a recent sports season whether or not it was a failure for a particular team because they did not win the championship. Remember that there are dozens of teams competing in any given sport, and that only one will be the champion. So for all the losers, discontent and dissatisfaction reign, right? Well, no, and yes.

The Bible clearly teaches contentment. God gives blessings: to some, many; to others, few. But in the light of those blessings, we are to be content, whether many or few. Paul says: “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.”

Contentment seems to mean being at peace with where we are at the moment. It is accepting the lot that God has apportioned at this point in time. Are you in a hospital or some other place you don’t want to be? Can you be content there? If you trust the Lord, you can. It doesn’t mean that we want to stay there, but it is accepting your lot in the moment, even as you pray and work for a different future. 

Part of this contentment is understanding the God shapes our lives, and He intends each and every situation to be a learning and leaning experience for us: to learn Christlikeness and to lean on our heavenly Father. We are content as we learn and lean because we know that God intends it to be good for us.

But satisfaction has more to do with a vision of the future, informed by the promises of God. It has to do with opportunities for service and witness, for investment in eternal things and growth in grace, slow and unseen though it may be, whether in ourselves or in those we disciple. There is a sense in which we will never be satisfied, though content, until Jesus comes again and all things are set right. Paul speaks to this as well, when he says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” He is not satisfied now with what he has accomplished in the past, even though he communes with God in the moment with wonderful contentment. God continues to give opportunities of all kinds, and we dare not waste them.

The psalmist got it right about contentment in the last verse of Psalm 16: “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” The psalmist also got it right about satisfaction in the last verse of Psalm 17: “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.”

Have You not Done This to Yourself? (Jeremiah 2:17)

 Have You not Done This to Yourself? (Jeremiah 2:17)

A phrase used multiple times in the Old Testament goes along the lines, “you will fall into the pit that you yourself have dug.” In these texts, the “digger” intended the pit as a trap for someone else. It is important to remember where you dig your traps.

How many trappers have hidden traps in the woods or along a stream, only to return and become the prey themselves? But this happens to all of us.

I remember a friend on the tennis team in college, a kind and classy guy, who had a great line when his opponent argued about an “out” ball (players were responsible to call lines in their matches). Ken said to his opponent, “Why are you mad at me (for calling it out)? You were the one that hit it there.” We might be angry with a police officer for pulling us over for speeding. But who was doing the speeding? None of our arguments overturn the fact that we ourselves were driving over the posted speed limit. “Have you not done this to yourself?”

When we neglect to pay our bills and find that our credit rating has been cut, “have you not done this to yourself?” When we don’t bother to maintain the car and we face a major repair bill, “have you not done this to yourself?” And we could recount many more instances of stubborn foolishness on our part that produces a result that is entirely predictable, and, we did it to ourselves.

God in His love sent His Son Jesus as the only Savior for our sins. This message is clear, and it has been widely and repeatedly published. And yet many people have given no serious consideration to the greatness of the gift to be received, or the penalty of failing to do so. Someday, there will be a judgment, and I wonder if God will not perhaps use Jeremiah’s line from chapter 2 verse 17, “have you not done this to yourselves.” You yourself rejected the gift. You yourself chose a different way. You yourself will have brought your own condemnation rather than salvation down upon your own head.

Yes, there are many lies and deceptions that abound in the world. You may have been duped by some of them, such as, this earthly life is all that there is, and there is no such thing as eternal consequence. But every funeral you have ever attended says something quite different, and even you yourself, deep down, suspect that it is not true. Or you have heard that church is full of hypocrites, so you don’t go, because you don’t want to hear what you don’t want to hear. And there you go, doing it to yourself.

Nabal and Abigail (Sunday, May 14, 2023)

Nabal and Abigail (Sunday, May 14, 2023)

Not all matches are made in heaven. Or, we might say that not all matches are heavenly. Nabal and Abigail were not cut from the same cloth. Oh, we can say that God must have put them together. And God had Abigail in such a place that she could avert David from his wrath and eventually become David’s wife following the death of Nabal. But they were not alike.

The name “Nabal” comes from the same stem as “foolish.” Names in the Bible often mean something, and whether Nabal’s parents spotted this trait early on, or, maybe it was just a popular name from social media, that’s what they named him. One reference where this word is used is in Proverbs 30:32 "If you have been foolish in exalting yourself; Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth.” Nabal would have done well to put his hand on his mouth.

“Abigail,” on the other hand, means “father of joy,” or perhaps, “source of joy.” How could “fool” and “joy” walk hand in hand? The Bible describes the two of them this way: 1Sam. 25:3 “And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings.”

We had a Nabal and an Abigail in our congregation years ago. They have both passed away now, but the one was mean and ugly; the other was delightful and kind. She loved him and put up with him until he died, and I remember a deacon and myself helping her care for him in the home until he died. She continued on, humble and unassuming, and I still talk to people from time to time that she blessed. No one ever said that they were blessed by her husband.

Why does God allow this? Perhaps it’s a human lesson of what God does for us? We, like Nabal, can get caught up in our own business, forgetting the kindness of others to us and refusing kindness to others in need. We can be all about ourselves. But God is still kind to us, showing up in the midst of our charge toward retribution with roasted grain and clusters of raisins ( cf. 1Sam 25:18) to refresh us and to have us reconsider our course of action. As we come to Jesus, our “old man” is put to death, and we are born into a new life that will have more to do with joy and kindness than with foolishness. We will no longer be all about ourselves, but will step into the lives of others for their blessing.

And in the midst of it, we find a new partnership, a new marriage. Whereas once we were married to that which would threaten to drag us down and drown us, now we are married to Christ.

Last and First (Sunday, May 7, 2023)

 Last and First (Sunday, May 7, 2023)

I’m not into horse racing and I’ve never cast a bet, but the story of the 2009 Kentucky Derby gets me every time. I’ve watched the YouTube of it over and over, and it seems to me to be a wonderful illustration of principle found in the Bible that “the last shall be first.”

“Mine that Bird” (where they get these names, I don’t know) gets crowded coming out of the gate and settles far back, behind the field. The announcer mid-race, calls out the names of the horses, from first to last, and nearly neglects to even notice Mine that Bird, so far back. The announcer is watching the front of the field as the race approaches its end, and again does not notice this small horse coming up the rail at the end, passing the field and winning by more than six lengths. His voice reveals his surprise. He can’t believe this long-shot horse from the back of the field could actually emerge as the winner.

There was nothing that suggested Mine That Bird had a shot at winning the Derby… The horse was so runty and bland-looking that he had fetched only $9,500 at auction two years earlier. And his pedigree was so unfashionable that his owners castrated him — eliminating any chance of a lucrative post-racing career in the breeding shed — to try to coax better races out of him.

This description reminds me of these words from Isaiah 53: “He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” (Isaiah 53:2–3 NAS95). We understand these words from the Old Testament to be about Jesus, the Suffering Servant, who would die as a falsely-accused criminal for His people, who would be forgiven their sins. He rose from the dead and lives forevermore. He is called “the last Adam,” abut also He is called “the firstborn of the dead;”King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who will reign forever and ever.

The question that we should ask ourselves is this: Is Jesus last in our lives, or first? Many would say that He is somewhere in the middle, but I fear that is not possible. Either you accept Him, or reject Him. He will either be your first love and loyalty, or none at all. And your response to this Jesus will determine your place at the finish as well.