Reflection

Readings for today: Genesis 26:17-27:46, Matthew 9:1-17, Psalms 10:16-18, Proverbs 3:9-10

Abraham. Sarah. Isaac. Rebekah. Jacob. Leah. Rachel. These are the patriarchs and matriarchs of our faith. Men and women we look up to. Examples of faith. Paragons of virtue. Inspiration for millions. Then we actually sit down and read their stories. The bubble bursts. The image shatters. Off the pedestal they fall. Their families are dysfunctional. Full of deceit and greed and a lust for power. Their relationships are broken. Brother against brother. Wives against husbands. Homes in disarray. Reading their stories causes all kinds of questions, doubts, even fears to arise in our hearts. Who are these people? What’s wrong with them? Why do they make such poor choices? Why does God use them? Why are they God’s chosen people and not someone else? We find ourselves sympathizing with underdogs like Hagar, Ishmael, and Esau. What did they do wrong? Why weren’t they chosen? 

Reading the Bible is hard. Reflecting on the Bible even harder. The reality is we all want to keep these stories at arm’s length. We want to externalize these people as if they are not us. As if we do not make the same mistakes every single day. As if our culture is any less evil and immoral. As one friend of mine pointed out recently, moms and dads in our city sell their kids into slavery every single day. We just don’t want to see it. (She works with this population and is an expert in her field.) As much as we look back and want to judge the men and women we read about in the Scriptures, we are no different. We are just as sinful. Just as prideful. Just as prone to jockeying for power, influence, and control. Our relationships are just as broken. We too struggle to forgive. Struggle to reconcile. Struggle to not seek vengeance when we are hurt.  

What makes the Bible so hard to read is that it holds a mirror up to our souls. It exposes our depravity even as it tells us stories of the depravity of the mothers and fathers of our faith. It forces us to come to grips with the fact that all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory and none of us is clean. This drives us to our knees where we do NOT want to be. It drives us to submission. Drives us to surrender. Our only hope is grace. The grace of God. The love of God. The decision God makes to reach down and save us. We don’t like being at the mercy of God. We don’t like being reminded we are not in control of our own destiny. We don’t like the idea that our salvation depends on God’s sovereign choice alone not some fundamental principle of fairness. 

Prayerful reflection on these stories is not complete until we turn our questions inward. Who am I? What’s wrong with me? Where do I struggle with sin? Why do I make such poor choices? Part of this process is allowing the Bible to interrogate us as much as we are interrogating it. Allowing the Word of God to question us as much as we may question it. This is the dialogue God seeks with us when we read His Word. What is God after? Submission. Surrender. He wants us to finally bow before Him and open our hands and hearts to receive His grace. Just like Abraham. Sarah. Isaac. Rebekah. Jacob. Leah. Rachel. This is what set them apart. Their faith. Their fundamental belief that God was able to do all He had promised. May you walk in that same faith today!

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 28-29, Matthew 9:18-38, Psalm 11, Proverbs 3:11-12

Walking with Wisdom

Readings for today:  Genesis 24:52-26:16, Matthew 8:18-34, Psalms 10, Proverbs 3:7-8

 “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” (Proverbs‬ ‭3:7-8‬) 

I think the biggest part of my job as a pastor is helping people learn to walk with wisdom. True wisdom. Godly wisdom. Wisdom that finds it’s source in the fear of the Lord. Too many of us walk according to our own wisdom. We do what is right in our own eyes. We think we know what’s best for us. We do not. The evidence is legion. We are so prone to self-destruction. So prone to self-condemnation. So prone to self-promotion. We are so prone to self... 

This is not new. Hopefully, as you read the story of the patriarchs and matriarchs, you can see how they struggled to walk with wisdom as well. Noah got drunk. Lot chose the wrong neighborhood in which to live. Abraham lied about his relationship with his wife. TWICE! And Isaac makes the same mistake. Things do not get much better. Rebekah is a schemer and teaches her son Jacob all too well. Joseph is arrogant. Moses is insecure. Miriam jealous. The list goes on and on. The men and women of the Bible are just as broken as we are and just as prone to act in their own self-interest. This has been our problem since the beginning. We prefer our own wisdom to God’s. 

Proverbs, however, teaches us a different path. Fear the Lord. Turn from evil. Walk in God’s wisdom and you will find the healing and refreshment your heart is longing for. How many of us woke up tired this morning? Exhausted by the race we are running? How many of us barely got any sleep last night because of the pain we’re carrying? How many of us find ourselves making the same mistake over and over again? Trapped in the same endless loop? How many of us feel depressed? Isolated? All alone? How many of us walk with fear and shame on a daily basis? How many of us - if we’re honest - know our ways are not God’s ways and our thoughts are not God’s thoughts? And what does it come as such a shock to us when the houses we build on sand crumble at the first sign of storm? Why do we keep playing this game? Why are we so bound and determined to do things our own way? Why do we keep putting “Self” at the center of our lives in place of God? 

God wants to heal your pain. God wants to mend your broken heart. God wants to restore the ruins of your life and lift you out of your shame. God has told you there is nothing that will ever come between you and His love. He has set you free in Christ from all judgment and condemnation. He offers you forgiveness and unending grace. His love is steadfast, true, loyal, and unconditional. Trust the Lord! Trust He knows what’s best for you! Trust His Word! Trust what He tells you! Trust His love! He will never leave you or forsake you! Turn from evil. Turn from sin. Turn from self. Turn to Christ! Take His yoke upon you and you will find rest for your souls!  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 26:17-27:46, Matthew 9:1-17, Psalms 10:16-18, Proverbs 3:9-10

Desiring God

Readings for today: Genesis 23-24:51, Matthew 8:1-17, Psalms 9:13-20, Proverbs 3:1-6

 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart...” (Proverbs‬ ‭3:5) This may be one of the hardest things for me to do. Trust in the Lord with all of my mind? Check. I love the life of the mind. I love to learn. Love to read. Love to reflect on the Word of God. Trust in the Lord with all of my strength? Check. I work hard to align my outward life with God’s laws. I believe His ways are the best ways to live. I have no doubt a life lived according to His Word is a truly blessed life. Now please understand I am not perfect in either of these areas. I am as much a sinner as the next person. But where I really struggle is to love God with all my heart. To desire God from the depths of my being. 

We are all creatures of desire. Driven more by emotion than we care to admit. We may think we are primarily rational creatures. Products of a Cartesian worldview whose foundation was built on the axiom, “I think therefore I am” but this is a lie. We mainly live in the back of the brainstem. We react. We respond. Love. Hate. Fear. Lust. Primal emotions seated in the most reptilian section of our brains. We meet someone for the first time and feel attraction. We see an image on television and experience hate. We scroll through our Twitter feed and our blood pressure rises. The world encourages us to get in touch with our emotions. To embrace them. To let them define who we are. The problems with this approach are legion. Rates of depression, self-harm, and suicide are now at historic levels and rising. The amount of vitriol on cable television and social media is overwhelming. The casual way we treat our relationships is tearing the social fabric of our lives apart. People feel more isolated than ever which leads to more pain. As they experience more pain, they isolate further. It’s a vicious cycle with no end in sight. 

For most of my life I have believed the answer lies in the transformation of the mind. Behavioral change flowing from new thought processes we begin in our brains and are held accountable to through relationship. What I am learning is that this approach often fails because it doesn’t touch the heart. One cannot change one’s desires simply by thinking/wishing them away. One cannot change one’s desires through self-discipline. No matter how much we may white-knuckle our sobriety, we simply are not strong enough to resist so we succumb. We give in. And the shame we experience only reinforces and compounds our sin. 

So what’s the answer? Are we left at the mercy of our desires? Are we doomed to ride the roller coaster of our emotions forever? No. The answer is to “trust God with all your heart.” To fan the flames of your affections for God. To invest in your relationship with Him through prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, and mission. Like any relationship, love must be cultivated. Love must be intentionally nurtured. It doesn’t grow in healthy ways on its own and you will not fall more deeply in love with God unless you spend time with Him. As your love for God grows, you will find the other loves of your life reordered. The attractions of your life will begin to change. They will be shaped more and more by God’s desires than your own. In short, you will experience transformation. 

Readings for tomorrow:  Genesis 24:52-26:16, Matthew 8:18-34, Psalms 10, Proverbs 3:7-8

Fear vs. Faith

Readings for today: Genesis 20-22, Matthew 7:15-29, Psalms 9:1-12, Proverbs 2:16-22

Fear is a powerful motivator. Often driving us to do things we wouldn’t otherwise do. Make choices out of desperation rather than faith. Fear drove Sarah to mistreat Hagar and eventually cast her out of the house with her son Ishmael. Fear drove Lot’s daughters to commit incest with their father. Fear drove Abraham to lie about his relationship with his his wife. Fear drives a lot of things in our lives as well. I imagine if we sat and reflected for a moment, we can all think back to choices we’ve made that we regret that were driven by similar fears.

One of the most famous stories in all of Scripture is the sacrifice of Isaac.  It has been the subject of amazing artwork throughout the centuries.  It has influenced the plot lines of famous works of literature.  There is just something deeply (and darkly) compelling about this story for believers and non-believers alike.  An old man taking his son. His only son. The son whom he loves and offering him as a sacrifice. In our minds eye, we can see them climbing the mountain together. Abraham with the fire and knife. Isaac carrying the wood. Along the way, Isaac poignantly questions his father, "My father!" And Abraham said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." You can almost imagine Abraham answering Isaac with tears in his eyes. They get to the top of the mountain. Abraham builds an altar. Binds his own son. Lays him down. Raises the knife. And that’s when God steps in. "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." 

I’ve often wondered what kind of impact this experience would have had on Abraham and Isaac? What impact would this have on their relationship? How often in the years ahead did they look back and reflect on this moment? Did Abraham ever feel the need to ask for forgiveness? Would that have been enough to address the trauma Isaac would have felt? And yet, even their special father/son relationship was not as important to Abraham as his relationship with God. He believed God. He trusted God. He had faith in God. The writer of Hebrews, as he looked back on this story and reflected on Abraham’s faith, says Abraham “considered that God was able even to raise Isaac from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” (Heb. 11:19) No matter what, Abraham knew God had promised him a son. He knew Isaac was that son. He knew the future rested on this son. And he trusted God even when it seemed like His commands put all that at risk. 

Some might argue this whole scene makes God into a monster.  What kind of God demands human sacrifice? Christians know it’s simply foreshadowing. Fast forward a few thousand years and we have another Father and Son having this same conversation in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Son asking the Father if this is truly what the Father commands. If there can’t be another way. One can almost see the Father answer His Son. His only Son. The Son whom He loves with tears in His eyes. So Jesus takes up the cross. Climbs the SAME exact mountain Abraham and Isaac did so many centuries before. Is laid on the altar. The Father raises His Hand - there is no ram to take Jesus’ place - and takes His Son’s life. All to save humanity from our sin. From our fear. 

What are you afraid of today? What’s driving the choices you make? Is it fear of what others might say? Fear of facing the consequences of your actions? Fear of losing something you love? Have faith, friends! Believe in God! Trust God! Honor God! Look to the Cross and consider the great love He has for you! As you fix your eyes on Jesus, you will feel the fears that so often drive us loosening their grip and giving way to faith. 

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 23-24:51, Matthew 8:1-17, Psalms 9:13-20, Proverbs 3:1-6

Priorities

Readings for today: Genesis 18:16-19:38, Matthew 6:25-7:14, Psalms 8, Proverbs 2:6-15

I spend a lot of my week meeting with people over a cup of coffee or glass of wine. We talk about family. We talk about jobs. We talk about school. We talk about the future. We talk about the past. We talk about success. We talk about failure. We talk about life. in almost every case, the conversation eventually comes around to balance. How do we balance all the priorities we have in life? Many of the people I meet with are hard chargers. They have worked hard. Achieved much. They have spouses and children who they love dearly. But they’re struggling because there never seems to be enough time to get everything done. And that doesn’t feel good. So again, how to balance everything? 

I used to believe in balance myself. I tried for years to balance my time with my wife, my four kids, my church family, my mission commitments, seminary teaching, etc. It was exhausting. Thankfully, God sent an older, wiser mentor into my life who shared with me some of the best advice I’ve ever received. “Balance is bogus, Doug.” Balance is bogus? What was this guy talking about? Everyone talks about balance! The whole self-help section at the bookstore is all about balance! But something in what he said struck a chord so I listened. “Balance is bogus because it is impossible - even unfaithful - to try to give everything in your life equal time. If you strive for balance, you will feel like you are always falling short in every area.” That’s exactly how I felt! “The key”, he argued, “is to put Christ at the center of everything you do.” Put Christ at the center of your marriage. Christ at the center of your relationship with your children. Christ at the center of your professional life. “If you do that, you will find yourself becoming fully present to everyone and in everything.” 

This is what I believe Jesus meant when he said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the rest will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) If we put Christ at the center of every relationship and every task, we will find ourselves less distracted. Less tempted to multi-task. And the people we are with will feel more valued. The time spent more fruitful. This results in greater efficiency as the quality of our time/work increases. With this increase in quality comes a corresponding decrease in a need for quantity. We will spend less time in some areas which frees up more time for other priorities. It really becomes a virtuous cycle which deepens every relationship and results in greater impact. 

One quick personal example. When I got to Princeton, I was deeply insecure. I didn’t feel I belonged. I wasn’t worthy of admission to such a prestigious place. Certainly not with my 2.3 GPA from college! HA! So I worked my tail off that first semester. Studied every night. Studied every weekend. Poured all kinds of time and energy and effort into school. My wife felt neglected. I struggled to spend time with my eight month old daughter. It was a rough three months and I didn’t have much to show for it because my grades were average at best. Then I went on Christmas break. Fought with God a bit. Asked Him why He sent me to seminary if it was going to be so difficult. He responded. Challenged me to re-examine my priorities. Follow Matthew 6:33. Put Him to the test. Long story short, I did. I went back for the 2nd semester and only gave Princeton two nights a week and one day on the weekend. The rest of the time I dedicated to family and to ministry in the local church. My grades shot through the roof. My family and I made some great friendships and had some great adventures. The church we served flourished. I even got to volunteer as a chaplain at the maximum security prison. It was one of the best three years of our lives.  

Ever since that experience I have found that when I truly prioritize my life around the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, blessing follows. My life becomes rich and full and deeply meaningful. It’s not always easy but it is always significant because I know the Lord is with me. I trust my labor is not in vain. Friends, what priorities are you pursuing in your life right now? How are you putting Christ at the center? Reading the Bible every day is a great first step! Worshipping God each week is another great step! Asking God to help you find Him at the center of everything you’re involved in is another way to put Matt. 6:33 into practice. Let me encourage you to re-examine your priorities through the lens of Christ. Look at your world through His eyes and then align your life to what you see. 

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 20-22, Matthew 7:15-29, Psalms 9:1-12, Proverbs 2:16-22

The God who Sees

Readings for today: Genesis 16-18:15, Matthew 6:1-24, Psalms 7, Proverbs 2:1-5

It is both comforting and convicting to know we’ve caught God’s attention. He is faithful. Eternally so. His eyes never leave us. His presence never forsakes us. He is with us when we wake. He is with us when we sleep. He is with us at work, at school, at home. There is never a moment that escapes His glance. Never a time when our thoughts or actions are hidden from His sight.  

This is incredibly encouraging when we are suffering like Hagar. A woman who gets caught up in a power struggle between her master and mistress. A woman who’s marginalized. Mistreated. Abused. She runs into the wilderness, fearing for her life. She doesn’t know where she is going only that she cannot remain in Sarai’s household. She is pregnant. Alone. Afraid. But God is with her. He sees her. He meets her along the way. Meets her in the wilderness. Meets her in her desperation. And He gives her a promise. Her son will grow strong and powerful. He will eventually break free from the bonds of slavery. God will bless him. 

This reminder is incredibly convicting when we are engaged in sin like Sarai. A woman struggling with her own fears and failures and shame. She lashes out. She mistreats Hagar though she was the one who put her in this position in the first place. She lashes out at her husband who had agreed to the plan. She even laughs at God when He suggests she will bear a son within a year.

The same God who sees our pain is the same God who sees our sin and thankfully, He meets us with grace. Perhaps you find yourself in pain today. You are suffering. Struggling. The new year has not gotten off to a great start. You feel accused. You feel mistreated. Everything in you wants to run. Get away from it all. Take comfort in the fact that God sees what you are going through and He will look after you as surely as He looked after Hagar. Perhaps you find yourself locked in sin. Thoughts. Attitudes. Actions that you know do not line up with God’s Word. You’ve been battling these demons for years or maybe you’ve simply been content to live in sin. Be warned! God will not be mocked! And He sees everything you do. What you believe to be hidden. What you believe to be secret. The work you’ve done to fool everyone around you is not unknown to God. He sees it all and He is actively at work to bring you to repentance. 

Grace is truly a double-edged sword. It hits us where it hurts and it brings both comfort and conviction. Will you receive the grace of God today? Will you turn and meet the gaze of the “God who sees?”  The God is faithful to look after us in our sin and in our suffering? 

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 18:16-19:38, Matthew 6:25-7:14, Psalms 8, Proverbs 2:6-15

The Stakes are Eternal

Readings for today: Genesis 13:5-15:21, Matthew 5:27-48, Psalms 6, Proverbs 1:29-33

Getting a late start today. Might be a pattern on Sundays so let me apologize in advance. Today’s reading includes one of the most profound scenes in all of Scripture. God has made a promise to Abram. He will have a son. Even in his old age. His family would eventually grow so numerous, they would outnumber the stars in the sky. This is heady stuff for an octogenarian ancient near east patriarch with no children of his own. But Abram believes God. He is fully confident God is able to do what He has promised. And because Abram has faith, it is credited to him as righteousness. 

God, however, isn’t done. He seals His covenant with an elaborate ritual. Abram is to get a heifer, goat, ram, turtledove and pigeon. He cuts them in half - except for the birds - and lays them opposite each other in a line. This creates an aisle of sorts down the center. The vultures swoop in, attracted by all the blood, but Abram drives them off. Eventually the sun sets and Abram falls asleep. In the darkness, this marvelous thing takes place. A smoking firepot and flaming torch pass through the pieces. God manifesting Himself as light in the darkness. He comes to Abram who remains asleep, essentially sealing His promise with an oath. If God were to ever break covenant with Abram, He would become like the pieces of the animals on the ground. If God were to ever fail to uphold his covenant, He would have to die. 

This is remarkable for several reasons. First of all, in the ancient near east it is always the lesser party who walks through the pieces. It is Abram who should be putting his life on the line. Second, this covenant ceremony is completely one-sided. Abram is asleep! No matter what Abram does, God is binding Himself to him and his descendants forever. Third, by choosing to walk through the pieces, God essentially is telling Abram He will cease to exist should any of His promises fail. This is a foreshadowing of what will take place on the Cross where God does indeed make Himself like the animals on the ground. His body broken. His blood shed. All for you. All for me. There literally is no story like this in any other religion on earth. No other religious faith believes in a God who is so radically faithful. This is what sets our God apart. And we love Him for it. 

Fast forward a few thousand years. The Apostle Paul is preaching the gospel all over the Mediterranean. Gentiles are coming to faith in huge numbers and he’s trying to process the fact that the Holy Spirit is being poured out on non-Jews. He turns back to this story. He realizes that the children God promises to Abram are not just flesh and blood but children by faith. Abram’s descendants do indeed outnumber the starts in the sky because literally billions of people down throughout history have placed their faith in the God of Abram who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 16-18:15, Matthew 6:1-24, Psalms 7, Proverbs 2:1-5

The Pride of Humanity

Readings for today: Genesis 11-13:4, Matthew 5:1-26, Psalms 5, Proverbs 1:24-28

 "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth." (Genesis‬ ‭11:4‬)

It makes perfect sense. The children and grandchildren and other descendants of Noah walked off the ark into a strange, new world. A world that had radically changed. A world that must have seemed so foreign. Everything they once knew was gone. All the cities. All the towns. All the villages. All the fields. All the forests. Everything had died. Everything was ruined. It would now be their task to rebuild. To restore. To make the earth fruitful again. God had given them a clear command. Be fruitful. Multiply. Fill the earth. That all sounds well and good until you’re actually faced with the prospect of hiking over the next hill into the unknown. Much easier to stay together. Much easier to stay comfortable. Much easier to stay safe.  

Why build a tower that stretches to the heavens? Because no matter how far afield I go, I can look back and still see it standing in the distance. It becomes a sort of “North Star” for me, always leading me home. Always giving me a sense of safety and security. We don’t like being “off the map.” We don’t like being “off the grid.” We don’t like being in places that are unfamiliar. And yet, the call of God still remains. Be fruitful. Multiply. Fill the earth.  

What was the mistake of Noah’s descendants? Why did God bring judgment on them and confuse their languages? Two things. First, they wanted to make a name for themselves. This is the same mistake Adam and Eve made. It’s the same lie from the devil that we’ve been falling for ever since that first encounter in the Garden. We can be like God. We can do what is right in our own eyes. In our pride, we continue to reject God’s will and His ways and the result of our sin is always judgment. For God is eternally faithful and He will not allow our sin to stand. Second, they were directly disobeying God. He had clearly told them to fill the earth. They stayed together. They refused to scatter. They refused to bring restoration back to an earth ruined by the flood. And yet, this is what they were made for! This is what they were saved for! To be God’s agents of blessing as they exercised godly dominion over all He has made.  

Think about your own life. How often do we choose safety and security over God? How often do we seek to make a name for ourselves rather than lift up the Name that is above every other name? Look at your calendars. Look at your budget. Look at your relationships. Are you fulfilling God’s mandate? Are you fruitful for the Lord? Are you multiplying yourself by sharing the good news and bringing others to Christ? Are you filling the earth with God’s blessing as you give and serve in His Name? Or are you spending your money and your time and your energy on yourself? Your family? Your children? Those you love? Those who speak your language? Those with whom you are most comfortable? God has called you to more than this. God has a greater plan for your life than safety and security. God wants you to be part of His great renewal project! He wants you to be part of His great redemption plan! His design is for you to place all your resources. All your time. All your energy at His disposal for the salvation of the world. Does that include your family and friends? Of course. Is it limited to your family and friends? Of course not. 

God’s Word to you today is this...break out of your holy huddle! Give generously of your time, energy, attention, and wealth for the building up of God’s Kingdom! Be fruitful! Multiply! Fill the earth!  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 13:5-15:21, Matthew 5:27-48, Psalms 6, Proverbs 1:29-33

Creation Mandate

Readings for today: Genesis 8-10, Matthew 4:12-25, Psalms 4, Proverbs 1:20-23

 “And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything...And you, be fruitful and multiply, increase greatly on the earth and multiply in it."‭‭ (Genesis‬ ‭9:1-3, 7‬) 

As I’ve mentioned before, we will see a pattern repeat itself throughout the Bible. Humanity is lifted up by God. Loved by God. Blessed by God. God covenants with them to be their God and they to be His people. We saw this happen with Adam and Eve. We saw this happen with Seth. We see this happening with Noah and his family. We will see it with Abram and Sarai and the rest of the patriarchs/matriarchs.  We will see it with Moses and Joshua. Samuel and David. Finally, we will see this pattern find it’s completion and fulfillment in Jesus Himself. God continuing to pursue His people throughout history. However, despite God’s faithfulness, humanity remains faithless. We abandon Him. We abandon His ways. We rebel against His laws. We reject His will. Our lives descend into chaos and pain and death. Thus the need for covenant renewal.  

The words above from Genesis 9 should sound familiar. They are a restatement of the creation mandate God first gave Adam and Eve in Genesis 1. “And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth...Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” (Genesis‬ ‭1:28-31‬) This is God’s will for all humanity. He creates us so we will be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth with His image. His glory. His love. His grace. His purpose for our lives is dominion. He has given the entire earth over to our care. Every plant. Every tree. Every animal. Every bird. Every fish. And this is very good in God’s eyes. 

The problem, of course, is we are such terrible stewards. We exploit the earth for its resources. We consume far more than we need or could ever want. We over-indulge. We are gluttonous. We are drunkards. We are wasteful. And this is no politically liberal diatribe. Facts are facts. We use and abuse the earth to satisfy our every desire. Look at the amount of trash in our oceans. Look at the amount of waste in our landfills. Look at the obesity rates in our country or the rates of addiction. Think about your own life and how this manifests itself. Where do you over-indulge? Where do you drink or eat or use energy to excess? Consider a personal audit of your finances and your time and your talent...how much of it is being spent on you or your family? And how much of it is being directed outward towards the planet God has entrusted into your care? Towards others who are in need? Towards God and His ministry in the world? 

Creation care is a divine mandate. We should be concerned about our footprint on the earth. We should be concerned about climate change and how much of it is man-made. We should be constantly seeking renewable and sustainable ways to use energy. We should consider our rate of consumption. Not because we are being forced to culturally. Not because we align with some kind of political party or another. Not because ranchers and farmers and oil and gas folks are evil. They are not. No, we engage on these issues because we are Christians and God has given us dominion. Furthermore, we know God expects us to exercise that dominion unselfishly, for the good of the world He loves so much. In this way, we are actually practicing for heaven. We are getting prepared for glory. For when the new heavens and new earth come, the creation mandate will be renewed once again and we will be sent out to care for all God has made for all eternity. 

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 11-13:4, Matthew 5:1-26, Psalms 5, Proverbs 1:24-28

The Descent of Man

Readings for today: Genesis 5-7, Matthew 3:7-4:11, Psalm 3, Proverbs 1:10-19

 In 1871, Charles Darwin published the culmination of his life’s work. Titled The Descent of Man , it applied general evolutionary theory to human beings. Human beings, Darwin argues, are “descended” from more primitive life forms and subject to natural selection much like every other lifeform in the world. Of course, “Descent” is somewhat of a double entendre because Darwin’s theory also levels the playing field between human beings and the rest of the animal world. We are not special. We are not set apart. We certainly are not made in the image of God, have no divine mandate, and therefore no kind of ascendant status over the rest of creation. Though there is some debate about Darwin’s own views, his theory has been used to justify all kinds of evil. Racism. Eugenics. Social Darwinism and the Final Solution. If humanity is not set apart by God. If humanity is not special in any way. If humanity is just another animal species than we are NOT endowed with any inalienable rights and therefore might makes right. Natural selection is just. It’s survival of the fittest and only the strongest survive. 

Strangely enough, the Bible also talks about the “Descent of Man.” Not in terms of biological evolution but in terms of moral devolution. We will see this story set on repeat throughout the Scriptures. God makes a covenant with a human family. The descendents of that particular human family become morally compromised over time. Their corruption eventually becomes so great that God responds with righteous anger and judgment. God then starts over with a new covenant with a new human family and the cycle begins anew. Some might argue this calls God’s judgment into question. Why do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result? Isn’t that the definition of insanity? This is not, of course, the argument the Bible makes. The point the Bible sets out to prove is the utter futility of humanity. Humanity is, simply put - a lost cause. Sin corrupts everything it touches. Infecting every heart. Polluting every mind. Silencing every soul. There is no hope for us unless God Himself decides to intervene. 

Thankfully this is exactly what God does. The Bible is a record of God’s interventions in human history over time. He intervened with Adam and Eve, clothing them in an act of grace before sending them out of the Garden into a world ruined by sin. As the generations that come after them descend into further chaos, devolving to the point where God Himself grieves over what He has made, He intervenes yet again. He starts over by delivering Noah and his family from the flood. One can only imagine what it must have been like for Noah as he watched the world around him drown. I cannot fathom the pain and suffering he must have witnessed. But that is nothing compared to the pain God experienced as He watched His good creation drown in evil and sin. Grieving over what He made, He makes the terrible decision to cleanse the world by destroying it. 

Fast forward thousands of years. The world is still writhing in pain. Still ravaged by sin. Still drowning in evil. God’s heart continues to break. He grieves over what He has made and He makes the terrible decision to send His Beloved Son into the world to cleanse it once and for all. Jesus appears before his cousin John to be baptized. All of the Old Testament prophecies are coming to fulfillment. Jesus will be destroyed so the world can be saved. Jesus will suffer so you and I can be set free. Jesus will drown in order to rescue all of creation. This is the good news of the gospel, friends!  

I know the world around us suffers. There is injustice. There is pain. There is heartache and heartbreak. Hatred, evil, and sin still seemingly run amuck. Human systems cannot stem the tide. Human beings cannot save the day. Our only hope is God. And thankfully, He is eternally faithful. Place your trust in Him and you will never be put to shame!  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 8-10, Matthew 4:12-25, Psalm 4, Proverbs 1:20-23

Shame

Readings for today: Genesis 3-4, Matthew 2:13-3:6, Psalms 2, Proverbs 1:7-9

Do you remember the first time you experienced shame? Psychologists consider it one of our deepest, most primal emotions. It arises internally and is reinforced externally from the time we are very young. It is an important emotion. Those who are incapable of experiencing shame are often socio or psychopathic. Their inability to feel this emotion cripples them in significant ways. On the flip side, many experience excessive feelings of shame which can be just as crippling. How have you dealt with shame? Do you bury it? Deny it? Medicate it? Try to find ways to numb it? This, of course, forms the bedrock of the research Brene Brown has become famous for. Her initial TED talk on shame went viral and still remains one of the most popular. She’s written several New York Times’ bestsellers on the subject as well so clearly there is a hunger in our culture for healthy ways of dealing with our deep-seated shame. 

Where does shame come from? Psychologists have puzzled over this for decades. The Bible, however, is clear. Shame is the first emotion human beings feel in the wake of their sin. Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit. They break God’s command. They disobey and rebel, all in an attempt to become like God. What initially tastes so sweet turns bitter in the stomach as their eyes are opened to what they have just done. They experience shame and their first instinct is to cover up. Hide their nakedness. From each other. From God. “Where are you?” God calls out. As if He doesn’t already know. Adam and Eve feel exposed. They don’t feel safe. So they play the blame game. The woman caused me to eat! The serpent tricked me! Careful readers will take note how they try to turn this back on God. As if it were His fault for creating woman and the serpent or even putting the tree there in the first place. 

God is gracious, however. He doesn’t want them to live forever in their shame. So He makes them clothes to cover their nakedness and He banishes them from paradise lest they stretch out their hand and eat of the Tree of Life. But the cycle of shame continues. Cain’s “face falls” when his offering is not accepted. This is a very Middle Eastern way of saying Cain was ashamed. His shame eventually led to violence as he kills his own brother in cold blood. The murder of his brother leads to more shame when he’s confronted by God. “My punishment is greater than I can bear...” Once again, God is gracious and places a special mark on Cain to protect him. Shame is not just an Old Testament idea. It was shame that caused Herod to lash out and kill all the infants in and around Bethlehem. Embarrassed by the betrayal of the wise men, he commits infanticide. It was shame that drove the people to John the Baptist where they repented and confessed their sins and were baptized. It is the lack of shame on the part of the nations that the Psalmist calling attention to when he encourages them serve the Lord with fear and trembling. Thankfully, God extends grace once again as the nations are encouraged to find refuge in Him. 

“Where are you?” The question God first asked Adam and Eve in the Garden persists to this day. It comes to each of us and meets us right where we are in life. It comes as an invitation. A scary one to be sure! It is the invitation to be vulnerable. Exposed. Naked before the Lord. To confess our sins and let Him into the deepest recesses of our being. The dark places we all have in our hearts where we bury those things that cause us the greatest shame. God wants into those places. He wants to shed the light of His grace into the darkness of our hearts so that we may finally experience true healing. True peace. And rest securely in His unconditional love. He wants us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is nothing that can separate us from Him which is why He sent His only Son into the world. On the cross, Jesus bore not just our sin but our shame as well. He endured utter and complete humilitation so we would not have to. This, friends, is the great news of the gospel! The good news that was preached to Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel and all their descendents even to you and me today. Believe it! Embrace it! Accept God’s invitation! Kiss the Son and be set free from your shame! 

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 5-7, Matthew 3:7-4:11, Psalms 3, Proverbs 1:10-19

Human Dignity

Readings for today: Genesis 1-2, Matthew 1-2:12, Psalms 1, Proverbs 1:1-6

Imago Dei. The image of God. In the beginning, God created human beings in His image. Male and female He created them. Made to be like Him. Made to reflect His glory. Made to be loved by Him. Out of the dust, He fashioned us. He breathed into our lungs His very breath. His very Spirit. It was not good for us to be alone so He made us a partner. A helpmate. The formation of community. The very first relationship. So intimate was this relationship between man and woman, humanity and God, that they were naked and unashamed. 

What a beautiful picture of the innate worth and dignity given to every single human being! This passage forms the foundation of our modern day understanding of universal human rights. It’s why we naturally resist - Christian or not - the Darwinian “classification” of human beings. It’s why “de-humanization” in whatever form is so horrifying. One of the worst things we can do from a biblical perspective is treat another human being, another divine image-bearer, as somehow less than what they are. 

I remember fighting this battle when I served as a prison chaplain. New Jersey State Prison is the maximum security facility for the state. Death row used to be housed there. It’s where they send the worst kind of criminals. When I was there, 60% of the inmates were serving sentences for murder of one degree or another. The rest had committed some form of violent crime. I believe one of the reasons my ministry was so effective over the two years I was there is because I treated the men with dignity and respect. I honored them as “image-bearers” and they, in turn, honored me. I stayed in touch with many of the men over the years since I left and it has been a joy to watch them grow and change and, in some cases, re-enter society.  

Sadly, treating others with dignity and respect is something that escapes our culture. We engage in “de-humanizing” talk on a daily basis. Turn on cable television. Listen to people talk at your local bar or coffee shop. Scroll through your Twitter feed. It’s brutal. Leaders in every sector of society seem to be getting in on the act. Politics. Education. Business. Even the church. We demonize. We character assassinate. We seek to tear down those who disagree with us. Those who think differently than us. Those who come from different countries, different ethnicities, different sexual orientations, you name it. We marginalize and ostracize and persecute and the results are devastating. Depression. Despair. Pain. Suffering. Violence. Even death. 

Here’s the first hard biblical truth...every single human being is made in the image of God and is loved unconditionally by God. Every single human being is worthy of dignity and respect. Every human being is made for relationship and community. To hate another human being is to hate someone God loves. To treat another human being with disrespect is to disrespect someone God has formed and fashioned with His own hands. To isolate another human being from relationship or ostracize them from community is to place them in a condition God Himself refused to do. “It is not good for man to be alone...”  

Does this mean we simply remain passive in the face of evil? No. Does it mean we let people walk all over us? Absolutely not. Does it mean we can’t set boundaries on unhealthy people? Of course it doesn’t. What it means is that even in the worst of situations. When we are confronting an abuser or someone who has committed an act of violence against us or those we love. When a police officer exercises force to protect us or our military men and women fight an enemy in some faraway land. When someone hurts our feelings or betrays our trust. Even in these situations, we refuse to let anger or revenge or hatred drive us to “de-humanizing” words or actions. We refuse to diminish the image of God in that other person or persons. We ask God to give us the strength to see them as He sees them and to treat them as His justice and righteousness demands. 

As you make your New Year’s Resolutions, let me suggest one that could be a game-changer. Resolve to treat everyone you meet and interact with socially, professionally, personally, even on social media as an image-bearer of God. Someone endowed with divine worth and dignity. Someone who is beloved by God Himself. You will be amazed at how this transforms your perspective and brings blessing into your life.  

Readings for tomorrow: Genesis 3-4, Matthew 2:13-3:6, Psalms 2:1-12, Proverbs 1:7-9

New Year’s Resolutions

2018 is almost in the books and 2019 is just around the corner. Many of us will be celebrating with friends and loved ones this evening as we ring in the new year. In the midst of all the fun and celebration, it is important to take time to reflect on all that happened this past year. The successes and failures. The joys and concerns. The pleasure and pain. How did we grow? What milestones did we achieve? What trauma and tragedy were we able to survive? How are we different now than a year ago? What’s changed? What’s remained the same? What are we looking forward to? What fears do we need to face?  

If you are like me, you will make some resolutions. You will resolve to live a healthier life. You will exercise more. Eat better. Rest well. Those are good resolutations. You will resolve to be emotionally healthy. You will practice forgiveness. Set boundaries. Extend more grace. You will resolve to grow intellectually. Read more books. Listen to more podcasts. Educate yourself in the ways of the world. What about your spiritual life? What resolutions will you make to grow in your relationship with God?  

Many surveys have been done through the years by groups like Barna and Lifeway Research and they yield the same results. The number one thing you can do to grow spiritually is to read and reflect on God’s Word every single day. Reading the Bible will challenge you. Frustrate you. Upset you. Confront you. Comfort you. And bless you. It will elicit all kinds of questions. It will raise all kinds of doubts. It may even bring to light all kinds of fears. At the same time, it will offer you peace and hope and fill your life with an unspeakable joy that cannot be quenched. It will inspire you and draw you close to God in ways nothing else can. 

This past year, a couple of hundred folks read through the Bible in a year together. Some of us were able to finish, others are still on the journey. Still others dropped out along the way. Building a discipline of daily reading and reflection is not easy but it is worth every effort! Let me encourage you to join us in 2019 as we re-engage the Bible. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time through or your fiftieth. It doesn’t matter if you are able to finish the year or not. It doesn’t matter if you get ahead or fall behind. What matters is you building the spiritual discipline of listening for God’s voice as He speaks to you through His Word. God blesses ANY amount of time we spend with Him so do all you can to make 2019 a great year of spiritual growth in your life.  

Maranatha

Readings for today: Revelation 19-22

“Come, Lord Jesus!” Echoing Paul’s famous phrase from 1 Corinthians 16:22 - “Maranatha” - John finishes the Revelation with what has become the heartcry of Christians for centuries. Come, Lord Jesus. Come soon. The vision John has received has reached its climax. The new heavens and new earth have come. New Jerusalem has descended out of heaven. God in the midst of her. The gates are open continually for the nations of the earth to receive their blessing. The leaves of the trees that grow beside the river of God are for their healing. God has wiped away every tear. God has done away with every evil. There is no more crying or suffering or pain. God has made good on His promise. The Alpha has issued the final “Omega.” What was once broken is now whole. What was ruined has now been restored.  The incomplete has been brought to completion. It is truly finished. All things made new. 

The delay of the “parousia” or 2nd coming of Jesus has plagued Christians for centuries. Why does Jesus not return? What is He waiting for? Many Christians have believed He was coming back in their lifetimes. As they looked around at the evil and suffering in their world, they could not imagine things getting worse. Many believed they were seeing the four horsemen of Revelation storming all over the earth bringing war, disease, famine, and death. Such has been the lot of humanity since Cain first slew Abel all those years ago. The Apostles were no different. John, Paul, Peter, along with most of the Christians of the first century, believed Jesus was returning in their lifetimes. It colors some of their advice to the local churches they were writing to. Scholars suggest you can even see Paul grappling with this delay, especially in his correspondence with the Corinthians and Thessalonians. 

Why hasn’t Jesus returned? Our atheist friends suggest it’s because God doesn’t exist. The “Father” Jesus so faithfully believed in is a myth. Jesus, as good as He was, made a mistake. Others suggest it’s because the work of the church isn’t finished. The Great Commission has yet to come to completion. We haven’t preached the gospel to every tribe, tongue, and nation so everyone hasn’t yet had a chance to hear the good news. Still others believe it’s because the events of Revelation haven’t yet come to pass. The anti-Christ has yet to be revealed and as bad as things may be, they will get much, much worse before the end. To be honest, I have no idea why Jesus hasn’t returned and can only assume it’s because His plans for this world have yet to reach their fulfillment. Time doesn’t pass for God like it does for us. While we are stuck in “chronological” time. Time as it ticks by. God exists in “Kairos” time. Time outside of time. Special time. Anointed time. The appropriate time. And only God knows where we stand according to His eternal clock.  

What we can know is that Jesus promised He would come. No less than three separate times, He affirms this to John in the last chapter of Revelation.  

• "And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book." (Rev. 22:7)
• "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." (Rev. 22:12-13)
• He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon." (Rev. 22:20)

And what should our response be? To come to Jesus. “The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” (Revelation‬ ‭22:17‬) Don’t miss this! The movement goes both ways. God comes to us, we come to Him. God returns to us, we return to Him. God draws near to us, we draw near to Him. This is the pattern God has set since the first chapters of Genesis and it repeats itself here at the end of Revelation. This is God’s great desire. It is the primary message He’s been preaching through the entire Bible. It is the Word He longs for us to hear and receive and respond to by faith. So trust Him, friends! Accept His invitation! Believe in His name and receive the salvation He offers you by grace! 

 Postscript: If you’ve been walking through the Bible in a Year with us...well done! You’ve made it! Congratulations! This is a significant milestone in your spiritual life. What’s next? Do it again. And again. And again. Keep reading. Keep reflecting. Keep seeking to hear God’s voice through His Word. Email me if you would like to join us in 2019 as we dive back in with a new plan for a new year! Doug@pepc.org. 

Repent for the End is Near

Readings for today: Revelation 14-18

How many of us have been to events with street preachers holding up signs with the message, “Repent for the end is near!” As much as I disagree with their approach, their message is more true than they know. The end is drawing near. Each day brings us one step closer to the final judgment of God on the earth. Each day brings us one step closer to the final coming of the Kingdom. The day when Jesus will appear on the clouds and descend to earth to establish His reign forever. Until that day comes, God is patient. Not wishing that any should perish. God is compassionate. Constantly pursuing us. God is gracious. Always willing to forgive. But we should not presume upon His grace. The current state of affairs will not last forever. God’s patience eventually will come to an end and He will make one final attempt to save His people from everlasting death. 

This is the message behind all the plagues in Revelation. Behind all the judgment and wrath being poured out on the earth, there is this desire of God’s to save. To deliver. To bring His rebellious people to repentance. Those who have been reading with us all year probably are reminded of the plagues in Egypt when God acted to deliver His people from Pharaoh. Boils. Water turning to blood. Darkness. Fire. Hailstones from heaven. These things have happened before. The purpose behind them was to bring Pharaoh and his people to repentance. To humble them so they would set God’s people free from slavery. In a similar way, God commands His angels to pour out His wrath with the hope that it will bring the people of the earth to repentance. Humble them that they might be saved. Sadly, they refused to repent and give God the glory. 

They chose to love the Great Harlot instead. The earthly city arrayed in all her splendor. Wealthy. Powerful. Exerting her influence over all the earth. Full of all kinds of abominations and sexual immoralities, she represents the worst kind of rebellion. Her name is Egypt. Rome. Babylon. Constantinople. Berlin. London. Mexico City. Rio de Janiero. Beijing. Jakarta. Tehran. Washington DC. Basically, any governmental system that refuses to acknowledge and submit to God. They are all iterations of “Babylon the Great.” They all participate in her abominations and impurities. They all fall under God’s righteous judgment. Those who love their wealth. Their political power. Their cultural influence more than they love God will be exposed and judged along with the nations of the earth. They make war on the Lamb and His followers, falsely believing they can somehow dethrone Him. But God will cause them to turn on themselves. To destroy themselves from within. He will bring judgment through the very people who worship and adore her. They will turn against her. Strip her naked. Expose her. Cast her down. Her fall will be great. 

Sin and evil always turn in on themselves. Like a snake eating its own tail. They are ultimately self-destructive. Remember how the Apostle Paul described the judgment of God in Romans 1. God simply “gives them over” to the lusts and desires of their hearts. A similar dynamic is in play here in Revelation as well. God simply withdraws His protective hand. He simply says to the rebellious peoples of the earth, “Thy will be done” and the results are terrifying.  

The response of God’s people is never fear, however, but faith. In the face of God’s judgment, we humble ourselves. We submit. We bow before His will and we bend the knee to His way. We worship Him. We give Him the glory He deserves. We repent of our pride and arrogance and false belief that we know best and we give Him Lordship over our lives. This is the essence of repentance. Not just a general feeling of remorse but an active, intentional decision to live for God. 

666

Readings for today: Revelation 11-13

 “This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.” (Revelation‬ ‭13:18‬)

Like a lot of the numbers in the book of Revelation (24 elders, 7 seals, 144,000, 7 heads, 10 horns, etc.), the number 666 has been the subject of quite a bit of controversy. Many attempts have been made through the centuries to identify the person associated with this number. Using the ancient system of gematria  where numbers are substituted for letters in the alphabet, interpreters have suggested Nero, Kaiser Wilhelm and Hitler as possibilities. More than 100 names were proposed between 1560 and 1830 in Britain. Popes. Emperors. Other despotic rulers. All of them fall short. None of them fits exactly. So maybe the person is yet to be revealed? Those who take a futurist look at Revelation argue as much. 

As someone who takes an “Amillennial” perspective on Revelation, I believe the number to be symbolic. It is actually the number of “sinful incompletion.” A parody of the perfect number - “777” - which is often used to refer to the Trinity. Satan is not very creative. At best, he seeks to mimic everything God is or does in our world. But his ways are always corrupt and therefore always fall short. John is pointing this out by identifying Satan’s work in this world with the number 666. 666 falls short in literally every digit of 777 just as Satan falls short in every possibly way of the glory of God. 

One of the reasons so many Christians have found the book of Revelation so compelling over the centuries is because of it’s transcultural relevance. Rather than identifying the Beast with one particular person in history, John uses him as an “archetype” to identify the Satanic systems of our world. Governments. Economies. Military powers. Social systems. All of them are corrupted by sin. All of them are influenced by Satan. All of them fall short of the perfection of God’s Kingdom. All of them bear the “mark of the beast” in this respect and must be rejected in favor of holding fast to Christ. John is encouraging these seven churches who are suffering under the “principalities and powers” of this world to place their hope in the world to come. To place their hope in the One who will rescue them from this present darkness when He coms again to make all things new. At that time, all systems marked by the beast will be destroyed and God will inaugurate His reign and rule over all the earth. 666 will give way to 777 as "The kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." (Revelation‬ ‭11:15‬) 

We still live in a world influenced by Satan. All one has to do is turn on the news to see his corruption on display. Backbreaking poverty. Unjust systems that oppress. Terminal disease. Tragic death. Natural disasters. Violence manifesting itself all over the globe. We live in a scary, sinful world and part of our problem is we don’t take it seriously enough. Thankfully, God does. And there will come a day when every tear will be wiped away. Grief and pain will be no more. The former things of this “666” world will pass away as the “777” world comes. 

Sealed as God’s Servants

Readings for today: Revelation 6-10

One of the more common questions I get from the book of Revelation has to do with the identity of the 144,000 listed in Revelation 7. Those who take a “dispensational premillenialist” view of Revelation will argue that after the rapture of the church, the Holy Spirit will set apart 144,000 Jewish believers who evangelize the earth. Others will argue - like the Jehovah’s Witnesses - that this is a special group of believers set apart by God. My belief is that this number is symbolic, representing the full number of those who have been redeemed. 

Again, this is muddy water we’re swimming in. Interpreting Revelation is difficult at best and there are godly men and women who take different positions on these issues. So it’s important to hold loosely here to our eschatological positions while we hold tightly to one another in fellowship. 

Why do I believe the 144,000 is symbolic? Several reasons. First and foremost, is the fact that the number itself is highly stylized. Numbers are often used symbolically throughout Scripture to communicate a deeper truth. We have already seen from much of the writings of the New Testament that one of the biggest challenges facing the early church was the inclusion of the Gentile believers into largely Jewish fellowships. Remember, John is writing to actual churches who are facing severe persecution and he is seeking to encourage them. So it makes perfect sense to me that in John’s vision from God, an angel of the Lord seals 144,000. A number combining the 12 tribes of Israel with the 12 apostles of Jesus multiplied by 1000 - a number which the Bible often uses to describe a multitude too large to count. Indeed, the very next section talks about “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" (Revelation‬ ‭7:9-10‬)

Second, the list of the tribes of Israel is unique and highly stylized as well. Judah is listed first, probably because Jesus is descended from this particular tribe thus giving him primacy over his older brother Reuben. Joseph is listed which is unusual as his place was taken by his sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. Levi is listed which is also somewhat unusual in that he is left out of some Old Testament lists since he didn’t inherit any land. Also, because room needs to be made for both of Joseph’s sons to be listed. Dan is left out, perhaps because his territory was the center of idolatry in ancient Israel. The point here is that this list is unique and actually not in alignment with Old Testament history which means a more symbolic, theological point is being made. 

Third, this number reappears in Revelation 14. The 144,000 is described as the “redeemed from the earth” or “redeemed/purchased from humanity” which is universal language. Furthermore, if one is going to take a more literal view then one has to conclude that the 144,000 represent a special group of celibate, Jewish evangelists sent out to the earth. I tend to believe the language continues to be symbolic here with sexual purity representing the holiness attributed to those who believe - both Jew and Gentile alike - by the blood of the Lamb. 

So what’s the point? Are we just arguing over how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? I think the larger issue at stake here is this...in this world we will suffer tribulation. In this world we will suffer persecution for our faith. Perhaps we’ve escaped for a time in America but those days are rapidly coming to a close. Christian hegemony has come to an end in the West and we will soon find ourselves faced with the challenges our brothers and sisters face around the world. John’s Revelation will become even more significant in the years ahead not as an intellectual exercise as we try to “crack the code” but as an encouragement in our suffering for Jesus. Just as John wanted to encourage the early Christians to hold fast to our faith even under great trial, so he encourages us to do the same. We have been sealed as God’s own people. We have been set apart to proclaim the excellencies of His grace. We have been saved from a crooked and perverse generation and now are sent out to be His lights in the world. 

2nd Advent

Readings for today: Revelation 1-5

Perhaps it is appropriate that our reading finds us in Revelation on Christmas Day. After celebrating the first advent of Christ on Christmas Eve, our hearts naturally turn towards His second advent. The day when He comes again. The living and the dead are raised. Heaven and earth come together in consummate glory and the reign of God is established once and for all.  

When will it happen? How will it happen? No one really knows and the Book of Revelation is notoriously difficult to decipher and understand. So here are some basic ground rules as you wade into the final book of the Bible. First, it is written by John while in prison on the island of Patmos. In order to get this letter out to the churches, John had to write it in code. The Roman authorities would have screened every piece of communication coming in and out of the prison so John had to be careful. Second, the writing is apocalyptic which is a very specific genre known to many in the ancient world. The fantastic images and visions are hallmarks of this type of literature. Third, the churches John is writing to are under persecution. They are facing the prospect of torture and death on a daily basis. This book is meant to encourage and equip them so they can endure in the rough days ahead. Fourth, many different Christians approach this book from many different interpretive angles. There is no one way to read this book and we want to make sure to extend liberty and charity to one another as we go. Wherever you land on the “End Times” theological spectrum, what’s most important is that we all agree Jesus will come again. 

So let me begin this home stretch with one of my favorite verses... “I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation‬ ‭1:8‬) God spoke the first Word in creation and God will have the last Word in consummation. He who began all things, will bring them to a close according to His will and good pleasure. God is. This is all we know. This is really all we can say. God stands outside the time and space continuum He created and will remain there looking in until He determines the time is right for His return. As John said in His Gospel, God revealed Himself to the world but the world did not recognize Him. He revealed Himself to His people, His family, and they rejected Him. When He comes again, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. He will leave no doubt. “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” (Revelation‬ ‭1:7‬)

These are important words to reflect on as we begin as are the Spirit’s warnings to the seven churches. They provide a good spiritual barometer to help us discern how ready we truly are for Christ’s return. Have we abandoned our first love? Are we facing persecution for our faith? What idols do we cling to? What sexual immorality do we engage in? Do we tolerate sin? Are we ambivalent towards the gospel? Is our faith lukewarm at best?

These are important matters for prayer as we close out one year and head into another. What spiritual resolutions will you make for 2019 to help nurture your relationship with Christ? 

Jesus Christ is Born!

Readings for today: 1 John, 2 John, 3 John

I love the opening to John’s first letter. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” (1 John‬ ‭1:1-4‬) 

John saw Jesus with His own eyes. Touched Him with his own hands. Heard Him speak with his own ears. He saw the Word of Life manifest itself in the Person of Jesus. He experienced Him. He knew Him. He testifies to Him. He dedicates his entire life to proclaiming Him to the world. Jesus was not a mystery to John. His life, death, and resurrection were real. Tangible. Concrete. His was no blind faith. 

John understood why Jesus was sent into the world. John, perhaps more than any other New Testament writer, goes to great lengths to convince those to whom he’s writing to believe. To place their faith in Christ. To trust in His saving death. This is what makes John’s joy complete. The idea that anyone and everyone who reads his letters would enter into deep, intimate fellowship with the Father through the Son. 

Christmas, according to John, is not overly sentimental. It is not so much about the birth of a baby as it is about the mission that baby was sent to complete. Jesus was sent to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8) Jesus was sent to be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. (1 John 2:2) Jesus was sent to cast out fear by laying down His life in perfect love. (1 John 4:18) So yes, celebrate the birth of the Savior! Worship Christ the newborn King! But never forget what our King was sent to do. He was sent to bring life out of death. Light out of darkness. Love out of hate. In order to do that, He had to suffer and die. Become sin itself and descend into the eternal darkness of hell. He had to become the object of hate and rejection and humilitation. All of this, Jesus did for us. Jesus did out of love for us. Jesus did to save us. This is the true meaning of Christmas! 

The Christian Life

Readings for today: 2 Peter 1-3, Jude

I am often asked what it means to be a Christian. Is it raising a hand and praying a prayer? Is it participating in confirmation as a young person? Does it have to do with church attendance? Is it an intellectual assent to an idea? Living a particularly moral life? What does it mean to actually be a Christian? I think Peter’s words sum it up quite well... 

 “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ...” (2 Peter‬ ‭1:3-8‬)

First and foremost, being a Christian involves faith. Faith is having complete confidence that God is able to deliver on His promises. And God has promised that every Christian will be filled with His divine power, be a partaker of His divine nature, and given everything that pertains to life and godliness. In short, we will lack nothing when it comes to living for God. Our hearts will burn with a desire to know Him more. We will love being in worship. Love spending time in prayer. Love studying God’s Word. We will love serving those whom God loves. The least and the lost in our world. 

Secondly, being a Christian means actively seeking to align your life with Christ. Submit all you say and do to His Lordship. It means walking in faithful obedience to His Law not because you have to but because you long to. Once we’ve been saved by grace, we walk in grace. Peter says it clearly. The true Christian will seek to supplement their saving faith with virtue and knowledge and self-control and steadfastness and godliness and brotherly affection. As these things increase in your life, you will bear much fruit for the Kingdom. This requires a diligence and intentionality that often escapes us. The temptations of this world are strong and distract us. We find our hearts pulled in a lot of different directions and too many of us settle for the lowest bar rather than push ourselves to greater heights for the glory of Christ. 

Third, Peter offers a sobering warning as well. Refusing to follow Christ is serious business.  “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell...if God did not spare the ancient world...when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if God by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes condemned them to extinction...then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment...” Therefore, we need to take heed lest we, in our pride and arrogance and willful ignorance, refuse to tremble before the glorious ones. We do not want to be counted as “irrational animals”, “unsteady souls”, “accursed children”, “waterless springs”, or “mists driven by the storm.” (Assorted verses from 2 Peter 2)

Friends, what we celebrate on Christmas is eternally significant. Nothing less than our salvation is at stake in what God has done in Jesus Christ. Devoting our lives to Him is essential if we are to escape the righteous wrath and judgment of God and gain entrance into God’s Kingdom. I love how Peter puts it, “Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:10-11)