Laying Down our Rights

Readings for today: Nehemiah 5-7

The call of the gospel is to lay down our lives for others. To do as Jesus did. Jesus is God. As such, He could have chosen to hold onto His divine right to rule. His divine right to reign. His divine right to wield authority and power and compel obedience. But Jesus relinquished those rights. He laid them aside. Taking on the form of a servant. He became obedient even unto death. And not just any death but the most humiliating, degrading death possible. Death on a cross. At any time, He could have called down legions of angels to crush His enemies. At any time, He could have taken back up His authority and destroyed His enemies. But Jesus relinquished His rights because He had a greater prize in mind...the approval of His Heavenly Father. Jesus put no stock in the ways of this world. The accolades of this world. The kingdoms of this world. The treasures of this world. He placed no value on anything this world had to offer and instead looked to the world to come for His hope. This is why His Father exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above every name. His willingness to lay everything down in humble obedience to His Father’s will was vindicated by His resurrection and exaltation.  

I see Christ in Nehemiah. A man who was willing to relinquish his rights and lay everything down for the sake of God’s people. A man who put service to His nation above his own well-being. He had every right to demand tribute as governor. He had every right to levy taxes and exact a heavy toll on his constituents. He had every right to demand a portion of the interest the wealthy had placed on the poor. But he gave all that up and by doing so, set a godly example before the people. “From the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah...neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver...But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. I also persevered in the work...we acquired no land...what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people.” (Nehemiah‬ ‭5:14-19‬) And how did the people respond to such godly leadership? The rich forgave the debts of the poor. Land was restored to their rightful owners. Interest was no longer accrued. The people were set free. Such acts of generosity were a sign to everyone that God was in their midst. 

What about us? We live in a nation consumed with selfishness and greed. Everyone seems out to get “theirs.” Everyone is concerned about protecting their “rights.” Everyone wants justice. The problem is we don’t all share the same view of justice. We believe all truth is relative. We all want an equal share but often refuse to make equal sacrifice. Too many feel entitled to what they have rather than view it as a gift from God. Too many do all they can to protect what they have rather than walk with open hands. Too many hoard all they have rather than give generously. And here I‘m just talking about Christians! The very people who claim to follow Christ!  

It is estimated by Relevant Magazine that if every American who called themselves a Christian tithed, an additional 165 billion dollars annually could be raised. Think of the global problems that could be solved or tackled with that kind of money! According to the United Nations, it would cost 265 billion dollars to potentially solve world hunger. Our tithe dollars could get us more than halfway there! According to the World Bank, 150 billion dollars could potentially provide clean water access to every human being on the planet. Think of the disease that could be prevented! Childhood mortality rates would plunge! According to UNESCO, 14 billion could potentially provide literacy to 20 of the world’s most illiterate populations. Literacy opens the door to education and job creation and all kinds of economic growth. Imagine how the reputation of the church would change if we got serious about following the example of our Savior and laid down our lives for others? Imagine how the world would change if the church would relinquish her rights and instead sought to serve? Imagine how many lives would be saved if we truly embraced the heart of the gospel like Nehemiah and so many others who have gone before us? 

Readings for tomorrow: Nehemiah 8-10

Racism in the Bible

Readings for today: Ezra 7-10

Today’s reading definitely presents a challenge. Particularly since we live so far removed from the specific cultural situation Ezra faced as the Israelites returned from exile. It is deeply offensive to our 21st century sensibilities to imagine a group of men initiating a mass divorce simply over race and/or nationality. We rightly wonder what happens to the women and children who are kicked to the curb? Are they left destitute? Is this of the will of God? Or was this an example of early Pharisaism rearing it’s ugly head? Zealousness for the Law of God taken to a logical extreme? Moreover, many wonder if this is yet another example of God’s Law remaining culturally bound? Irrelevant to our modern lives? After all, how can we respect a God who commands the breakup of so many families?  

This is what makes Bible reading such a challenge. We can’t just read the words on the page and accept them at face value. We have to dive deeper to understand the cultural currents of the day and how this story fits if we want to understand. Furthermore, we have to acknowledge the cultural assumptions we ourselves bring to the text. We are not objective observers. We too have biases and perspectives that are shaped by current cultural movements like #MeToo, feminism, white supremacy, #BlackLivesMatter, and more. These currents will shape how we respond to the text. It’s hard to lay these things aside and try to walk a mile in Ezra’s shoes.  

So why was Ezra so upset over the intermarriage of Israel with their pagan neighbors? And why does he call for them to “put aside” the foreign women and their children? And what were the social ramifications of such a drastic move? First and foremost, we need to understand that in ancient near east culture, ethnicity, tribal identity, and religion all overlapped. You see something similar in the world today where Islam is so closely identified with the Arabic ethnicity. Tribal kingdoms were defined in a very real sense according to the god they worshipped. Each nation had their own god and their own unique religious practices. Their god ruled over a specific territorial boundary which defined the geographic limits of a particular kingdom. Other features that defined tribal and/or national identity had to do with the personality of the king who ruled, the language they spoke, and then, downstream from the rest, the particular physical features of the people themselves. One can see how different this is from modern racial theory forged in the wake of the horrors of the Holocaust and ethnic purges of the last 150 years. 

From a Biblical standpoint then, if one married a pagan, one pledged allegiance in a certain sense to their god. This obviously represents a fundamental break with the First Commandment which is why Ezra reacts so strongly to the news. Furthermore, intermarriage also brought into question one’s tribal and/or national identity. It was an open question whether one could actually be an Israelite if one married a non-Israelite. One would always be suspect as would one’s children. If/when an invasion took place, whose side would you be on? Could you be trusted? All these were very real questions for a fragile group of people seeking to reestablish themselves and rebuild their nation. Certainly there were options for non-Israelites to become Israelites. The book of Ruth is a great example and a story the people in Ezra’s time would have known well. However, in order to become an Israelite one had to renounce any connection to their former god and their former people. “Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16)

Hopefully, this helps us understand Ezra’s dilemma and heartbreak. He is ashamed. He is afraid. He knows his history well and he knows what happens when God’s people are unfaithful. "O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today.” (Ezra 9:6-7) He tears his robe. He rips his beard. He falls on his face before God and intercedes for the people. 

As he prays, a few men come forward with a solution. What if everyone who has taken a foreign wife puts her aside? What if they separated out the foreign women and children as an act of repentance? This seems good to Ezra. The proclamation goes forth. Those found guilty repent. And the story ends. We don’t know how it turns out for the women and children. Are they simply cast side? Left to fend for themselves? Surely not as God’s Law is just as clear about how we treat the foreigner and stranger and most vulnerable in our midst as it is about intermarriage. 

So what happened? No one can say with certainty. Here I can only offer a modern day analogy. In many places in Africa, it is common for the men to take more than one wife. Polygamy is not God’s design for marriage so I’ve encouraged them to choose one wife and essentially “put away” the others. They remain in the household under the economic care and protection of the man of the house but he lives in covenant faithfulness with only one woman. He provides for them. He takes care of their children. He still fulfills all his responsibilities as a husband and father so they are not left destitute on the streets. It’s not a perfect solution but it is one offered in an attempt to bring the family into covenant faithfulness to the gospel. 

So where do you find yourself today? What does covenant faithfulness look like for you? Where are you living in covenant obedience? Where are you living in disobedience? Is your heart grieved by the brokenness and sin of your life?  

Readings for tomorrow: Nehemiah 1-4

Worship in COVID Times

Readings for today: Malachi 1-4, Psalms 50

God doesn’t grade on a curve. He will never be satisfied with leftovers. Never be content to take second place. Will not allow us to take Him for granted or treat Him with disdain. God is a refining fire. A purifying fire. A cleansing fire. Malachi testifies to the fact that when the great Day of the Lord comes and Jesus returns in all His glory, all that is evil and arrogant and corrupt in this world will be burned by fire. All that is sinful and impure and ungodly in our lives will be set ablaze. The gold will be refined. The silver purified. Only that which is of the Lord will endure.

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.” ‭‭(Malachi‬ ‭4:1-3‬)

It’s a sobering vision. One that should challenge and convict us as it did the people of Israel. They had taken their relationship with God for granted. They were not giving their best to God. Their offerings were polluted. The animals brought for sacrifice represented the worst of their flocks. Blind. Lame. Broken. Bruised. They simply didn’t measure up to the worship God deserves and demands. The priests refused to honor God’s name. They would not listen to His Word. They were unfaithful to the covenant God had established. Therefore they fell under God’s judgment and it was terrible. “But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction.” (Malachi‬ ‭2:8-9‬)

What is the worship God demands from us? Malachi is clear, “For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi‬ ‭1:11) God will be glorified. His name will be lifted up. He will be worshipped by the nations of the earth. The people He loves and created will honor Him by giving Him the full devotion He deserves. They will burn incense. They will bring pure offerings. The best of their flocks. The best of their fields. They will not just go through the motions but with full hearts come to worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth.

God expects no less from us. We who have been saved by Jesus Christ have seen His glory. The glory of the One and Only Son come from the Father. As such, more is demanded from us. More is expected. God desires our full worship. God desires our full devotion. He will never rest until He has the highest place in our lives. And it doesn’t matter what’s happening in the world around us. It doesn’t matter how difficult life’s circumstance may be. It doesn’t matter what barriers may exist or what inconveniences we have to endure. God demands our worship. God deserves our worship. Now more than ever we have the opportunity to come before Him and give Him praise.

Throughout history and throughout the world today, God’s people gather for worship. They gather in the midst of war. They gather in the wake of natural disasters. They gather in the face of pandemics. They gather because God has called them to come before Him as a people. As a family. We are blessed in our day and age to gather virtually as well as physically. We are blessed to share communion and receive God’s Word. God is using any and all means to make Himself known. He is lifting His name on high. His glory is truly filling the earth. And the amazing miracle is we are invited into this experience! The door is open to His Presence! He is lowering every mountain. He is raising up every valley. He is making every crooked way straight for His people. Friends, may you find joy and peace and strength as you worship God in Spirit and in Truth yourselves!

Readings for tomorrow: Ezra 7-10

Purim

Readings for today: Esther 6-10

At a fundamental level, Esther is a story of divine reversals. God turning things on their heads in order to save His people. Mordechai is lifted up. Haman is brought low. Esther becomes Queen after Vashti is deposed. The Jewish people go from mourning to joy. From defeat to victory. From death to life almost overnight. Purim is inaugurated to commemorate the incredible miracle of God’s deliverance and many Jews believe this is the one festival they will continue to celebrate even after Messiah comes.  

It is impossible to imagine the emotions behind such a dramatic turn of events. One moment, you are cowering in your home in fear as the mob gathers to bring death and destruction. Local authorities are no help. In fact, they are leading the charge at the king’s order. I think of my African-American friends who tell stories from their own family histories about the lynchings they witnessed during the Civil Rights struggle of the 20th century. I think of my South Sudanese friends who live in fear of violent retribution by their own government. I think of my Somali friends who are planting churches under the shadow of Islamic extremism. They know this fear well. It is a constant companion. I think of the women I’ve met who’ve suffered abuse, sexual or physical or otherwise. They often feel trapped and alone and afraid. I think of the children I’ve met who’ve been violently treated within their own family. I have seen the same fear in their eyes. It is crippling. It is paralyzing. It is dreadful. 

But then a new edict is read! A new proclamation is issued! Freedom! Deliverance! Salvation! Think of the joy the Persian Jews, living in the midst of a hostile, pagan empire must have felt! They were not helpless! They were not alone! God had raised up a deliverer! A savior! A messiah! In the person of Esther. In the person of Mordechai. God was acting anew to protect His chosen people. Now think of the joy that accompanied the Emancipation Proclamation or the Civil Rights Act or the election of President Obama in our own time. Think of the joy that accompanied the permanent cease-fire agreement in South Sudan. (The terms of which where unfortunately violated almost immediately...) Think of the joy that comes when entire villages are saved by the gospel and delivered from the influence of Islamic extremism. Think of the joy that comes to a woman when she finally finds the courage to leave her abuser, seek healing and help, and start a new life. Or the joy that comes to children as they experienced love for the first time. These too are Purim. 

And what about your life? What about the bondage you have faced or currently are facing? Is it addiction? Is it slavery to sin of some sort? Is it the darkness of depression? The painful affliction of a mental, emotional, or physical illness? Where do you need deliverance today? Where do you need a savior? In what corners of your heart do you still cower in fear? Afraid of what tomorrow may bring? Let Esther give you hope! Even at the 11th hour, God is still working to bring salvation! 

Readings for tomorrow: Malachi 1-4, Psalms 50

#MeToo

Readings for today: Esther 1-5

I wish I knew more about Queen Vashti. Her background. Upbringing. Life experience. Faith background. I would love to know what gave her the courage to stand up to her king. It couldn’t have been easy. Women in her time were considered more property than people. Their lives utterly dependent on the good will of their husbands. They could be beaten at their husbands request. Kicked to the curb if they displeased their husbands in any way. Killed if their offense was great enough. And yet Vashti finds the strength to refuse when her king asks her to come before him. She publicly shames her king by refusing to be objectified in front of his court. She will not be his sexual plaything. She will not allow herself to be paraded in front of the men of the empire for their perverse entertainment. It’s an unprecedented display of female power. One Queen Esther will follow in her own way as well.

Vashti’s behavior presents a threat. What will happen if women follow her example? What will happen if women start refusing to obey their husbands? What will happen if women look down on their husbands with contempt when they attempt to subject them to sexual harassment and abuse? This cannot stand! Vashti must be punished! Vashti’s behavior condemned! Imagine a world where women were considered the equals of men? Imagine a world where women held power over their own bodies? Imagine a world where men were not the masters of their homes? What kind of world would that be? What kind of chaos would ensue? The threat is dire enough for the king to issue an edict throughout his empire. From India to Ethiopia. 127 provinces in all. In every script and language. Men will rule over their wives. Their children. Their homes. It’s almost laughable if it were not so tragically true.

Throughout human history, men have sought to subject women. Women have had to fight and struggle and claw their way to freedom. To full personhood. To equality. And while incredible progress has been made, the fight continues to this day. Think about the number of women who are sexually harassed and abused at some point during the course of their lives. A startling one in five women have reported being raped. One in four women have been physically assaulted by an intimate partner. One in four women report being sexually assaulted. And 81% of women report being sexually harassed. The rise of the #MeToo movement exposed the dark underbelly of our society. It gave many women the courage to speak out about their traumatic experiences. Like Queen Vashti, they refused to subjugate themselves to the men who abused them any longer.

The gospel flips the historic male-female dynamic on its head. Rather than rule over their households like mini-tyrants, men are called to serve their wives. Laying down their lives for them as Christ laid down His life for the church. Men are called to love their wives as Christ loves us. Men are called to sacrifice for their wives, creating an environment in their homes where the women in their lives can grow and thrive and flourish. Godly husbands will put the needs of their wives above their own. They will seek to empower their wives to fulfill whatever calling God places on their lives. They will treat their wives with dignity and honor and respect. There is no place in the godly home for abuse, neglect, or harassment. Indeed, the goal for every husband is to do all he can to present his wife before the Lord, “in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians‬ ‭5:27‬)

The Day of the Lord

Readings for today: Zechariah 8-14

Anyone who is familiar at all with the gospel story will recognize the Messianic prophecies embedded throughout Zechariah’s visions. This is a critical reminder of the importance of the Old Testament. We have to understand the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the climax of a story that has been unfolding for centuries. Jesus is the true fulfillment of the covenant God first established with Abraham. He is the true seed. The promised Son. The faithful Israelite. He is the perfect emodiment of God’s eternal plan and its fulfillment. Throughout the Old Testament, as God interacted with His people, He dropped clues as to what was coming. The “Day of the Lord” it was often called. A day when the Messiah would come and Israel would be saved. The people of God looked for this day. Longed for this day. Prayed for this day. Especially in periods of great hardship and suffering. So again, Zechariah is prophesying at a time of great change and upheavel. Decades of exile and slavery has come to an end. The people have survived Babylon. They’ve survived attempts at genocide. They’ve survived attempts to forcefully assimilate them into a broader, pagan culture. And now they’ve returned home. To a ruined city. To ruined homes. To a ruined Temple. Time to start over. Where will life go from here? Will God remain faithful? What life will they build? These are the fundamental questions they’re asking and God sends Haggai, Nehemiah, Ezra, and Zechariah - among others - with the answer. 

He gives them a picture of the future. When Messiah’s Kingdom comes to earth. And so we read familiar words like... 

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah‬ ‭9:9‬)

“Then I said to them, "If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them." And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter"—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter.” (Zechariah‬ ‭11:12-13‬)

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” (Zechariah‬ ‭12:10‬)

“And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.” (Zechariah‬ ‭14:9‬)

And these words - often quoted or alluded to throughout the New Testament - remind us God is in control. God reigns sovereign over all the earth. His plan is being worked out. His purposes are coming to pass. His will is being done on earth as it is in heaven.  

Until that great Day comes, what should then we do? Cling to hope. Cling to faith. Cling to God. He will never let us down. His promises are sure. His faithfulness is great. His steadfast love is loyal and true. Zechariah encourages us just as he encouraged God’s people so many centuries ago. “Thus says the Lord: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the holy mountain...Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.” (Zechariah‬ ‭8:3, 7-8‬)

“On that day the Lord their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!” (Zechariah‬ ‭9:16-17‬)

“I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back because I have compassion on them, and they shall be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the Lord their God and I will answer them.” (Zechariah‬ ‭10:6‬)

The Lord is our God. We are His people. When we call on Him, He will answer. When we knock, the door is always open. When we’ve sinned, there is always grace. Believe this for your life today! 

Readings for tomorrow: Esther 1-5

God Draws Near

Readings for today: Zechariah 1-7

It was hard waking up this morning to the gross injustice suffered by yet another African-American. The death of Breonna Taylor is not just tragic it is evil and unjust. It should never happen. The rioting and violence in the wake of the decision is also not just tragic. It cannot be justified in any way. It is evil and unjust and hurts the innocent. Whether it is the police officers or bystanders caught in the crossfire or it is the homes and businesses that suffer damage as people vent their outrage. Violence only begets more violence. Hatred only leads to more hate. Anger cannot bring about the righteousness of God.

Perhaps you’re like me and you’ve wondered why in the world God would ever want to make His home on earth? Why would God want anything to do with us? Why would God not just wipe us out and start all over? He’s certainly justified. Man’s inhumanity to man knows no bounds. Evil seems to run amok. Sin corrupts all it touches. The history of the human race is a violent one and little, if any, progress seems to have been made. Ultimately, I have no idea what motivates God to continue to reach our in faithfulness to the creature He made in His own image. I only know it is true. It is what the Bible clearly teaches. From the opening pages of Scripture, God’s desire is clear. He longs to walk with humanity. He longs to work in and through us to bring blessing to all He has made. He has given us dominion - not so we will “dominate” - so much as we will serve and care for all of creation. It is why God planted a Garden at the dawn of time. It is why God builds a Tabernacle in the wilderness. It is why God constructs a Temple in Jerusalem. It’s why God rebuilds that Temple when the exiles return.

Listen to how the prophet Zechariah describes it, “Cry out, Thus says the Lord of hosts: I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. And I am exceedingly angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was angry but a little, they furthered the disaster. Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; my house shall be built in it, declares the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem. Cry out again, Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem…And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a man with a measuring line in his hand! Then I said, “Where are you going?” And he said to me, “To measure Jerusalem, to see what is its width and what is its length.” And behold, the angel who talked with me came forward, and another angel came forward to meet him and said to him, “Run, say to that young man, ‘Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be the glory in her midst.” (Zechariah‬ 1:14-17, ‭2:1-5‬)

God will dwell with His people. Of that we can be sure. We see it so clearly in the Old Testament. We see it even more clearly in the New Testament. Jesus Christ. The Eternal, Only Begotten Son of God. The Incarnate Word Himself. Leaves His home in the heavenly dimension and comes to earth. He becomes flesh and blood and makes His dwelling among us. The original Greek literally says Jesus “tabernacles” among us! It takes your breath away. God with us. God for us. God drawing near to us. Even in our sin. Even as we wallow in violence and evil and suffering and pain. God draws near. Now matter what we have done or where we have been or what mess we find ourselves currently in. God draws near. No matter how unjust or oppressive or divided or broken our nation becomes. God draws near. Even in Breonna Taylor’s apartment. God drew near. Even in the courtroom where a miscarriage of justice took place. God drew near. Even in the streets in the midst of the riots and protests. God draws near. While we were still enslaved to sin, God drew near. He spread out His hands. He was nailed to a cross. He took all the sin and evil of the world on His shoulders. Our only hope, friends, in this broken and messed up and unjust world in which we live is that God is near.

Readings for tomorrow: Zechariah 8-14

The Secret to the Good Life

Readings for today: Haggai 1-2

I talk to a lot of people who want to know the secret to a well-lived life. They spend their days searching for it. Their lives are filled with lots of activity that they hope will help them achieve the “good life” however they define it. But, at the end of the day, it seems forever out of reach. Just over the horizon. Just beyond their grasp. They never quite make it happen. Why? They are searching in all the wrong places. Matthew 6:33 says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” All these things? What things are we talking about? All the things that make up the good life. The blessings of God. Favor with the people. Deep, intimate relationships. Abundant provision. These are the things God promises to those who seek Him first.

Sadly, we too often put the cart before the horse. We flip flop the clauses of the verse. We seek first “all these things” and put the Kingdom of God on the back burner. And we are not the first to make this mistake. This is what happened to the people of Israel in the prophet Haggai’s time. They focused on themselves. Homes. Fields. Crops. Herds. Trying like crazy to make life work in the new land they had returned to after exile. They didn’t attend to the things of God. They didn’t value the worship of God. They didn’t put God in first place in their lives and this was demonstrated by their neglect of the Temple. So God confronts them. “Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.” (Haggai‬ ‭1:3-6‬) Their lack of provision. Lack of blessing. Lack of favor was a direct result of their unwillingness to seek God first above their own welfare which is why they never seemed to make any progress.

Sound familiar? I cannot tell you the number of couples I know who are stuck in their marriage. I cannot tell you the number of parents I know who feel stuck when it comes to their kids. As I look around our nation today, it seems clear to me that we are “stuck” in a rut of our own making with no hope of escape. What’s the answer? Turn to God. Surrender. Relinquish. Let go. Seek Him first. Follow His ways. Commit yourself to serve Him with all that you are and all that you’ve got. It’s the only answer I know and it breaks my heart that so many choose to remain stuck in their ways. If only they could lay hold of the promise Israel received through Haggai, “Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.” (Haggai‬ ‭2:3-9)

Readings for tomorrow: Zechariah 1-7

Politics in the Bible

Readings for today: Ezra 4-6

The return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon was a significant political event. Jerusalem was known throughout the region as a powerful and influential city. Once ruled by mighty kings with large armies who refused to bow the knee to the various empires who had attacked her over the years. Rebuilding her constituted a threat to the status quo. A threat to the established peace. A threat to the current political order. Furthermore, rebuilding the Temple was even more threatening. The Temple of God stood as the religious, social, and political center of the nation of Israel. To allow this structure to be rebuilt was to allow the people of God to reclaim their national identity. National identity leads to national pride. National pride would lead to calls for freedom, independence, and the re-establishment of the geographical borders laid out by God Himself. All of this created a lot of fear and unrest among the people who were living in the area at the time of the exile’s return. Not only that but when they ask to join in the work, they are rejected. Not arbitrarily but because they are unclean and impure and God’s Temple must remain holy as do God’s people. 

Thus begins a political back and forth. Letters are dispatched. Extensive searches are conducted in the archives of the empire. People leverage their influence and connections to try to either hinder or help the work. Names are dropped. Bribes offered. Anything to frustrate the purposes and plan of God. Initially, the political opponents of Israel are successful. The work ceases for a time. But God sends two prophets - both of whom we will read in a bit - with the message to resume work. To remember who has called them to this work. Who has authorized this work. And who gives them all the resources they need to accomplish this work. They answer to God alone and not to the kings and princes of this world. “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.” (Ezra‬ ‭5:11‬)

It is tempting in our world today to think we need political cover to help us accomplish God’s plan. It is tempting to cozy up to politicians and seek their approval for all we do. It is tempting to give them a platform at our events or in our churches or even in our pulpits with the hope that we will gain favor with them for the future. It is tempting to align ourselves with one political party or the other. It is tempting to rationalize the ungodly behavior of our political leaders with the hope we will gain access and influence. It is tempting to compromise our convictions in order to gain their support. Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zechariah all remind us otherwise. Our hope is in Christ alone. Our future is held in God’s hands. Only He can provide the resources to accomplish His plans. Only He can give us the power and authority to live and to walk in His ways. We serve a greater King and a greater Kingdom, friends! We are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us! We live in this world but we are not of this world! Our citizenship is held in heaven! 

At the same time, we do live in the real world. We cannot withdraw or stick our heads in the sand. We cannot pretend like the world around us doesn’t exist. We cannot ignore the very real problems our nation faces nor the challenges that confront our political leaders. We must pray for them. We must respect and honor them. Given the opportunity, we must seek to share God’s wisdom with them. Influence them in ways that align with God’s Kingdom. Confront them gently but firmly on their shortcomings. This is our calling in this world because we serve the God of heaven and earth who reigns and rules over all. 

Readings for tomorrow: Haggai 1-2

Rebirth of a Nation

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Ezra 1-3

“And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away.” (Ezra‬ ‭3:11-13‬)

Second chances. How many of us have had them? Opportunities given to us in life that we do not deserve. Have not earned. Certainly should not expect. We hit rock bottom and suddenly there reaches down a hand to pull us back up. To lift us out of the pit of our despair. To set our feet on a new path. I know I’ve experienced several moments in my life where I hit rock bottom. Usually due to the choices I’ve made along the way. In college, it was my issues with alcohol. In Princeton, it was my addiction to achievement. In Wisconsin, it was my issues with workaholism. In each case, God was gracious to provide a second chance. An opportunity to repent, turn 180 degrees, and move in a new direction.

Israel had been in exile for years. They hit rock bottom in Babylonia. Their nation was wiped from the earth. Their capital city was razed to the ground. Their Temple was completely destroyed. They were forcibly removed from the Promised Land. Somehow, someway they were able to maintain their cultural identity even amidst a foreign land and a pagan people. They still faithfully charted their genealogies. They still maintained their households. They kept up their roles as they waited for God’s promised redemption. Decades passed. Kings rose and fell. Empires changed hands. Finally, a new emperor arose by the name of Cyrus. He issued a decree promising the right of return to the people of Israel. A second chance.

I try to imagine what it must have been like to start over. To cross the borders of Israel for the first time in generations. To return back to the village where your family had lived for centuries. To reclaim your ancient inheritance. To rebuild your home. To re-till your fields. To graze your herds. To walk where your ancestors walked. To live where your ancestors had lived. To renew your covenant with the Promised Land. It must have been powerful. Add to that the laying of the foundation of the Temple. The rebuilding of the altar of God. The restoration of the sacrifices and feasts and holy days of celebration. No wonder the old men wept and the young men shouted for joy. This was the rebirth of a nation!

If you are like me, you wonder if our nation will ever experience such rebirth? Will there come a time when we too will see this kind of national unity restored? It’s hard to imagine. And sadly, the Bible is clear that such rebirth only comes after terrifying judgment. Like Israel, or any other nation for that matter, we have much to atone for. Our past is littered with sin. We are reaping what we’ve sown. All of the anger and hate and vitriol present in our culture is directly tied to our arrogance and pride and selfishness and greed. Yes, in many ways, America represents the best the world has to offer right now. Freedom. Democracy. Capitalism. These things have lifted millions out of poverty and oppression and this is worthy of praise. At the same time, human sin knows no bounds. It corrupts all it touches. So even our best efforts fall short. Even our most significant achievements are not pure.

Over and over again, the Bible teaches that every generation must renew their covenant with the Lord. And the reality is we have become complacent over the last several decades. We have been living off the social, emotional, and national “capital” of generations past. Their sacrifices set the table but rather than build on what they have done, we turned inward. We made the same mistake Israel made. We lost sight of what it meant to seek God’s Kingdom first and instead starting building our own kingdom in our own strength with our own hands. Thus, the mess we find ourselves in. Will God give us a second chance? I truly hope so. But I also know it will only come as God’s people repent of their sin - both personally and corporately - before the Lord. The only chance our nation has is for the church of Jesus Christ to humble herself and pray. Seek God’s face and turn from their wicked ways. As we fall on our faces before the Lord, He promises to hear from heaven. Forgive our sin. Heal our land. Only then will we experience new birth.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezra 4-6

Daniel’s Apocalypse

Readings for today: Daniel 10-12

Biblical prophets speak truth to power. Biblical prophets bring hope and assurance to God’s people by reminding them of God’s sovereign power and plan. Finally, Biblical prophets often foretell the future. This is certainly the case in Daniel 10-12. Here’s a brief timeline...

535 BC - Third year of Cyrus the Great’s reign. Daniel is now 85 years old and has been serving pagan kings for seventy years. Daniel’s grief is most likely the result of the conflict those who have returned from exile under the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra are facing as they rebuild both Jerusalem and the Temple. Daniel fasts for three weeks but unbeknownst to him, a battle is taking place in the heavenly realm. Gabriel - most likely the identity of the angelic being who visits Daniel - is at war with Satan and his demonic forces and only prevails with the help of another archangel named Michael. Gabriel has been sent by God to comfort Daniel. To give him hope for the future. Hard times are coming. Terrifying times. Forces will be arrayed in heaven and on earth against God’s chosen people. Satan is seeking - as he always does - their compete eradication from the face of the earth. God, knowing what is to come, sends his angel to Daniel with a vision of the future so he can record it for future generations. 

Three relatively minor kings follow Cyrus on throne. But the fourth referred to in Daniel 11 is Xerxes who ruled from 486-465 BC. His power and might was unrivaled at the time and as he seeks to expand his empire, he will provoke the might of Greece. After a number of years, Alexander the Great (336-323 BC) will unite the Greek into one empire and head east to destroy the Persians. Alexander dies tragically and his empire is then broken up into four pieces, ruled by four of his closest generals. The Ptolemaic (Southern king) faction goes to war with the Seleucids (Northern king) and their battle rages for generations with Israel as the primary “buffer state” in between. Eventually, a brutal tyrant named Antiochus Epiphanes IV will sweep down from the north and cause tremendous suffering for the people of God. “But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand.” (Daniel‬ ‭11:16‬) He will even seek to place a statue of Zeus in the Holy of Holies (abomination of desolation mentioned in 11:31) which in turn gives rise to the Maccabean revolt detailed in the Old Testament Apocryphal books of 1st and 2nd Maccabees. 

All of this is ancient history to us but it was still very much in the future for Daniel. As God unpacks for him what is to come, he sees tremendous suffering ahead for his people. “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time...” Under the influence of Haman, Xerxes will try to kill every single Jewish man, woman, and child within the borders of his empire. You can read all about this in the book of Esther. The wars between the Ptolemaic and Seleucid factions will take a tremendous toll on both land and people as many of the battles are fought in and around the borders of Israel. Pagan kings will rape and pillage and burn what God’s people are trying to build. And the worst of them all - Antiochus Epiphanes IV - will literally torture and kill as many Jews as possible. At the same time these conflicts are raging on earth, there is a battle going on in heaven. Michael and his forces are fighting Satan and his demons and though the battle is fierce, they will prevail just as God’s people will prevail on earth. This is why Daniel closes his book with such hopeful words, “But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel‬ ‭12:1‬-3) 

What’s the relevance of all this history for God’s people today? No matter what you are going through, know that God is with you. He is literally fighting at your side. He is bringing about His purposes and His will even amidst your hardships. He will send His messengers to serve you. To comfort you. To bless you. He will bring you peace. Though you may experience suffering for a time, He will preserve your life. In fact, He has a reward waiting for you in His heavenly Kingdom. There the righteous will shine like stars in the sky and will reign with Him forever. As Christians, we do not place our hope in the things of this world. We do not place our hope in the nations of this world or the success of a particular political party. We do not place our hope in what we can achieve in this world. We place our hope in God alone. 

Visions and Dreams

Readings for today: Daniel 7-9

If you are like me, you grieve deeply over what you see happening in our nation and around the world. The world is descending into tribalistic chaos. Divisions are turning violent. People have taken to the streets. Not just here in America but around the world. Some of the demonstrations are turning into riots and looting. People are being attacked, hurt, and even killed. It’s a troubling time to be sure.

Daniel lived through such troubling times himself. As he lay on his bed at night, God gave him a glimpse of the future. Kingdoms rising and falling. Great empires clashing. Regular people caught in the crossfire as armies march their way all over the earth. It was a scary time. An unsettling time. A deeply tribal time where conflict and violence were part of everyday life. No one really knew when or where an army would appear on the horizon. No one really knew when allegiances would shift. Safety and security seemed forever out of reach.

In the midst of his nightmarish visions, Daniel receives a Word from the Lord. A Word of comfort. A Word of hope. A Word of security. There is one who reigns over the nations of the earth. One who rules the empires of this world. He is the Ancient of Days and to Him is given all glory and honor and dominion and power. “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened…I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” ‭‭(Daniel‬ ‭7:9-10, 13-14‬)

This is a great Word for us today. In a time when it seems like the nations rage and kings plot in vain against the Lord and against His Anointed, it is comforting to know the Son of Man and the Ancient of Days still sit on their thrones. God is in charge, friends. He reigns and rules supreme. His authority is unquestioned and unchallenged. His dominion is from everlasting to everlasting. There will never be a time when God is not in charge. There will never be a time when God abdicates authority. There will never be a time when God is not at work bending even the sinful, broken ways of His creation to His perfect will. Yes, we are sinners. We have sinned individually. We have sinned corporately. No matter how hard we try, we tend to make a mess of things. Thanks be to God that His love is unconditional. His grace undeserved. His mercies new every morning. God is faithful. He will bring to completion the work of redemption He has begun. This is why Christians throughout history have always declared, “Our only hope in life and in death is that we belong body and soul to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ.”

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 10-12

Loving the Lost

Readings for today: Daniel 4-6

One of the hallmarks of a Christian is her heart for the lost. We are commanded in Scripture to love those who are lost. To have compassion on those who do not yet know God. To reach out to them. To serve them. To bless them in the name of Jesus. The examples from Scripture are legion. From the beginning where God demonstrates His love for Adam and Eve and Cain even amidst their sin. To the love Abraham showed for the people of Sodom, interceding for them when they faced destruction. Moses showed love to his father-in-law, a non-Israelite, raising him to a position of leadership among the people of God. I think of how the Law of God embraces the stranger, foreigner, and alien in the midst of God’s people and I think of how we see that fleshed out in the embrace of women like Rahab and Ruth and the critical role they play in the genealogy of our Savior.

Daniel embodies this love as well. His close relationship with the kings he serves is well-attested in the chapters we read today. When Nebuchadnezzer has a dream, Daniel is the man he calls on. It’s important to note that Nebuchadnezzer even uses Daniel’s Jewish name which is highly unusual as the Babylonians “renamed” people in order to assimilate them fully into Babylonian culture. “At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods…” (Daniel‬ ‭4:8‬) And Daniel clearly communicates his love and concern for Nebuchadnezzer as he interprets the dream for him. “Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies!” (Daniel‬ ‭4:19‬)

Daniel’s special relationship with the kings he serves is not limited to Nebuchadnezzer. It extends to Darius as well. “Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.” (Daniel‬ ‭6:3‬) Clearly, Daniel’s reputation precedes him. He is esteemed above all the wise men and satraps and other potential counselors of the king. Furthermore, when their jealousy gets the best of them and they craft legislation specifically attacking Daniel’s faith, Darius laments what he has to do and is the first to arrive at the mouth of the lion’s den to see if Daniel has survived. “Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him…Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?” My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.” (Daniel‬ ‭6:14, 18-20, 22-24‬)

One can see from such verses how Daniel loved the lost kings whom he served. He loved them as God loved them. He served them out of reverence for Christ. He gave his life to them in an effort to lead and direct them to a saving faith. And his efforts were not in vain. Nebuchadnezzer gave glory to the God of Israel. Belshazzar was brought to his knees before the God of Israel. Darius issues a proclamation that all the people of the empire would worship the God of Israel. It’s a powerful testimony and example to us all.

So…how do you love the lost? Take it one step back…do you love the lost? Do you love those who do not know Christ or do you look down on them? Do you love those who are still enslaved to their sin or do you disdain them? Do you love those who are struggling and wandering and perhaps even living in willful rebellion against Christ or do you seek to reach them, serve them, care for them, have compassion on them? What creates barriers to love in your life? Is it politics? Ethnicity? Economics? Is it lack of forgiveness? Lack of grace? Lack of understanding? Is it anger? Frustration? Lost hope? Let the gospel minister to your soul. Let the gospel restore your faith and renew your love. Remember the gospel is the literal power of God for all those who would believe, Jew and Gentile alike. It is God’s desire that all should be saved and come to a knowledge of His truth. This includes even those we would consider our enemies. Let Daniel’s example both challenge and inspire you today to reach out to those who do not yet know Christ.

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 7-9

Living a Godly Life in an Ungodly World

Readings for today: Daniel 1-3

“In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect...” (1 Peter‬ ‭3:15)

Daniel is one of my favorites. He is a man sold out to God. No matter what life throws at him, he never once seems to waver. When he was a young man, he was carted off into exile in Babylon. A traumatic, painful experience. Once he arrived in Babylon, he was identified as a young man of promise and removed from his family. Sequestered in the king’s household, he began training as a wise man. Someone who would counsel the king on the most important matters. Someone who would serve the empire and seek to expand its pagan influence and power. One can easily imagine the internal struggle Daniel must have felt. How does he serve God faithfully while counseling one of the great tyrants in history? How does he speak God’s truth to a pagan power? How does he maintain his integrity even as he counsels a king whose ego is out of control? 

The challenges start early. As part of his training, he is presented with unclean food to eat. Right off the bat, he has a choice to make. Will he trust God or will he compromise his convictions? Here it is critical to note how Daniel responds. It will become the pattern for the rest of his life. “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king." Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, "Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king's food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see." (Daniel‬ ‭1:8-13‬) First and foremost, Daniel resolves to remain faithful to God’s Law. He will not eat unclean food. At the same time, he recognizes his convictions put the chief eunuch in a tough position. If Daniel and his friends refuse to eat and start to suffer physically, the eunuch is going to be punished so Daniel comes up with a plan. Essentially, let us do it God’s way for ten days and then compare us with the rest of the group. If we don’t measure up, we’ll do it your way. It’s a brilliant approach. Daniel remains faithful to God. He is able to share with the eunuch the reason for his hope. He treats the man with gentleness and respect. And the results speak for themselves. God is glorified and Daniel’s stature rises in the court.

Fast forward a few years. Now Daniel has taken his place among the wise men of Babylon. A decree goes out that everyone is to be killed because no one can pass the king’s test. Once again, Daniel approaches the captain of the guard with gentleness and respect. He asks for an audience with the king. He trusts God to reveal the mystery in prayer. “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding; he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him. To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.” (Daniel‬ ‭2:20-23‬) And when given his audience, he testifies to the greatness and power of God and the king humbles himself before him. 

A few more years pass. The king grows so insecure he decides to build a monument to himself and demand everyone fall down in worship before it. It’s the height of arrogance. Daniel doesn’t appear in this story but his colleagues do. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego follow his example. Confronted with a situation which would force them to break the second commandment, they refuse to bow down in worship and instead stand faithful. The king is furious but the men answer him with grace and truth. "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Daniel‬ ‭3:16-18‬) They are thrown into a furnace of fire. The king and his courtiers watch, waiting for them to be consumed. An incredible miracle happens as the pre-existent Christ appears and delivers them from death. The result is again the humbling of the king. "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God.” (Daniel‬ ‭3:28‬)

Daniel is an amazing example of faith to us all. In the way he lives his life, he shows us how to live and engage our increasingly non-Christian world in a faithful way. We do not have to relinquish our faith in Christ to serve in politics or business or education or any other field for that matter. Holding onto Christ in our hearts, we do have to be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have in Him. People will ask. They may wonder why we do the things we do or refuse to act in ways that are dishonest or morally compromised. We may be attacked for our faith at times. Through it all, we are not to respond with violence or anger or fight for our “rights” but instead stand firm with gentleness and respect. We are not to resort to the underhanded ways of this world to accomplish the will of God. We must not use the ways of this world to achieve the purposes of God. Instead, we must let go and let God act as He chooses. Use us as He pleases. Place our lives and our future in His hands. 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 4-6

Living Waters

Readings for today: Ezekiel 45-48

We love the idea of living water. Water that runs. Water that flows. Water that is constantly moving. Refreshing. Renewing. I think of taking off my shoes and socks after a long day of hiking to dip my feet in a cold mountain stream. I think of the water features I see in so many landscaping plans because the sound of flowing water soothes the soul. I think of the wells I’ve seen around the world as locals look for fresh sources of water to sustain life. Living water is essential. We simply cannot live without out. And that’s why the Bible uses this image over and over again to depict the coming Kingdom of God.

Ezekiel sees a final vision. Water flowing from the Temple of God. It begins as a trickle but soon becomes a mighty river, flowing southeast out of Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea. The region around the Sea is a wasteland. A desert. A void. A place where nothing grows. And yet, as the river reaches the sea, this amazing miracle takes place! Trees begin to grow on either side. Fruit appears, providing food and sustenance to all. Leaves bloom and blossom, without withering or fading. The water itself teems with life. Fish of every kind find a home there. As the waters reach the Sea, they bring it from death to life. The saltwater turns fresh and it begins to produce a hundredfold. Yes, there are still reminders of the former days. Still reminders of the death that once reigned here. The marshes and swamps retain their salty character but those simply serve as witnesses to the miracle of resurrection that has taken place! 

For the Christian, we recognize the prophetic nature of Ezekiel’s vision. Many centuries later, the Apostle Peter will actually stand on the steps of the Temple and preach the gospel for the first time. The Holy Spirit moved powerfully through his words and 3000 gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Along the very stairs where Peter most likely preached are the ceremonial mikvehs where Jewish believers would wash before going into worship. The 3000 who were saved were probably baptized in those very waters! What began as a trickle soon became a mighty river as the Spirit moved in the hearts of those early believers. From 20,000 at the end of the 1st century to over 20 million some two hundred years later to over 3 billion today; the river of the gospel of Jesus Christ just gets deeper and wider as it flows! 

God is still on the move, friends! Even after all these centuries, lives are still being changed by the gospel! It moves out into the wasteland of our world. Into the darkest places where death reigns. And it brings life. Hope. Joy. Peace. Churches sprout up along its banks, bearing the fruit of the Spirit to sustain the nations. As they seek Christ themselves, they find their leaves never wither. The world itself is renewed. Restored. Redeemed. Where O Death is now thy sting? Where O Death is now thy victory? The Living Water that Christ offers us fills the void! It becomes a spring of water welling up continually in our souls. Healing our hurts. Easing our pain. Comforting our grief. Sustaining us until the day when Christ will come again to wipe away every tear and make all things new. 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 1-3

The Lord’s Return

Readings for today: Ezekiel 41-44

It’s hard to imagine how Ezekiel must have felt when he saw the Lord returning to the Temple. The only thing close to it might be watching the memorial being built after the Towers fell in New York City. To visit Ground Zero or to see the lights shining on a clear night reminds all of us to never forget what happened on that terrible day. I still remember sitting in my car, waiting to make a left turn onto Alexander Road from Canal Pointe Blvd, as I headed into Princeton for school that morning. Classes were cancelled. Work was suspended. We all watched in horror as the events unfolded. My wife Kristi remembers being at school when the news came down and scrambling to figure out if any of the parents of her kids had been trapped in the towers as they fell. One of my good friends was mobilized as a National Guardsman and spent the next year serving as a chaplain at the site where they took the remains of those who had been killed so they could be identified. The experience was so traumatic for him that he ended up in therapy himself for almost a year. Another colleague of mine was serving as the senior pastor of 5th Avenue Presbyterian Church at the time and when the towers fell, he donned his clerical robe, threw open the doors of his sanctuary, and ran out into the streets to usher people into safety. Living in such close proximity to New York meant we knew people personally who experienced the loss of loved ones. Lisa Beamer, whose husband Todd lost his life heroically in the charge to retake Flight 93, went to church literally a few miles away. As terrible as that day was for so many, it is equally if not more powerful to watch our nation memorialize those who fell. Millions visit the memorial and museum each year to pay their respects. It is a powerful witness and testimony to the resilient heart of the American people. 

Now multiply 9/11 many times over. Imagine not only the Towers going down but planes flying into the Capitol building in Washington DC or the White House. Imagine tanks rolling down the highways of our country. Imagine bombs being dropped on every major city. Imagine armies burning and destroying everything in their path. Imagine America in ruins. Imagine living in exile in some foreign nation for decades, wondering if you will ever return home. Now imagine a prophet coming to you and laying out the exact dimensions of a new Capitol being built. A new White House. A new Supreme Court building. Imagine that prophet rolling out the blueprints of every national monument and showing them to you. Imagine him telling you a time is coming soon when you will return and America will be reborn. Can you imagine your excitement and joy? The feeling of national pride that would swell in your heart? 

“Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” (‭Ezekiel‬ ‭43:1-5‬) It is impossible to overstate the joy Ezekiel must have felt as he sees this vision the of the Lord’s return. As painful as it was for him to see the Lord leaving the Temple in his earlier visions, it is now equally exciting to witness the Lord’s return. God had not forgotten His people! God had not abandoned His promises! God would prove faithful! No wonder he fell on his face!

Life is often hard. There are moments, even seasons, where we feel like everything has come crashing down around us. We lose our job. Our cars are repossessed. Homes go into foreclosure. Relationships break down in divorce. We experience the sudden, tragic loss of someone we love. Global pandemics exacerbate existing social tensions. Rioting and looting and violence breaks out in our streets. Men and women of color seek justice to redress historic wrongs. Law enforcement officers are attacked in the streets. All kinds of extremist organizations try to use the chaos to their advantage. It feels like things are coming apart at the seams. There is so much in this world that brings us pain and heartbreak. It can even feel at times like the Lord has abandoned us. Ridden off on his chariot somewhere far away, never to return. Don’t believe the lie! God is faithful! He is true! He is steadfast in His love! He will never forsake or abandon us! He is with us! His glory is our sanctuary and our rearguard! If we walk by faith. If we trust in Him. If we surrender to His will and His ways. He will provide. He will restore the years the locusts have eaten. He will rebuild the ruins of our lives. He will bring forth new growth and new life from the barren ground. This is His promise and He will never fail!

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 45-48

Can Dry Bones Live?

Readings for today: Ezekiel 37-40

I have spent time in valleys full of dry bones. It may be a loveless marriage. It may be a broken family system. It may be a church that has lost any sense of mission beyond itself. It could be a community where tax revenues are declining and schools are shuttering and all hope seems lost. Walking into such valleys is hard. You can feel the crunch of the bones beneath your feet. You can hear the wind as it whistles through the graveyard. You can feel the presence of death all around. There is no joy in such places. There is only hopelessness and despair. Perhaps that’s why I love this particular text from Ezekiel so much.

“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” I cannot tell you how many times God has asked me this question. Can these bones live? Can this marriage be restored? Can this church be renewed? Can this community come back from the brink? Can our nation be saved? Initially, I would find myself telling God all the reasons why such things were impossible. I had all my human excuses for why we should simply cut bait and move on. But I’ve been at this long enough now to realize how little I know so I’ve started answering along with Ezekiel, “O Lord God, only you know.”

“Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” It’s a powerful thing God calls us to do. To declare hope in the face of hopelessness. To declare joy in the midst of sadness and mourning. To declare love when it feels like all love has been lost once and for all. To walk by faith in the midst of the mess we’ve made of our lives and our churches and our society, trusting God make the dry bones live again.

“So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them.” The first step is always obedience. To believe. To prophesy as God commands. To listen for the rattling. To watch as God begins to bring the dry bones together. To identity the muscles and sinews and skin as it appears. These are the first signs of hope. They are like the first buds in the spring. They signal something is about to happen. Someone is still at work. Despite what appears to be dead, there is life being renewed and restored. And yet, there is still something missing.

“Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.” It is the Spirit of God that breathes life into our weary souls. It is the Spirit of God that breathes love into loveless marriages. It is the Spirit of God who revives dying churches. It is the Spirit of God that blows fresh through struggling communities. It is the Spirit of God that restores a nation. The Spirit comes from the four winds. It blows across the earth. It comes from the most unlikely of places and at the most unexpected of times. Note our role in all of this. It’s simply to pray. To prophesy. To ask the Lord to pour out His Spirit on His people.

“Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.” (Ezekiel‬ ‭37:1-14‬)

I don’t know about you but I long for the day when the dry bones of our nation will rise once again. I long for the day when the dry bones of so many depressed and hurting communities across our country will rise again. I long for the day when the dry bones of so many of our churches will rise or the dry bones of so many marriages and families will rise. And when I look around at the bones that surround me, I often feel overwhelmed. But then I remember, my job is not to make the bones rise or even make the bones come back together. My job is simply to believe. To pray. To prophesy. To proclaim God’s Truth and point people to the One who holds the power to raise even the dead back to life!

God’s Watchman

Readings for today: Ezekiel 33-36

Long have I prayed over these words in Ezekiel. What does it mean to be a watchman? To be given God’s Word to speak to a specific people in a specific place and time? To be able to look out on the culture at large and see the coming judgment? To speak to it not in anger or outrage but in tenderness and compassion and love? To lay aside my natural prophetic zeal and instead kneel in sackcloth and ashes and weep over the sins of God’s people? To plead with them to return to the Lord with their whole hearts?

Ezekiel was a faithful prophet. He understood his call from the Lord clearly. He was to speak God’s Word to God’s people. Only God’s Word. Nothing more. Nothing less. Nothing else. He was to speak God’s Word as boldly and clearly as possible. He was to speak with full conviction and hold nothing back. In so doing, he is creating the conditions whereby God’s people might respond in repentance and humility. It’s important to note that the watchman is not responsible for the results. They are only responsible for the warning they provide. So Ezekiel’s success or failure in ministry doesn’t ride on how the people respond. Those who listen to his words will be saved. Those who reject his words will be destroyed. Ezekiel will only be held responsible to speak. Truthfully. Honestly. Openly. Transparently. “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.” (Ezekiel 33:7-9)

At the same time, I imagine Ezekiel loves his people. All good pastors do. We live and die with the decisions we watch people make. We grieve when they fail to turn from sin. We rejoiced when we see true life change. We get discouraged when we see spiritual complacency. We get excited when we see someone finally hit rock bottom and turn to Jesus. So the burden of the watchman is a heavy one. And I imagine Ezekiel felt this weight keenly. Especially as he watches God’s people respond to the Word of God preached. Some rest in their own self-righteousness. Others turn from their wickedness. The ups and downs of ministry are reflected in these words from Ezekiel 33, “The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live. “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just. When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by this. Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.” (Ezekiel‬ ‭33:12-20‬)

There is nothing worse than seeing God’s people choose their own way over God’s Way. Nothing more disheartening than for God’s people to choose the path of pride and arrogance and selfishness and greed over the path of humility and surrender and selflessness and generosity. Nothing more discouraging than watching God’s people reject God’s Word and substitute their own truth for God’s Truth. It never ends well. God will not be mocked. He will not bless sin nor will He let us escape the consequences of our actions.

I think about all I see happening in our world today. There is such a lack of compassion and empathy and love towards those who are different than us. The differences may be ethnic. The differences may be economic. The differences may be political. The differences may be social. No matter where the differences lie, we seem to have so little tolerance for one another. Our hearts are extremely hard towards those who are not like us. And if we let our hearts continue to harden, we end up expressing only anger and hate both of which are poison to the soul. Sure, we may have all sorts of justifications as to why we treat people so poorly. We may have all kinds of reasons why we feel justified in attacking a person’s character or questioning their motives or spreading gossip, rumors, and lies. But at the end of the day, we have to acknowledge that such rationalizations are self-serving at best and do not further the cause of Christ. It is only when we are willing to deal first with the log in our own eye that we will be able to see clearly the speck in our brother’s eye. Without us first addressing our own sin, we can never address the sins of our culture, our nation, or our world.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 37-40

More on Pride…

Readings for today: Ezekiel 29-32

One of the besetting sins of humanity is our pride. Like Adam, we truly want to become our own gods. Human history is replete with example after example of what happens when a person or tribe or nation achieves a certain measure of power, wealth, and privilege. They become proud. Arrogant. They forget God. They ignore God. They replace God. The most megalomaniacal even believe they’ve become God. Pharaoh is simply one of the many examples we could cite just from the Bible much less other ancient/modern sources.  

Interestingly enough, those who would be gods almost always fall into the same pattern. They almost always make the same mistake. In an effort to prove their “godliness”, they build monuments to themselves. Monuments to their own glory. Monuments that stretch as high as possible, reaching up towards the heavens. Think of the Tower of Babel. Think of the obelisks and images and pyramids of Pharaoh. Think of the temples and palaces and structures archaeologists have discovered all over the world in almost every great culture. Now think of our own time. Think of our own country. Think of how those who would be god build monuments to themselves through social media. Marketing. Advertising. The goal is to have the #1 hit single. The #1 bestseller. The largest, multi-national corporation. The most political influence and clout. They use their resources to self-promote, all in an effort to make their own name great. Pastors and churches are not immune. The goal for many is to draw the largest crowds. Raise the most funds. Build the biggest buildings on sprawling campuses across the country. 

Do we not realize the risk we are running here? We who would be great should take heed from the warnings God has given through the prophet Ezekiel. “All this is in order that no trees by the waters may grow to towering height or set their tops among the clouds, and that no trees that drink water may reach up to them in height. For they are all given over to death, to the world below, among the children of man, with those who go down to the pit...Whom are you thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? You shall be brought down with the trees of Eden to the world below. You shall lie among the uncircumcised, with those who are slain by the sword.” (Ezekiel‬ ‭31:14, 18‬) 

A couple of years ago, during a time of prayer, the Lord spoke to my heart. You see, I am as ambitious as the next person. I am as prideful as any. My heart longs for success and recognition. I too would love to see my name in lights. So the Lord confronted me. And He gave me three words to guide the rest of my life.  

• Obscurity:  God has commanded me to labor in obscurity. To be content with where He has me. To never seek another position. Never seek another raise. Never seek another opportunity. To simply walk with open hands before Him.  

• Anonymity:  God has commanded me to embrace anonymity. To never self-promote. Never seek to make my name great. Never seek out recognition or pride of place. To let others take the credit and in fact, spend my life and influence promoting others above myself.  

• Insignificance:  God has commanded me to acknowledge my insignificance. In the grand sweep of God’s eternal plan, my contributions are very small. I am not an essential cog in this machine. I am not irreplaceable. I simply am one servant among billions who is being called to play his very minor role in God’s Kingdom. 

Does all this mean success is evil? Does all this mean wealth and power and privilege are to be resisted? Does all this mean we should never aspire to anything? Never work hard? Never try our best? Anyone who knows me, knows that cannot be true. The key is our motivation. True humility is not thinking more of oneself than one ought or less of oneself than one ought. Rather it is thinking of oneself less. Again, it means walking with open hands before the Lord. Letting Him fill them up with His plans for your life.  

As I’ve learned to walk with an open heart before the Lord, it’s been amazing to see where He’s taken me. Humbling to see what He’s entrusted me with. Leadership in an incredible church. A certain degree of influence in my denomination. An adjunct faculty position at Denver Seminary. Opportunities to teach overseas and help lead a revival in the Horn of Africa. He’s taught me how to be a better husband and father. A better friend and neighbor. All of this came to me from God’s own hands. I did not seek it out nor was I remotely qualified on paper for most of these positions. God simply moved me like a pawn on His great chessboard as He works out His will for the world. And I am happy and content to play my part. 

What about you? Do you find yourself aspiring to greatness? Seeking to achieve all you can? Accumulate all you can? Earn the recognition of your peers? What drives you? What feeds your ambition? Is it the Lord or is it your pride? Heed the words of Ezekiel. Take care lest you follow in the footsteps of Pharaoh. Humble yourself before the Lord and let Him guide your steps. 

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 33-36

Vanity: The Devil’s Favorite Sin

Readings for today: Ezekiel 25-28

“Vanity, definitely my favorite sin.” - Satan

This line comes at the end of a movie called, The Devil’s Advocate, where Satan (played by Al Pacino) attempts to manipulate and coerce a young lawyer (played by Keanu Reeves) into doing his bidding. Initially, it looks like the lawyer will compromise his integrity for a future filled with wealth and power and privilege. In fact, most of the movie teases out this scenario. But in the end, Reeves successfully resists one temptation only to potentially fall to another. His sacrificial commitment to his ideals makes him a hero in the eyes of the people which in turn makes him just as susceptible to the sin of vanity than if he had taken the compromise in the first place.

Pride is definitely the most slippery of sins and represents the greatest weapon in Satan’s arsenal. He uses it to corrupt rich and poor alike. He uses it to attack both the powerful and the powerless. He knows we are all equally vulnerable when it comes to this particular sin. How does he know? Because he was the first to fall prey to it. “You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you. By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries; so I brought fire out from your midst; it consumed you, and I turned you to ashes on the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have come to a dreadful end and shall be no more forever.” (Ezekiel‬ ‭28:12-19) Yes, this passage is referring to the king of Tyre but as with a lot of prophetic literature, such passages are layered with many different meanings. In this particular case, God is revealing to his prophet what took place way back before the beginning of time. There, in the heavenly realm, when all was good and right and beautiful, God anointed a heavenly being with great power and authority. He placed him in the Garden of Eden and covered him with precious stones. He made him guardian over all He had made. But this being became prideful. He rose up against God. He abandoned his place and sought to take God’s throne himself. So God exiled Satan. Threw him from the heavens. Cast him out of his presence.

Satan uses pride to manipulate and control human beings. He uses it to corrupt even the most pure among us. He uses it to destroy marriages as one spouse starts to compete over and against the other. He uses it to destroy business partnerships as one party starts to believe they deserve more than the other. He uses it against nations, convincing them of their own exceptionalism. He uses it to destroy churches, as God’s people start to look down on each other as “less spiritual” than others. I’ve seen it happen so many times it’s almost become cliche.

How does one guard one’s heart against the sin of pride? By keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus. By never taking our eyes off of Him and the great sacrifice He made on the cross for us. By pondering and prayerfully reflecting on the Cross, we are constantly reminded of our great need for Christ and the sheer poverty of our own spiritual condition. We are reminded that every good and perfect gift comes from God and none it is ours to claim for ourselves. We are far less likely to take credit for the good things that happen in our lives and instead, are far more likely to credit God for what He has done. We walk with open hands rather than clinched fists and we let the Lord direct our steps. We understand that entered this world with nothing and will exit with the same. All of our achievements and accomplishments in this world simply cannot be compared to the glory God will one day reveal in us. And so we humble ourselves before the Lord as a continual act of worship.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 29-32