The Worldview of Jesus

Readings for today: John 3-5

I was scheduled to lead a trip to Israel beginning this Friday. Obviously, the tragic and horrific events of the past weekend scuttled those plans. I woke up early Saturday morning to my phone buzzing with the update that Hamas had fired thousand of rockets into Israel. Invaded several communities in and around the Gaza border. Raped, kidnapped, and murdered hundreds. I immediately reached out to our contacts in Israel to get a sense of the conditions on the ground. They were not good. This is perhaps the worst attack since the 1973 Yom Kippur War and it has been devastating to the country. As the weekend progressed, the news broke that Hezbollah has opened a second front on the north out of Lebanon. Iran was very likely involved in the operation planning. And anti-Israeli demonstrations are ongoing across the Arab world. So much hatred. So much violence. It’s overwhelming and it begs the question…why? What’s wrong with our world? Why do these cycles of violence seemingly never end?

Jesus has an answer. It’s not one we necessarily like to hear. Listen again to His words from John 3, “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.” (John‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Ultimately, we are the reason for this crisis. Humanity’s inhumanity to other humans knows no bounds. Given the right set of conditions, we are all capable of great evil because the dividing line between good and evil runs though every human heart. Our natural tendency is to run to the darkness. We do this because we don’t want to submit to God. We think we know better so we throw off all restraint. And the result is pain. Suffering. Heartache. Tragedy. Evil.

So what’s the answer? Once again, Jesus is clear. The answer is a transformed humanity. A humanity that’s been born again to a new way of life. This is the answer He gave Nicodemus when he came to see him. “Jesus said, “Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the ‘wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can’t see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit.” (John‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭MSG‬‬) The fundamental truth is that God has given dominion to human beings. We were created to serve as stewards and caregivers over all God has made. God designed us to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth with His glory. And though we rejected Him, Jesus came to call us back to our original purpose. He came to tear down the dividing walls of hostility that exist between us and the world around us. Jesus promises a new heart and a new spirit which results in a new humanity. Jesus is ultimately the only hope for a true and lasting peace in the Middle East because He’s the only one powerful enough to heal the generational divisions between Israelis and Palestinians. He’s done it in places like Rwanda between Hutu’s and Tutsi’s or in South Africa under Nelson Mandela or India under Gandhi. The Christian way has not been tried and found wanting, it’s been found difficult and left untried. (GK Chesterton)

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 8:1-4, 9:1-17. 12:1-21, Mark 1:40-45, 2:1-3:21, Luke 5:12-6:19

Slowing Down

Readings for today: Matthew 4:23-25, 8:14-17, Mark 1:21-39, Luke 4:31-44

One of the things I admire most about Jesus is His ability to take the time and make the time to be with His Heavenly Father. There has never been anyone more busy with more demands on their plate. Everywhere Jesus went, people came out to see Him. They brought their sick and diseased and demon-possessed. They interrupted Him constantly with their needs. They loved sitting under His teaching day after day after day. There’s a great scene from The Chosen when Jesus finishes up a day of healing and comes back to camp utterly exhausted. He can barely stand. Barely eat. Barely say His prayers before laying down to sleep. It paints a very realistic picture of what Jesus had to go through on a daily basis.

At the same time, the Gospels make it clear Jesus also took time away. He didn’t let the demands of the ministry drive Him. He didn’t let the needs of the people overwhelm Him. He refused to let anything come between Him and His first priority…His Heavenly Father. I love how Mark describes it in his Gospel. “While it was still night, way before dawn, Jesus got up and went out to a secluded spot and prayed. Simon and those with him went looking for him. They found him and said, “Everybody’s looking for you.” (Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭35‬-‭37‬ ‭MSG‬‬) One gets the sense that Jesus often found such moments. He would get up early before anyone else and spend time with His Father. He would let the Spirit minister to His heart and strengthen His body. He would talk to His Father about the plans He had for His Son. And He ultimately obeyed His Father though it led to incredible suffering and death on a cross. In all this, Jesus models for us what a life lived with God looks like even amidst the craziness and busyness of our world.

For years, I’ve tried to practice what Jesus models and here’s what I’ve discovered. The more the pace of my “external” life picks up, the more my “internal” life needs to slow down. The more demands I take on in my life, the more I need to carve out time for Jesus. Often those moments come in the middle of the night or the early morning hours when no one else in my home is awake. I find myself awake and praying for those I love and those I serve and the responsibilities God has laid on me in this particular season. I love the life I’ve been given. My life is rich and full. But the pace can be a bit overwhelming at times. I carry responsibilities as a husband and a father and a son. I carry responsibilities as a pastor and adjunct professor. I carry responsibilities as a leader in my denomination and a trainer for church planters internationally. I write blogs and record podcasts. I read voraciously. I work out faithfully. But most importantly, I spend time each day with God. I carve out the time I need to be alone with Him so I can receive His wisdom and be strengthened by His Spirit so I accomplish all the plans He has for me.

Readings for tomorrow: John 3-5

Temptation

Readings for today: Matthew 4:1-22, 13:54-58, Mark 1:12-20, 6:1-6, Luke 4:1-30, 5:1-11, John 1:35-51, 2:1-12

One of the more powerful experiences when I visited Israel was seeing the Mount of Temptation. Tradition holds this is where the Spirit drove Jesus after His baptism. It’s located in the hills outside of Jericho in a desolate region of the country. For centuries, many devout believers have come to this mountain to live as hermits. They come to dedicate their lives to fasting and prayer. You can see some of the original caves in the mountainside. You can even visit a Greek Orthodox Monastery that was built on the slopes overlooking both Jericho and the Jordan River valley. Some of the structures date back to the 6th century and supposedly at it’s heart lies the very cave where Jesus spent His forty days and forty nights.

I took the journey all the way into the heart of the monastery to see the place where Jesus is said to have been tempted. I stood in front of the stone where He sat and looked out the window. I tried to imagine myself in this dry, deserted place without food or water for forty days. I looked at the stones on the mountainside and thought to myself, “These stones? These are the stones He could have made into bread?” I looked out at Jericho to the place where Herod the Great built his winter palace and thought to myself, “This is the kind of power and authority the devil offered Jesus if He simply would fall down and worship him?” I thought of the Temple complex in Jerusalem where the devil tempted Jesus to make a spectacle of Himself and again was struck by the humility and trust and dependence of Jesus. He truly trusted His Father to provide for all His needs. He truly sought the affirmation of His Father above all earthly praise. He truly believed in His Father’s plan for His life.

What about me? Do I trust Jesus in the same way? How do I respond when temptation comes? Am I willing to fast and pray and place myself and my future in my Father’s hands? Am I humble enough to admit my brokenness before Him? Trusting enough to let Him guide and direct my steps? Dependent enough to surrender my will and my life and my hopes and my dreams into His hands? All these questions ran though my mind that day. I don’t know that I came to any hard and fast answers but I did find comfort in reciting Jesus’ words to myself. Claiming His promises and protection for my life. “Do not live by bread alone, Doug, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Do not try to satisfy your every longing but instead let those longings remind you of your even greater longing for God. “Do not put the Lord your God to the test, Doug.” Do not presume upon His grace. Do not take His love for granted. “Worship the Lord your God, Doug, and serve Him alone.” Make God the supreme treasure of your life and prioritize accordingly. In this way, you will find yourself resisting every temptation the enemy might throw your way.

Readings for tomorrow: None

Baptism

Readings for today: Matthew 3, Mark 1:1-11, Luke 3, John 1:15-34

Next week, I am taking a group of people to Israel. We will pack a lot in over the course of about eight days. We’ll see three to four sites a day and we’ll literally walk in the footsteps of Jesus. It promises to be a sacred experience. One of the sites we’ll visit is a place called Yardenit. It’s located on the Jordan River and it’s the traditional site where John the Baptist conducted his ministry. Though the Jordan River is nowhere near as impressive as it used to be due to so much of the water being diverted for agriculture, it’s still powerful to wade out into the middle of the river and be immersed and/or baptized. It’s one of the highlights of every trip.

I love how Eugene Peterson describes John’s ministry in the Message version. “I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I’m a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭MSG‬‬) The baptism of John was but a foretaste of the baptism to come. His work was a precursor. A prolegomena. The prelude. The prologue to the real story that was to come. John washed people with water as an outward sign of their desire to be clean. Their desire to exchange their old ways for God’s ways. What John couldn’t do, however, was give them the gift of the Holy Spirit. He simply didn’t have the power to ignite the Kingdom life within them.

Sadly, far too many Christians treat their baptism as if it were from John. They treat it as simply an outward sign or symbol of their desire to be faithful to Jesus. And while this has some merit - just as it did in John’s day - it is not Christian baptism. To be baptized as a Christian is to be baptized by the “main character in the drama” who comes to ignite new life within us. He comes to baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit to purify us from within. He comes to give us a new heart and a new spirit and a new life that can only be lived in and through Him. He comes to clean house. To crucify the old life so that we might be raised to new life with Him. This is why we only baptize once. There is no need to receive the Holy Spirit a second time because you never lose Him after the first time. There is no need to ignite the fire a second time because the fire Jesus ignites in us never goes out. There is no need to be washed clean a second time because the blood of Jesus washes us clean once and for all.

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 4:1-22, 13:54-58, Mark 1:12-20, 6:1-6, Luke 4:1-30, 5:1-11, John 1:35-51, 2:1-12

What’s Your Response to Jesus?

Readings for today: Matthew 2, Luke 2:39-52

Jesus evokes the strongest reactions. Wise men from the east. Probably pagan astrologers who watched the skies over Babylon. Men who possibly had been raised on the stories of their fabled Jewish forebears, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, come to Israel following a star. The heavenly sign was so compelling they traveled who knows how many miles over how many weeks to worship and offer gifts to a newborn king.  

Jesus evokes the strongest reactions. The king of Israel. Descendent of Esau through his father who had converted, Herod was raised a Jew. However, he was not of the Davidic line and therefore was considered a pretender at best to the throne. Furthermore, he reigned at the whim of Caesar, his first allegiance being to the Roman Empire rather than Yahweh. He received the news the wise men brought and was troubled. The news of a new king being born would be a threat to his own power. So he marshals his forces and lays waste to the entire region surrounding Bethlehem, killing all the male children under two years of age. 

Jesus evokes the strongest reactions. Joseph and Mary are traveling home from their annual trek to Jerusalem. After they make camp for the night, they realize Jesus is not with them. He has remained behind. So back they go frantic in their search for their now 12 year old son. For three days, they searched high and low throughout the city only to find him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening and asking questions. “Why have you treated us like this?” Why disrespect us? Why not obey us? Why did you not come when it was time to go? Their anger and frustration is palpable. And Jesus humbles himself and returns with them to Nazareth. 

Jesus evokes the strongest reactions. The Heavenly Father looks down on His Son. Sees him in danger and sends an angel to warn his parents. Sees him at the Temple listening and learning from the teachers of the Law. Sees him as he grows up under the love and guidance of Joseph and Mary. The Father sees it all and grants the Son favor. Blessing. Wisdom. Strength. Preparing him for the day when he would launch his ministry. Laying the groundwork for what’s to come. 

What’s your reaction to Jesus? How do you receive Him? Is it with a glad heart? Do you feel yourself compelled to seek Him and grow a relationship with Him like the wise men? Is it fear? Do you, like Herod, respond in fear and anxiety to the idea that Jesus would be your Lord and Savior? Is it frustration? Like Joseph and Mary, does Jesus sometimes confound your expectations? Or do you respond with love and devotion? Is Jesus finding greater “favor” with you with each passing year? 

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 3, Mark 1:1-11, Luke 3, John 1:15-34

God’s Call

Readings for today: Matthew 1, Luke 1:1-2:38

There’s a church in Israel built over the top of Zechariah’s home. It’s in the hill country of Judah. It commemorates the place where Mary and Elizabeth met after receiving the incredible news that their two boys would change the world. I love the statue pictured above. It’s a beautiful depiction of both women, both pregnant, marveling at all God had done for them. They were the most unlikely participants in God’s divine drama. One woman, Elizabeth, barren and advanced in years past the point of ever getting pregnant. Another woman, Mary, still very much a teenager, unmarried, and a virgin. Both women receive an angelic visitation from Gabriel who “stands in the presence of God” and is sent to deliver the good news of John and Jesus’ births. Both women are overshadowed by the Holy Spirit as their wombs are blessed with the miracle of new life.

And what a life they were given! Their boys would be great before the Lord. One would be filled with the Holy Spirit from conception. His call would be to turn the hearts of the children of Israel back to God. He would preach in the spirit and power of Elijah and he would prepare the way for his cousin who would be called “Son of the Most High.” The other child would be conceived by the Holy Spirit and would be given the throne of David in order to reign over the house of Jacob forever. He would be called holy and the Son of God. The first of these two boys would be named John. The second would be named Jesus. One can only imagine the conversations Elizabeth and Mary had during the three months Mary stayed with them.

It’s tempting to read these stories and believe that these women were somehow different than us. More holy. More righteous. More special in some way. Nothing could be further from the truth. God simply chose them to play a particular role in His great salvation plan. You and I have been called to play particular roles as well. Roles only we can play. Roles specifically suited for our unique mix of personality, passion, and ability. Yes, we may not receive angelic visitations but the call of God comes to us just the same. It comes through His Word and in prayer. It comes to us through our brothers and sisters in Christ. It comes to us as we survey the great needs of the world around us. And those whom God calls, God equips. Those whom God calls, He qualifies. He sends His Holy Spirit to “overshadow” all the work we do in His name. Friends, if you trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you have been called and invited to play a vital role in God’s salvation plan! God wants to use YOU to help bring about His Kingdom on this earth! Seek His wisdom so you may know not only what your role may be but how best to fulfill that role in your life.

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 2, Luke 2:39-52

The Call of the Christian

Readings for today: Psalm 106, John 1:4-14

I love how the Message version of the Bible describes the call of John the Baptist. “There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.” (John‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭MSG‬‬) John was not the Light. He was not the Christ. He was not the Messiah. As he himself will say later on, he isn’t even worthy to untie the Messiah’s sandals. John was simply a man. A man called to point the way to Jesus. A man called to prepare the way for Jesus. And there was no greater man born of a woman, Jesus says, than John the Baptist.

In a very real way, all Christians are called to be like John the Baptist. We inherit his mantle. We are called to point out the way to the Life-Light. We are called to show everyone where to look and who to believe in. We are not the Light. We are the little lights that reflect the greater light. We are like the moon that reflects the light of the sun. We don’t have light in and of ourselves. Our light comes from the presence of Christ living inside us. Our light comes from the treasure of the gospel which is deposited within us. As we live authentically and fully and completely for Jesus, the world catches yet another glimpse of the “Word become flesh” and the “one of a kind glory” which He reveals in and through us.

The Apostle John makes it clear that without the Light, the world is consigned to darkness. Without the Light, the world dwells in deep darkness with no hope of escape. Without the Light, the world is doomed to live in eternal night and this is what makes our calling so important. The world needs us to embrace our calling to be the light of Jesus in the world. To reflect His glory. To live the way He lived. To love the way He loved. To serve the way He served. As I heard a good friend of mine preach this past weekend, “It’s not enough to know what Jesus knows, we must become who He is.” Our hearts must be transformed. The image of God renewed and restored by His grace and power at work within us. We must become living, breathing, flesh and blood reflections of Jesus in the world. Only then will the world find hope. Only then will the unbelieving world find faith.

Only Christ can offer the Light we so desperately need. Listen again to how the Apostle John describes it, “The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn’t even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn’t want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten.” (John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Friends, we are the “God-begotten!” The Born Again! The New Creation! May we live and move and have our being in Him.

Readings for tomorrow: Matthew 1, Luke 1:1-2:38

Finishing Strong

Readings for today: Nehemiah 11-13, Psalm 126

There’s nothing better than accomplishing a great task for God. It could be the planting of a new church. Building a new church building. Launching an evangelistic crusade. Starting a medical clinic in an impoverished area. There’s nothing better than stepping out in faith, risking it all for the sake of God’s mission, and then seeing your hard work bear Kingdom fruit. I’ve seen it in the church I am privileged to serve. Every time God challenges us to take on a monumental task, our church family has responded and our faith in Christ has grown. We’ve planted new churches around the world. We’ve launched a new local mental health clinic. We paid off all our debt. We launched a highly successful Alpha program to reach new believers. The list goes on and on and every time we hit a milestone, we celebrate. Just like the nation of Israel did when they finally completed the wall.

Completing the wall would have meant so much to the people of Israel. First and foremost, it would have pointed them to the faithfulness of God. God is the one who made this happen. God is the one who laid it on the heart of Nehemiah to build the wall. God is the one who moved the heart of the emperor to provide materials and resources. God is the one who protected them from their enemies along the way. Second, completing the wall would’ve signified safety and security. Now the people could build their homes and businesses without fear. Now they could begin to plan for their future. Now they could rebuild their city and reclaim their national identity. Thirdly, completing the wall would have sent a signal to all their enemies. No longer would Israel be a doormat. No longer would they be an easy mark. No longer would they be at their mercy. The wall was a powerful symbol in addition to being a physical monument.

Now consider your own life. Consider the great things God has called you to. Consider the great plans God has for you. Consider all God wants to accomplish through you. Does anything come to mind? Can you look back and see some of the milestones you’ve hit along the way? If not, I encourage you to seek the Lord. Ask Him to show you what He wants you to do for Him. All of us have a calling on our life. All of us have a God-sized plan for our life. Something only God Himself can accomplish in and through us. Perhaps you know what God wants you to do but you’ve hesitated to take that step of faith. Don’t hold back! Don’t wait any longer! Step into the future God has for you! Perhaps you find yourself right in the middle of God’s plan. Perhaps you’re feeling stretched beyond your resources. Perhaps you’re coming to the end of your strength. These can be great signs that you are right where God wants you. Keep pressing in. Keep wading in. Keep it going. God is with you! He who began this great work in and through you will bring it to completion!

Readings for tomorrow: Psalm 106, John 1:4-14

The Power of God’s Word

Readings for today: Nehemiah 8-10

A friend of mine asked me a great question the other day, “Why do Christians preach?” Why not just feed the hungry, care for the sick, or lift up the poor? Why not just engage in good works across the world and let those things stand for themselves? Why not gather week after week to sing which is far more participatory than listening to one person speak for 30 minutes or more? Why not prep videos and encourage smaller groups of people to study the Bible together so you can focus on fellowship on Sunday mornings? When you think about it, there are so many other things we could organize our life around as Christians and yet preaching has always been an essential part of what we gather to do.

God’s Word is powerful. It is no ordinary book. These aren’t just everyday stories. They are not just words on a page. There is power in God’s Word and when it is preached that power becomes available to us. It convicts us of sin. It lifts up our hearts. It connects us with God Himself for this is His Word to us. We see this on display in our passage from Nehemiah today. Ezra is asked to preach the Word of God. To read the Revelation of God to His people and revival breaks out. The people of God are convicted to the core and they respond by recommitting themselves in faith to the Lord. It’s a powerful reminder of what happens when God’s people come with an eagerness to hear God’s Word and an openness to God’s Spirit. Listen again to how Nehemiah describes it…

“So Ezra the priest brought The Revelation to the congregation, which was made up of both men and women—everyone capable of understanding. It was the first day of the seventh month. He read it facing the town square at the Water Gate from early dawn until noon in the hearing of the men and women, all who could understand it. And all the people listened—they were all ears—to the Book of The Revelation. The scholar Ezra stood on a wooden platform constructed for the occasion. He was flanked on the right by Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and on the left by Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. Ezra opened the book. Every eye was on him (he was standing on the raised platform) and as he opened the book everyone stood. Then Ezra praised God, the great God, and all the people responded, “Oh Yes! Yes!” with hands raised high. And then they fell to their knees in worship of God, their faces to the ground…On the second day of the month the family heads of all the people, the priests, and the Levites gathered around Ezra the scholar to get a deeper understanding of the words of The Revelation. They found written in The Revelation that God commanded through Moses that the People of Israel are to live in booths during the festival of the seventh month. So they published this decree and had it posted in all their cities and in Jerusalem: “Go into the hills and collect olive branches, pine branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and any other leafy branches to make booths, as it is written…Ezra read from the Book of The Revelation of God each day, from the first to the last day—they celebrated the feast for seven days. On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly in accordance with the decree.” (Nehemiah‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬-‭6‬, ‭13‬-‭15‬, ‭18‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

We are a spiritually hungry people. The problem is we seek to satisfy that hunger and quench our deep, spiritual thirst with all the wrong things. We turn to social media, the latest fads or trends, money, exotic vacations, even mission tourism to try to find significance and satisfaction and a sense of purpose and meaning. Sometimes these things help but they provide temporary relief at best. What we need is to hear from God. What we need is a Word from the Lord. What we need is to sit under His teaching day after day, week after week, so we might better understand Him and how He made us and what His plans are for us. This is why we preach. This is why we teach. This is why God’s Word is at the center of Christian worship.

Readings for tomorrow: None

The Call of the Gospel

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, ascension, 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 King Artaxerxes appointed me as their governor in the land of Judah—from the twentieth to the thirty-second year of his reign, twelve years—neither I nor my brothers used the governor’s food allowance. Governors who had preceded me had oppressed the people by taxing them forty shekels of silver (about a pound) a day for food and wine while their underlings bullied the people unmercifully. But out of fear of God I did none of that. I had work to do; I worked on this wall. All my men were on the job to do the work. We didn’t have time to line our own pockets. I fed 150 Jews and officials at my table in addition to those who showed up from the surrounding nations. One ox, six choice sheep, and some chickens were prepared for me daily, and every ten days a large supply of wine was delivered. Even so, I didn’t use the food allowance provided for the governor—the people had it hard enough as it was. Remember in my favor, O my God, Everything I’ve done for these people.” (‭Nehemiah‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬-‭19‬ ‭MSG‬‬) 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 am just talking about the Christians! The very people who claim to follow Christ! 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

Corporate Sin and Confession

Readings for today: Nehemiah 1-4

The Bible makes it clear that sin is both individual and corporate. There are the sins I commit on a daily basis by the way I think, the way I speak, and the way I act. I am fully responsible for those sins and must confess them before a holy God so that I might receive forgiveness. But then there are the sins that I participate in - wittingly or unwittingly - that arise out of the “systems” in which I am embedded as a human being. For example, I am part of a family system. I have a spouse and children and I come from a family of origin that can often create all kinds of issues. So much of the counseling work I’ve done personally and professionally with others is focused on helping identify the generational sins that get passed down and how to break those patterns before they repeat themselves. In addition to a family system, I am part of a local social system in my community. We somewhat affectionately call it the “Parker bubble” and it impacts the way I think about life in both good and bad ways. I am also part of a political and economic system in the United States that frames my thinking both positively and negatively. And the list goes on and on. As a participant in these systems, I am at least partially responsible for propping up the system by the way I vote, spend money, participate and/or not participate in civic activities, etc. And therefore it is fully appropriate for me to confess the ways in which I contribute to a sinful, broken system and ask for forgiveness. This, by the way, is exactly what Nehemiah does in our passage for today.

“I said, “God, God-of-Heaven, the great and awesome God, loyal to his covenant and faithful to those who love him and obey his commands: Look at me, listen to me. Pay attention to this prayer of your servant that I’m praying day and night in intercession for your servants, the People of Israel, confessing the sins of the People of Israel. And I’m including myself, I and my ancestors, among those who have sinned against you. We’ve treated you like dirt: We haven’t done what you told us, haven’t followed your commands, and haven’t respected the decisions you gave to Moses your servant. All the same, remember the warning you posted to your servant Moses: ‘If you betray me, I’ll scatter you to the four winds, but if you come back to me and do what I tell you, I’ll gather up all these scattered peoples from wherever they ended up and put them back in the place I chose to mark with my Name.’” (Nehemiah‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭9‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Clearly, Nehemiah wasn’t personally responsible for the sins of his people. He wasn’t around when they rebelled against God and were exiled. He is generations removed from when the people followed Moses out of Egypt and into the wilderness. He isn’t even living in Jerusalem and participating in the current sins being committed by God’s people which we read about in Ezra. He’s in Babylon. He’s answered God’s call on his life to serve the king faithfully as cupbearer. He’s clearly got a tender heart for his people and conditions they find themselves living in. His heart is broken for the things that break God’s heart. He’s open to being used by God to change those conditions. Why then does he feel the need to confess? Why does he feel the need to confess the “sins of the People of Israel?” Nehemiah understands that sin has both an individual as well as corporate dimension. He understands he is personally responsible for his own sinful thoughts, attitudes, and actions AND he is responsible for participating in a communal system - the nation of Israel - that has collectively rebelled against God’s authority. He is not an island unto himself. In fact, Nehemiah probably didn’t think of himself as an individual first and part of a community second. Most people throughout history and even around the world today think far more communally than individualistically about life. And this is why he intercedes not just for himself but for his people.

What about us? How do you think about sin? When you spend time in confession before the Lord, do you include a confession of corporate sin? Perhaps it’s the sin of your family system going back generations that continues to have a ripple effect in your life today. Perhaps it’s the sin of your church family or your local community or our country. All of us are impacted by the sinful systems of the world around us and all of us participate and contribute to the perpetuation of those systems in some way, shape, or form. This is our confessional prayers must include both individual and corporate dimensions and thankfully God is faithful and just to forgive individuals but entire communities and people groups as well.

Readings for tomorrow: Nehemiah 5-7

Fasting and Prayer

Readings for today: Ezra 7-10

The mission of God is impossibly large and complex. It is global. It is universal. It’s reach spans the centuries. God will never rest until the gospel has been preached in every tongue to every tribe in every nation. He will never rest until all have the opportunity to come to a knowledge of His truth and be saved. He will never rest until every knee bows and every tongue confesses that He is Lord. And perhaps most amazingly of all, He entrusts this great work to His church. His people. Now, if you are like me, the task seems overwhelming. Where do we even begin? How can I even begin to marshal the resources and wisdom and strength to accomplish this mission? I am so weak. I am so small. I am so insignificant. Where can I go to find what I need to do what the Lord has called me to do?

Much like Ezra, I begin with fasting and prayer. “I proclaimed a fast there beside the Ahava Canal, a fast to humble ourselves before our God and pray for wise guidance for our journey—all our people and possessions. I was embarrassed to ask the king for a cavalry bodyguard to protect us from bandits on the road. We had just told the king, “Our God lovingly looks after all those who seek him, but turns away in disgust from those who leave him.” So we fasted and prayed about these concerns. And He listened.” (Ezra‬ ‭8‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭MSG‬‬) Fasting and prayer have been part of my life for many years now. The discipline of fasting reminds me of how empty and weak I am. It reminds me of my deep need for God. It makes me hungry for more of Him. More of His Word. More of His Spirit. The discipline of prayer is my connection to God. It is the ongoing conversation between my soul and God’s Spirit from which I draw so much wisdom and strength.

God has promised so much to His people. He promises to feed those who are hungry. He promises to quench the thirst of those who seek Him. He promises to give wisdom to those who ask and strengthen those who are weak. He encourages us to cast all our anxieties on Him and to lay our worries at His feet. He loves to listen to our needs and wants and desires. He is a good and loving Father who does not give a stone to those who ask for bread or a snake to those who ask for fish. He wants us to seek. He wants us to ask. He wants us to knock. And He promises He will be found. He promises He will respond. He promises He will open the door to anyone who humbly comes before Him.

Why then is fasting and prayer a last resort for us? Why is it not the first step as it was for Ezra and his people? Why do we wait until we’ve exhausted our own strength and wisdom and effort before coming to God in fasting and prayer? Why do we try so often to go it alone? Is it pride? Is it fear? Is it selfishness? Is it a desire to prove ourselves? To demonstrate our independence? Maybe some combination of all of the above? God invites us into His presence. God invites us to draw on Him for all we need in this life. God invites us to taste and see His goodness and His glory. God invites us to lay hold of His power for His mission in this world. Take the first step today. Spend time fasting and praying and asking the Lord to show you His will and His way.

Readings for tomorrow: Nehemiah 1-4

The Importance of Worship

Readings for today: Malachi 1-4, Psalm 50

Human beings are worshipping creatures. The earliest records of the human race depict scenes of worship. We will worship just about anything given the right set of circumstances. We will worship animals. We will worship trees. We will worship the land and the ocean. We will worship money and sex and power. We will worship authority. We will worship other human beings. We will even make up our own gods to worship to fill in the gaps of our lives. It’s one of the traits that sets us apart from any other creature in the world. We crave a connection with transcendence. We want a relationship with the eternal. The catch is that we want it on our terms. We want to be in control. We refuse to bow the knee to any higher power that doesn’t “do for us” if we “do for them.” And that’s our problem with God.

Malachi indicts God’s people for making a mockery of true worship. Instead of worshipping God in His terms, they worship God on their terms. They defile the altar. They bring the leftovers and the rejects from their flocks to sacrifice. They refuse to give the required tithes. Their priests ignore the truth. They play at religion, going through the motions as if it didn’t matter. But God will not be mocked. He refuses to play their game. He judges them with righteousness and the verdict is “guilty.” Listen again to what God says to His people through the prophet, “Instead of honoring me, you profane me. You profane me when you say, ‘Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account,’ and when you say, ‘I’m bored—this doesn’t do anything for me.’ You act so superior, sticking your noses in the air—act superior to me, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! And when you do offer something to me, it’s a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless. Do you think I’m going to accept it? This is God speaking to you.”(Malachi‬ ‭1‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

As a pastor in the American church context, I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had conversations with Christians that reflect the same sentiment above. Believers who’ve been in worship their whole lives who begin to profane it by ignoring it or diminishing it or complaining about it. Excuses like, “I’m not being fed” or “they don’t play the right music” or “worship doesn’t do anything for me” are tossed around ad nauseam these days. Add to that the number of preachers who have exchanged the truth of God for the latest social/political commentary and the number of believers who refuse to sacrificially give and one can easily see why the church in America is so weak. God has withdrawn His favor. He simply will not bless our consumeristic approach to the gospel. He refuses to allow Himself to become a commodity. He will not diminish Himself or His glory to accommodate our self-centered worship. He calls us higher. He calls us deeper. He calls us to humbly submit ourselves to Him and embrace the path He’s laid out for us.

Friends, worshipping God in Spirit and in truth may be the most radical act of resistance the world has ever seen. When we gather to worship, we are taking our stand on the gospel and declaring to the world the coming of God’s Kingdom. When we gather for worship, we find the dividing walls of hostility that keep us apart generationally, ethnically, socially, economically, politically, sexually, etc. being torn down as God’s Spirit gives us new hearts and new minds built for the new world that is coming. When we gather for worship, we proclaim an end to evil, an end to sin, an end to death, and the final victory of Christ over all His enemies. This is why we worship, friends! And this is why God takes our worship so seriously.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezra 7-10

Where is God?

Readings for today: Esther 6-10

One of the striking things about the Book of Esther is that there is no mention of God. In fact, some have used this to argue it should be stricken from the Biblical canon. God’s fingerprints, however, are all over the book as it tells yet another story of the salvation of the Jews. It’s a prime example of how God orchestrates things according to His sovereign will, using even pagan kings and emperors to bring His plans to pass. It reminds me of the story of Jospeh and how what human beings so often plan for evil, God plans for good. It reminds me also of what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 8 about God working all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

We see this principle clearly on display in Esther and Mordecai’s life. Esther is the right age and station to be caught up in the search for a new queen. Despite the clear intent on the part of the king to exploit yet another young woman, Esther achieves a very high and respected status, eventually accumulating great power and authority in her own right. Due to Mordecai’s faithful resistance in refusing to bow before anyone but God, he is targeted with assassination along with all of his people. However, God places him at the right place at the right time to foil a plot against the king. Furthermore, God brings the act to the attention of the king at just the right moment when things seem at their most bleak and Mordecai’s fate is dramatically changed. One can choose to see these things as random events, sheer coincidence that have nothing to do with God but I beg to differ and so does the Biblical author of Esther. The whole point of this book is to explain the deeper meaning behind the celebration Purim as God once agains intervenes - though in a hidden way - to rescue His people from certain destruction.

One of the most common questions I get as a pastor is, “Where is God?” Where is God when it hurts? Where is God when I suffer? Where is God when my loved one dies? Where is God when the world seems so full of violence and pain? Where is God in the face of evil? These are hard but important questions and Esther provides at least one potential answer. God is there all along, orchestrating things behind the scenes if we have the eyes to see Him.

Readings for tomorrow: Malachi 1-4, Psalm 50

The Strength of Women

Readings for today: Esther 1-5

I love the women of the Bible. They live in incredibly difficult times. They live in cultures where they are treated more as property than people. They are subject to all kinds of abuse and neglect. They have no rights and no legal recourse. They are prized for their physical beauty and cast aside when it fades. Their worth is determined by the number of male children they bear and they are shamed if they cannot produce. It’s a brutal, harsh existence and it would be easy for the women to throw up their hands in despair. It would be easy for them to feel helpless and hopeless. Resign themselves to their lot in life and try to make the best of things. But then you read stories about women like Vashti and Esther. Women who are powerful. Fierce. Courageous. Bold. They dare to stand up to the men in their lives. They dare to be different. They refuse to accept the social and cultural restraints placed upon them.

One of the common mistakes we make when we read the Bible is to assume that because every word is “inspired” it must mean every word has God’s endorsement. For example, I’ve seen our passage from today used to support all sorts of misogynist thinking. Rather than celebrate Queen Vashti’s courage for refusing to bow down to the drunken wishes of an abusive king, they take the king’s side. They worry that Vashti’s example will cause all women to “look on their husbands with contempt” or they use Esther 1:22 where it talks about “every man being master in his own household” as a proof text for hierarchical notions of spiritual leadership. Such thinking is toxic and betrays a lack of understanding on how to appropriately interpret Scripture. Nowhere in the text does the king’s behavior receive God’s endorsement. In fact, God isn’t mentioned a single time in the entire book! The reason this book is included in the Bible is to teach us how God often works behind the scenes through the courage of His people. People He strategically places in pagan cultures to carry out His sovereign will. People like Esther for example. “The king fell in love with Esther far more than with any of his other women or any of the other virgins—he was totally smitten by her. He placed a royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. Then the king gave a great banquet for all his nobles and officials—“Esther’s Banquet.” He proclaimed a holiday for all the provinces and handed out gifts with royal generosity.” (Esther‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭MSG‬‬‬) It’s important to note the king’s lecherous behavior never seems to change. He is a man driven by unrestrained passions. As such, he is vulnerable to all sorts of manipulation. Left on his own, he would have killed all the Jews in his empire. But thankfully God was at work! Behind the scenes. Under the radar. Hidden from view. He orchestrates things in such a way that Esther is placed on the throne. And though she presumably has to endure some of the same abuse her predecessor Vashti did, she leverages her position to save her people.

We still live in a world full of abuse. A world where women are often dismissed, neglected, or ignored. A world where women are not treated as equals. They often do not receive equal pay or equal access or equal opportunity. Their rights are now being further eroded as more and more men identify as women. I know some men who are intimidated by strong women. I know some men who are afraid of strong women. I know some men who weaponize Scripture in order to subjugate women. Thankfully, Scripture itself attests to the truth that women are made in the image of God. Women are co-heirs to the Kingdom of God. Women are co-equals in the eyes of God. Furthermore, Scripture gives us example after example of women of deep faith who courageously buck their traditional cultural roles as they seek to serve and honor God. Jesus Himself affirmed the women who sacrificed everything to follow Him. They were among His first and most faithful disciples. I myself have been incredibly blessed to be married to a strong, godly woman and to be raising three strong, godly daughters. For the Christian, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28)

Readings for tomorrow: None

The Coming Messiah

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 see and understand the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as 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…

“Shout and cheer, Daughter Zion! Raise your voice, Daughter Jerusalem! Your king is coming! a good king who makes all things right, a humble king riding a donkey, a mere colt of a donkey.” (Zechariah‬ ‭9‬:‭9‬ MSG‬‬‬)

“Then I addressed them: “Pay me what you think I’m worth.” They paid me an insulting sum, counting out thirty silver coins. God told me, “Throw it in the poor box.” This stingy wage was all they thought of me and my work! So I took the thirty silver coins and threw them into the poor box in God’s Temple.” (Zechariah‬ ‭11‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭MSG‬‬‬)

“Next I’ll deal with the family of David and those who live in Jerusalem. I’ll pour a spirit of grace and prayer over them. They’ll then be able to recognize me as the One they so grievously wounded—that piercing spear-thrust! And they’ll weep—oh, how they’ll weep! Deep mourning as of a parent grieving the loss of the firstborn child.” (Zechariah‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

All 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. So 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. 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 Remembers

Readings for today: Zechariah 1-7

Zechariah literally means “Yahweh Remembers.” And it’s an appropriate name when one considers the main message of the book. Despite all that has happened to Israel, Yahweh has not forgotten her. He has not forgotten her in her exile. Not abandoned her to destruction. Not left her for another people. He is still her God and she is still His people. Zechariah most likely returned from exile with his grandfather Iddo and father Berechiah. He came from a lineage of priests and in addition to this leadership mantle, was called by God to serve as a prophet alongside the much older Haggai. Whereas Haggai’s prophetic message had a convicting tone, Zechariah’s was more encouraging. 

“Give to the people this Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies: ‘Come back to me and I’ll come back to you…” (Zechariah‬ ‭1‬:‭3 ‭MSG‬‬)

“God reassured the Angel-Messenger—good words, comforting words—who then addressed me: “Tell them this. Tell them that God-of-the-Angel-Armies has spoken. This is God’s Message: ‘I care deeply for Jerusalem and Zion. I feel very possessive of them…” (Zechariah‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“I’ve come back to Jerusalem, but with compassion this time.” This is God speaking. “I’ll see to it that my Temple is rebuilt.” A Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies! “The rebuilding operation is already staked out.” Say it again—a Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies: “My cities will prosper again, God will comfort Zion again, Jerusalem will be back in my favor again.” (Zechariah‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭MSG‬‬)‬

“Jerusalem will burst its walls— bursting with people, bursting with animals. And I’ll be right there with her’—God’s Decree—‘a wall of fire around unwalled Jerusalem and a radiant presence within.” (Zechariah‬ ‭2‬:‭4-‭5‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

“Shout and celebrate, Daughter of Zion! I’m on my way. I’m moving into your neighborhood!” God’s Decree. “Many godless nations will be linked up with God at that time. (“They will become my family! I’ll live in their homes!”) And then you’ll know for sure that God-of-the-Angel-Armies sent me on this mission. God will reclaim his Judah inheritance in the Holy Land. He’ll again make clear that Jerusalem is his choice.”(Zechariah‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭MSG‬‬‬)

“This is God’s Message to Zerubbabel: ‘You can’t force these things. They only come about through my Spirit,’ says God-of-the-Angel-Armies. (Zechariah‬ ‭4‬:‭6 ‭MSG‬‬‬)

“‘A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies. Be alert. We have a man here whose name is Branch. He will branch out from where he is and build the Temple of God. Yes, he’s the one. He’ll build the Temple of God. Then he’ll assume the role of royalty, take his place on the throne and rule—a priest sitting on the throne!—showing that king and priest can coexist in harmony.’” (Zechariah‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭MSG‬‬‬)

These are among the most glorious promises Israel has ever received. They speak of honor and blessing and restoration. They refer to the rebuilding of the Temple. The restoration of the priesthood. The glory of the worship that will once again fill the Lord’s house. God is raising up political leaders like Zerubbabel and religious leaders like Joshua to guide and direct God’s people to carry out the work God has planned for them. They will again be a light to the nations and will bless the people of the earth. Every obstacle that might rise in their path, God Himself will lay low. Most of all, God’s name will once again receive the glory it deserves.

It is easy at times to feel forgotten. It is easy at times to believe God has somehow abandoned us. When we experience pain and hardship. Suffering and struggle. Trials and temptation. It is easy to lose sight of God in the midst of it all. Zechariah reminds us God never forgets. God never abandons or forsakes us. He never leaves us on our own. He is always with us. He will complete the work He began in us. He brings to pass the plans He has for us. He never fails. He is always faithful. No matter what you may be facing today, God is with you. The Lord of hosts is on your side. Trust Him. Believe Him. Lean on Him for strength. Remember what He said to Zerubbabel. Not by might. Not by power. But by My Spirit, says the Lord! 

Readings for tomorrow: Zechariah 8-14

God and Money

Readings for today: Haggai 1-2

“Well, the God I believe in isn’t short of cash, mister.” - Bono

Why does God care about our money? Why does He care about how much we make and how much we give? Why does God care about what each individual does with his or her wealth? Why does God care what the nations do with their wealth? Surely He doesn’t need it. Surely our currency holds no value in His Kingdom where the streets are literally paved with gold. Surely gold, silver, coins, and cash are worthless in a place where there is no need or lack or want. So why does God talk so much about money throughout the Bible? Why does God say things like He does today in our reading from Haggai,

“‘I own the silver, I own the gold.’ Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.” (Haggai‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

God cares about money because He cares about us. He cares about what money and wealth does to our hearts. He cares about what happens to us when we acquire too much, too quickly without having the spiritual maturity to handle it. He cares about us clinging to it. Trusting in it. Finding our safety and security in what we make or what we save or what we own. The love of money is one of the primary competitors to the love of God which is why the Bible calls it the “root of all kinds of evil.” The people in Haggai’s day delayed the rebuilding of the Temple because of a perceived lack of resources. God, however, knew better. Listen again to what He says, “A Message from God-of-the-Angel-Armies: “The people procrastinate. They say this isn’t the right time to rebuild my Temple, the Temple of God.” Shortly after that, God said more and Haggai spoke it: “How is it that it’s the ‘right time’ for you to live in your fine new homes while the Home, God’s Temple, is in ruins?” And then a little later, God-of-the-Angel-Armies spoke out again: “Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over. You have spent a lot of money, but you haven’t much to show for it. You keep filling your plates, but you never get filled up. You keep drinking and drinking and drinking, but you’re always thirsty. You put on layer after layer of clothes, but you can’t get warm. And the people who work for you, what are they getting out of it? Not much— a leaky, rusted-out bucket, that’s what.” That’s why God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: “Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over.” (Haggai‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭7‬ ‭MSG‬‬) The people in Haggai’s day had put the proverbial cart before the horse. They tried to provide for themselves rather than rely on God. They put their physical needs before their need to worship. They built fine homes and ate fine meals and drank fine wines while the work on the Temple languished. The problem was not a lack of resources but mixed up priorities.

We face the same struggle in our own day and time. The human heart hasn’t changed much over the years. We are still so easily tempted to fall in love with money. To place our trust in our own resources. To find our security in our wealth. This is especially true in a capitalistic society which prizes the pursuit of wealth and the accumulation of resources above just about everything else. Again, the issue isn’t money per se nor is it wealth per se, it’s what the accumulation of these things does to our hearts that puts us in grave spiritual danger. And this is why God is so quick to remind us that He owns it all. He owns all the silver and all the gold. He owns all the money and all the stock and all the bonds and all the banks on the earth. He is the one who holds all the resources of creation in His hands.

When we adopt this understanding, we are set free. Free to give generously and sacrificially of all we have to help those around us. Free to offer all we have in service to the Lord for the expansion of His Kingdom. Free to place our trust in the Lord for our provision rather than worry and fret over the state of our 401k. This is how God wants us to live and it is why He claims all things - including our money - as His own.

Readings for tomorrow: Zechariah 1-7

Godly Leadership

Readings for today: Ezra 4-6

Godly leaders keep their eyes focused on God. They are committed to walking in His ways and obeying His commands no matter how high the cost may be in this world. They refuse to bow the knee to pressure or threats or persecution. They resist the temptation to give in or respond in kind. They are not passively submissive but engage in active resistance, recognizing God cares as much about the “means” as He does the “ends.”

Haggai and Zechariah were godly leaders. They provided encouragement and direction at a time in Israel’s life when they needed it the most. The exiles had returned from Babylon. They were re-establishing their life in the Promised Land. In addition to rebuilding homes and re-planting fields and re-establishing their businesses, they also had undertaken the great work of rebuilding their Temple. The locals wanted to help out. They wanted to play a part. They wanted to assimilate with these newcomers. Tragically, however, they had merged some of the sacred rituals of the Jewish religion with some of their traditional pagan practices. Not only that but they had intermarried with non-Jews thus corrupting their identity as God’s chosen people so Haggai and Zechariah and the other leaders for Israel rejected their offer. They were faithful to obey the covenant commands of God.

One of the things that strikes me most about our reading today is that while Haggai and Zechariah resisted the pressure to conform to culture, they also resisted the temptation to go to war with culture. They didn’t assemble the army and wipe out or enslave the local population. They didn’t try to dominate or control those who opposed them. They simply pursued the truth and they did it in a way that was consistent with the laws of the empire. Their opponents lobbied the emperor to stop the work. They lobbied the emperor to complete the work. Their opponents put all kinds of obstacles in their way. They worked hard to overcome those obstacles and continued to build. It’s a great picture of how to engage our own culture today.

We live in a culture that is becoming increasingly hostile to the gospel. Different Christians are choosing to respond in different ways. Some Christians want to withdraw from culture. They want to retreat into their own cloistered communities and not engage society at all. Some Christians want to dominate culture. They want to fight our culture on every front and re-establish Christian hegemony over the laws of the land. Still other Christians understand their call to be a faithful witness much like Haggai and Zechariah. They are committed to active, non-violent resistance to the pagan cultural forces that swirl around us without trying to control or dominate their neighbors. They are committed to continuing the work God has called them to no matter what pressure or opposition may come. I truly believe this last approach is the best approach and helps us follow in the footsteps of godly leaders like Haggai and Zechariah.

Readings for tomorrow: Haggai 1-2

Trust in God’s Sovereignty

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

It’s so easy to get discouraged these days, especially when it comes to politics. Leaders across the spectrum seem far less interested in serving the people and far more interested in accumulating wealth and power and influence and control. The corruption seems endless. The hypocrisy is blatant. Lies and deceit are the stock-in-trade. This disease is terminal and infects politicians across the ideological spectrum. None are blameless. None are immune. In fact, if you ask me, they all look and sound eerily similar to me which makes things seem even more hopeless. They are two sides to the same rotten coin and it’s hard not to become fatalistic. Adding to my frustration is my firsthand experience in the developing world where the biggest barrier to bringing peace and stability and a chance for greater prosperity is the political leadership of the country. I cannot tell you how many times I have looked into the eyes of someone who is suffering from unnecessary starvation, easily treatable disease, or who has been falsely imprisoned and tortured as a direct result of the corrupt political leadership of their country.

I imagine the ancient Jewish people must have felt much the same. Especially given their condition in exile. But then comes along Cyrus the Great. “Great” not because he’s godly but because he’s the most powerful man in the world. His empire spans continents. His military is unstoppable. He crushes former world powers under his feet. Babylon is merely the latest of his victims. But as powerful as Cyrus may be, he recognizes there is a power much greater than his own. A power not of this world that he must appease. He acknowledges God as the Lord of heaven and earth and he does what he can to right the wrongs of the empires who have come before him. Now there is no indication in the text that Cyrus comes to saving faith. Nothing in the text to suggest that he cares for the Jewish people. He simply wants to honor the gods of the different people groups over which he now holds sway. He wants to win their favor in order to accumulate even more power and wealth and influence. In this way, Cyrus is no different than our leaders today. He sees faith as a means to a selfish end.

Thankfully, God is not limited to perfect vessels as He seeks to bring about His sovereign will. He uses the weak things of this world to confront the strong. He uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. He even bends the wills of the pagan kings of this world to accomplish his plans. Listen to how Solomon puts it in the Book of Proverbs, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.” (Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬) Friends, God is not done with our world. He is at work in every nation on earth. He is bending the will of even the most corrupt and the most greedy and the most power-hungry to His perfect ends. Yes, it may take much longer than we would always like. Yes, it may not happen in the way we would always prefer. But God is faithful! God never fails! He will bring to completion the good work of redemption He began in this world the moment Adam and Eve fell into sin. He will use all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. He will fulfill His promises to us. All He asks is for us to trust Him, believe Him, and humble ourselves before Him. There is coming a day when every wrong will be made right and every hurt will be healed and every injustice will be redressed.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezra 4-6