The very best gift

The presents are all gone from under the Christmas tree. Mountains of brightly colored wrapping paper are spilling out of garbage cans that line our streets. Our refrigerators are packed full of leftovers that will add pounds to our bodies, extra weight we will all want to shed next year. All the last minute gift shopping is over as people now return to exchange those not so perfect gifts back to the stores from which they came. Trash truck drivers frown at a plethora of large, stiff dried out conifers that will need to be hauled away, eventually chipped into mulch and returned to the ground from which they came.

The Christmas season is so much more than shopping for gifts and preparing food for family and friends. Its all about the One gift that is available to all people; it can’t be bought or worked for as it  is a gift from God. The advent of the birth of the Christ is the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Many times through all the hustle and bustle to search for those perfect gifts, we often miss the true meaning of Christmas.

The Christmas story is about sacrificial giving. It’s about a Father who gives away His most precious possession to save people who don’t deserve being saved in the first place.  God gave the world His only Son to be born of a virgin, to grow into a man and finally to die a substitution death for all mankind. The bible says that we are all sinners who have fallen short of requirements a holy God demands. Our free will along with the choices we make in life fall far short of a holy God’s standards.

The pressures of this joyous season can often frustrate and cloud our good sentiments. While we often find great gifts, they seldom fit just right or last very long. Many new  toys will be broken by the very next day. However the gift that God has given to the world, His One and Only Son, is the greatest gift of all time and will never break or wear out. It is a gift that the bible says we don’t deserve; we can’t purchase or work to attain. It is a gift of God’s grace where He offers us His son, baby Jesus. It’s not only the story of a miraculous birth, it’s the greatest story ever told.

Mary and Joseph endured many  hardships  as they traveled to Bethlehem for a birth that took place outside in an animal portico. The baby Jesus was then wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in the animal’s feeding trough where His only visitors were humble shepherds. Sometime after His birth, while still living in Bethlehem, an unknown number of astrologers from the east would follow a bright star leading them to the new born King of Israel.

It’s this majesty, of the Christmas season, that draws all men to celebrate the world’s only true hope. Decorations, food and fellowship are all wonderful reasons to enjoy this festive season and the closing of yet another year. For many people the season offers them a chance to reach out to others who do not know God’s love. The birth of the Christ child offers them the reason to reach out and herald in the news of the birth of the world’s Savior.

However, the birth of the Savior of the world is just the beginning of God’s plan to redeem all mankind.   The child grows up to become a man who has an deep connection and understanding of God, His laws and His plan to redeem the world. The end of the story takes place 32 years later, on an old rugged Roman cross in Jerusalem with the brutal death of Jesus.

What’s paramount to realize is that the birth this baby, Jesus, would eventually lead to His horrible death. Jesus would be executed alongside two  criminals on a hill just outside Jerusalem. His death would be the payment for our sin. God in all His wisdom created the only way for all of us to have a chance to be saved.

So as all the paper wrappings get thrown away, the colored lights get taken down and put back into their boxes it’s so important to remember the reason for the Christmas season. A baby was born in a manger 2000 years ago grew up into a man who would take upon Himself all the sin of this entire world. As Jesus hung on a Roman, wooden execution device, His feet not quite touching this earth, His hands not quite touching the sky but His death bridged the gap that has always separated us from our Creator.  

The Child

It was getting late as Zacharias sat in front of his oil lamp. He set an extra log in the fireplace, stoking up the fire one last time before going to join Elizabeth and baby John who were already asleep in the loft. Before retiring he had a feeling, a desire to take out the scroll of the prophet Micah, searching for words of encouragement there. The hair on Zacharias neck and arms began to stand straight up as the words from the text in Micah 5:2 made his heart skip a beat “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.” He knew that his niece Mary was carrying the Messiah, the Christ and Immanuel inside her womb and by now would already be on the road headed south to Bethlehem to register for the worldwide census.

As Joseph was passing through Scythopolis, the clickity-clack sound coming from the wagon’s rear wheel bearing was getting louder and he knew he had to find a place to stop for the night. Mary was in much discomfort as the baby was continuing to be very active. She tried rubbing her belly, talking to the baby but nothing helped. Her time to delivery was getting very close and each bump in the road hastened the birth of her child. Joseph stacked up some flat stones and squeezed them under the axle of the wagon raising it up off the ground just enough to get the wheel off. Stowed in the back of the buckboard he found the clay pot that held the bee’s wax and packed the wooden wheel bearing with wax. Mary went down to the edge of the Jordan River, knelt down and washed her hands and face with the cool water from the river. She praised God for this beautiful river, Joseph, and the baby God had given to her to carry.

The baby immediately calmed down and ceased kicking Mary as she sang the words from psalm 2:6,7 while watching the water pass slowly through a calmer section of the river “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, You are My Son, today I have begotten You.”  She knew their journey was bringing on her labor and that she could not hold back the inevitable for very long, as the baby was well on His way.

The road was getting very crowded with travelers from all over Judea as the donkey plodded into the city limits of Jerusalem. There were many travelers going to the city and all of its surrounding suburbs to register for the census. Many street vendors had set up shops wherever there was a turn-out in the road where they sold skins of wine, water, bread, woven cloth and trinkets of every kind. Mary couldn’t help but notice a beautiful red home spun blanket as the donkey waited for cross traffic to clear out. Joseph asked the merchant the price and after a bit of bargaining, Mary wrapped the lovely blanket around her shoulders.

The temple was shimmering in the late afternoon sunlight as the priests busied themselves finishing up with the daily sacrifices. The golden clad cedar doors of the temple were blinding when you looked at them directly during the right hour of the day. The white limestone blocks of the complex looked pristine in the orange glow of the afternoon light. Once out of the congestion of the city, Joseph prayed that Bethlehem would be much quieter. Just outside of town the road cleared out a little for the last five miles. Joseph didn’t think Mary could endure the extra mileage to Zacharias and Aunt Elizabeth’s house in the Judean hills so he remembered an inexpensive but comfortable inn where they could spend the night, and made his way there.

“Now there were in the same country shepherds, living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid, for I bring you tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men!’”

Meanwhile, back in Bethlehem, Joseph had pleaded with the inn keeper for a room where his wife could deliver. The inn keeper wished he had a place for them but there was no vacancy due to the festival and census traffic. But being a decent man, the inn keeper allowed Joseph and Mary to stay with his animals in a hollowed out limestone cave adjacent to the inn. Joseph thanked him while Mary laid down on a pile of fresh straw the inn keeper had just put down for them. The animals kept some distance from Mary, standing directly in the opening of the hollow.  They shielded the birth from the cold Judean night and any stray travelers.

As the baby was born, Joseph tied off and cut the umbilical cord. Mary, while exhausted, wrapped the baby in the new blanket Joseph had purchased from the street vendor and laid him in the animal’s feeding trough. A very bright light was born that night in Bethlehem, the new born King of Israel and the Savior of the entire world! 

The prophecy

Many months had passed since Mary, her brother and Joseph had left on their return trip to Nazareth. Even though Zacharias could still not speak it did not stop him from thinking about all he had heard Mary tell of the incredible things the angel Gabriel had told to her. He pondered   how the power of the Holy Spirit had overshadowed her and she became pregnant. So as it came time for Elizabeth’s son to be born, Zacharias kept himself busy studying his collection of ancient scrolls. Pouring over each scroll, Zacharias searched for the long awaited promises of God concerning the Messiah-King that was to be born.

In the dim light of the oil lamp, Zacharias poured over the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Although his heart was pounding, it filled with joy upon reading the text 7:13-17 that foretold of the birth of the coming Messiah “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” Zacharias marveled at the fact that his own niece, Mary, was carrying the promised Child Isaiah had foretold would be born! Then as he unrolled the scroll further, he continued reading at Isaiah 9:6-7 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace their shall be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and Justice from that time forward, even forever.”

As the hours passed, Zacharias also remembered what Joseph had said the night they had arrived. After dinner the dishes were properly cleaned, put away and they settled down by the hearth fire to tell story. When it was discovered that she was pregnant, Joseph revealed the fact that he was going to flee Nazareth with Mary to save her from public judgment, humiliation or something worse. He explained that as he was planning their escape, an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream and said “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

The very next day Elizabeth’s time came to deliver and her son was born. All the neighbors asked if she was going to name him after his father, but she shook her head no, as Zacharias motioned for a writing tablet and scratched out “His name was John!” He had been mute for nine months but now immediately after writing the child’s name his voice returned.

Six months later and seventy miles to the north in the village of Nazareth, Elizabeth’s niece Mary was also getting very close to the birth of her baby. Mary lived with her mother, father, brother and two sisters. Joseph lived just outside of town near the main road that led to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. His father was a carpenter who built wagons, carts and repaired broken wheels for a living. The nearby road afforded a steady stream of customers to his shop.

Today, Joseph had promised Mary that he would take her for a wagon ride through the vineyards and olive groves that covered the hills and mountains to the north toward the sea. Joseph was sitting up front on the buckboard with Mary snuggled around a pile of pillows in the back of the wagon. She was eight months pregnant but was willing to endure any discomfort to ride through the beautiful Nazarene countryside. Soon after they left the outskirts of town, they spotted a Roman legion about a half mile away marching towards them. Joseph pulled the  wagon off the road into a turn out as the officer in front looked them over and motioned to the centurion to inspect the wagon. After a thorough inspection, the centurion informed Joseph that Caesar Augustus had decreed that a worldwide census was to be taken. He said they had orders to visit every village in Galilee where they were to post the decree. Later, they would be making a return trip to verify that all citizens had complied and registered in their own home city.

The baby kicked Mary as the Roman legion filed past them kicking dust into the air. Joseph turned onto a back road and returned home to begin preparations for their trip to Bethlehem of Judea. They had taken this same trip just six months earlier, visiting Elizabeth and Zacharias. Joseph knew that the trip would be dangerous for Mary and the baby and that he needed to make preparations to get them to Bethlehem before the baby was born. He had been around many births before, but it was the women who assisted with the delivery so the thought of him having to deliver a baby on a rocky road did not appeal to him.

The next morning, Joseph hitched the donkey to the wagon, and loaded food and supplies for the trip. Joseph helped Mary get into the wagon and positioned several pillows around her swollen belly. Everyone was there to ask God’s blessings on them and to say goodbye. Joseph planned to head south towards Beth Shean, avoiding travel through Samaria. As the wagon creaked and bumped along the roadway, Mary closed her eyes and pondered all these wonderful things; a baby who was to be their future king and coming Messiah.

“The prophecy” is part two of a three part short story that will be published during the month of December. Hitch a ride next week with Mary and Joseph as they travel to Bethlehem and encounter the very first and very large holiday shopping crowd.

 

 

The announcement

Zacharias and Elizabeth lived in a very modest home nestled in the hill country just south of Jerusalem. Zacharias was a priest in the service of the Most High God at the temple in Jerusalem. He was one of thousands of priests, each of whom served a total of two weeks during the year. This was going to be a special year for Zacharias because, as a priest, he was allowed to burn incense in the temple once during his lifetime and this year the lot fell to him. It’s interesting to note that, in addition to Zacharias being from the priestly line of Levi, Elizabeth was a direct descendant of Aaron, the very first high priest of Israel and the brother of Moses.

Elizabeth and Zacharias were both well advanced in years as Elizabeth became pregnant with her first child. She had been barren all her life but now God had sent the angel Gabriel to announce to Zacharias, while he was standing near the altar of incense, that his wife would bear him a son. Zacharias was shaking with fear as the angel Gabriel, who towered over him, said “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.”

The news was just too much for him and he doubted that this could be true, implying that God could not accomplish this great miracle in his life. Once more, Gabriel spoke to Zacharias who must have fallen face first onto the ground, “But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time”. As the great, thunderous voice ceased, Zacharias peeked through his hands that had been clenched tightly around his face. The large angel was nowhere to be seen as he got up. As he exited the temple he faced a growing crowd of curious onlookers who could not get one word out of his mouth but they tried just the same.

Six months later and seventy miles away, Elizabeth’s relative Mary was also greeted by the angel Gabriel “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women! Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.” Mary stood still in the dim light.

As the last word left the magnificent angel’s lips, the Holy Spirit came upon her and the power of the Highest overshadowed her and she immediately became pregnant with the Son of God! Gabriel went on to inform Mary that Elizabeth and Zacharias would also have a son even in their old age. And it was that, as the glory of the Lord began to diminish, the angel Gabriel departed with these last words “For with God nothing will be impossible.” Mary would cherish these words sent from God as well as reflect on them many times before Jesus would be born into the world.

Mary’s father and brother saddled the family’s donkey so that she could set out on the 70 mile journey to visit her relative Elisabeth who lived in the hill country of Judah. Mary longed to verify and witness the miracle that the angel Gabriel had prophesied to her concerning Elizabeth’s conception. Mary, her brother, and Joseph set out in haste towards the hill country south of Jerusalem to visit Elizabeth. The road was rocky and the long trip took the trio several days to complete.

As Mary neared the village her heart began to pound as she remembered what the messenger from God had imparted to her. She knocked and then pushed open the door to Zacharias’ house.  There, sitting near the fireplace warming herself, was Elizabeth. Mary hurried to greet her with a joyful “Shalom” and kissed her on each cheek. It happened that as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the baby leaped in her womb; And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Mary and Elizabeth encouraged each other with the wonderful news God had delivered through the angel Gabriel, however Zacharias was still unable to speak to anyone.

Mary chose to stay and help Elizabeth with all the day to day chores by cooking, cleaning and washing clothes. She stayed three months with her until it was just time for the arrival of her son. Then Mary returned to Nazareth with Joseph and her brother.  However, the trip back took much longer because she was now further along with her pregnancy.  As they traveled through Jerusalem, the morning sun illuminated the gold doors of the temple as the baby kicked inside her womb. Soon she would be back in her own quaint village of Nazareth awaiting the birth of the blessed Son of God!

“The announcement” is part one of a three part short story that will be published during the month of December. I would like to invite you to travel along with Mary and Joseph as they follow this same road to their ancestral city of Bethlehem, enduring many trials on their way to registrar for the Roman census.

 

 

Trials turned to gold

During the months of November and December I usually take a couple of detours, departing from my book by book study of the Old Testament. Eventually, I get back on track walking step by step through the entire bible. As we left the book of Deuteronomy, we said goodbye to Moses at the edge of the desert and watched as Joshua takes the reins from Moses and leads the people into the land of Canaan. God fulfills His promise to the patriarch Abraham that the nation of Israel would arrive at the Promised Land; however, the nation of Israel is not completely obedient to God’s direction and therefore suffers the consequences.  The book of Judges, depicts a nation who looks more like a yo-yo, repeating a cycle of being blessed by God through revival, becoming complacent, stubbornly going their own way, suffering trials and tribulations only to cry out to God and start the cycle all over again. This dramatic cycle was completed thirteen times during the leadership of thirteen judges who were to guide Israel for the next 350 years.

The problem was that the inhabitants of the land were idol worshippers who worshipped creation rather than the Creator. They carved wooden idols and set them on the high places, ultimately sacrificing their own children on altars. God knew that if these idol worshippers were not removed from the land, that eventually the foreign women would bring their influence into Hebrew households causing them to turn and worship their gods of wood and stone. In Judges 2:1-4, the Angel of the Lord reprimands the nation of Israel for not obeying His instructions and  gives them over to their own lusts and desires. “But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’”

Have you ever noticed in your own life that, when things are clicking along perfectly, our prayers and worship to God begin to slow down or gradually become nonexistent? We prefer to do things our own way, taking credit for all of our own successes. They are like sand castles that we have built with our own hands standing for only a short time. Its only when the tide begins to turn and the waves begin to pound against our world that we realize our need for God.  When a family member troubles us, a debilitating disease befalls us or a financial calamity hits us, ever notice how quickly we feel the loss of control and cry out to God?

King David is the classic example of this as he would occasionally stumble and sin, fall into trials, only to call upon the name of the Lord who would answer him. Although God always answered him, David would have to carry the heavy burden resulting from his sin. Personal loss, dysfunctional relationships and the loss of his kingdom were just a few results from sin. So why did God refer to David as a man after His own heart? It was David’s habit of always crying out to God for forgiveness and help! In Psalm 51:16, 17 David speaks to God “For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. These, O God, You will not despise.”

When we come to God humbly and ask for forgiveness He always forgives us. When we repent, we choose to turn around from our selfish direction and begin walking with God in the direction He is going. That’s why it is truly all about a relationship with God and not just sacrifice. Just like the nation of Israel, we go through cycles where we sin, cry out for help, receive blessing, walk with God for awhile only to forget Him and begin the cycle all over again. What God really wants from us is our lives in obedience to Him. He wants us to surrender our own will, yielding to His will, thereby allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us through life.

So it truly is our trials and tribulations, passing through the fires of life, that turn us into the most precious gold. It’s also like carbon, when it undergoes extreme pressure and heat turns into a diamond! If you are looking for a short verse to sum it all up how about reading what the prophet Micah wrote in the book by his own name, Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good  And what does the Lord require of you  But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.” 

Thankfulness

I enjoy the fall season more than any other time of the year. It’s the rich mix of colors provided by nature that dazzle my eyes while the coolness of the weather provides me the opportunity to put on my favorite sweater and relax in the privacy of my own home. Time off for the Thanksgiving holiday gives me a chance to look back over the last eleven months and give thanks to our Great God, almighty Creator and Provider.

 

So as I have had some time to sit, relax and reflect, I have been thinking about what it is that I am thankful for. In a word I am thankful for Jesus!

 

Being consistently in a state of thankfulness does not come very easy for me these days. Sometimes I think I am turning into an ogre. Every time I get near a mirror I’m afraid I might just see a giant green, overly rounded face starring back at me. I’ve noticed my blood pressure rising and hairs falling out as I begin to look and act more and more like Shrek.

 

Traffic jams, teenage children and the day to day pressures of life chip away at our countenance until there is little left to give thanks with. Many times I have dangled from the proverbial rope of life trying desperately to hang on with my own strength. It’s in these times when I get a glimpse at my weak, fallen and very selfish nature. Its at this moment when I realize how thankful I am for God’s plan of salvation.

 

You see none of us are good enough to stand before a holy God. The bible says that God exists as light and because of the darkness that is in our hearts, we could never exist in His sinless perfection. In John 3:16 it says “That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life”

 

So in a word I am thankful for Jesus. Within that one word is the essence of all creation. It’s because of Jesus that we have air to fill our lungs. Its because of Jesus that we have food to eat and a digestive system to process it. When I stop and think about it I am so very thankful for so many things that I have to take a dramatic pause and just give thanks that I am not in control.

 

But the source of my thankfulness lies deeper down at the root of God’s grace and mercy. While the human race remains in a state of falseness and sin God became flesh and blood and chose to be born into our world. He bore all of our sin and nailed them to a cross. The magnificent King of kings would allow the peasants of His own creation to mock, humiliate and brutally execute Him.

 

So this Thanksgiving I’m determined to put a smile on my face. To avoid my flesh, my ugly nature and to reach out to someone with a handshake, smile or help. I have so many things to be thankful for, God has given to me a beautiful, loving wife and three healthy children. He has given to me a few close friends and a job to which I can use my hands to bless my family.

 

Oh, how I am thankful for God’s One and only Son Jesus who as the bible says is the Logos or Word. In that one word is found the source of all blessings. If you have not yet discovered this fact, then ask Jesus to come into your life, heart and become your Lord and Master. He is the Living Water, the Bread of Life and the Way. So if you glance into the mirror and see hideous stranger’s face don’t be alarmed you are in good company, for all of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

 

The secret to being thankful is surrendering to your own selfish will and allowing God’s love to shine and pour through you. So this holiday season as friends and family are gathered together don’t let the little things get you down. As the casserole burns and the turkey comes out a little dry, brush it off and take in all the wonderful smiles that grace the table at which you sit.

 

Always remember the One Word that God has graced the world with “Jesus” And that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord! The fact is that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life!

Faith like a river

Have you ever lost faith in someone or something? There are several things in my own life that I have lost faith in; government leaders, stock market stability, Ginsu knives, Fry’s rebates, some friends, military intelligence and even Christians. It’s easy to lose faith in something when all you see and hear are mere promises with little or no action to back up the words.

For illustration purposes suppose I were a car. If I were a car shouldn’t I leave any evidence behind that I had actually traveled through the area?  Did I leave rubber on the road or oil behind in a parking space where I stopped?  Maybe you might notice my skid marks pointing to the fact that I was going too fast and got distracted by another driver. Do I make any kind of an impact at all on the world in which I live? Is there enough evidence to convict me that I am alive, breathing and part of my community?

So what I do know is that faith is trusting in something or someone unseen. We exercise faith every day, like trusting that the chair in the dining room will support our weight when we sit down on it. While we can’t directly discern the wind, we trust it will fill the colorful fabric of a kite sending it high up into the air on a windy day. But why when it comes to an almighty Creator do some people stumble and can’t grab onto faith?

Spiritual faith is the act of trusting in a higher power other than one’s self. Trusting that God, the ultimate Designer and Creator of all I see around me, will carry me through safe to the other side even through dangerous waters. Do you all remember the picture that had two sets of footprints in the sand that suddenly end with just one set of footprints continuing on down the beach?

The caption below the picture said “Jesus, why did you leave me?”

To which Jesus replies “I did not leave you I was carrying you.”

But what if my spiritual faith was like a car’s battery? If my faith is like a battery then I can expect to get about five years of service until it completely drains out and leaves me stranded somewhere along the highway. But faith is not like a car battery that needs to be recharged but rather it’s a force from God that continually flows from Him. God has used the analogy of a rushing river where the water turns, slows and calms down but just as the water flows over rocks in its path we are always surrounded by God’s love. We become the temple of the Holy Spirit as He lives inside of each believer.

Ephesians 1:13 says it this way “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Faith comes by hearing and hearing from the word of God. This is when life starts to get interesting. When we start to live each day trusting, when we lose the fear factor and scales start falling from our eyes we begin to see the world in a new light.

Although today, we are engaged in a great spiritual battle that we cannot see. Our enemy can take many forms which the weapons of this world don't work against. Fear and despair are two of our enemy’s mightiest weapons. These weapons, once released on us, can take their toll, draining our energy and life right out of us. If we don’t surrender to God, we can find ourselves stranded alone somewhere out along life’s dark valley roads.

In the gospel of John, chapter 14 Jesus comforts us as well as attempts to strengthen our faith with these words. "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

So if faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God then we all should be reading our bibles allowing God’s living water to flow into us. Always holding up before us the shield of faith, the word of God, that protects us from the fiery darts of our enemy. And let His peace flow like a river through our lives.

Blue

How would you go about describing what the color blue looks like to a sightless person? Someone who was blind from birth would be unable to understand what blue was. If you were incredibly clever you might get a pan from the kitchen fill it with ice and water and then put the blind person's hand into the cold mixture. This might convey certain aspects of things that might be blue in color but it would not be the complete visual package. Bottom line, you still won’t know what the color blue looks like. 

We actually live in a universe where we can interpret four dimensions. Let's start by saying we exist as one point in infinite space. Now let's add another point to our universe and now we arrive at our first dimension which is "length". One more point added to the mix and suddenly we have our second dimension which is "width". Our next dimension is "height" which gives us our X,Y and Z axis or our three dimensional universe. The last known dimension is "time". What really is time? 

To have "time" in our universe we need to have matter and it needs to be set into motion. If objects are not moving then there is nothing to measure because you have to have time in order to travel distance. If we stood perfectly still somewhere in space and nothing was in motion, we would not feel the passage of time. Also, without motion, we would not have light waves or light particles so wondering what the color blue looked like would be a moot issue. It really would be  mute because we would not have sound waves either. 

Now let's think back to being blind or sightless and wanting to discover the truth about the color blue. What story would you attempt to tell someone to describe the color blue? What props could you use to convey the color blue? Just think about this dilemma. How to pass information from one known dimension to another unknown dimension? This is what I refer to as an extra-dimensional information transmission dilemma. 

Do you believe in a literal place the bible calls Hell?  Jesus did and he spent a lot of time warning us about the dangers of ending up there. Although where it is and what it really is seems a little bit like describing the color blue to a sightless person. Some of the biblical descriptions of hell  include a place where the worm never dies, the lake of fire, a lake burning with fire and brimstone, a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth,

 We are given a word picture of an extra dimensional reality that we cannot yet comprehend because I believe it literally exits in another dimension. Jesus was warning us of a situation so terrible, so wicked that the only reference point He had here on earth was the Jerusalem trash dump located in the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna). This place not only smelled bad, it was always burning with smoke and flame that continually filled the sky. This horrible stench would probably drift into the city and remind people of the dump and all the discarded trash as the wind blew it into town. In older times, child sacrifice to Molech also took place in this area.  

What word picture, from here on earth, would come close to describing such an awesome place? Think about the blind person's hand in the ice water in an attempt to describe the color blue. How would you describe a place void of God’s love? Hell is a real place that is void of God's love, His light, His warmth and His fellowship. No wonder Jesus was warning us not to choose that place.

Choose Jesus now, God has gone through much pain and suffering to keep us out of hell!
Jesus is the “Way” to God. He has said this about Himself; He is the beginning and the end, He was the one who was alive and was dead and is alive for evermore, He alone holds the keys to death and Hades. Let’s look at psalm 9:17-20 “The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten; The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. Arise, O Lord Do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged in your sight. Put them in fear, O Lord That the nations may know themselves to be but men.” 

Jesus invites you to come just as you are. The Holy Spirit will draw and seal you, while the cross reminds us of what it cost God to escape the horrors of hell.  You don’t have to go there to believe it exists.

Legacy

I always wanted to have a grandpa with a long white beard. It wasn’t necessary for him to look exactly like one of the seven dwarves but an older man with a slightly graying beard would do. As we grow older, many people develop a burning desire to leave some sort of legacy behind. As we get closer to the grave some people need to find that perfect plaque, object or program to leave behind as a reminder of what they have accomplished in their life. The patriarchs passed on land, prophets passed on their mantles and kings passed on their right to the throne.

 Just prior to my own mother’s passing, she developed a burning desire to leave us with an old fashioned wooden school desk. It was the kind made completely out of oak, had a hole for an ink well and was identical to the one she had used as a little girl growing up in La Mesa. I remember how my father had to run around visiting antique shop after antique shop until, one day, he discovered a desk that matched her description. For some unknown reason my mother wanted us to have this desk to remember her by, so the cash was laid down and the trophy brought home. Today however, the desk stands motionless, upstairs in the loft; it is never used, covered with magazines, books and a layer of dust. When I do see the desk, it does not automatically remind me of my mother.

In chapter 23 of Joshua, we find the elderly leader preparing to pass on into the eternal Promised Land. But before he dies, he encourages the Israelites to always keep God first in their lives. Joshua instructs them to stay close to God and not turn away to the right or the left. He reminds them to love God with all their hearts, minds and strength. If they would keep God first in their lives by loving and adoring Him then things would go well for them. God had proved Himself to be faithful and to deliver on all of His promises; to go before them conquering all nations and all who would dare stand in their way. In the book of Joshua we read “One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you. Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God.” Joshua 23:10-11.

It’s my belief that later on in their history the shepherd-king David took this thought to heart and was the embodiment as he stood up to and decapitated the giant Goliath. David’s strength was in his love for God. He believed that his victories were from the Lord God almighty.  

Realizing your depravity, your lost state and your need for God’s forgiveness is paramount to beginning a loving relationship with Him. Learning to love God because of His kindness is what drives us to our knees in repentance. We will never be able to serve God until we learn to worship and love Him. Acts of service, on their own merit, never bring us closer to God.  It’s only when acts of service are driven by our love and admiration of Him that seeds of service can sprout, grow multiplying God’s kingdom a hundred fold.

We are by nature “children of wrath” and have nothing to offer a righteous, sinless God. It was God, who while we were still in this lost state of degeneration, offered us a way to approach Him. Jesus Christ the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament became our debt-payment and our covering. Our Emmanuel, God with us, Jesus, chose to be born into His own creation, chose to become sin for us as he took upon the sins of a lost world. He became the Lamb of the sacrifice whose blood is the most powerful thing in this universe. God, because He is rich in mercy and love, planned a road, a way and a ladder to heaven for all who would choose to believe in faith. Paul, in his letter to the church in Ephesus, said it this way “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9.

The death of Jesus was not a tragic end but a new beginning, a victorious story of how the King of kings rose from the grave, conquering death, promising to return for all those who love Him. And while God did not leave behind an old wooden school desk for us to remember Him by; He did leave behind an old rugged cross, a cup of wine and broken loaf of bread.

Trusting

Last week I confessed how much I hate waiting. Waiting in a line for anything is the worst idea ever invented by man, however waiting on the Lord is the best idea that anyone can choose to make. Making a conscious, determined choice to wait on God is the key to success. After their victory at Jericho, the Israelites begin to trust in and rely upon their own self-sufficiency. God warns us that pride comes before the fall so, as the Israelites began to believe in their own strength; the walls of God’s protection begin to come tumbling down around them. They fail to consult with God for His guidance and blunder foolishly ahead, attacking the village of Ai.

There’s something to be said of a man who can take a step back, take a deep, long breath and let a volatile situation cool down. Waiting on the Lord is the main ingredient in any good work the Lord is preparing in our lives. Many great men and women of God only succeed when they paused, stepped out of the way and let God guide them through to victory. The old saying “Where God guides He provides” is so truthful that whoever is led by the Holy Spirit will never fail. One of my favorite verses that remind me to wait and trust in God is found in Proverbs 3:5, 6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.”

Another  phrase “To obey is better than sacrifice” was spoken by God in the Old Testament reminding God’s people that  if they were only obedient then they wouldn’t have to offer up endless sacrifices. These six words strung together remind us to reflect and center ourselves once again aligning our will with God’s. Many a sacrifice, many a consequence could have been avoided if we only would have stopped and waited on the Lord and sought Him for direction. I remember a line from a 1980’s TV drama called “Berretta” where the detective use to always say to the convicted criminal as he was being led away to jail “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time”.

Immediately after the successful sacking of the walled city of Jericho, Joshua now turns to the small village of Ai. The village is located at the top of a mountain about 1000 meters in elevation change from their current position in the desert valley below. Joshua sends in men to spy on the village and they return overconfident, insisting that Joshua only send out a small contingent consisting of 3000 armed Israelites. As the troops near the top of the mountain, they quickly retreat back down to the bottom. Taking a comparative look at the text in Joshua 7:5, it says, “The hearts of the people melted”. Here God is describing how the Israelites felt as they are fleeing for their lives but, what’s interesting is that this same phrase was used by Rahab to describe how the residence of Palestine felt as the Israelites were poised to cross over the Jordan River.

So what caused such a dramatic turn of events? God had instructed Joshua not to take any of the accursed things ^”And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord." Joshua 6:18-19. Achan, one of the Israelite soldiers, had secretly taken some of the silver and gold from Jericho and hid the loot under his tent. This blatant act of disobedience by one man brought a curse upon the entire army and contributed to their defeat.  Joshua had failed to consult with the Lord for direction and foolishly took the advice of his spies.   

Learning to wait on God does not come without some pain, but from Joshua’s defeat at Ai, we can learn a valuable lesson, to wait upon the Lord before engaging the enemy. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the whole armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes; For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” After all, in the end, the battle belongs to the Lord!

Waiting

I hate waiting. Whether I’m sitting at a traffic light, in a doctor’s office or waiting for a pot of water to boil I don’t like the grass growing under my feet. I’ve heard other people say that patience is a virtue but for me I want to squeeze 70 minutes out of an hour.  The truth is, I do tend to get ahead of God’s leading from time to time and God has to reel me back in. Why, I remember a time back in the 1990’s when I put on a small outreach to raise funds for a local missionary named Bob Daniels. Bob would collect funds, food and clothing then fly them down to an orphanage nestled deep in the Nicaraguan jungle.

When I met Bob for the first time, I was immediately taken by his bravado and swagger. The way he put his total trust in the Lord was infectious. So, in my zeal to help him, I organized the “Music Mission Outreach” and began to mobilize the troops. The process was hard, filled with obstacles and roadblocks.

 There use to be a small coffee shop called “Poets”, where Bob and I met for coffee and fellowship. The owner, after hearing about our plan, offered his store to host the event. Dawn and Neil Richardson, from the Willows Baptist Church, offered to print up flyers and take pictures. Soon others were getting involved by making crafts to sell, squeezing lemons for lemonade and even local Christian artists were offering to play for the crowd. A high school theater troupe worked on some skits to perform for the crowd. Bob Taylor donated some T shirts and a local sign company donated some really nice banners for the event.

In the book of Matthew 25:31-46 the prophecy depicts the story of Jesus coming back to judge the world. He begins to separate the non-believers from the believers; the sheep and the goats and in the process the righteous ask Him “When did we clothe You? When did we feed You? and when did we come to visit You? To which Jesus says to them “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these brethren, you did it to Me.”

So in my zeal to help Him, I failed to ask from the very beginning if this was something that God wanted me to do or was I doing it for my own reward? There is another verse in the book of Isaiah 40:31 that states “But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings as eagles, They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint”. As the event ended and we drove home to count the money the answer came loud and clear. The total amount collected that day was exactly $ 647.37. But I had expected there to be much more!

So why didn’t the Lord open up the floodgates of heaven and pour out blessings on us? I mean, after all, it was to help out helpless orphans and that was definitely in God’s will? The event got people involved and sent relief to children who really needed it. But why was there so little money in the offering? The bottom line, after all the money was counted and the dust had settled, was that I failed to wait upon the Lord. As I reflected back on the busy weeks of preparation that led to the outreach, I heard a still, quiet voice say “Dean, I don’t need your money”.

Ok, so now it’s time to total up all the expenses that went out. As I input the last figure into the calculator, I was stunned to read $ 647.36 on the calculator’s display screen.  Several feelings and questions rushed through my mind all at the same time. “If I reimburse myself then we didn’t raise a single nickel for the kids in Nicaragua. How could God allow this to happen and not bless our efforts? 

Years later as I look back on this event, it’s easy to see what God was doing. First, I did not wait on the Lord as the verse from Isaiah states. In my zeal to serve the Lord I had used all my own resources, connections and favors to bring this event to fruition. The voice I heard as I had counted the last coins was clear “I don’t need your money, I want your life” So now I had a choice to make, would I recoup my expenses and send nothing down to the orphans or chalk up a loss and send it all with Bob? Well, you will have to wait until next week to find out the answer.

 

Papa Chuck

Chuck Smith passed away last week on 10/3/2013 and entered into the presence and glory of his Lord. Many of you already know him through contact with one of his many books, videos, sermon tapes or radio and TV shows. For those of you who are not yet acquainted with Pastor Chuck, he was the man God raised up and used during one of our nations most troubling and turbulent times. In the late 1960’s, God led Chuck and Kay Smith to reach out in love to bring hope to a generation of dirty, bare footed and drug laced children. God chose to use Chuck’s wife, Kay Smith, to pray for and eventually reach out to this growing hippie culture drawing them into a loving relationship with Jesus. 

At that same time Chuck was asked to take over for a small church located on Church Street in Costa Mesa called “Calvary Chapel”. The church consisted of 25 very discouraged and deeply divided people. Through prayer, verse by verse bible study, and home fellowships, the small church began to grow as God added to its number daily. The small church continued to grow to become one of the largest Christian organizations in the world. At present the organization is comprised of thousands of churches, many with Christian schools and bible colleges sprinkled throughout the world. There is even a Calvary Chapel right here in Alpine. The accomplishments of the Calvary Chapel movement are wide reaching and have hit with tsunami-like effects around our globe. When asked how he managed to accomplish all of this, Chuck would produce a Cheshire Cat-like smile and say “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit’, says the LORD.” Zechariah 4:6. 

Pastor Chuck was one of a handful of men in my life who lived and modeled to me how Jesus might have lived. “Papa Chuck”, as many referred to him, was a humble man who was dedicated to serving his Lord by serving others. His simple way of teaching through the bible verse by verse, within the homes of his members, was the vehicle that God used to plant the seeds of one of the largest revivals in the world’s recent history. What we now refer to as the “Jesus Movement” of the late 1960’s and into the 1970’s was the results of one man who stepped out of the way to let God guide him. Whenever he was asked about Calvary Chapel’s success and his role as senior pastor, Chuck would once again pause, smile and say “It’s all about Jesus!” It’s really quite amazing how God uses flawed, weak vessels to show His power and might. One verse that describes Chuck Smith’s entire life is found in the Old Testament “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 2 Chronicles 16:9. 

Death always brings with it many questions for those of us who are left behind. “Why did God allow them to die?” or “What will happen to me when I die?”  It’s a very natural and probably the most asked question posed by most everyone at some point in our lives. As for the ancient patriarchs of Abraham’s day, they believed that there would be a resurrection or new life after death. Many scholars feel that the book of Job is one of the oldest books in the bible. We see both the mention of the Jewish Messiah and the concept of life after death or the resurrection of the dead in this text. Job said this while in the midst of his trials and tribulation “For I know that my redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I will see God”. Job 19:25.  

There is a story in the book of John where Jesus was summoned to pray for Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus who was deathly ill. As the story goes, Jesus deliberately postponed His appearance allowing Lazarus to die. As Martha runs to Jesus to employ Him to ask God to raise her dead brother Jesus says, “Your brother shall rise again.”  To which Martha replies “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Then Jesus makes a very profound statement “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” I know that if Pastor Chuck could ask you all one final question before going to heaven it would be what Jesus just spoke to Martha.  

Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith, the evangelical pastor whose outreach to hippies in the 1960s helped transform worship styles in American Christianity and fueled the rise of the Calvary Chapel movement, died Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013, after a battle with lung cancer. He was 86.  Christianity Today 10/3/2013





I was afforded the rare opportunity to interview Pastor Chuck Smith on KPRZ 1210 AM radio in San Diego Ca. around 2010. It was one of my most favorite interviews as Chuck is one of a handful of men in my life who have modeled what Jesus would have been like.

One of my favorite stories from Chuck and is included in my interview of him is the "New Carpet Story". It is a classic story where this rather small but growing fellowship on Church Street, Costa Mesa, Ca. ordered new carpeting. As the story goes the date was the 1960's and Chuck's wife, Kay, had been inviting the long haired, drug laced hippies to church and introducing them to her Savior.

Unfortunately, the hippies came to church dirty and barefooted which caused the elders of the church to put up signs saying    "NO SHOES...NO ENTRANCE!" The leaders of the church also did not like them sitting on the floor on their precious new carpeting. So the boiling point was reached and a church meeting was scheduled by the church elders.

As Pastor Chuck listened to their complaints and it was now his turn to speak he calmly said "Yes, your all right, we do have a problem here with the new carpeting and the dirty bare feet of the hippies who are coming in to learn more about Jesus"

As the elders all began to breathe a sigh of relief Chuck slowly responds in his usual style. "Well OK, I guess we will need to remove all the carpeting as soon as possible"

I love Pastor Chuck Smith! He modeled what Jesus must have looked like! Rest in peace Chuck and I know he has just heard theses words from his Savior. " Well done My good and faithful servant, enter into your rest."

Dean Kellio
New Wine 10/3/2013

Renewal

October is one of my favorite months of the year! I have no problem at all saying goodbye to the hot sleepless nights of summer as the cooler breezes of fall start to move in. I really enjoy watching leaves change color and fall from their lofty perches to the ground below. I don’t even mind getting the rake out from the garden shed, gathering brightly colored leaves into piles to mulch. As the days pass, each one gets a little shorter allowing cooler nights to settle in upon us. Soon we will begin to gather in the season’s harvest of bright orange pumpkins, oddly disfigured squash and woven baskets overflowing with crisp, juicy, red apples. What a blessing this season is as it allows us time to slow down, re-gather our thoughts and prepare for the holidays that lie ahead.

Fall offers me a time to look inside myself, to re-evaluate my priorities that usually have gotten a wee bit twisted and out of order. Halloween, Thanksgiving and especially Christmas offer us an excuse to invite family and friends to once again sit around our hearth and gaze into the fire. As our fears and anxieties begin to soften, eventually melting away, we find ourselves refreshed, renewed and invigorated. There seems to be a great cycle to life where, as even our own  planet travels through our solar system in just the right way, with just the right amount of tilt and wobble to produce these seasonal changes that we so much look forward to.

The other day while at work, a colleague of mine, who has passed through some very tragic life events, made the most profound statement which caused me to stop and reflect on my own personal relationship with God. He said “I don’t understand how people who don’t have faith, who don’t have a relationship with God, can survive life’s tragedies?” Interestingly, many people I meet, who don’t yet believe in God, often ask me “If God truly loves me then why does He allow bad things to happen?” I wish I had a dollar for every time I have been asked that. The answer to that question is not always what people want to hear.

God never promised us a rose garden but actually said there would be trials and tribulation in this world. While God did promise us that He would guide us through to a safe harbor, He never mentioned that the seas of life we encounter would be calm. In fact, Jesus told us in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."  So in keeping with our fall seasonal theme, Jesus also said in Matthew 12:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”

This is a great verse on many levels. First, it’s the idea that when a seed dies it produces fruit. Death eventually brings life and, while Jesus’ teaches us about this law of nature, it’s also true spiritually.   Jesus is outlining the fact that He is going to die and die a horrific death. His death would not be the end but a new beginning. And as each one of us grasps that truth and cries out to God for help, He brings us into His kingdom where we can participate in the greatest harvest ever imagined, a harvest of human souls. Each unique individual was bought at a price, and ransomed from death to life. The King of kings and Lord of lords gave up His life so that many will live.

So, as the leaves fall to the ground and pumpkins begin to appear on front porches, try to enjoy this season of renewal and rest in the fact that God is at the helm, guiding us through the turbulent waters of life and into safe harbor! Jesus said that He would never leave us alone but come back to claim us, and that where ever He was, we would be with Him for all eternity. So as the sparks shoot out from your hearth this fall season and family and friends are gathered together, take and drink from the cup of salvation and feast on the bounty of the bread of life that is solely found in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Promise fulfilled

We know that life is created, grows older and then dies. The truth of this inevitable fact is probably the most feared thing in our universe today. Even the stars that populate our galaxies, as they swirl around a single point in space are born, grow older and then burn out. All human beings at some point in their childhood become aware that their bodies will grow older and ultimately die. I wonder if all life, in all of its forms, is self aware. I feel a bit like a small child asking his Eternal Father “Will my spirit continue to be self aware even after my physical body ceases to function?”

As we continue our march through the book of Joshua and his conquest of Canaan, we have to stop and look at what many of us remember from Sunday school as Joshua’s longest day.  Now, nobody knows exactly what happened that day as far as the sun, moon and earth’s motions go but what we do know is that God gave Joshua the victory! I have to admit that even as an ordained minister from time to time I can question my faith. Questions about God, His creation, miracles and the milestones He has helped me overcome can surface and cause me to stumble. Don’t worry if you question your faith from time to time even Thomas, one of Jesus’ disciples doubted that He returned from death.

It’s in these times of doubt, when I have learned to wait on God for reassurance, as He takes me by the hand and walks with me through my doubt. Never is He critical of my lack of faith but gently nudges me on, step by step, through my darkest journeys. Our memories are often so short as we fail to remember the times in our lives when God choreographs some situation to answer our life requests. Moment by moment as God reminds me who He is, I begin to remember His greatness and how He created everything I see around me. Even the smallest revealed details of design point to the fingerprints of our Creator. And while I might stumble a bit, when I think about the earth slowing down its rotation or meteorites falling on Israel’s enemies with pinpoint accuracy, I still come back to face the inevitable fact that “With God all things are possible”

Back in the book of Genesis 15:1-21  we revisit the covenant or contract God announced to Abraham. In verse 7 we read “I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it”. Abraham goes on to ask the Lord “How will I know that I will inherit it?” to which God makes this elaborate covenant with Him which includes the shedding of blood through animal sacrifice. Remember back to the garden of Eden and the tunics of skin God provided for Adam and Eve. It’s the idea that our sin will cost us something.

Then in Genesis 17:5-8 God lays out the prophecy that Joshua fulfills as he completely and utterly conquers Canaan “I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I will give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

It might seem unfair to the inhabitants of Canaan that God would promise this land to the Israelites and then command Joshua to utterly destroy every man woman and child until you study their religious practices that included child sacrifice and their worship of the sun, moon and stars. God was introducing Himself to the world and laying the groundwork for the great work of salvation through His Son.

It’s not for us to know and understand the infinite workings of all mighty God, after all He is the Potter and we are the clay. However, it is possible to know that He delivers on His promises. In the book of John 14:1-6 Jesus lovingly reassures his disciples as well as all of us “Let not your hearts be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

 

Somewhere in time

Can you remember a single moment in your life that you wished would never end? You might have been with your best friend, a spouse or maybe you were alone somewhere but where ever it was you did not want time to stop. I have had several moments in my life where the sun seemed to stand still and the universal clock stopped ticking. In this euphoria, while basking in the warmth of the sun, I have experienced real peace. It was as if time no longer existed and that the sun in all of its glory just stopped and stood still in the center of the sky offering me a second of eternity.

Can you describe a place you have never been to? An island perhaps complete with coarse coral sand crunching under your feet or a warm tropical breeze as it moves palm fronds around. Theologians have had trouble describing this concept about the afterlife or heaven to others in a meaningful way.  The apostle John tried to describe a vision of heaven to us as he described heavenly things in the book of Revelation 5:6-10. For me I have reasoned in my own mind that there is another place after this physical life passes away. I believe certain euphoric feelings we have in this life, where we wish a single moment will never end, is what we will experience when we pass on into the presence of God.

My wife and I love to watch movies about time travel like “Somewhere in time” or “The time traveler’s wife” and in each one there are those moments where time seems to be more accessible and fluid than how we think of it now, as being more ridged and fixed. Now, I can’t remember anything before I was born except a very early memory of being on a large island surrounded by water, wet sand beneath my feet and a cool breeze blowing through my hair. Do you dream about a similar place or nexus, a place outside this dimension where we will live in the presence of an almighty, all loving God? The bible teaches us that when we finally arrive there we won’t need the sun to stand still that the glory of God provides all the light we will need!

So as Joshua needs more daylight to complete the great slaughter of their enemies he prays for the sun to be halted in its path and the moon to stop where it stood (Joshua 10:12-15). Now for us reading these passages today about 1200 to 1350 years before Christ was born, it seems surrealistic to think that God would not only approve the slaughter of every man, woman and child but He orchestrated it. Then ponder the thought about the earth having to stop revolving for the sun and moon to stand still and you quickly get into the realm of faith. Can any of us call fire down from heaven, demolish fortresses with horns blowing or stop the earth from turning?

All of us if we had that kind of power would wield it against our brothers and sisters without giving it a second thought to the consequences. But on the other hand If we look at Jesus, who had the power to do all these things and more, how He lived and loved and how many people hated Him to the point of wanting to kill Him.  They despised and plotted against Him, the God that created them, who created everything we see around us, allowed Himself to be led like a lamb to the slaughter.  Greater love has no man that would lay down his life for his friends.  Jesus went willingly to His crucifixion, suffering a grueling, barbaric and slow death on a Roman torture device.

“And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: "’You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.’"

 

 

 

 

Miracles

Do you believe in miracles? As you read your bible you will find many stories that defy the physical laws of the universe that we have come to trust. The sun comes up every day, we get older each year that slips by and the Internal Revenue Service will get their fair share of our paychecks. But seriously, many people have trouble believing in God or trusting in the bible because of the miracles described within its pages. But as for me, I see miracles in everyday life; the beautiful shape of an orchid, the majesty of a sun rise or the awesome birth of a child. I don’t need God to part the Red Sea or cause the walls of Jericho to come tumbling down to believe in a supernatural Creator when the proof is all around me. 

In chapter six of Joshua, God explains to Joshua how He is going to deliver the fortified city of Jericho into the Israelite’s hands. But as the game plan is chalked out on the black board, Joshua begins to wonder when his part in the attack comes into play?  

“You want me to what?” Joshua exclaims. “March around the city for six days? And just how exactly will that work?” Joshua continues putting his sandals back on and sits down on the ground before the Lord.   

You know, there were many times in my own life where I have felt the Lord nudging me to go to the left and I go to the right. He might put a thought into my heart to pray for my enemy when all I really want to do is thump them over the head with a large stick. God’s ways are not our ways and He seems to have an arsenal of unlimited resources including patience. As a husband, when my wife presents me with a problem, I already have a solution in my head and clumsily blurt out the answer when all my wife really wanted to do was sit down and  discuss the problem together.  God is like my wife in that way, where sometimes all He really wants us to do is to talk to Him and fellowship with Him. Oh yea, remember Dean, it’s all about the relationship, stupid! 

So as Joshua sits there listening to the Lord, visions of storming the city walls with wooden ladders and archers at the ready are running through his head. But God had a very different plan; For what is impossible for men is not impossible for a omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent God.  So as the text explains on the seventh day after the seventh trip around the city wall perimeter the trumpets were sounded and Joshua commanded the people to shout “For the Lord has given you the city!”. 

Remember back several weeks ago when  we discussed how Rahab  demonstrated great faith in the One True and Living God of Israel by hiding the Israelite spies who had arrived in Jericho to gather intelligence for the pending attack. Now, the only people spared in the attack were Rahab and her family who were living inside her house. She was instructed to tie a scarlet cord in her window, and then when the Israelite army attacked she would be protected. 

 Interesting, God thought it was important to mention the fact that Rahab’s occupation was that of a prostitute. You see, it does not matter what we have done in this life as God can forgive anyone, anything and the fact is that our salvation is not dependent upon what we do but what God has already done through the sacrifice of His own Son. Rahab put her trust and faith into God by tying a scarlet cord in her window. And all who remained in her house would be saved from the destruction that ensued outside in the city  walls of Jericho.  

So what will it take for you to believe in miracles? Do you need to meet an angel face to face or maybe mysteriously hit the lottery? While it’s true God can do all these things and much, much more, He only sends help when we ask according to His will. God is not a genie in a bottle who through magically conjures up possessions for us to lust over. God loves us too much to cripple us like that but rather will assist us through situations only as we surrender to His will.  

If we take the time to think and look closely at the world around us we will see a miraculous creation that was created perfectly for us to thrive in. God’s crowning achievement was not in the miracles of parting the Red Sea or bringing down the walls of Jericho but rather in the offering of His One and Only son Jesus. 

God's Commander

The Israelites have now entered the Promised Land as promised to Abraham by God Himself. They have crossed over the Jordan River two million strong and are positioned to take Jericho. We can only imagine that Joshua had more than a few moments of weakness and doubt as he observed the walled city of Jericho from their camp. In the first chapter of the book of Joshua God reminds him “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” God’s plan was always to reveal Himself to the entire world through the Israelites; He would always go before them and would fight their battles much in the same way He goes before us and fights our battles.

As Joshua looks out upon this huge sprawling Israelite camp, he must have felt more than just a bit of apprehension for the pending attack on Jericho. Jericho was a walled city that was well fortified and manned to withstand any army the area could produce. In the solitude and proximity of his own campsite the pressure Joshua must have naturally felt would have been overwhelming.  “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood opposite him with sword drawn in His hand.” Joshua 5:13. Joshua asks the man if He is on our side or the adversary’s side. “So He said, ‘No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’” What happens next is one of those moments that God inspired to help us understand the majesty and personality of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

“And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshipped, and said to Him, ‘What does my Lord say to His servant?’” What a scene this must have been where the head military leader of Israel, the general of the entire Israelite army prostrates himself on the ground in worship. Usually when we encounter an angelic visitation in the bible we always see the angel firmly informing the man or woman not to worship them. That they are only the messenger and to worship the One who sent them, the One True and Living God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

With retreat back across the Jordan River now impossible and Joshua preoccupied with the coming battle, we watch as his heart quickens and asks this heavenly visitor “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” His reply must have been both comforting and chilling at the same time as he begins to discover the identity and majesty of his guest. “The commander of the Lord’s army replied ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so.” Joshua 5:15.

Moses also had a similar confrontation with God back in Median as he was tending his father-in-laws sheep. At that time God chose to speak to His servant from a burning bush. As a quick aside, have you ever wondered why God commands these two men to remove their sandals and stand barefooted on the earth before Him? Well, we don’t know for sure, but could it be that God does not want anything to separate us from a relationship with Him. Even the thin layer of a leather sandal’s sole is too much isolation between us and a loving God.  Indeed God desires us to come to Him simply and commune or sup with Him. To always desire a solid and uninterrupted connection to the infinite love He has for His creation.

A friend of mine wrote these words in a worship song most of us have sung at church “Come just as you are…feel the Spirit’s call.”  This well might be the most profound sentence ever penned by  mortal man. Where Jesus Himself stands at the door of the church and knocks to be let in. He stands just outside of every human heart beckoning every soul to let him in. What a gracious God we worship! What a Savior to behold who was willing to be falsely accused, mocked, beaten and crucified by the very ones He created in the first place. Son of God…Son of man, a gentleman who stands so capable of redeeming every human heart but patiently waits for permission to enter into a loving relationship with you.

So what decision will you make? “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15