Isaiah 45: When Values Flip

 

Warning from Isaiah or "Your Cheatin' Heart"

The difference between a teacher and a hall monitor is not just one of authority. A teacher explains a new concept while a hall monitor enforces an existing rule. Knowledge defines the difference. In one situation the student is ignorant. In the other, he’s just acting like it.

Much of the rebellion from Judah, in Isaiah’s time, demands the hall monitor approach.

“I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob’s descendants, seek me in vain. I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right.” (Isaiah 45:19).

This is right in the middle of a return-to-me message from the prophet Isaiah. The Lord draws distinctions between His authority, and the worthlessness of the pagan gods they’ve run off with.

Material Worship

Idol worship was common among the people of all over the Middle East. Idols are still, in most cases, carved from wood or other natural material like gold and silver. The golden calf worship that Aaron (Mosses' brother) fashioned at Mount Sinai was the impetus for an ordered system of rules. The worship of materials is a basic law that goes back to the 10 Commandments. It’s an offensive practice to God, because it’s literally placing greater importance on an object than the One who created it.

The children of Israel knew this by the time Isaiah began writing. They didn’t need a new lesson about the nature of God or the created earth. Their value system had flipped and reminders were needed.

I’ve been watching the Ken Burns film Country Music on PBS. It came out a few years ago but I never caught the whole series. The fact that I’ve never listened to Country is beside the point. It’s part of American history I don’t know well. Besides, a lot of the music that’s linked with Country isn’t exactly from that genre. I don’t think of Willie Nelson as Country but he is heavily featured in the series.

Hank Williams is certainly Country. His unmistakably twangy pitch and soulful lyrics drip with regret. You don’t have to know the genre to know who he was. I was surprised that he only lived to 29 years old and had an impressive 55 number one single hits on the Country charts.

For all his success, can you imagine worshiping the creative genius of Hank Williams? No one would do this consciously, make a shrine to the man or his records. Any greatness that stems from human effort, is a reflection of God’s original creative work. We get it turned around sometimes. Our values get flipped.

Isaiah continues “Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save.” (verse 20)

Pagan Worship

From the scripture in Isaiah, God draws a distinction between Himself and the worship of created things and ancient myths. In Isaiah’s time, the only truth about the ordered universe, for most people, was found in nature. This was not a broadly literate time in history. Most organized societies had classes of literate people, a lot of them mystics. The Hebrews at least, made sure their Jewish populations understood the law of Moses and the Torah. Even though they didn’t teach reading and writing to the masses, they were expected to know their traditions.

They intermarried with those around them who worshipped idols. The quickest way to make them forget Jehovah was to intermarry and lose their covenant. But God still revealed Himself to pagans. This is what Paul writes about in Romans 1, a natural law. “…For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20)

The Lord is saying, through Isaiah, that he doesn’t operate the same as idols. He doesn’t hide from them in some dark land or ignore their prayers. He is a relationship God and makes Himself obvious and available. You can’t miss Him because He exists everywhere, and all life speaks to His design. The beauty and order and consistency in nature is all the evidence you need. Stop pretending that the block of wood you carved represents a higher power. You know it doesn’t.

Conclusion

This isn’t a teacher explaining the metric system, it’s not a demonstration on cooking with wine. It’s a game warden pointing to the ‘No Fishing’ sign as you quickly cut your line and tuck the pole under your seat. It’s an admonishment, not a new lesson. The difference is this, you knew better. This is God’s version of “Your Cheatin’ Heart”. Whether you learned it from the rabbi or discovered it from observing the seasons, in your being it’s the truth and you can’t escape it. Even when your values flip, you can’t plead ignorance.

But we serve a God that makes a way. For all of His admonishing (and exasperation at times) He calls us back to relationship. He forgives and restores. He reminds us of our covenant when we lose our way. He did it for Judah; He does it for us.  

 

 

 

Adjusting With Age: Less Is More

 

Begin A Good Thing

I didn’t run this weekend. It’s been raining since very early and the gym I go to is replacing the flooring in the treadmill section. I’m not against treadmills but it’s really painful to go more than 6 miles on a treadmill. Not painful but boring, so boring. Next week I’m sure they’ll have the gym put back together. It hasn’t rained in quite a while on a Saturday morning because I nearly always go. I used to be far less committed to running but that was years ago. I took off about 1 week every month, either because of the weather or because I wanted to sleep in. These days I realize the importance of exercise in general and running in particular.

Better Habits

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday to have a prescription refilled. I hadn’t been to the doctor since before Covid and I’d lost my refill options. Fortunately, the visit was short and sweet. I got in early and left early. Fridays are slow. I’m in good shape because of my dedication to running and eating better. Notice I said “better” and not good. I’ve started paying attention to the foods I eat. Yes, I still eat plenty of foods heavy in saturated fat and salt and sugar. The cupboard shelves still groan under the weight of snack foods. But the way forward for me has been less is more. Cut down on the overall calories instead of trying to reimagine my diet from the ground up. It’s more likely to stick anyway. Good habits are tough; tougher without the incremental approach.

One or my first conscious choices was to stop buying pop at the grocery store when I got my first apartment. While in college, a few of us split rent on a dumpy 4 room walk up. I had to use the little money I had for food. Soda became a luxury I could do without. Yes, the decision was financial and didn’t have squat to do with health. But I noticed a significant drop in weight, also energy. I never went back to consuming as much pop. I’d learned my lesson. Water first, everything else second.

Since then I’ve been forced into other adjustments in diet and exercise.

Much of the increased discipline comes from getting older and not having the same choices. When I fill up from dinner it’s tough to sleep through the night. If I eat anything after 7:00 pm it has to be light, popcorn or fruit. About 10 years ago I went to the doctor with an excruciating case of acid reflux. During those years, I was working late and cleaning the milk coolers at Quick Trip. On the way home I’d grab a couple of their spicy Taquitos for the road. Those are deep fried heart stoppers of greasy goodness that warm up on gas station rollers. The food worked me over like an MMA fighter, and forced some serious lifestyle changes. But not eating heavy food late wasn’t a dramatic change. It was just a small step necessary to move on. My body made the decision for me. 

I cut out eating ice cream every night a few summers ago. I’ll still buy it on occasion but packing in 1000 calories just before bedtime had to go, like keg parties and McDonald’s breakfast. I’ve never cut something out of my life all at once. I’m disciplined to a point, but like chopping wood I need to take a few whacks at the log before breaking it in two. The one thing I always had going for me was my dedication to hitting the gym 4 to 5 times per week. The foundation necessary for getting in shape was already established, it just needed some tweaks.

Better Fitness

 In the early days (college, Army) that meant lifting weights and putting on muscle. I always mixed in running, rowing and spinning. But gaining muscle was my goal. That changed close to a decade ago. I started running all year long (even the winter) in addition to the gym visits. I guess my idea of fitness changed. Suddenly big muscles didn’t seem all that important. Concern for heart rate, cholesterol and blood pressure scores overtook my enthusiasm for strength.

I don’t remember how the mental shift happened exactly, but I knew I needed to up my cardio training. I’ve increased my distances and training ever since. One year I had some issues with planter fasciitis and another time I struggled with hamstring pulls. But I’ve always come back to running. Just yesterday, the doctor told me my blood pressure was amazing. That felt good. It’s also confirmation that my efforts aren’t in vain. The healthy choices I’ve made over the last 10 years map perfectly with my spiritual growth. It turns out, maturity isn’t just learning to take care of your body as you age. God is with us in the process and He's patient. Oh is He patient!

Conclusion

When God gets our attention, He breaks us down until there is nothing left but our dependence on Him. Then He ‘restores our soul’ and leads us in steps. Whatever vision exists for our lives is completely in His hands. We trust it too. He’s shown us a better way and given us a heart of gratitude.

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 1:6)

 

Ephesians 1: Recognizing the Promise

 Maturity for the Inheritance in Christ

The first chapter of Ephesians is full of powerful promises for believers’ authority in Christ. Our inheritance depends on understanding the eternal promises we have through revelation.

 I particularly like this passage in verse 18 and 19. “I pray that the eyes of your heart be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

The Mystery

You can almost feel Paul trying to let them in on a great mystery which they don’t fully understand. It’s a wonderful prayer for any believer because it alerts them to an otherworldly understanding of Christ’s victory over death. In Paul’s prayer, there is both acknowledgement of the victory and recognition of our role in the earth. We are victorious with Jesus. If we can get an understanding of the historic significance of Christ’s life, death and resurrection, we’ll begin to walk in the same confidence. It’s the difference between surveying a plot of land and making arrangements once it’s been paid for.

With Christ however, we already have the plot. We can move forward once we recognize that He already paid for it. The only thing to do is begin building on it. The ownership we possess was free to us, but it’s now up to us to maintain it. That requires gaining knowledge of our new territory. Knowledge means learning and learning means growing up. Even that idea of ownership doesn’t carry the same eternal weight of what Paul describes to the Ephesians. This otherworldly understanding is something we can only grasp through revelation. “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you’re the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” (verse 17).

The Vision

This isn’t a light bulb moment either. It’s a vision of the future that becomes clearer as we walk closer to God. Salvation comes first. We’re able to understand His great love initially, but recognizing our authority and power and dominion takes years. How many times have I read this chapter of Ephesians and thought “Yeah that sounds nice”. But Paul isn’t talking about nice. He practically begs them to understand their authority. A believer who understands authority versus one who doesn’t, is as different as a parent and a toddler. The toddler is still mostly helpless. Their world is small and shallow. They know they’re loved but lack any skill or experience to do for themselves. Their interest doesn’t’ expand beyond their immediate wants. Dependency defines their existence.

The parent knows how to manipulate the world and care for others. Life has taught them a lot about behavior, discipline, authority and power. They’re also wise enough to know when to use their power. Becoming a parent transformed their idea of what and who are important. Selflessness defines their existence. They make plenty of mistakes but recognize their obligation to others.

The Message

The journey from toddler to parent is an effective picture of our walk in Christ. The maturity we grow in demands a greater understanding of our role and inheritance. No one who is still a toddler will ever know what a great inheritance they have. They lack the mental framework for such a big idea. Many believers stall out somewhere in early childhood, unable to grow into the next phase of understanding. If the inheritance feels too much like fiction we don't put in the time to learn.

I can’t help thinking that Paul’s description is for an audience of ‘children’. The picture I have is of kids in a classroom sitting around a circle while a teacher reads to them from a story book. Their imaginations are quite vivid. Their stories contain knights and dragons and lands beyond the sea where no human has set foot. He’s asking them to imagine a place where they already have a title and authority. But it’s not a fictional place. It’s part of their inheritance.

Conclusion

The goal for Christians in every age is to get a vivid picture of their inheritance in Christ. There remains a gigantic gap in knowledge between salvation and effectiveness though. Paul doesn’t spell out the difficulty inherent in a life of service. Later in the letter he calls himself a “Prisoner of Christ Jesus” and points, here and there, to life’s difficulties. But he doesn’t dwell on it. His letter is full of promise and hope and victory because of the amazing contrast between death and life. We don’t focus on trials in this life because we have an example of how to overcome. The promise keeps us going through it all. The apostle Paul wants our focus on the eternal, not the temporary. That’s how you get children to listen. Point to better and show them how Christ did it first.

 

 

The Family Renewal Plan for America

 

Good Governance Starts With Respect for Families

What is the biggest challenge for America going forward? 

The answers would likely be as varied as the topography. Finance gurus would point to the economics while builders to the infrastructure. Politicians might mention energy crises or education. What about our lack of understanding on Artificial Intelligence and what it portends for future work? But without a common moral thread for our varied (and selfish) thinking it’s not possible to think correctly. Christian Renewal for America starts with the smallest unit, the family. Strong families are the backbone of good governance and with their intentional nurturing of the next generation, they’ll build strong communities.

We need to get back to first principles in governance.

First Principles

I came across this verse in Proverbs “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” (Chapter 29: 1-2) Normally Proverbs doesn’t link one set of verses to the next. The chapters are often disconnected in their content. In this case however, there is reason to believe that weak governance encourages rebellion. In America we elect leaders to legislate, execute and judge.

When we lose our connection with voting rights, we loose our voice. But a country doesn’t just lose voting rights all at once. It becomes less important in a number of ways. The most straightforward one is by trading morality for convenience. We do this by ignoring the school curriculum where our kids attend. Or by trading family time for work, play and personal hobbies. It’s not strange to connect the increasing wickedness in the country to the collapse of the family. The family is the most important unit for civilization, democracy and Christian liberty. It’s the smallest governing body that exists. Accountability, support, education and cooperation all exit within it. Stubbornness plants a seed when we reject the value of family in our lives.

With the family weak it’s much easier to break apart other traditions.  

Don't Trust DC  

If you stop teaching civics, you lose the connection that voting has in the minds of citizens. People get fooled at the ballot box all the time. Politicians make outlandish claims and don’t deliver, tax rates go up even after they were supposed to stay the same. But voting and getting fooled is better than believing you live in a rigged system. I don’t mean it’s rigged from top to bottom, I just wonder how much national elections really matter. We’ve seen federal agencies (FBI, IRS) used like a mafia goon squad to advance a communist agenda. Maybe this was always the case but it’s becoming obvious that our lives aren’t free or private.

It’s clear from all the LGBT signaling the government does, that the family and Christianity are the enemy.

A decadent citizenry is a stubborn one that got that way by ignoring the boundaries of natural law. God’s laws on nature are meant to keep humanity from crossing into debasement. When we allow children to change their sex through surgery and permit sexual deviance of all kinds, we’ve crossed into judgement territory. Those who won’t change will be destroyed “suddenly”. Proverbs implies that these have been “often rebuked” or made aware of their sin on multiple occasions. It’s up to Christians to point the way toward salvation and be very clear about the eternal dangers of chronic wickedness and stubbornness in the face of truth.

Natural Laws

Good governance at its central core is important to keeping out of control wickedness at bay. When criminals don’t fear the law it encourages crime. In San Francisco they’ve basically decriminalized shoplifting. It’s led to gangs of kids teaming up to rob businesses of thousands of dollars of merchandise in one swoop. We’ve seen flash mobs crashing through department stores with arms full of loot. Violent crime has also increased in major cities, the district attorneys aren’t charging with felonies. They’re being let out of jail after a fine, or by giving them a misdemeanor charge. Many large cities have scrapped cash bail for violent offenses. Lawlessness pushes the law abiding out of the cities where they fear for safety.

There is a willful attempt to cede fear and chaos in cities. When the wicked rule the people groan. Proverbs connects the ideas of stubborn people to poor governance. The reverse is also true, respect for law and order everywhere gives citizens a hope for a bright future. Spiritual renewal starts with the family. Big ideas and top down approaches won’t fix the mess our institutions are in. We can rebuild them with a respect for rule of law and Christian liberty.

 

Abraham's Faith for The Impossible

 

Being Fully Persuaded in God's Plan: Romans 4:18-25

Abraham’s fully persuaded faith in God’s promise is something that took a lifetime. With faith comes a steadfastness that surpasses natural abilities and arbitrary time frames.  

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’” (verse 18)

What I notice, is that faith isn’t something that happens quickly. How do you get to a point of absolute trust in a plan that’s so far seemed impossible? The next few verses offer a closer look. “Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old.” (verse 19) You might think that as the years added up, his faith would become less strong. But his belief is sure, despite the lack of a discernable path forward. Abraham spent a lifetime filing up his faith reservoir by taking steps of obedience.  

But faith is not the opposite of doubt.

Experiencing Small Victories

 Both can exist within a person to varying degrees. Have you ever believed God for a financial breakthrough or healing from a headache? I was short on money one year but desperately wanted to go to Illinois for the Christmas break. My ride was all lined up, I rode with at least one of my brothers to share gas. But I didn’t have a lot to spend. It was going to be a tight vacation. I needed extra money, but I’d worked all the hours available. I couldn’t see a way to make any more before we left. I prayed about it. I don’t remember it being a particularly spiritual prayer, something along the lines of “help!”.

That year, everyone got a Christmas bonus. I was ecstatic, relieved, joyful and overwhelmed. I had been there 8 years at the time and we never got a bonus. Now I’ve been there 15 years and we’ve still not had another. It wasn’t a lot of money but it covered a couple of tanks of gas a few meals along the road. God was showing me that no prayer is too small. Here’s what’s important though. That small victory went into my faith reservoir. Whenever I think of God’s goodness I’m reminded of that unexpected blessing.

Now back to Abraham. Abraham didn’t serve the Lord until well into adulthood. His tribe worshipped idols and sacrificed children. God brought him out of that and moved him into a literal faith-based relationship the only way He could. We know about the angel stopping him from sacrificing his own son, Isaac. But how many small victories did Abraham put into his faith reservoir? At a hundred years old, he had become “fully persuaded” in the Heavenly Father’s promise. There is only one way that happens for anyone. We need to spend a lot of time stretching our faith for small and big things.

Abraham’s faith was connected to his righteousness. “…not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (verse 23) Another way to say this is “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Dealing with Doubt

We have a faith reservoir and a doubt reservoir. These are not mutually exclusive. If they were than we would put our trust in God’s previous miracles in our lives. My nick of time bonus money should have been all the faith I needed. If we didn’t also deal with doubt, the faith should have pushed out whatever lingering doubt remained. Why then did I not put my trust in God every time a financial need arose? I’d seen God’s blessing after all. The apostles asked Jesus to help with their unbelief when they couldn’t help a demon possessed man in Mark 9:24. That tells me that even with faith, doubt remains a stumbling block.

It doesn’t have to though. We can feed doubt the same way we feed faith. Through experiences, attitudes and practice we add to our internal tanks. These both shape our philosophy on life, they’re the energy behind it our approach to trouble. If Abraham’s life is any guide, time and patience in the presence of God add up to big time faith. Paul calls it “fully persuaded faith”. Abraham had doubts too. He said his wife, Sarah, was his sister to avoid trouble with the local ruler Abimelek.

Over his life though, the faith reservoir is being filled as God reveals more of Himself to Abraham. His doubt diminishes to the point of being non-existent. As a human he has the capacity for doubt, as well as fear, but his faith builds in trials. It should be encouraging that Christians today have the Holy Spirit as a guide and helper in all things. We have tools Abraham never had. We also have a record of what faithfulness looks like in the scriptures. Abraham had to figure this out with no faith road map.

Conclusion

Isaac was an answer to a promise from God that both parents had waited for, until there was no physical way to have kids. How did the increasing years waiting for the promise not increase doubt instead of building faith? Because of the obedient steps that Abraham followed, beginning with his trek out of Ur. Every step of faith (even the small ones) helped build fill his reservoir, until the time frame didn’t matter.

Our time frame with God is an arbitrary concept. I’m learning how to fill up the reservoir and ignore the time frame. God is faithful and I’m moving toward being fully persuaded.