I John 4: The Spirit of Truth and The Spirit of Error

 

How to Recognize Truth and Error

The New Testament letters must be read with an understanding of the urgency with which they were written. Christianity, this new belief, was constantly under attack from both the Romans and from false doctrines. John takes such care to explain the nature of this spiritual reality in which new believers find themselves. The truth is as easy to recognize today as it was in John’s time.   

 “Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.” (verse 2-3) This might seem confusing if you have no exposure to scripture. With all the cultures around the world and all their spiritual history, how can all spirits be either Christ or Antichrist—truth or error?

We Can Know the Truth

Every region of the world has its own history of gods, idols, traditions and pieties. It’s human creativity that gives these ‘gods’ their characteristics. We assign stories and personalities to deities that exist in the spirit realm. Ancient Greece had Zeus, Apollo and Aphrodite, China and India had Buddhism and its beliefs. Others had monotheistic religions like Islam. I could write an entire book on world religions and not begin to cover all the particulars. You’d think John would leave room for such variety. After all, most of these deities had a presence in the cultures, thousands of years before Christ.

But the variety of spirits doesn’t change their origin or nature. It doesn’t matter how many different weeds cover your lawn, they’re all infectious and designed to kill off healthy grass. It’s in their nature. They seek to take over the whole yard. If you want healthy green grass that chokes out weeds you have to spread good seed. You can use fertilizer to kill the invaders but eventually they’ll come back. The most effective way is to keep the healthy grass full. So too, when the gospel spreads in earnest it pushes out false spirits.  

The best news from John is that it’s possible to tell spiritual truth from error. We don’t have to fumble around this life like a man in a dark cave, searching for truth. We recognize it through its confession. We see its plain truth because it pushes out error and illuminates our steps in an unfamiliar place.

“And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” (verse 14-15)

We Can Spread the Gospel

I’ve been watching the series Shogun on Hulu. I’m only a few episodes in but a few things are clear right away. TV shows and movies are essentially atheistic in their spiritual messaging. Anything dealing with power politics will argue that money and control drive the vehicle of history. It treats spiritual/religious belief as either cultural decoration or political manipulation. Christianity is usually shown as an occupying force, a foreign weed that chokes out native soil. The history of European conquest is certainly bloody and reckless. Missionaries were often used by their host nations as tools of imperialism. This is the situation in Shogun during the late 17^th century. But the spread of Christianity has less to do with the people spreading it, and more to do with its undeniable truth.

We’ve been hearing the same cynical story about Christ and colonization for too long. Partly it’s because of our ‘everyone was racist before about the year 2000’ kind of ethics. But Christianity brought civilizing aspects to cultures that had no experience with it. Science, medicine and literacy were introduced with missionaries. Translating the Bible into the local languages, the centrality of the family and planting new churches were hallmarks of Christian missions.

But people are flawed and their message is often drowned out by the politics of the day. Shogun shows the ugly side of Christians and their sociopolitical interests. But it’s only after the Spanish have gained a foothold through territorial ambition. There is little difference between a pirate and priest, both are Christian in the national sense and foreigners. But it’s not likely the first few missionaries were anything but accommodating to the Japanese. They couldn’t afford to be reckless or arrogant in such a strict, brutal culture. The early Jesuits eventually started ordaining local priests, recognizing the importance of engagement.

But the gospel makes an impact despite the mission or the missionaries. It wouldn’t work any other way. It’s a universal truth.

We Can Rescue Culture

The biggest difference in America is our lack of state sponsored missionary work. Churches still take on the burden of training up and sending out, but America is effectively a place where Christianity is consumed with infighting. Its distracted by institutional corruption and doctrinal disagreement. People as different as Rob Bell and Eric Metaxas both claim to be Christians. Their beliefs couldn’t be further apart. Bell teaches a ‘good feeling’ doctrine with biblical language, Metaxas a traditional scholarly approach.

  Political realities have started to overwhelm the underlying truth of scripture. Those who profess an orthodox view are held out of large spheres of life, whether government or business. Denominational loyalty shifts with hot button cultural issues like abortion and homosexuality. We’re on the cusp of an upheaval.

Come to think of it, maybe we do resemble feudal Japan right before the Tokugawa Shogunate.

 It’s easy to get consumed with the sturm and drang of modern Christianity and its shaky future. The weeds are growing rapidly and threatening to takeover the lawn. It’s in this type of environment that John writes his letter to the early church. It’s loaded with the language of hope, love and peace. But crucially in this chaotic time, he separates truth from error and reminds us that we can recognize it. The message of the gospel has survived and thrived in tougher circumstances. During the time of the apostles’ ministry (AD 40 to AD 80) this new religion was nearly crushed in the Roman Empire. It’s the reason for the letters of encouragement and the missionary zeal of spreading the gospel.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” (verse 18-19)

Conclusion

The spirit of truth shows up in love and casts out fear. If we are in Christ we shouldn’t fear the future. Love, in the person of Christ, did the redeeming work a long time ago. We recognize the spirit of truth when we abide in Him.

Luke 18 and God's Promise to Avenge Speedily

 

Bearing Up and Avenging Speedily

Luke 18 starts out with a parable. It’s a lesson about God’s faithfulness to those who seek justice. It begins, a godless judge becomes tired of a widow approaching him about her adversary and demanding justice. He reasons to himself that if he doesn’t help her, she will bother him about it all the time. He decides to help her, purely due to self-interest.

The Trial

 “Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily, Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’” (verse 6-8)

There seems to be a discrepancy between God bearing long with us and avenging “speedily”. Those look to be opposites. A legal battle that drags on for years cannot be thought of as a speedy verdict. Even with the ruling in your favor. The agony and cost of a protracted fight is too much for a lot of people. Justice must be speedy and inexpensive or it’s not really justice.

 I’ve been following the Mark Steyn defamation suit that concluded two weeks ago. Sued by the despicable Michael Mann, for writing a blog post that called him a fraud. Much of the scientific community has complained about his sloppy research methods. This being a litigious country though, Mann’s team took the case to Washington DC and won a $1 million. He won because the jury didn’t like right wing journalists like Steyn criticizing the “science” community. Mann wasn’t harmed in any way. The jury agreed with that. The award from the court was punitive and designed to chill free speech going forward. The suit began in 2012 and recently concluded, in 2024.

 It’d difficult to find the most egregious aspect of this case, but the sheer length and cost put Mann v Steyn into the duplicitous category.

The Faithfulness

In God’s legal framework His people are assured of justice. Often it takes a while to manifest in our lives. It can take years, even decades to be realized. So why does Jesus use the word “speedily” when nothing about victory feels quick? I think it has to do with the official record and not the reality of the ongoing situation. In heaven our case is won but on earth, we stand on faith. It’s why He wraps up the parable by mentioning faith. In other words, is there enough faith to believe for victory when the trial is so daunting? But faith is built through trying times. Without a season of waiting on the Lord we would never renew our strength (Isaiah 40:31).

No one needs strength like fighters.

But we don’t wait on the Lord like a judge. He isn’t deciding whether or not to rule in our favor. Just prayers from the Saints cause God to move on our behalf. As Christians we are heirs to the promise and entitled to good gifts like healing, prosperity and peace. He already ruled in our favor when Christ went to the cross and rose on the third day. Faith in our natural trial is where we get tripped up. He is working behind the scenes to correct unjust events. But Jesus reminds us of His presence in our weakness. The struggle to wait is often more than we can handle however. It’s why he reminds us that he “bears long” with us.

The Victory

If this doesn’t create a picture in your mind of a loving father holding his son or daughter while they cry, I don’t know what will. I had asthma as a young boy. I remember struggling to catch my breath after running around on a cold winter day. This wasn’t always the trigger but the symptoms were the same, wheezing and shortness of breath. Even walking from my bedroom to the bathroom was a struggle. My parents were always nearby enduring the long days when I hardly moved. There was nothing to do but wait. We all had some long nights. They believed for my healing before I felt better. I didn’t struggle in later years like I did as a child. Occasionally the humidity would cause me to go into a wheezing episode, but I never doubted God’s faithfulness. I had been through the trial with my parents. I’d seen their comfort and reassurance.

The trials are painful and often long. But God shows up as a comforter and reminds us of His verdict on our behalf.

The challenge for us is to build faith in the struggle, knowing that our Heavenly Father is working when it doesn’t feel like it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Failure of Christian Leadership: Weakness of Belief

 

God is Great: Islam is a Menace

How mad should I be?

It’s a result of too much news exposure I’m sure, but I struggle with anger at the state of the world. A lot of the news is meant to ramp up anger, outrage and anxiety about the future. But even viewed through the lens of Christianity, I wonder how much of my anger is righteous and how much is reactionary?

The Offense 

I guess I’m disappointed that more people aren’t fired up about the lack of respect for sacred spaces. I watched a video of a Muslim man walk into a church (Catholic or protestant) I’m not sure. He asks the priest (or bishop) if he could spread out his rug and pray. This all happens in French. I’m guessing at the translation. The minister acknowledges him with a nod and moves on with the ceremony. The Muslim man sets up his rug toward the East and kneels, in the middle of the service.

Islam is not a religion of peace and it never has been. This scandalous lie gained oxygen during the Bush administration because of the War on Terror. Whatever you think about the war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the lie served a purpose. The US government didn’t want the Islamic world thinking we were at war with their religion. Can you find Mosques that preach peace? I’m sure. We have churches all over the country that barely crack the Bible, why wouldn’t the same be said for Western Muslims? When it has the numbers, it takes over every part of civil society. This includes daily prayers too. How many formally Christian cities in Europe and America have daily calls to prayer (adhan) that ring out through the city? I don’t mean within the walls of the mosques either.

The Future

 Minneapolis and Dearborn are two cities without any qualms about bothering their non-Muslim, American citizens who have to hear it 5 times a day.  

Islam is a fanatical religion. It doesn’t want to exist with Christianity. It wants to conquer it. It’s an ‘apostate’ religion as far as Islam is concerned. These milquetoast pastors have no fear of the Lord. I can’t imagine there is much they would protest. These are men without chests to borrow a C.S Lewis phrase. How mad should I be? To see an obvious disregard for the God of Heaven, from both Christians and Muslims, raises my blood pressure. Are followers of Islam welcome in a Christian Church? Absolutely. We are all sinners and need a savior. No one in the rows is more holy than another. But everyone needs to recognize when someone is blaspheming the Lord. This is warfare of the spiritual kind. This faux Christian tolerance has to go.

The Conflict

I also recognize that I have a tendency to run pretty hot. But I’d rather be corrected for acting too rashly than to be corrected for indifference. Righteous anger, rightly directed, brings about a change in hearts and minds. It’s impossible for me to see this affront to Christ and the church as a shot across the bow. I can’t understand why other Christians don’t. Tolerance is not a Christian virtue, love and peace are. Tolerance isn’t a positive or negative characteristic. It’s wholly dependent on the situation. I don’t see a conflict, for instance, between escorting the man with the prayer rug outside and telling him about Jesus. We shouldn’t tolerate abuses in the Lord’s house, any more than we tolerate attacks on our families. The Church is a kind of family.

James 1:19 “…let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

Is this a “wrath of man” kind of situation, or is this the Godly kind of anger? The Christian walk often feels like balancing on a tightrope. Overreactions can harm your influence with non-Christians. James warns us of this by emphasizing our slowness toward anger. He doesn’t say don’t get angry; his admonition is to the hotheads. I don’t spend a lot of time upset, but when it comes to our Christian family (the community of believers) we need to be more assertive against attacks.

Conclusion

The danger here is that an ‘Us vs Them’ attitude sets in and get reinforced among believers. We should seek peace with everyone around us, but not at the expense of disrespecting the Lord’s house.  Equally worrying is a passive, do what you like, posture from Christian leaders.

There is a desperate need in today’s tense environment to throw down a marker against a clear enemy. Yes, Satan is the enemy and not people. But the church needs to see its leader defend the house, to revere the name of God. Christianity is dying because it’s largely useless in practice. For many, it’s a cultural relic of superstition that animates much of the last century. The Church will lose the mandate from God to be His representative on earth. Islam’s goal is to dominate every space in society. The Church has the spiritual authority to speak to the darkness and command it to go. That’s true of any attack against God and His people. Let's do Better Christians.

Thoughts On Job Part 2

 Why Ask Why: Job's Trials and God's Sovereignty

The Bible isn’t just one book, it’s a historical novel mixed with tragedy and tons of drama. It’s violent but rooted in peace, heartbreaking but hopeful. It’s advice, poetry and a record of the past. It’s a ‘living’ document because it’s inspired by God, not because the lessons can be revised for a modern audience. The story of God’s creation and love for humanity is present from the beginning. It’s the common thread that runs from Old Testament to New, from the law to grace.

Trials of Job

The book of Job is a bit of a hobbyhorse for me. Like a puzzle, you can only see it when all the pieces fit together. Half the book is bad advice from his friends. You can’t cut and paste verses from Job without understanding the whole text. It reads like a series of essays from Job’s circle of friends which seem correct at first. You have to read to the end to find out what God says about Job’s council. There’s a great lesson in that as well. Does the advice from friends or family echo the scripture? Do they have your best interest at heart?

Job is different from the New Testament and even much of the Old. Normally we say the Old Testament is concerned with the law, and the New Testament is concerned with grace. But Job is written before the law. God revealed Himself to us in nature. “His invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made.” (Romans 1:20) Their frame of reference for God was different. In Moses day they referred to the law as their guiding principle. In the New Testament it’s Christ, as a fulfillment of the law. In Job’s day they reasoned among themselves.

Job’s wife and friends (except for Elihu) are full of bad advice. They believe Job sinned, and is therefore responsible for his calamity. But their intuition on human nature isn’t wrong. Their understanding of God’s sovereignty isn’t wrong either. They correctly position God as judge and jury in the affairs of humanity. Unlike modern man, their fear of the Lord drives their instincts.

Wise Council?

Zophar, for instance, tells Job “Do you not know this of old, since man was placed on earth, that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment?” (chapter 20:4-5) Actually that’s good advice. It’s biblical too. The problem is, it’s applied to Job. He isn’t responsible for the trials. God lays that out in the first chapter. Eliaphaz also treats Job like a sinner but tells truths about human nature. “What is man, that he could be pure? And he who is born of a woman, that he could be righteous? (chapter 15:14)

He's saying that no person can gain righteousness of their own will. Most of his scolding of Job is true for people in general. But his friends haven’t heard from God on how to comfort Job. We can’t apply their instruction in this case. The sum total of their advice is wrong. That’s unlike a lot of the New Testament which points to Christ, the ultimate truth. Read Ephesians sometime, or Philippians. They’re rooted in a clear understanding of who God is and what He demands of us. His attributes and love form the basis for how we, His people, are to live. Kingdom principles fill Paul’s letters.

God’s Sovereignty

Job is a mystery where the title character discovers a universal truth in the end. It’s a foundational book that examines the Creator and His creation. Or better said, it examines our relationship to God as beings that carry His imprint. We don’t understand how He designed the stars or ‘hung the earth on nothing’. But we can know that He is the source of all knowledge and His plan for creation unfolds constantly. God’s sovereignty requires that we come to him in reverence.

It might not be worthwhile to compare Job to Paul’s letters in the New Testament. Nor to compare it to the gospels or the books of Moses from the wilderness years. But I think I’ll always have some reservations about the book of Job. God doesn’t exactly tell Job why he permitted Satan to kill his kids, servants and livestock. We don’t know why, a pious servant who feared the Lord, found himself scrapping boils off his skin. Everything taken was eventually returned by orders of magnitude. Job’s wealth increased after the ordeal. His family was blessed and he “saw his children and grandchildren for four generations.” If he had wealth before the trial, afterwards he became extremely rich.

Conclusion

 That God makes our way prosperous is not the issue. His first covenant was with Abraham, the wealthy trader to whom the Israelites trace their genealogy. Christians do as well since the new covenant.

The struggle in my head is over the ‘game’ that God plays with Satan over a ‘blameless and upright’ man. I can’t shake the comparison to the movie Trading Places with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. Two bankers make a $1 bet that they can replace their money manager with another and get the same results. In the process they ruin both men’s lives. It’s a crude comparison I’ll admit, but the story is set up this way.

Or is it?

Maybe the whole point of Job is that we don’t get to ask why. Does God permit some trials in our life to test us? I believe He does. James 1:3 says the “Testing of your faith produces patience”. God reveals some things and not others. He determines our path and directs our way. Don’t listen to advice unless it’s from the Lord. But you might not get an answer to your "Why?".

 

Foolishness and Sin Nature

 

A framework for Understanding Foolishness: Ecclesiastes 10

There are two kinds of foolish in the world, the lunatic and the intellectual. We usually lock the first type up for their own good. We used to at least. Now we let people roam the streets until they harm themselves or someone else. The second kind is respected but equally dangerous. They deny the existence of God and use their influence to undermine morality. Not all intellectuals deny God, but history is full of movements steeped in the philosophy of nihilism. 

Ecclesiastes 10:12-14 says “The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool shall swallow him up; the words of his mouth begin with foolishness, and the end of his talk is raving madness. A fool also multiplies words.”

In true Solomon fashion he gives a contrast, the wise does this and the fool does that. He leaves it vague enough so we can fill in the blanks. We’d rather hear something specific about the fool. What kind of foolishness, or what subjects does the fool focus on? But wisdom and foolishness should be self-evident. At least that’s the idea I get when I read this. Wisdom is clear when it’s beneficial. Foolishness is clear when it’s ruinous. It’s a distinction we all see.

Lunatic Foolish

I went for a short run a few years ago in my neighborhood. Homeless people are usually nearby. On occasion I’ll stop and talk to them. I’ve offered prayer. Some accept, others don’t. A few are completely out of their mind. That’s not a surprise. We use words like “homelessness” to describe people living on the streets because it fits. But it’s increased at an alarming rate. It’s beyond whatever natural distribution used to exist. I don’t pretend to know all the reasons, but it’s at least related to deinstitutionalization and laissez faire attitudes toward drug use. It’s just cheaper to get drugs and live in a tent than it’s ever been. Responsibility for this group was always done on a local level. Eventually the financial burden was kicked to the federal government when Medicaid came about.

That’s a complaint for another time though.

 People on the streets need Jesus. This hasn’t changed. One guy was sitting on the steps at a small Methodist church on the corner. It’s right along my normal jogging route so I stopped for a second. I offered him a granola bar and he declined. The exact details of our short conversation are lost to the ether. I remember thinking that he was completely insane. His thoughts, logic and stories were disconnected. He complained that the cops had beat him up. I got that much out of him. Did he realize how nutty he looked and sounded? Was he aware that most people would see him as dangerous because of his twitchy, shaky movements? He was most likely a junkie. I said a quick prayer when I could get a word in. He agreed to listen to me at least.  

Multiplied Words

Whenever I think of Solomon’s description, I imagine my encounter with this man. He multiplied words like a madman and spoke in disconnected ideas. At one end of foolishness there is a crazy man who dumps words and phrases like a snow plow salting a slick highway. He covers everything with foolishness. But I also think Solomon refers to something closer to home. We don’t encounter crazy people every day. But even people with rational thinking can be fools. Even those respected academics, writers, intellectuals and philosophers can have nonsensical ideas.

Anytime a respected individual disputes the existence of God, they speak foolishness.

Intellectual Foolishness

I watched a debate with Richard Dawkins and John Lennox. Dawkins is a renowned atheist and biologist, Lennox a Christian mathematician. Both men are Oxford professors. Dawkins rejects the existence of God, because of the “pettiness” of a creator who judges the sin of man. He’s a brilliant guy with a gigantic hole in his rationalization of the universe. The moral code we live by came from somewhere. Natural selection can explain why the fittest species survived, but it can’t introduce a moral code. The only lesson is survival at all costs. Our laws aren’t based on dog eat dog survival. They're rooted in Judeo-Christian tenets about morality. Dawkins seems to think morality is self-evident. Other times, he thinks morality itself is kind of irrelevant and tough to define. But a lack of definition and structure leads to chaos. In the long term, a society becomes tribal and war like.

Denied Reality

 Mankind lives in a state of sinfulness that’s been in existence since the garden of Eden. Without the “pettiness” of a Savior, we are doomed to eternal justice. Atheists like to separate the idea of God into categories or myths. “Which god are you referring to?” is a common refrain. But they clearly understand the basis of the question, do you believe in God, or at least, in a universal right and wrong? How about a creator? These might seem like different questions but they’re the same. There is a correct way for a created thing to behave. A toy car rolls forward when you crank the wheels back. It stops working when the wheels won’t crank. If you send the toy back to the manufacturer to have it fixed, you can expect they know what to do. If they said “We created it, but we have no idea how it’s supposed to work” You’d be confused.

Conclusion

Created things function a particular way because they were designed to. Humans were created with an inherent need to behave in a moral capacity. Sin puts up a wall between the Creator and the created, by introducing a ‘work around’. It says you don’t need God. It says you are God. It says there is no God, or creation or ultimate justice.

You can behave however you like. Solomon would call this “raving madness”. His description assumes a self-evident reality. We can understand how things work by observing creation. Foolishness comes in two varieties, socially acceptable or socially unacceptable. Neither is hopeless. Salvation is for all and redemption is for today.

I Peter 2: Understanding Liberty and Vice

 

I Peter 2: Liberty Not Vice

Peter’s letter to the early believers reminds them of their new identity and calls them to live peacefully with their respective rulers. But where are the exceptions to the rule?

“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.” (13 and 14)

There isn’t a lot of wiggle room for rebellion against crooked rulers here. But examples abound where rebellion was warranted. Think about Daniel. The King’s satraps passed an ordinance to entrap him (Daniel 6). If he prayed to God, Daniel would violate the law (or ordinance) against worshipping another god but Darius, the ruler.

How to be Disagreeable

 Jesus also told the disciples to eat the heads of grain when they were traveling through the countryside (Mathew 12). This was unlawful to do on the Sabbath. Yet, he permitted it. 

A lot of what Peter is concerned with is rooted in appearances. The Christian church was a new movement that the Romans would have loved to shut down for rebellion. Peter warns these Jewish believers to “abstain from fleshly lusts” so your enemies won’t find fault. It’s like when your dad tells you not to tarnish the family name. “Don’t’ make me look bad by fighting with your classmates and disrespecting the teacher. People will connect your actions with me, so behave!”

 We read “fleshly lusts” as sexually driven, but Peter could also be talking about anger, bitterness and resentment. Every natural instinct might be demanding you rebel. 

How to Maintain a Movement

 Some might be tempted to throw rocks at officials as they ride by on their horses. Peter might be saying, the minute your fleshly lusts take over and you start fighting against the government, our movement is done. Not only will the Romans come for us, but the citizens won’t support any rebellious religion. Instead of converts we’ll have enemies. So yes, submit because that’s what Christ did. We know the early church multiplied. Despite all the hardships it grew exponentially. They emphasized living like Jesus and carried it out through the beatings. Citizens of every town noticed and converted to Christianity.

In addition, the second part of the ‘submission to government’ starts with a warning against draping yourself in liberty. “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of men—as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.” (15-16) There is an old SNL sketch where Will Ferrell wears an American flag speedo and a half t shirt. The office where he works relaxed the dress code to allow for patriotic clothing. He hilariously uses patriot day to bring attention to himself. It’s not exactly vice, but he is clearly taking advantage of a policy that wasn’t designed for that purpose. Ferrell takes the liberty of the day to get laughs, and mock the purpose of why it was created.  

How to Understand Liberty

The Liberty Peter refers to is the freedom found in serving Christ. Specifically, by not being bound to traditions of old. He reminds them at various points of their new nature as that “incorruptible” seed which “abides forever”. Throughout the New Testament, from Paul to Mathew, there is a theme of newness in Christ. Because of the work of the early church, the disciples write to remind their burgeoning churches of their new identity. This isn’t just a last ditch attempt to get them back on track. It’s a practical reminder of the change that’s taken place in their hearts.

Parents who’ve had to discipline a child for an infraction know this principle. I got in trouble for hosting a party when my mom left town for a weekend. She was disappointed because it wasn’t something I’d normally do. I received a heavy dose of “This isn’t like you” and a long-term grounding for that. But she couldn’t have used that scold on me if I was known to throw parties for my friends at every opportunity.

The reprimand brought me back to the higher standard which I’d forgotten. It’s like saying, “Remember the change that took place in you and do the right thing next time.”

How to Seek Peace

On the second half of the verse, Peter warns about “foolish men”. What’s that about? Who really cares what they think about Christian behavior? I think it means that foolish men look only to ordinances to be there guide when deciding infractions against you. In other words, they’re foolish (or simple) because they don’t have the same relationship with the risen Savior. They don’t understand the things of God because they interpret life through strictly carnal means. If you want to turn simple men against followers the Jesus, just act contrary to whatever restriction exists in society. If there are laws against eating meat or drinking wine, make sure to flaunt them at every opportunity. Foolish men look for a reason to smother this new lifestyle before it gets any air. Be careful.

So where are the exceptions? How might Peter interpret the modern world and would his advice be different?

How to Understand Responsibility

 It’s important to remember that Peter was writing to an occupied people. Their situation was not quite like ours. Jews governed themselves to an extent, but the Romans governed the territory. These were subjects to a government they didn’t vote for. His letter is for us as much as it was for them. But the situation reads different in a few ways. We have churches in America on every street. For now at least they are free to say what they want, despite increasing pressure to avoid certain topics. Christians understand liberty in Christ as axiomatic. We aren’t as bound by tradition. Our collective understanding of grace is much richer than what the early church knew.

A good short hand for knowing when to rebel is asking what’s at stake? The scripture supports this. Daniel was a government official and he broke an obviously unjust law. So did his three companions (Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego) when faced with bowing to the god/king Nebuchadnezzar. When law, ordinance, rule, pronouncement or decree drive a wedge between God and His people, disobedience is necessary.

Conclusion

We should promote good governance and leadership on this earth. Proverbs 29:2 says “When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” We have the authority to expand righteousness in the civil realm. Beyond that, we must place a higher value on citizenship of God’s kingdom, than citizenship of our country. Also, lead with prayer and seek peace in the midst of chaos.

  

 

 

Experience in the Woods: Psalm 116

 

Psalm 116: Start at the Tower

“I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live”. (1-2)

A Refuge 

So much of that verse sums up my history with God. Especially when I was younger, God was a refuge and high tower in times of trouble. I tried to do most of life on my own from the ages of 17 to 30 something. I started at 17 because it’s when I graduated high school. I went to a Christian school, attended church weekly and believed whole heartedly in salvation for all and the second coming. But it takes years to develop a relationship with God, where He is more than just a refuge. He will always be that of course, but it’s meant to be a starting point in the life of a believer.

We run to a refuge when nothing else is available and danger is closing in. A classic example of a refuge is a lookout tower in the woods. Its purpose is for the watchman to look for wildfires and notify the authorities. But it’s also the safest place to hide from predators. The unique perspective one gets from a high place determines the next step he’ll take. Whenever I’ve gotten myself into a mess in life I’ve looked for the tower. It helps to reset my soul when I’m in distress. I also feel completely safe, even while the fires spread around me.

A Protector

I read a book a few years ago called Those Who Wish Me Dead now a movie with Angelina Jolie. The story goes, a 12 year old sees a murder and has to go into witness protection. The couple hiding him live in Montana and take troubled kids on wilderness hikes. It’s supposed to be the best way to hide him. They teach survival skills and navigation in some of the harshest terrain. But eventually the past catches up to the boy. After a chaotic chase, he stumbles up to a tower manned by a former smokejumper; she becomes his protector in a threatening and dangerous world.     

We need that comfort throughout our lives. In different phases of life whether student, employee, parent and grandparent we get lost and afraid no matter how many times we’ve walked the trails.

But God wants us to get beyond just needing to be bailed out because we didn’t watch the weather or pack the right equipment. He gives us equipment to use in our journey. It’s designed for the terrain, the weather and the topography. It’s more than just a map of pitfalls, depressions and inclines. Our equipment has the ability to change circumstances. Our words direct our path. The agreement we have on earth comes from the One who conquered the grave. Jesus gives us authority to carry around with us in the form of scripture. We don’t have to run back to the tower every time the sky looks ominous. It’s our duty to use what we already have.

A Compass

This is simpler to say than to know, often because we have the wrong view of God. He doesn’t exist to fulfill our personal goals and visions. That takes a while to figure out as well. Culture works against the notion that God is all we need. It’s a selfish kind of philosophy that (even among Christians) centers around hopes, dreams and aspirations of the individual. As a philosophy it’s somewhere between humanism and hedonism. Needless to say, it’s antithetical to the Creator’s vision for humanity. The more we use the compass, the less we run to the tower. We understand when to go high and when to go low, where to find water and how to set up shelter.

And even better, we begin to lead our own crews through the trails that have now become familiar. There will be other boys who join us for protection, teaching and a new beginning. They’re as unfamiliar as we were at the beginning, just as self-indulgent too. But no matter how scary the surroundings, we’ve learned to overcome them and find our way. The tower is always there. It’s a constant in our lives when we’re lost and scared, we orient ourselves below it.

Conclusion

 Stay in the woods long enough and you’ll experience a fire, a flood, a freeze. You’ll be lost at least once and likely run out of food. But with experience comes peace. It’s why the author of Psalm 116 can say in verse 6 and 7 “I was brought low and He saved me. Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.”

The weather won’t change, only our ability to trust in the one Who overcame the storm.

 

Psalm 127: Who is Building Your House?

 

The Master Builder  

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” (verse 1)

So many principles come to mind when I read this verse. Houses represent our lives and what we’re building inside them. Most people build their lives in traditional ways. Look for a job, get married, start a family and grow your wealth. Nothing is wrong with that. The pursuit of happiness might not be a spiritual principle but it’s a cultural norm. But our success in the important ways is tied directly to our trust in Him. No matter what the skill level of the builder, if you aren’t putting the Lord first your foundation is shaky.

Who is building your house?

If you’ve ever woken up and realized your efforts aren’t getting you anywhere, it’s likely you’re view of God is wrong. I had the realization that my image was way off, after reading the Bible with intention. Cosmic Santa was the phrase that stuck with me. I heard it described as a way that young people view God. “Cosmic” because He is out there in space somewhere and “Santa” because he give gifts. I’m embarrassed to admit that for years it was my view of God. He was a kindly, jovial old timer that makes sure your personal hopes and dreams come true. He’s there to affirm your desires and grant your wishes, just as long as you live right. Ugh. Where is the sacrifice in that, where is the accountability?

I was building my house with hopes and dreams, with a god that didn’t exist. The surest way to lose your home in a storm is with a soft foundation. I can remember being so upset with God when my conception of success didn’t pan out. But my foundation was soft thanks to my ill-conceived notion of God. He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. I wasn’t seeking Him. I wanted a life coach to encourage my efforts and a generous gift giver to cover me when I went over budget.

How do you start?

We learn about the nature of God in the scriptures. Joseph (Genesis Chapters 39-44) was forced to grow up as a slave and a manager, then a prisoner. After his 13 years in captivity, he knew how to trust in the Lord for his provision. He didn’t have the luxury of seeing God as a cosmic Santa. His owed his life and existence to God. All of it was grueling and he probably thought about death constantly, especially after living a comfortable life as his father’s favorite son. God didn’t waste Joseph’s time, despite what it might have looked like in the moment. Every trial he encountered became the framework for future excellence. He learned the Egyptian language and culture at Potiphar’s home. It’s important if you’re going to make decisions for a country full of Egyptians.

He learned how to divide meals among the men properly and read men’s intentions in prison. Both critical skills when you need to save up for a famine and not get swindled by devious people. Joseph’s life proves that God is on His own schedule. He builds our house when we let Him, but not without our faith in His timing. Trusting God the homebuilder looks a lot like grinding away at low wage job or struggling to gain respectability. Faith grows in tough soil. It’s impossible to discover God’s will for our lives without developing a life dependent on Him.  

How do I think differently?

The biggest challenge for young people is taking all of their talent (much of it imagined) and handing it back to God. This doesn’t mean going into ministry (necessarily) or avoiding jobs with the potential to earn big money. It means seeking His will in all situations and letting the Holy Spirit put you where He will. Talented people can go very far on their own abilities but eventually even the best will stall out. We were never meant to do this alone. Trust in the Lord and His wisdom for your life.

What happens when you don’t trust God to build your home? Esau never had a relationship with the God of his father Isaac. He built his life on self reliance. In a moment of weakness he gave up his birthright because he held it cheaply. Whatever your view of God, cosmic Santa or insignificant deity, if you’re building your own house the foundation will be soft. The troubles will overwhelm you and you’ll blame the One who you never bothered to learn about, nor let Him build.

Conclusion

When the Lord builds the house, you get to hand over the fear and worry that comes with striving alone. “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.” (verse 2) He wants to take our anxieties and give us rest. What could be better?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith and Patience From James 1

Growing in Faith and Patience

If there’s a chapter in the Bible I’ve read more than any other it’s probably James 1. There’s so much practical wisdom on taming the tongue, trials and breakthrough, being a doer of the word. Patience though, has been a critical part of my growth as a Christian.

 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (verse 2-4)

I always imagined the verse should read “The testing of your patience produces faith”. That used to confuse me. Isn’t faith the ethereal thing that Gods asks for? Isn’t faith the ‘hard to get your mind around’ discipline?

Patience for Maturity

It seems like faith would be the goal and patience would be the mechanism you exercise. But it’s the opposite. That tells me that faith is the mechanism or muscle you build. Hebrews calls it the “substance of things hoped for”. It’s the activity we use to strengthen our character. Patience isn’t just for spiritual matters. It’s critical to function as a responsible adult. It’s also the way God’s plan of sowing and reaping works. All that planting and watering creates a restless mind prone to giving up. Patience bridges the gap between our efforts and rewards.

 We rarely get what we want, in the time frame we want it. And much of what we want in our 20s goes away in our 30s anyway. It’s the same situation for career and relationships. Patience means waiting and trusting that God will provide what we need in His time. It’s really about trust, and trust is a process.

Respecting the Father

When we place our trust in God we give Him our wants and ask for His wisdom. It’s rarely a quick process. Trust takes time because it must. How deep would that trust be if He gave us everything we asked for right away? We’d be no better than a screaming child in a shopping cart pointing and demanding various items in the toy department. This is key to understanding how the Father breaks through our selfishness straight to our heart. Not only will the toys not fulfill us, they’ll reduce God to a dispenser of goods. This isn’t a god anyone can serve. He’s more like an eternal Santa Claus, affirming our feelings and handing out goodies.

We neither respect Him nor put any long term trust in Him. This might be a big part of our problem culturally as the Church. Our affluence in the West acts like a callous over our hearts. We don’t have to wait all that often. 'Suffering' today means waiting for the woman at Starbucks, who’s ordering customized drinks for the entire office. Talk about a test of patience when all you want is a coffee, black! The comfortable existence of daily life, lulls into a sense of complacency. We’ve forgotten how to trust in God. America has built up an impressive consumer driven economy. Amazon delivers most packages within 1 day. Walmart delivers groceries the same day.

This isn’t a lament about our wealthy culture. I’m grateful for the all the comforts. I’m grateful that we can pursue leisure and finicky diets without worrying about the national wheat crop.

Waiting is Countercultural

But the ease of life makes us forget that God’s plan has its own schedule. Has anyone found a way to make cattle grow faster or how to shorten the seasons? Time is God’s purview and messing with it will leave us frustrated. The consumer marketplace might move quicker than ever but it can’t mature a person any faster. Faith can only be built one way, through struggle. It’s uncomfortable at first because it’s supposed to be.  You can’t lift a 100 pounds over your head until you’ve started with 50. Faith is linked to patience like muscles are to power.

Maybe we’re slow to learn this concept because culture is rooted in handing us whatever we want. But part of gaining patience is learning to stay in the shopping cart and sit still. Trust that when you need something God will throw it in the basket. For the rest, learn to work for the important things in life and be grateful for the time we live in. You never know when it will end.

conclusion

This isn’t doom and gloom forecasting, but life is unpredictable and nothing lasts forever. A patient person is a complete person who lacks nothing according to James. That means difficult times won’t phase you if your trust is in God, and how He’s built up your faith. It’s what I’m learning about the nature of God. James 1 is a good place to start with patience.

New Year New Resolve

 

The Effort is the Point for New Year's Resolutions

Today is the second day of 2023 and I’m optimistic about my future.

Resolutions are for chumps. That used to be my motto. Easier to make small changes in habits throughout the year and see success. It’s easier to change simple things and stick to it, than to make grand plans and fall flat. I remember wanting to stop dipping tobacco a few years ago. I made a resolution to quit for good. After a week or so I fell apart and went back to my can per day habit. Setting a goal and failing to meet it is one of the most soul crushing feelings a person can imagine. Not meeting your goal is a reminder of your “loser” status. What made you think that this time would be different? All the times I’d tried to quit and failed, but this was different?

Why? because the calendar turned over?

Risk Averse Behavior

Making any resolution reminds us that there is still a longing in our hearts for better. Even when the results are universally bad. Most people break whatever good intensions they had after a week or two. This isn’t a winning strategy, but it’s better than never improving or pretending that you don’t need to. Before my tobacco effort I didn’t make resolutions. It was a defensive reaction to prevent an inevitable letdown. “If I don’t commit, I can’t be disappointed” is the risk averse attitude.

 When I finally made myself accountable for quitting it did two things. One, it forced me to deal with the problem at hand. Two, it created a new habit of working through problems instead of ignoring them. Success came later. I never got over anything on the first try, but the effort was the point. Getting up after a failure is tough but it’s the only way.

Failure isn’t shameful if it forces you to try again.

Negatives and Positives

Not all resolutions are negatives, meaning removing something harmful, many are positive. A positive is something you add, like a routine or healthy habit. Goals to increase the number of books read per year, or number of days at the gym would be positive resolutions. Since the tobacco experience I’ve added healthy habits like eating fruits and vegetables and subtracted other negative ones, like alcohol. The key is to keep trying.

One of my favorite verses is found in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Too often we think resolutions fall on our shoulders completely. But all of need help at some time. A serious change in habit is too important to take on yourself. Allow God to work on your heart and direct your steps. Don’t get frustrated if you fall down either.

Heart Issues

Why do we expect to be perfect with new habits when nothing else in life works that way? How many new skills did you learn on the first try? I still can’t seem to fry pancakes right, forget chicken marsala or beef wellington. Ever tried riding a bike as a kid? How many times did you crash before you felt comfortable riding without training wheels?

Changing habitual behavior is a skill in itself. It takes time to get into a groove. New Year resolutions should encourage us to work on our trust in God. Our own understanding of behavior is often wrong. We don’t need to just lose weight, we need to deal with why we eat so much extra food. Often it’s not just laziness or access. Maybe you need to start speaking positive (biblical) truths about your future, instead of negative speech.

 These are heart issues that only God can sort out. He will show you if you lean on Him. But don’t forget to acknowledge Him for the victory. I never accomplished anything difficult without leaning into God for guidance. Because of that, I always point to Him for my success.

Conclusion

I did eventually quit dipping tobacco. I don’t remember if it was in the same calendar year as my resolution or the next year. But I trusted in the Heavenly Father and kept moving forward. We honor God when we allow Him to change us into His image.

Don’t trash resolutions. Find something to improve and pray about how to start.

 

Gifts and The Meaning of Christmas

 

Christmas is near.

This is the last full week before the big day and I’m nearly caught up with gift buying. I still need to buy for mom and dad. Last year I got him a hand held massager. Companies started making nice ones a few years ago. These plug in to charge. Gone are the days of the throw away battery (like C and D) run devices that last just into the new year. How many foot baths and neck massagers have gift givers tossed after a few weeks?

Everyone, at one time has fallen for a ‘sham wow’ knick knack. Two years ago I got my mom one of those heating pods where you snap a device the size of dime inside a gel infused bag. It looked impressive at the fair. The demonstrator, speaking in I-can’t-believe-how-amazing tones, showed the various uses for the magic device. I’m not a heating pad type of guy. Unless I’m in the throes of a nasty flu, I’m not likely to tuck in under a big comforter with an additional hot bag. But my mom loves the heating pods and heating blankets. I’m sure she has a small space heater in her room as well.

My gift was the perfect complement to a permanently cold body. But like all the other gifts it eventually collapsed, like a failed business stock price shortly after its initial offering. But heating pods, like foot massagers and neck rollers aren’t meant to solve a long term problem. They’re meant to bulk up our pile under the tree and give us something to open, use, and discard. They’re also new ideas when we really need something. Gift cards are no one’s first or last choice. A gift card is better than a pair of shoes that don’t fit or a biography about a person you don’t like (Hillary Clinton).

But cards are also lazy. It’s like, “I couldn’t think of anything so here’s my obligation”. Yes I know, I give them too. Some people have everything they need and more that they don’t. And they’ll likely take that ABBA greatest hits collection right back and spend the credit on an air can cleaner for their laptop anyway. A gift card just makes sense most of the time so why all the pressure? I guess it’s the hunt. That elusive, perfect gift and the story behind how you found it, is what still motivates us to buy for others. Sure it’s risky. But you gain hero status with a hard fought search for an original copy of “Sharknado”.

It's not so much the gift, but how it proves your knowledge of the giftee that is the real reward. In cases like this it’s the gifter that is blessed. I looked for a new model die cast model car yesterday for a friend. He’s a big fan of Ford Mustang cars and never misses a chance to point one out on the road. After 5 stores I gave up. The gift had to be purchased that day. No amount of 2-day shipping from a vendor in South Carolina would work. I did find an embossed sign with “Mustang Ave” on it at Hobby Lobby. I picked up a hat with the iconic logo embroidered on the crown for good measure. It was hardly a search high and low type of gift, but I was pleased with my pick. Hopefully he was too.

It’s better to give than to receive. We need reminders every year.

Gifts and giving is only one part of Christmas anyway. The big part is Christ, the reason we gather and celebrate. Does Christmas carry the same weight as Easter in the holy day calendar? Does it even matter?

Both concern the Savior, His birth and resurrection. What’s important to me is recognizing both days and letting the ornamentation blur into the background like colored lights. Nothing is wrong with parties, dinners, presents and pageants. Paul reminds us in Romans 14:5-6 “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord;” In other words, don’t get caught up in which festivals carry more importance or which group has a greater claim on piety. The birth of Christ unites us, as does His death and resurrection.

The presents we buy for each other represent something selfless we do with our time and money. In a small way it’s an effort to be more like Christ. It’s easy to get carried away with events and gifts and travel, but in spite of the heavy consumerism of the holiday it’s still about Jesus.

The significance of the Savior of the World cannot be overstated. No gift, given or received can match what God the Father offered to us over 2000 years ago.

Merry Christmas!

 

Death and Life: Speech for Growth

The Prescription for A Creative Life: Speak Truth

The book of Proverbs shows the importance of speech for both the Christian in their own lives, and also for the non-Christian.

Provers 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit."

More specifically it shows the value of righteous pronouncements and positive speech. Why is this exactly? How is it that our words have such an impact on the direction of our life? It’s not fair if we’re having a bad day and happen to get down on ourselves. But not acknowledging our part in the direction of life is the same as ignoring gravity. It’s a natural law of the universe that exists, whether we acknowledge it or not.

 The words we speak contain the seeds that become our future.

The Natural World

Apple seeds create apple trees; it’s the same for all fruits. Plant, water and wait. The soil in which the seeds mature contains nutrients necessary for growth. It’s such a natural part of the earth we live in we don’t think about it often. Our natural world contains the perfect amount of water, air and soil for life to thrive. You can’t grow grapes in the Sahara Desert or expect fescue grass to cover the alps, but it’s a life giving place just the same. It exits to increase, fulfilling the mission of God in Genesis to “Be fruitful and multiply.”

That command isn’t just for people, it’s how our world is designed to function.

Language is the spark of life. God spoke, and it was. He put everything necessary for growth here on earth in the beginning. We shouldn’t be surprised that He calls us to use our speech for creation. How do we do this exactly?

We do this in our own lives through positive (biblical) confession and in the lives of others through scripture.

If God filled words are the spark of life, then negative words are the poison that destroys life. Both natural laws exist in the same environment, death and life. It’s the same with our words. We uplift and show people to Christ or we put them down and cause death in them.

“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” Proverbs 15:4

The Spiritual World

There were a couple of famous trees on the University of Auburn campus until about 10 years ago. If you ever watched an Auburn home football game the TV cameras always panned the iconic Oaks that stood for over 150 years. A hostile Alabama (tide) fan spiked the trees after a tough Iron Bowl loss in 2010. He called the Paul Finebaum show in 2011 to brag about it. The trees didn’t die all at once, that’s not how poison works. It moves slowly and penetrates all the way through the bark. You might not notice it for years.

A tree can look quite strong and rugged for years but be dead inside. First the leaves dry up and stop producing. Then the bark peels off in sheets while the wood softens inside and stops fighting off infection. It doesn’t fall over though. It stands there for years, taking up space. It’s quite easy to kill a tree. You could drill holes in just one or two roots and pour in an herbicide. No one would even know.

There are countless people walking around struggling with wounds from poisonous words spoken over their lives. The same growth that comes from life giving speech, can turn into death with negative speech. We don’t shrivel up and die when someone wounds us, we die over time because the poison works slowly. As Christians we have the ability to speak biblical truths over those around us. But it isn’t just truth the way that something is truthful.

The Ideal World

Oklahoma is much hotter in the summer than Illinois. That’s a true statement. But it doesn’t contain any creative power. It’s an observational truth and nothing more. It might make you prepare a little differently for a trip. You’re body will need to adapt to a steamier climate if you live in Illinois. But facts about the weather can’t help us grow spiritually or encourage growth in others.

But biblical truths are both facts and seeds. They contain the nutrients necessary to build the Kingdom of God in this world. The Creator uses us to reach others. We provide medicine or we provide poison. It’s never too late to turn poisonous words into Godly truth.

 There’s also good news for those who’ve been poisoned by a boss, a friend or even family.

We have an antidote. We have the words of life and the creative force that restores. Death can’t hold us because it couldn’t hold Him.

What’s the prescription for a creative life?

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

We acknowledge the Creator when we speak life and create growth.

 

 

David's Trust In God's Vision: Psalm 140

 

Psalm 140: We Don't Need the Big Picture In Life

Trust leads us forward toward the victory when all else seems lost. It hurts not being able to fight back when your enemy is cheating. David knows this feeling all too well. From court treachery to devious friends, the king is always at war. The Psalms prove this out. It takes practice to rest in God’s plan for our situation.

David lets God know about the evil men. He uses words like “scheme” and “snare” and “trap”. We can assume David knows where to look for the traps, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to sniff them out. But it must be exhausting not knowing who to trust, and assuming everyone is a potential traitor.  We learn one big lesson from David about desperation. God vision is perfect, and we can rest in His goodness; our vision is limited and we shouldn’t try to understand the full picture.

Why can't we have the full picture?

Without faith we can't please God; with faith comes trust. Handing someone a paint by numbers set to design great art, ruins the art. It's not original if someone helps you with every stroke. God designed us a certain way, with attitudes, skills and desires for a purpose. He gives us just enough of a vision of the future to keep us going. Joseph’s dreams about his brothers got him in trouble early in life. Anyone with a mouthy younger brother can relate to their frustration. We know of at least two dreams he shared with his older siblings. The theme in both cases, my station in life is significantly better than yours. Or at least he thought it would be. And for sure, God gave him these dreams as a picture of future events.

But we don’t see all the other times Joseph was insufferable. But he was young and adored by his father, another thorny reminder of his brothers’ lower station. But Joseph learned skills as an overseer at Potiphar’s home. He was in charge of food inventory and figured out what it took to feed large numbers of people. I’m sure he learned to read people as well. God gave him the ability to interpret dreams. Joseph likely didn’t think he'd ever be a high government official. God allowed him to see bits and pieces along the way. Eventually, he got an audience with the Pharoah to interpret the dream of the 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine.

Why do our enemies keep winning?

David’s plea sounds like an ongoing problem for him. “They continually gather together for war. They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; the poison of asps is under their lips.” (2-3) He’s learned to trust God with the big picture and the small picture. He’s also learned not to try and understand all the ways in which evil men try to trick him. But David does know God’s goodness. “I said to the Lord: “You are my God; Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord. O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle…” (6-7)

Like Joseph’s learned skill in managing inventories, David has learned to read situations and people. How many times did he fall into a trap and regret it? Those in power are constantly under assault from all sides. The ones who survive know how to avoid traps and deal ruthlessly with their enemies. King David’s wisdom, and lasting success, comes from letting God handle the treacherous situations.

I’ve been watching the Arizona election drops for the 2022 race. The election was a week ago but, like any corrupt state, they’ve still got a handful of ballots to count. Elections are rife with corruption, that’s what 2020 taught me. I can’t say exactly how Arizona will try to steal this one for the Democrat candidate, but they will. There are too many ways to keep the election from being a straightforward vote and count system.  If there were ever a time to plead with God for a cleaning up of our institutions, this is it.

Conclusion

Arizona is the most egregious, and current, example because it’s essentially still a red state that’s at risk of turning blue. It serves as a model of how quickly, and easily, and state can become corrupted. Sadly, many of our American institutions (religious, cultural) are empty shells, existing like a vacant coastal city after a hurricane warning. Like much of the country, we are on borrowed time. Corruption is eating away at us. It’s time for a rebuild. Will we see a famine first?

 Like Joseph and David, I don’t need to see the full election picture to know that God is bigger and able to expose the fraud. The wicked are on a timetable, no one gets away with sin forever. “Let not a slanderer be established in the earth; let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.” (11).

Doctor Phil's Blind Spot: Too Many Opinions

 

I heard Doctor Phil on Joe Rogan the other day. Rogan’s talkathon podcast is quickly becoming a fount of information for my constantly humming brain. Doctor Phil is a great source for information about drug abuse, and fentanyl’s debilitating effect on the country. On this particular episode they talked about the nastiness and discord in the country right today. Also discussed, the craziness of transgender bullies and the danger of social media. 

Doctor Phil's show is in a lot of ways a public service, but like other successful people he approaches all conflicts the same way. Get folks together and talk it out.

He thinks all problems can be solved by sitting down and hashing out differences. Or at the very least, gaining an appreciation for other points of view. It’s a tired view of conflict and whose time has come.

 Blame social media all you want for ramping up conflict, it doesn’t excuse the fact that one side wants to destroy the country as founded. All of his homespun examples of ‘gettin along’ sound like breaking up a fight between boys at recess. This is fundamentally misguided.

First, not all arguments are made in good faith. Did male swimmer Lia Thomas become a ‘woman’ because he always felt like a girl, or did he do it to dominate collegiate events? We all know the answer. Pretending Thomas’ transition is anything but a charade is phony.  

Second, some arguments are built on faulty logic, misinformation and attitude. The only way to un-wire some people is by ignoring them, or by physically stopping them. I put climate change doomsdayers in this camp. They do outrageous stunts for attention, hoping to disrupt the lives of commuters and cause them irritation. They shut down subways, roadways and destroy art. They’re destructive like children when you ignore them. They deserve a good punch to the face, hard.

The United States is under attack from a global communist cabal. It’s working hard to dismantle our strength and unity. It hates law and order. It hates capitalism. It hates Christianity and the message of salvation, dignity and grace. It wants to enslave humanity. It uses as many points of conflict as it can to create wedges of separation.  

This isn’t one of those times where you find out what the other side wants. We know what they want, chaos. They want a revolution in sexual pleasure, immediate gratification and a lack of accountability for all of it. What part of that does Doctor Phil want to negotiate with?

This whole attitude reminds me of screaming kids at Target. Parents learn to negotiate with kids here. When did children start getting everything they wanted? I’ll give you the toy if you promise not to scream. You can hear it in Doctor Phil’s wondering out loud, but some views are just warped. Some opinions are faulty, illogical. As if all our desires must be met on some level. As if all our opinions have weight.

There’s probably a close link between wealthy societies and decadence. Entitlement persists, it’s in the air. It’s a poison that affects rich and poor. Stomp your feet loud enough and someone will attend to you. Decadence is the stage right before societal collapse I imagine. Rogan mentioned those kids throwing soup on art to protest some climate nonsense. Camera crews stand around documenting their every halfwit proclamation. Daytime TV dopes try to get them in a room to talk about their very important protest.

Twenty years ago I would’ve given Doctor Phil a break. Society hadn’t degraded to the point where letting kids choose their gender was the stock and trade of the Democrat Party. But he’s seen too much. At some point he’ll have to recognize this two sides bullshit is for a previous age. This isn’t a Right versus Left thing anymore. That might explain his reluctance to be righteously indignant. You either believe that children are a precious gift and we owe it to future generations to tell them the truth, or you don’t.

What truth do we owe? The truth about good and evil, and the truth about sin and consequence. The universe was created in God’s image, as were people. We don’t get to decide which sex to become, or which sexual identity to put on like a pair of boots. Sin entered the world when Lucifer fell from heaven. Since then, he’s tried to destroy God’s creation and confuse humanity. The evil that exists in culture is a direct result of Lucifer’s war against the Creator. We have to start there.

We live in a time of great confusion around the world. The time for milquetoast responses is over. Kids are at risk in this world of lies if we don’t fight for them.  

 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them

Romans 1:18-19

 

The Rock in Times of Trouble: Psalm 61

 

King David’s Perspective on God’s Greatness: Psalm 61

I picked Psalm 61 because I appreciate David’s perspective on trouble. He magnifies the Lord to the point where his personal issues fade. It’s a wonderful practice for Christians today. “When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (verse 2)

It’s a verse about perspective, but not in an intellectual way. This is all heart and passion and desperation. It’s the kind of thing you write when structures are crashing all around and you don’t know where to go. David’s Psalm provides us with the best window into his mind and emotions. He always reminds himself of God’s bigness in all situations.

God is a High Tower, a Shelter and a Foundation for all those who fear His name. When we examine all the ways God is bigger, we rest in the knowledge of His plan.

It’s true for kings, it’s true for us.

The Rock as a high place

The first attribute of God in Psalm 61 is His highness. Being high above allows us to see the whole picture clearer. As a kid we used to visit a small touristy town called Dubuque, Iowa for the scenery. Usually around the fall, the leaves change enriching its beauty and bringing tourists from all over the state. They have a trolley that climbs a track up a steep hill where you can see 3 states (Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa) and the Mississippi River. It’s a stunning view. Everything else looks small and insignificant by comparison. Illinois and Iowa are mostly flat, farming states. It’s not often that we get to see such a distance.

Nothing changes in our circumstance when we get high up and take a look around. But our perspective shifts, enough to take on a new appreciation and a grander scale. When we allow God to be our high tower, He gives us opportunity to let Him take control. That act is one of faith, it’s made clearer by our perspective shift. In I Samuel 24, David gets a chance to kill Saul but decides to send a message instead. Saul is tormented by jealousy over David’s popularity. He took his men into En Gedi to find and kill David. Along the way he stops to use the toilet in a cave not knowing that David and his men are hiding there.

Instead of killing Saul, David cuts off a piece of Saul’s clothing and shouts at him. The message from that day was clear, “I could’ve killed you easily.” Saul repented to David after that. He realized his family was safe from retribution, a big part of the reason for the chase. David’s high tower moment came from within; God convicted him about even cutting off the piece of clothing. He said “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.” (1 Samuel 24:6)

Such was David’s reverence of God’s plan, that He wouldn’t harm the anointed servant. He writes “You’ve given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. You will prolong the king’s life, his years as many generations” (verses 5-6)

The Rock as Shelter

David’s second attribute of the rock is as a shelter. We’re all familiar with the value of a shelter. Whether in hiding from enemies or as a covering from rain, large rock formations cover us from the elements. I remember going to a popular picnic spot as a kid in a local park. We always went there in case the rain, a likely scenario in May, disrupted our plans for barbeque and hiking. The park had a nice open air shelter with picnic tables and grills just under the covering. On a few occasions we had to grab our food and tableware and high tail it for the shelter as a popup shower moved in.

Noah and his family understood the value of a shelter as the rain came and filled the earth. They were saved due to their obedience and trust in the rock. Coincidentally they landed on a rock after 40 days. A mountain chain in modern day Turkey is the likeliest place for it. The ark became a shelter from the deluge; because of Noah’s obedience, God provided a way through the trouble. On the other side of that obedience was new life, and a future he couldn’t have imagined before the flood.  

Obedience requires trust. David points to this in verse 4 “I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.” Noah’s trust that the rains would come and overwhelm the earth, seemed truly crazy. But only a lifelong closeness with the Heavenly Father will dispel doubt. The ark became a shelter for Noah and his family, not to mention the animals, but the presence of the Lord is our permanent shelter from trouble.

The Rock as a Foundation

David’s third attribute of God is as the immovable rock or foundational rock. What’s so important about an immovable rock? We can count on it to be there. 

In the storms of life we need something to grab onto that won’t be washed ashore. My favorite example of the immovable rock is from Daniel chapter 2 and his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. The king had an intense, meaningful dream that he didn’t understand. He called his soothsayers for help. When they couldn’t help he tried to kill them. Daniel stepped in and gave the interpretation. He saw a statue made of gold, silver, bronze and clay. It represented all the kingdoms of the earth. But a rock crushed it to pieces and grew into a mountain that filled the whole earth. 

The rock represents the Creator’s dominance over the whole earth. Kings and kingdoms rise and fall, but the God who put everything in place will reign forever. Notice too how important it was that the rock was not made from human hands. The other kingdoms were all built on human ability and intellect. The rock was here from the beginning. It’s immovable, permanent and unyielding.

Conclusion

It's particularly important to realize how much bigger God is than the current political climate. I think we are in a rock sort of period right now. In the next decade, God is going to upturn a lot of old families, castes, societies and governments. 

He is going to remind us again, that He is the Lord of all and His foundation lasts for eternity. I like how Elihu defines the justice of God “When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble? And whether it is against a nation or a man alone? Than the hypocrite should not reign, Lest the people be ensnared. (Job 34:29-30)

Psalm 61 is for us today. The chaos may come, but God is our Rock.