Christopher Levi

Matthew 6

2013-02-27T21:14:00.001-07:00

Reading Matthew 6 today. This is the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus is giving some real practical and hard to swallow advice. Like any piece of wisdom, there are multiple layers of truth that fortify each other like woven fabric. Each part securing, protecting, and allowing the others to be more daringly displayed.
Chapter 5 ends with Him teaching about revenge and choosing to love people you can't normally stand. Some areas I really lack (you may too)! He starts Chapter 6 (not that He divided His thoughts into our modern Chapters, but I digress) by talking about taking care of the needy. His instructions are not about whether or not we should take care of the needy, that decision seems understood. Of course we should take care of them. It goes without saying. Instead, His thoughts focus on the motivation that drives the decision to care.

“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. (Matthew 6:1 NLT)

Okay, when Jesus says "Watch out!", that tells me this is a spot where I could really screw up. You have my attention. "Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others..." So, if the question isn't about whether I should do the good deed or not, but the reason why I'm choosing to do it. If I'm doing it to get other people to admire me, I'm in dangerous territory. It almost feels like a warning. If you have any character flaws that make you seek other people's admiration, you might mot want to do your good deed where anybody else can see it. Like a Caution Sign.
I live at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in beautiful Colorado. And, as I drive into the mountains, I see Caution Signs everywhere. Caution Falling Rock. Caution Wildlife Crossing. Caution Steep DownHill Ahead. They know I'm driving. They know what direction I'm headed in. They know that if I'm not cautious, something ugly could happen. These signs aren't there to stop me from doing anything, just to warn me of danger, and what could happen if I don't pay attention.
What is Jesus trying to warn me off of? He continues "for you will lose your reward from your Father in Heaven." Not, you might lose... You WILL lose that reward.
The tipping point between being rewarded by God vs. being rewarded by other people's admiration happens at the point of my intention. If I do it IN ORDER TO GET someone's admiration, I will get exactly and only what I was aiming for.

When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. (Matthew 6:2 NLT)

Why do I feel the need to call a press conference to advertise those rare occasions where I do something wise , selfless, and generous? Because, in reality, I am foolish, selfish, and fearful. I just want to appear the good things. I want the benefit and respect that comes from being excellent without actually being excellent. I just want to look that way. Since that is my real intention, I get exactly what I was aiming for. I APPEAR to be a good person, when in reality, I am a hot mess.

But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. (Matthew 6:3 NLT)

I can't speak for you, but I am a clutz, and this left hand not knowing what the right is doing makes sense to me. Sometimes, when I'm attempting a rare athletic feat, my body looks like no single part of it is aware of what any other part is doing. And, that's how God advises us to do our good deeds. Unplanned. Unrecognized. Spontaneous. Foolish. Ugly. Like me trying to make a layup, with no one looking. Like when you trip in public, and look around hoping no one saw how much of an idiot you really are. "Did I get away with it?" "Is my secret safe?"

Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. (Matthew 6:4 NLT)

As if an honestly selfless act was not reward enough itself, He promises more. What will that reward be? Honesty? Compassion? Honor? A pure heart?
Where would you rather get your reward?

Should the Church Abandon the church? Part 8

2011-11-28T19:42:00.001-07:00

The Review...

We've been talking about the Church (as in the Bride of Christ), and Her amazing fascination with doing "church" (as in the typical things that everyone hates about organized religion). The argument that's running through my head is that although the Church is eternal, I wonder if She (the Church) should walk away from some things. These are things that She has come to be identified with, but those same things do not connect Her to Her purpose or original design. They have become distractions and a detriment to Her.

In Part 1, we talked about leadership in Christianity... how it was designed, and what it has become. In this, we looked at how if J. Edgar Hoover had the foresight to realize his FBI agents were likely to be corrupted as they began to pursue the Mafia, how much more so would God's wisdom look to protect His own.

In Part 2 , we stepped backwards a few thousand years and took an exhaustive and interesting (at least for me as I was writing it) look at the leadership of the Jewish church in Jesus days. It's a fascinating (again, at least for me) study of the day of Jesus's crucifixion with some surprising revelations that affect the decisions we have to make today.

In Part 3, we discussed line by line the historical miracles that had occured for thousands of years for the Jewish people, and how, at the time of Jesus, these miracles all just stopped, and what that represented as God began to shift His work from "organized religion" to working in the hearts of men. We ended with a quote from 1st Samuel, that the "Glory of the LORD has departed."

In Part 4, we jumped forward to the time of Martin Luther, the Great Reformer as he struggled to free his people from the chains of fear and bondage placed upon them once again by the very "church" that God had called to set men free. In this, I go to great lengths to say that all organized religion is inherintly flawed, and almost irredeemable. Thank God for my wife, Stacy, who pulled me back from that precipice, to bring greater clarity and balance to what I was trying to say. This section ends with a heartfelt thank you to the untold, unthanked, and under-appreciated Servants of Christ who wholeheartedly pursue their calling.

In Part 5, my views begin to mature a little, as my frustration with church leadership begins to simmer-down. We look at the Modern American Family, with all of it's screw ups. As I was writing this, I was beginning to re-realize (if that's even a word), that God is a redeemer. What I mean, is that God takes our broken things, and makes them even more beautiful than they were before we broke them. As we look at the Modern American Family, we begin to realize that maybe God's plan all along was to do just that... make our broken things beautiful. Maybe that was His plan with the Church, too. In this line of thinking, we jump into the boring begats in Matthew's Chapter 1, and begin to uncover a thread of understanding that God chooses not to hide our brokeness as we look at Tamar, the 1st of 4 women mentioned amongst all those guys in the 'begats'. Tamar's story would be banned from the bookshelf of any Christian bookstore I've ever been to. But, God chose to include it, and other's that we discuss in further discussions. Why would He highlight these women in the lineage of Jesus?

In Part 6, we look at 2nd and 3rd women of Matthew Chapter 1, Rahab and Ruth. This is a short (but fun to write) piece about how God continues to not only not hide scandal, but almost seems to point it out. In fact, the things that should disqualify us, He chooses to bless.

Most recently, in Part 7, we painfully look at the 4th woman from Matthew Chapter 1's lineage of Jesus, her name is Bathsheeba, and the story is about thr Great King David in one of his truly un-great moments.

And so, now, here we are...

What do the 4 women have to do with what we were talking about?

I started this Series with the intention of Scripturally proving that we should not be doing church like we do church. I intended to prove that "The Glory of the LORD" had departed, and that we were foolish to continue walking down this road.

But, like every other time I have looked at Scripture as a catalyst to change someone else, I found it changing me instead.

I can prove all the things I intended. But doing only that would be a lie. Because it is not all I discovered. I discovered (again), God's Grace. I discovered that God loves us. Just as we are.

Not because we're doing things right. Not because we've got our stuff together. But, just because He chose to.

My wife is a crier. She is emotional, and empathetic. It is a wonderful quality that allows her to love so very freely. I, on the other hand, am not a crier. As such, sometimes, I have no clue why she's crying. It just doesn't make sense to me. You see, we're different. We balance each other. Sometimes, when she's crying, and I have a glimpse of understand as to what is going on in the incredibly complex heart and mind of that woman... on those rare occasions of enlightenment, I am able to do something miraculous.

I hold her.

I can't fix the situation. I can't make things all better. But, I can be me. Steady, and strong. I can wrap her in my arms, and let her know that I love her, and that things will be okay.

It makes me feel manly.

Sometimes I wonder if our weakness make God feel Godly.

I wonder if when we're broken, and stumbling... I wonder if He relishes the opportunity to show off a little bit...

To love us unconditionally...

To extend ridiculous grace...

To bring value to the valueless...

To be Himself...

*AHEM*... and so what does the 4 women have to do with this?

Well, in my infinite arrogance, as I strove to point out exactly what we were doing wrong... completely embarassed by our stupidity, I realized that God wasn't embarassed at all.

He refused to hide those stories. He POINTED THEM OUT! And chose to birth His Son into that lineage.

A girl pretends to be a prostitute and has her Father in laws babies (twins in fact). She deceives him and conceives, because he has been lying to her, and the lineage of Jesus continues towards Him.

A real prostitute hides men in her home on the wall of Jericho. Though the wall falls down in the famous battle, she is remembered, and bears a son to Salmon named Boaz who becomes King David's Great-Grandfather.

This same Boaz marries a Moabite woman, and birth's David's GrandFather, though by law, her family should have been excluded for 10 generations.

And a beautiful young woman named Bathsheeba is stolen from her husband by that same Great King David. David tries to fool her husband into thinking their child is not illegitimate, but when that fails, David has him killed, and Solomon is born.

Listen to me. No matter what you've done. No matter how bad you've screwed up. God is not ashamed of you. He can make it beautiful.

Church, listen to me. No matter what we've done, and we have done some really bad stuff (think the Crusades... or the hiding of pedophiles Priests...). I am not trying to lessen the incredible pain and destruction that this disgusting sin has caused. Only God could redeem things like that. Only God...

But, He can. And, He will.

That is why He included their 4 names, and that is why I told you their 4 stories...

Because God is Godly.

Should the Church Abandon the church? Part 7

2011-11-26T08:14:00.001-07:00

When we last left our story (several months ago), we were talking about the four women that St. Matthew mentions in the first Chapter of his record of the the birth of Christ. We're looking at these women in the context of the way that I believe God views our Modern Day Christian church.

We've talked about Tamar who got pregnant by her Father-in-law when she tricked him into thinking she was a prostitute. We talked about Rahab, the for-real prostitute who lied to hide the Israelite spies when Joshua was getting ready to "Fit the Battle of Jericho". We talked about Ruth the Moabite, who by the fact that she was a Moabite, should have disqualified everyone else for ten generations from being able to take part in the Jewish Temple worship. That would include King David at the third generation who re instituted worship, and provided much of the supplies to rebuild the temple. As well as David's son, Solomon who actually did rebuild the Jewish temple. Per the law of scripture, these men should have been disqualified.

Speaking of David and Solomon, this brings us to our fourth and final woman mentioned in the deceptively sleepy First Chapter of Matthew. We pick up in the very next verse after we left off last time...

Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah). - Mat 1:6 NLT

And there we have our fourth woman listed in this Genealogy. Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah.

If you didn't know the story, that would almost sound honorable. Bathsheba, a poor lonely widow finds love again and is honored to be included in the lineage that will eventually produce the Christ child. How poetic. The real story is much darker. In order to find it, let's turn back into the Old Testament, and start in the Eleventh Chapter of the Second Book of Samuel. And, it goes a little something like this...

In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. - 2Sa 11:1 NLT

Let me digress here for just a second. Gentlemen, Fathers, Husbands, Patriarchs... when it's your time to fight... when it's your time to stand up for what is right... when it's your time to expand your territories... don't leave the dirty work for somebody else to do, it's just going to cause trouble. Don't stay behind in Jerusalem. But, let's get back into the story.

In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. - 2Sa 11:1-2 NLT

*Ahem* Now, in all honesty, there's not a guy among us who can't identify with David at this point. Yes, we are all pigs.

He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, "She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite." - 2Sa 11:3 NLT

Hit the brakes here... I thought Bathsheba was a widow. David finds out here that she's the WIFE of Uriah the Hittite. Okay, I guess I get it so far. She's hot. She's naked. She's taking a bath, and King David is watching her get all soapy. Sounds like any teenage boy's fantasy. Since no matter how old we get, we all are just teenage boys, he sends someone to find out who she is, because, back in the day, the King could have LOTS of wives. So, they come back, and tell him that she's married. All right, David. Time to turn your lustful stare somewhere else. Surely THE King David will do the honorable thing, right? Let's continue...

Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. - 2Sa 11:4 NLT

Any guys is too stupid to understand what Samuel is telling us here. But, any woman knows the timing of this like the back of her hand. So, let me explain. During a Jewish women's menstrual cycle, she was considered Niddah, or 'unclean'. Her Niddah status would begin as soon as she noticed any evidence of Menstrual blood flow. She would continue to be 'unclean' for a minimum of the Jewish-approved seven day cycle. At the end of the seven 'unclean' days, she would begin seven 'clean days'. Near the completion of those seven 'clean days', and before she would be allowed to have sexual relations with her husband, she must immerse herself in a mikvah of living water.

So, ladies, again, the timing of this is obvious to you, but we Gentlemen are a little stupid. I had to wake my wife up to discuss this to make sure I understood it correctly. So, Bathsheba has just had her period, and even the guys among us know that means she is not currently pregnant. She goes through her seven Niddah days, then her additional seven 'clean days', and ceremonially washes herself. Okay, guys. Seven plus seven equals what? Fourteen. It has now been Fourteen days since the start of her period. Which means, that Bathsheba is... ovulating. Guys, that means that Bathsheba is FERTILE. Let's read that verse again, and then continue...

Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, "I'm pregnant." Then David sent word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent him to David. - 2Sa 11:4-6 NLT

Okay, David knew that she was married. But, he sends for her anyways. They do the "Married Dance" as my 14 year old daughter calls it. Now, David finds out that she is pregnant. So, it looks like David is going to do the right thing by Bathsheba. He sends a message to Joab who is laying siege to the city of Rabbah (where David should have been), asking Him to send Uriah the Hittite home to meet David. Obviously, David's got some explaining to do. Let's see how our honorable King David handles this awkward moment as we pick up in verse seven. Come on David! Do the right thing...

When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing. Then he told Uriah, "Go on home and relax. " David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace. But Uriah didn't go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king's palace guard. When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked, "What's the matter? Why didn't you go home last night after being away for so long?" Uriah replied, "The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and my master's men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing." "Well, stay here today," David told him, "and tomorrow you may return to the army." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn't get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king's palace guard. So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. - 2Sa 11:7-14 NLT

Bad show, David! Come ON!!??!!?? Instead of coming up honestly, and telling Uriah the truth. David figures, "I'll just bring him home, he'll realize how hot his wife is, and they'll do the Married Dance. Then I'm off easy." Sleazy.

Uriah, though shows much more honor than the King. He knows his wife is hot. So, as he swore to stay focused in battle, he sleeps in the guard shack, rather than laying beside his hot tempting wife.

David decides to get him drunk, and send him again to his wife's embrace. But, Uriah is a man of his word.

Defeated, David sends Uriah back to the siege with a letter to Joab. Can't wait to read that one...

The letter instructed Joab, "Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed." - 2Sa 11:15 NLT

This literally makes me physically ill to think about. I swear that if I was God, I would've left this stuff out of the story. This should never have happened.

So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy's strongest men were fighting. And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers. Then Joab sent a battle report to David. - 2Sa 11:16-18 NLT

There it is. Murder. A planned assassination. Nice job, David. Absolutely disgusting. In all honestly, I'd love to close my computer and walk away at this point. I hate to continue, but there's more for us to look at, as ugly as it is.

Let me throw a aside in here. Joab is probably the most painful character in scripture for me personally. Joab is no fool. He knows exactly what David is doing. More than that, Joab is going to point this fact out to David. I have always identified with Joab. Fully aware of what is going on, willing to confront his leadership, but still completely complicit in all of it. Very tough for me. I'm really not enjoying this story.

Let's see how our honorable King receives the news...

So the messenger went to Jerusalem and gave a complete report to David. "The enemy came out against us in the open fields," he said. "And as we chased them back to the city gate, the archers on the wall shot arrows at us. Some of the king's men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite." "Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged," David said. "The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!" When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the LORD was displeased with what David had done. - 2Sa 11:22-27 NLT

"The LORD was displeased with what David had done." You think?

At this point, I'm going to close for today. I can't take much more right now. We'll pick up again in Part 8 for what will hopefully be the conclusion of this wandering narrative.

Thanks for letting me be real with you...

Then Joab sent a battle report to David. He told his messenger, "Report all the news of the battle to the king. But he might get angry and ask, 'Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn't they know there would be shooting from the walls? Wasn't Abimelech son of Gideon killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him from the wall? Why would you get so close to the wall?' Then tell him, 'Uriah the Hittite was killed, too.'" - 2Sa 11:18-21 NLT

Should the Church Abandon the church? Part 6

2011-08-21T08:33:00.000-06:00

The OTHER Women
As we've been talking about how far the church has drifted from it's original purpose and design, we've recently been looking at an interesting aspect of God's nature. He seems to choose the broken things to redeem.
We'd all like to believe that He picks from the best of us to promote. But, in reality, it doesn't seem to happen that way. It almost appears like He purposefully picks the pitiful and destitute. So, if you feel like you've been called into church ministry, consider that. Did He call you because you were great and strong and would be able to show your potential? Or, did He call you because you were broken and weak, and His strength could lift you up?
Could the same thing be true of the church?
In looking at how He chooses the scandalous and scattered, we've been looking at the seemingly boring passage of Matthew 1 containing the genealogy of Christ. This passage mentions 4 women (for Matthew to mention women at all in a genealogy was ground-breaking in his day). Let's see what conclusions we can draw in looking at why he chose those 4 women. Last time, (Part 5), we looked at the first woman, Tamar. And, if you don't know the story, it's a hoot. Really.

Woman #2 and Woman #3. Rahab and Ruth.
Matthew 1 continues listing the lineage of Jesus, and in Matthew 1:5 we come across 2 women in one verse.

Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse. - Mat 1:5 NLT

Do you recognize the name Rahab? I'll bet most of the guys in the Ancient City of Jericho did. Rahab the prostitute.The 2nd chapter of Joshua tells the story of Joshua sending spies in secret into the great city of Jericho. They hid with Rahab.
I'm not sure how this conversation went with the spies' wives.

"Okay, so we're going to sneak into the city..." whispered darkly.
The wife's breathless reply, "Ooh, tell me more... tell me more."
"Once we get in the city, we're gonna have to find a place to hide, there'll be danger on every corner..." darker still.
Shivering, "You're so manly."
All in one tumble, "So, Joshua said that we should go to Rahab the Prostitutes place...
"Joshua WHAT??!!??!?"

I LOVE the parts of the Bible that we skip over and don't even pay attention to. That's almost like our American Soldiers in the Middle East doing recon on a city-stronghold of the Taliban and getting caught in a Strip Club. (Not that the Taliban would allow Strip Clubs). But, as my friend Tim says, "Come ON!"
I digress, Joshua 2 tells the story...

Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, "Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho." So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night. But someone told the king of Jericho, "Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land." So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: "Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land." - Jos 2:1-3 NLT

Does anybody else find this situation amusing? Spies come to the house of Rahab and stay the night. Someone tells the King, "Some Israelis are spying tonight." The kind responds, "Israelis? Oh, they must be at Rahab's place!" Too funny for me. What was it "Rahab's House of Carnal Desires and Spy Hideout Extraordinaire"?
I digress again. Let's continue.

Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, "Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn't know where they were from. They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don't know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them." (Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.) - Jos 2:4-6 NLT

As we continue into the story, we start to see some character similarities to Tamar. Beside the whole prostitute thing. Here are two women who are willing to lie and manipulate in order to preserve their family line. Somehow there is honor found in their ability (despite their current situation) to see beyond the moment and in to the future.

Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. "I know the LORD has given you this land," she told them. "We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. For we have heard how the LORD made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below. "Now swear to me by the LORD that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families." "We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety," the men agreed. "If you don't betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the LORD gives us the land." Then, since Rahab's house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. - Jos 2:8-15 NLT

The 3rd woman of Matthew 1 is not nearly as salacious, but let's take a close look at Ruth anyways.
Ruth was from Moab. The Moabites where related to the Israelites through Abraham's relationship with Lot, his nephew. So, while they were fairly friendly, they were still very separate.
I'm not going to try to explain this away. Or, try to make it politically correct. The truth is that our modern ideas of Tolerance and Diversity were a serious No-No in God's commands at the time to the Children of Israel. Looking back on it, we now recognize a lot of the rules he laid out as obvious wisdom as far as cleanliness (not touching dead bodies), and avoiding parasites (not eating pork) that the Children of Israel could not have understood. But there are other parts that just rub us the wrong way, No cripples allowed. No interracial relationships. I'm not trying to lobby for these things to be re instituted, I just don't think I should "pretty-up" the past. It was what it was. I could explain it all away with the idea that God was looking to protect their national identity and through natural selection preserve the lineage of Jesus. But, I don't have to explain it away. It wasn't my decision, and I'm not sure I understand or agree with it. Speaking specifically of the Moabites, let's jump in to Deuteronomy 23 for that and some other choice nuggets of ignored Bible passages.

"If a man's testicles are crushed or his penis is cut off, he may not be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. "If a person is illegitimate by birth, neither he nor his descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. "No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the LORD. - Deu 23:1-3 NLT

Not even going to talk about the first part, but still had to leave that in there. So, Ruth is a Moabite, not only is she not allowed to be part of the Jewish system of Tabernacle worship, but for ten generations, none of her offspring would be allowed either.
Honestly, Ruth is a breath-taking and beautiful love story. (Read the book of Ruth through, it is really worth it.) But, if Ruth is the Mother of Obed, and Obed's son was Jesse. If you know your Jewish history, you know that Jesse was the father of David. David, as in King David (who we will talk about in a little bit). That means Ruth is King David's Great-Grandmother. King David, probably the most celebrated Isrealite King of all time. Not ten generations removed from his Moabite Great-Grandmother.
Again, another woman who should be disqualified, but in each case, something honorable is found in the squallor of their dishonor. And Matthew points this out.

Next, Woman #4, and she's got quite a story

Should the Church Abandon the church? Part 5

2011-08-19T19:22:00.000-06:00

As we continue talking about the church and all it's foibles, let's look at this from another perspective.

Here's the Story... Of a Lovely Lady...
I grew up with the Brady Bunch. The picture perfect example of a blended family. Decades ahead of it's time. Their seeming bliss only occasionally interrupted by a frustrated "Marcia! Marcia!! Marcia!!!"
If only life could imitate art. (Not that the Brady Bunch is really art...)
Imagine with me a family today. A 21st Century family.
Mom and Dad are happily married. Mostly. They have their issues. They fight sometimes. Raise their voices. Disrespect each other. But, that's mostly because they each bring some "history" to the marriage.
This is Dad's 2nd marriage. He and his first wife divorced several years ago after the birth of their third strapping young lad, and the discovery of his wife's multiple affairs. Dad, obviously, has trust issues as a result.
Mom is a widower. Her three girls with hair of gold (the youngest one in curls), watched her 1st husband slowly succumb to an agonizing death of pancreatic cancer. Mom has abandonment issues.
Dad and his 1st wife have shared custody of the three boys. Things are pretty structured at Dad's house, but when the boys are with their mom, things are a little... well... messy. Her endless parade of boyfriends has not slowed down, nor does she expect much or enforce much discipline in dealing with her sons. Dad does his best to respect his 1st wife in front of their boys. But, honestly, she doesn't give him much to work with. This past weekend, she didn't show up at all. Still now sure where she's at.
While Mom doesn't have an Ex to share custody with, she does have a LOAD of bills from his painful and extended illness. Her oldest daughter is just entering High School, and is starting to smile again (soft, and kinda shy). The scars on her arms seem to be healing. The middle one doesn't talk much, but LOVES to play pranks. The youngest however, just kind of seems stuck. It's been 3 years. She really hasn't recovered. Her grades are not good.
The oldest boy is on the football team, has a pretty girlfriend, and came home reeking of beer last night. The middle boy is no longer in the closet, not that this admission surprised any one. Dad is trying to balance loving and supporting his son with the judgement his church teaches about homosexuality. The youngest boy is just a nut. Ornery, and happy. He almost seems unscathed.
Mom and Dad desperately love each other. Try to schedule regular dates, but sometimes (well, all the time) the money is a little thin. Last Friday night, they went to McDonald's together and sat drinking $1 fountain drinks and laughing at the old couple across the room.
They've been trying to "do right" by their creditors, but the pile seems to grow rather than receed. So, they're considering bankruptcy, and, they may lose their house.
Oh, and Mom is a week late for her "cycle." She hasn't told Dad. Not sure how to feel about that. Too much going on.

Is this how it was supposed to be?
God made Adam. God spent time with Adam. God decided that although it was cool for Adam to spend time with Him. Adam really needed someone else. So, selflessly, God made Eve. Adam and Eve were naked, and not ashamed. (I love that part...)
When God decided to make Eve to come alongside Adam. When He set them as an example (obviously not a perfect example with the whole eating the fruit thing), but an example for future couples. Do you think God thought, "I can't wait for people to have to deal with divorce and infidelity, shame and guilt!"
Obviously, the family we described above is not perfect. None of us are.
Does that mean the family should split? Does that mean, since their foundation is blemished, they have no future?
Okay, without regard to who is at fault, it's safe to say that the perfect plan has not worked so perfectly for Mom and Dad. But, this is the real world. Where real people really screw up, and really hurt each other. This is a world where innocence is stolen, yet justice is still fought for. This is a world where it's safer to isolate yourself, yet people still choose to love.
This is our fallen world. Imperfect and glorious.

All the things we've said about the family above are true also of the church, messy as it is. True, we live in a fallen world. Things are not perfect. We haven't made the right decisions. We do things out of hurt, anger, selfishness, and fear. But, God can use us still.

The Scandal Ridden Ministry of Jesus
Jesus was in the temple, and was announcing the start of His ministry,

When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: "The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD's favor has come. " He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. "The Scripture you've just heard has been fulfilled this very day!" - Luk 4:16-21 NLT

The scripture He's reading from here we find in Isaiah 61, let's read it as it continues past the part Jesus was quoting...

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD's favor has come, and with it, the day of God's anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory. - Isa 61:1-3 NLT

In Isaiah's day, a man in deepest mourning would rub ashes over himself. Isaiah is saying that God trades our ashes for a crown of beauty. A joyful blessing for our morning. Crazy praise in exchange for our despair. God is all about redeeming (purchasing back, repurposing) broken things. Even if that broken thing is me.

The Most Commonly Skipped Passage in Scripture

Stay with me here, I'm getting to a point.
When I was a kid, we called them "The Begats". The 1st Chapter of the 1st book of the New Testament starts off with a flop. If you've ever struggled through it in the King James Version, you are one of the few. To "begat" someone means to have a kid. So, my Father, Russell, begat Chris (that's me).
All of this lineage stuff is leading towards the birth of Jesus as Matthew opens the New Testament. Betwixt all the 'begats', this guy had this son, that guy had that son, etc., etc., there are 4 women who are mentioned. In Jewish culture at the time of the writing, it was almost sacrilege for Matthew to include women in a lineage, but he broke with their tradition. The 4 women he chose to mention tell us something about the nature of God.

Matthew's 4 Women
(That sounds inappropriate when I read it, but it's not like that.)

This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram. - Mat 1:1-3 NLT

Woman #1
Tamar. If you think the bible is all butterflies and lollipops, you should read the story of Tamar. Desperate Housewives could learn a thing or two from her.
Now, I'm going to paraphase here, but you can look it up. All of this is really there.
Jacob (who became Israel after he wrestled with God) has a BUNCH of kids. One's name is Judah. Judah decides that he's going to find a wife for his son Er (nice name, right?). He finds Tamar, and Bada-Bing-Bada-Boom, they get married. Well, Er is a real piece of poop, and God doesn't like him, so God kills him. (Sorry if that's harsh, read it for yourself in Genesis 38). So, Tamar's now a widow. But Judah, wants the family name to carry on. One of the way's they did this in those days was borrowing "seed" from a brother. You just can't make this stuff up. If your brother dies, it becomes your responsibility to give a child to your brother's wife. I don't mean give her one of the kids you already have. I mean... impregnate her. The old fashioned way.
So, Judah goes to sone #2, Onan (not much better for a name), and says, listen, your brother is dead. Go, marry his wife Tamar, and give your brother a son.
I'm not even going to try to explain the next part. You can read it for yourself.

Then Judah said to Er's brother Onan, "Go and marry Tamar, as our law requires of the brother of a man who has died. You must produce an heir for your brother." But Onan was not willing to have a child who would not be his own heir. So whenever he had intercourse with his brother's wife, he spilled the semen on the ground. This prevented her from having a child who would belong to his brother. But the LORD considered it evil for Onan to deny a child to his dead brother. So the LORD took Onan's life, too. - Gen 38:8-10 NLT

Please don't make me explain that to you.
Well, Er's dead. Onan's dead. And Judah says, "Listen Tamar, I've got another son, Shelah, but he's just a boy. Go back home, and when he's grown, you can have him for a husband." So, Tamar moves home with her parents.
Some time later, she finds out that her Father-in-law is going to be in town, so she takes off her widows garments, dresses up like a "lady of the evening," and goes to a public place where Judah is going to be. She see's Judah there, with Shelah, who is now grown (and not married to Tamar). Here's where things get hairy. Judah sees the fine looking prostitute, and propositions her, not realizing that it's his daughter in law. She bargains with him, because Judah has already lied to her about Shelah. She agrees to sleep with him, if he will give her... you know, never mind. Just read this, I promise you won't be bored.

Tamar was aware that Shelah had grown up, but no arrangements had been made for her to come and marry him. So she changed out of her widow's clothing and covered herself with a veil to disguise herself. Then she sat beside the road at the entrance to the village of Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah. Judah noticed her and thought she was a prostitute, since she had covered her face. So he stopped and propositioned her. "Let me have sex with you," he said, not realizing that she was his own daughter-in-law. "How much will you pay to have sex with me?" Tamar asked. "I'll send you a young goat from my flock," Judah promised. "But what will you give me to guarantee that you will send the goat?" she asked. "What kind of guarantee do you want?" he replied. She answered, "Leave me your identification seal and its cord and the walking stick you are carrying." So Judah gave them to her. Then he had intercourse with her, and she became pregnant. Afterward she went back home, took off her veil, and put on her widow's clothing as usual. Later Judah asked his friend Hirah the Adullamite to take the young goat to the woman and to pick up the things he had given her as his guarantee. But Hirah couldn't find her. So he asked the men who lived there, "Where can I find the shrine prostitute who was sitting beside the road at the entrance to Enaim?" "We've never had a shrine prostitute here," they replied. So Hirah returned to Judah and told him, "I couldn't find her anywhere, and the men of the village claim they've never had a shrine prostitute there." "Then let her keep the things I gave her," Judah said. "I sent the young goat as we agreed, but you couldn't find her. We'd be the laughingstock of the village if we went back again to look for her." About three months later, Judah was told, "Tamar, your daughter-in-law, has acted like a prostitute. And now, because of this, she's pregnant." "Bring her out, and let her be burned!" Judah demanded. But as they were taking her out to kill her, she sent this message to her father-in-law: "The man who owns these things made me pregnant. Look closely. Whose seal and cord and walking stick are these?" Judah recognized them immediately and said, "She is more righteous than I am, because I didn't arrange for her to marry my son Shelah." And Judah never slept with Tamar again. When the time came for Tamar to give birth, it was discovered that she was carrying twins. While she was in labor, one of the babies reached out his hand. The midwife grabbed it and tied a scarlet string around the child's wrist, announcing, "This one came out first." But then he pulled back his hand, and out came his brother! "What!" the midwife exclaimed. "How did you break out first?" So he was named Perez. Then the baby with the scarlet string on his wrist was born, and he was named Zerah. - Gen 38:14-30 NLT

And there it is, the first woman mentioned in the lineage of Jesus...

Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram. - Mat 1:3 NLT

If it was up to me, and I was recording the lineage of the Savior of all mankind, I'd leave that kind of crap out. But Matthew goes against the grain to purposefully point it out. Mentioning a women in this lineage is like a Super-Duty-Neon-Highlighter saying "HEY! PAY ATTENTION TO THIS!!!" Why, with all the wonderful women he could have mentioned, does he point out the girl who poses as a prostitute, and has twins by her Father-in-law?

Why? Because God is a redeemer of broken things. Even if that broken thing is me. Even if that broken thing is the Church.

Coming up next, the other Women

Should the Church Abandon the church? Part 4

2011-08-17T06:00:00.014-06:00

The Reformer
It is October 31st 1517, Martin Luther has nailed his 95 Thesis's to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. It is neither the beginning, nor the end of what will eventually become a broad sweeping change known as the Christian Reformation.
A Dominican priest, by the name of Johann Tetzel, had been commissioned by the Archbishop of Mainz and Pope Leo X to raise money for the renovation of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
As any properly demented and thoroughly soiled church leader can tell you, the easiest way for the church to raise money is by directly connecting people's financial giving to their fear of the afterlife-unknown. Better yet, if you can also magically work it out that their giving absolves them of the need for repentance, you've got a true win-win situation!!!
It is with this often-used technique that Johann Tetzel promotes the idea of Papal Indulgences.

What is an Indulgence?
Get ready for this one...
The current official doctrine of the Roman Catholic church is that Jesus, Mary, and the various assundry Saints lived such exemplary lives, and did so very many good works, that there is left over a super-abundance of "merit". This extra "merit" is owned and held in reserve by the Roman Catholic church, and can be distributed by said Roman Catholic church as it deems fit in it's exercise of "the power of the keys."
With me so far?
The doctrine further states that when God forgives sins, there are some sins that He only grants remission from the "eternal" punishment of the sins, while the "temporal" debt of punishment for the sin remains in effect. If the punishment of the sin is not endured in this lifetime, than it remains to be paid after death in purgatory.
Through the giving of indulgences, the Roman Catholic church can shorten or eliminate this "temporal" punishment, be it here on earth, or after death in purgatory.

Johann Tetzel Plays on the Ignorant
The Joe Six-Pack, regular-day everyman European Roman Catholic believer in the early 1500's was kept in great ignorance and lived a life of superstition-run-wild. Dimly explained doctrines such as purgatory were excellent tools to keep the people controlled by fears and ignorance.
Feeding on these superstitions, it was easy enough for Johann Tetzel to present a desperate picture of a dearly departed wife, or beloved child burning in the fires of purgatory. With your painful and generous contribution, your loved one could be instantly released from this torture. Tetzel's famous claim, "So wie das Geld im Kasten klingt; die Seele aus dem Fegfeuer springt" [As soon as the coin in the casket rings, the rescued soul to heaven springs] resonates like a demented nursery rhyme.

"...And I can't stands no more!"
Into this environment, Martin Luther's 95 Thesis's (which he intended as a continuation of his scholarly objection to the detestable practice) brought clarity, focus, and illumination to the plight of the average believer under the purposeful deceiving machinations of church leadership.
One of Luther's other major problems was with the issue of "Sacerdotalis".

Sacerdotalis
I know... with the flick of a dragon-heartstringed elm wand, it could almost be a Harry Potter spell.
It is an ancient latin word referring to the priesthood. Sacerdotalism teaches that the priesthood is a special class of churchman, and is a necessary part of worship. People cannot approach God on their own, but must come through the ministry of a priest, whether through the confession of sin, taking communion, or receiving grace. And divine blessing comes only through the church, and that only through the Church's ordained priesthood.

The More Things Change, The More they Stay the Same
At Luther's point in history, it's almost 1500 years after the finished work of Christ. 1500 years after Christ fulfilled and superseeded the need for and responsibility of the priest. 1500 years after the termination of the High Priest's lineage. 1500 years after the destruction of the temple. And, yet again, the Priesthood reigns supreme as the mediator between man and God. No one comes to the Father except through them.

Luther argued that not only was there no distinction between leadership and laity. Not only was there no difference between priest and participant. But, Luther championed the scriptural understanding of the priesthood of ALL believers.
In Luther's Open Letter to the German Nobility he talked about how the Roman Catholic church divided people into the "spiritual" and "temporal" estate. The "spiritual estate" consisted of those who went into the church and chose a holy vocation, while the "temporal estate" were the vast majority (i.e. everybody else). There were two kinds of people, clergy and laity. Ordination served as a kind of 2nd baptism, that lifted the clergy into a higher state of Christiandom while the laity struggled on in normalcy.

Is it really any different today?
Have things really changed? The Christian church was born out of Judaism. The protestant churches were born out of the Catholic church during the Reformation. But, even today, 2000 years later, are things that different?
Look at the big positions at your church. I'm not talking about the "lowly" positions like the guy who scrubs toilets. Or, the family who teaches children. I'm talking about the Big Money spots. The "Pulpit Ministry". The Go To Guys. The face of the ministry. Are they clergy, or are they laity. Do they work only in the church, seperate from the real world? Or, do they slave in a steel mill alongside their fellow church workers? Are they "Professional Christians"?

What does Scripture have to say about this?

Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.' This is the message you must give to the people of Israel." - Exd 19:5-6 NLT

And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What's more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. - 1Pe 2:5 NLT

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. - 1Pe 2:9 NLT

This letter is from John to the seven churches in the province of Asia. Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness to these things, the first to rise from the dead, and the ruler of all the kings of the world. All glory to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. - Rev 1:4-6 NLT

Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth. He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne. And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people. And they sang a new song with these words: "You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth." - Rev 5:6-10 NLT

Over and over again, not priests over a kingdom, but an entire Kingdom, made up of Priests. And, there is only one High Priest who reigns over us all.

For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity--the man Christ Jesus. - 1Ti 2:5 NLT

There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people's sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever. - Hbr 7:23-28 NLT

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. - Hbr 4:14-15 NLT

Hold ON a Second!
Thank God for Stacy. My beautiful wife ROCKS! There's nothing like having someone in your life who can encourage you and tell you you're being an idiot at the same time. Stacy is my Ideal Reader, and proofreads everything I write before I post. If it passes the Stacy litmus test, then it's good enough by me. I sent her everything I had written so far in Part 4 (I'm travelling for work this week), and she replied back with an "I-love-you-but-you're-an-idiot"...

"What about all the Pastors who are working themselves to death? The ones with pure hearts? They deserve respect. Don't forget that the heart of your writing needs to be Love and Grace."

Realizing how harsh all this sounds. Let me clarify my feelings and thoughts.

In Honor and Respect for the Selfless Shepherds
A very dear friend and mentor of mine (that I would never want to disrespect) had worked in Church ministry for many years. He worked as the Minister of Music for a large, respected, and progressive church. Through some time in prayer, and internal searching, he became convinced that God had laid it upon his heart to go in a different direction, to birth a church. And so, in his desire to be obedient to the plans Father had for him, he left his comfortable church salary with the comfortable benefits, and he, his wife, and their 5 kids struck out on their own. I don't know if you've ever tried that. But, when there aren't people in the church yet. There ain't no money. Kids still need to eat (and so do adults, by the way), and so this excellent man took on lots of roles to make ends meet. He worked odd jobs. He did construction. He did consulting. He did technical work. He did management and leadership training. He taught music lessons. All while slowly building a congregation, and developing a ministry. Years later, this ministry is now well established, handed off to an internally developed leader, and my friend is on to the next "church plant." My dear friend is an excellent, Godly, compassionate, compotent, and wonderful man. I have no doubt that his efforts deserve a "well done, thou good and faithful servent."
That is just an example. There are many, many people across the globe who have selflessly devoted themselves to the work of the ministry. Worked tons of hours. Baptized babies. Held friends hands as they died. Protected rape victims. Feed and clothed the homeless. Told the truth. Loved their spouses. Raised their kids right. Studied till all hours of the night. Endured budget meetings. And, put up with whiny people like me who point out faults without taking a moment to recognize just how much these men and women have given.
I honor you.
I respect you.
The world is not worthy of you.

Next up, Part 5, where do we go from here?

Should the Church Abandon the church? Part 3

2011-08-13T10:39:00.000-06:00

Ancient Miracles, Fact or Fiction, No Longer

The Jerusalem Talmud...

"Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the Western Light went out, the crimson thread remained crimson, and the lot for the Lord always came up in the left hand. They would close the gates of the temple by night, and get up in the morning and find them wide open." (Jacob Neusner, The Yerushalmi, p. 156-157) [The Temple was destroyed in 70 CE]

The Babylonian Talmud...

"Our rabbis taught: during the last forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the lot ['la-Jehovah'] did not come up in the right hand, nor did the crimson-colored strap become white; nor did the western most light shine, and the doors of the Hekel [Hekel] would open by themselves." (Soncino version, Yoma 39b)

In the painful years that followed the 70 CE destruction of the Temple, two different versions of Jewish thought, Jewish history, and Jewish commentary began to be written. One was written in Palestine, and became known as the Jewish Talmud, the other in Babylon and became known as the Babylonian Talmud. Both passages agree that around 30 CE, things changed radically.

The Miracle of the Lot
As we discussed during out last visit. On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest would blindly draw two stones to place upon the heads of the lambs before him. One stone, white 'la-Jehovah'; would declare one lamb the sacrificial lamb to be given God. The second stone, black 'la-Azazel'; would declare the other lamb the scapegoat to be sent out of the city, carrying the sins of the nation on it's head. For thousands of years, the Priest would randomly select a white stone or black stone in either hand. It was seen as a sign when the right hand was found to be holding the white 'la-Jehovah' stone that God had accepted their sacrifice. But for 40 years in a row, from the year 30 CE to the destruction of the temple in 70 CE, the Priest's right hand grasped the black 'la-Azazel' stone every single time. The chances of that happening are 2 to the 40th power, or 1 in 5,479,548,800.

The Miracle of the Red Cloth
Taking the Scapegoat's scarlet cloth, torn in two, the High Priest for thousands of years had tied half to the lamb, and half on the door of the temple. Every single year to this point, the red cloth on the door turned white as a symbol that the Lord God had accepted their Day of Atonement sacrifice.

"Come, let us reason together, saith the LORD; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)

For those 40 years after the death of Christ, and before the destruction of the Temple (and the cessation of all the Jewish sacrifices), the Crimson cloth remained blood red. As if their sacrifice and service no longer had it's intended purpose or effect.

The Miracle of the Temple Doors
During those 40 years, as they secured the temple doors each night, when they awoke in the morning, they found them wide open. The leading Jewish scholar at the time Yohanan ben Zakkai, rightly declared it as a sign the temple would be destroyed. The Jewish Talmud states,

"Said Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai to the Temple, 'O Temple, why do you frighten us? We know that you will end up destroyed. For it has been said, 'Open your doors oh Lebanon, that the fire may devour your cedars.' (Zecharaiah 1:11)' (Sota 6:3)

Might this miracle have not just been a foreteling of the destruction of the temple? Might it not also have been a reminder of the rent veil? On the day of Christ's death, the temple veil was rent from top to bottom. The Glory of the Lord departed from the temple to reside in the hearts of men. With the office of the Priest no longer needed, could these eternally open doors been a reminder that fellowship with Father God was now open to all?

The Miracle of the Temple Menorah
Our fourth miracle is that no matter what the priests did, the most important lamp of the Menorah refused to remain lit. Earnest Martin states,

"In fact, we are told in the Talmud that at dusk the lamps that were unlit in the daytime (the middle four lamps remained unlit, while the two eastern lamps normally stayed lit during the day) were to be re-lit from the flames of the western lamp (which was a lamp that was supposed to stay lit all the time it was like the 'eternal' flame that we see today in some national monuments)...

"This 'western lamp' was to be kept lit at all times. For that reason, the priests kept extra reservoirs of olive oil and other implements in ready supply to make sure that the 'western lamp' (under all circumstances) would stay lit. But what happened in the forty years from the very year Messiah said the physical Temple would be destroyed? Every night for forty years the western lamp went out, and this in spite of the priests each evening preparing in a special way the western lamp so that it would remain constantly burning all night!" (The Significance of the Year CE 30, Ernest Martin, Research Update, April 1994, p.4).

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple
One day, Jesus is sitting in the Temple. Now, I don't know if you have ever been to church, but let me fill you in on the unwritten rules. Besides the ones about staying out of Sister So and So's favorite seat, the most important rule of church going is this... When they pass the offering plate, mind your own dang business. Jesus, of course, couldn't care less about the pomp and circumstance that we perform in order to feel better about ourselves, and so, near the end of Mark chapter 12, we find Him breaking that exact rule.

"Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts." - Mar 12:41 NLT

I've never been in a position to be one of the "rich people" who "put in large amounts," but I would imagine that if I ever were, or if I ever become one, I'd probably be pretty excited that Jesus had chosen this particular day to peep in on the plate. Perhaps He would see how "holy" I am, and how "giving" I am, and be impressed with how "sacrificing" I am.
Obviously, like most people, I'm stupid. And Jesus rarely gives eye to the one that is seeking attention. Least of all when one is using an act to publicly prove his "godliness" that is founded in selfishness and insecurity.
Jesus is, of course, not fooled. Nor are the "rich people" the reason He is hovering over the offering. Mark goes on...

"Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins." - Mar 12:42 NLT

This part I have played. Well, not exactly the widow part, but you get the picture. It's different for kids, but when you're a grown-up in church, and the offering plate comes around, the absolute LAST thing you want anyone to notice is the disgusting, look-at-how-poor-I-am, he-probably-doesn't-even-tithe sound of COINS clinking into the bottom of the plate. I have nearly cried in relief at the site of a felt-lining on the bottom of a brass offering plate. Put it in quietly. Don't look around. Nobody will be able to see what a loser you are.
This, I imagine, is the feeling in the room as the widow approaches the collection box. Head down, eyes on her feet, shame oozing from each pore. What Jesus does next probably stopped hearts.

"Jesus called his disciples to him and said..." - Mar 12:43 NLT

What?!?!
Not only is Jesus hovering over the collection box, the offering plate. Not only is Jesus watching. But now, He's gathering a crowd. Gesticulating. Waving. Gathering His guys. Not only that, but in this tomb of silence, Jesus begins to speak...

"Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on." - Mar 12:43-44 NLT

I imagine that statement like a silent thunderclap in the room. This Jesus is not unaccustomed to turning over tables in the Temple. With one comment, He turns their "church" on it's ear.
It is in this environment, and in this frame of mind the Jesus walks out of the Temple at the beginning of Mark chapter 13. His disciples with Him.
Understand that to the Jewish culture, the wealth of the temple is a thing of pride and national identitiy. When Moses's tabernacle in the wilderness was built with tapesty, fine linen, silver, and gold. All of those expensive items came from the Jewish people who had spent the last couple hundred years as slaves! But, if you re-read the Exodus, you see that the Egyptian people loaded them up as they walked away. Gold, Silver, wealth, all of it. Like the plunder of a conquering King. That is what the wealth of the temple represented to them. That God favored them. That He would always make a way where there was no way.
And so, Jesus is walking out of that ordained Temple, having just praised the lowliest of givers, and His disciples reach out to defend this symbol of their nation.

"As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, "Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls." - Mar 13:1 NLT

There's no doubt that the disciples rarely understood Jesus. I imagine that this irritated and frustrated Him sometimes. And so, Jesus replies. The word of Jesus are never to be taken lightly. Least of all when He seems a little stormy.

"Jesus replied, "Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!" - Mar 13:2 NLT

The End of the Line
Jesus dies, the sacrifice is completed, the earth cracks open, and dead people begin to walk around Jerusalem.
The miracles that have maintained the Jewish faith in their favor and calling from Jehovah have ceased. The veil is rent. The temple gates which take 20 people on each side to open, somehow will not remain closed at night. The menorah will not remain lit.
But, people do not give up power easily. So, the sacrifices continue. The priests close the gates each morning, hoping no one noticed them being open. They attempt to stitch closed the temple veil, each morning it is re-rent. Nothing works.
The lineage of the High Priest, unbroken for thousands of years, handed down directly from Aaron, the brother of Moses, had existed without fail whether Israel had a temple or not. From the end of Caiaphas's ministry in 37 CE, there are 15 High Priests in the next near 30 years.
Finally, for the first time, when unable to find a direct or indirect descendent of Matthian Ben Theophillus in 66 CE, the Zealots, showing their political power, cast lots and name Phannias ben Samuel the new High Priest. He dies in the destruction of the Temple 4 years later.
The miracles have stopped.
The line of High Priests is forever broken.
The temple is destroyed.
What exactly is it about the work of Christ that caused such a massive shift? What exactly is it about mankind that so refuses to give up it's final vestiges of power?

"The Glory of the Lord has Departed"
We find this in one of the most poignant foreshadowings in scripture. Thousands of years before, Eli is Israel's Judge. He is 98 years old, he is fat, he is blind, and he has not passed on the honor of the office to his derelict sons. The Children of Israel are in battle with the Philistines, and Eli is sitting beside the road, awaiting news. Let's pick it up in 1 Samuel chapter 4...

"A man from the tribe of Benjamin ran from the battlefield and arrived at Shiloh later that same day. He had torn his clothes and put dust on his head to show his grief. Eli was waiting beside the road to hear the news of the battle, for his heart trembled for the safety of the Ark of God. When the messenger arrived and told what had happened, an outcry resounded throughout the town. "What is all the noise about?" Eli asked. The messenger rushed over to Eli, who was ninety-eight years old and blind. He said to Eli, "I have just come from the battlefield--I was there this very day." "What happened, my son?" Eli demanded. "Israel has been defeated by the Philistines," the messenger replied. "The people have been slaughtered, and your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were also killed. And the Ark of God has been captured." When the messenger mentioned what had happened to the Ark of God, Eli fell backward from his seat beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he was old and overweight. He had been Israel's judge for forty years. Eli's daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and near her time of delivery. When she heard that the Ark of God had been captured and that her father-in-law and husband were dead, she went into labor and gave birth. She died in childbirth, but before she passed away the midwives tried to encourage her. "Don't be afraid," they said. "You have a baby boy!" But she did not answer or pay attention to them. She named the child Ichabod (which means "Where is the glory?"), for she said, "Israel's glory is gone." She named him this because the Ark of God had been captured and because her father-in-law and husband were dead. Then she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the Ark of God has been captured." - 1Sa 4:12-22 NLT

Watch for Part 4, coming soon...

Should the Church abandon the church? Part 2

2011-07-22T08:09:00.005-06:00

Ancient Israel's Design

From the mysterious Melchizedek, through the Aaronic ranks, and into the Levitical line, the role of the Priesthood has a long, beautifully complex, and sometimes sordid history. Their role was to mediate between God and man. They ministered according to very specific instructions, and offered sacrifices on behalf of the people. Once a year, the High Priest would walk into the Holy of Holies and offer a sacrifice to atone for the sins of the entire nation (including the Priests) committed in the past year. In their system, there was no other way to God, but through the ministry of the Priest.

It has often been said that power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. And, there can be no position more powerful than to act on behalf of God. As expected, Isreal's Priestly history has it's share of ugliness.

The Pharisees and Sadducees in Jesus' Day

People love to disagree. It's always been that way, it probably always will be. The Pharisees and Sadducees were no different. Making up two very different ReligioPolitical views with varying swings of power and influence as first one party then the other would take popular precedence. It was much the same as our current Democratic/Republican extreme power swings where the majority of the populace are left somewhere in the middle benefiting from neither.

Whether is was the Pharisees imposing their strict and constricting views of Scripture on everyone, or the Sadducees with their elite classism, the resulting effect was the same. The system, bloated by largess and aggresive posturing was broken and much in need of reform or revolution.

Into this environment walks the peaceful warrior, Jesus. He held nothing back. Telling it like it was. Hating the situation, but loving the people enough to tell them the truth, even if they didn't want to hear it. His Father's Temple had been defiled by the avarice of it's leaders, and it was time for a change!

Now, please understand that God knows human nature very well. It was never his intention for this system of beliefs and practices to be perfect and exist forever. It was merely a placeholder. An imperfect work of man, to prepare the way for the perfect work of Christ. God created this leadership with the full intention of eventually replacing it. But, like all man, and especially men of power, the Jewish leaders of Jesus' day were not quick to give up their authority.

Scared of His power and influence, the Jewish leadership had Him crucified, not that this would surprise Jesus...

After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead." And the disciples were filled with grief. - Mat 17:22-23 NLT

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. "Listen," he said, "we're going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead." - Mat 20:17-19 NLT

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, "As you know, Passover begins in two days, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." At that same time the leading priests and elders were meeting at the residence of Caiaphas, the high priest, plotting how to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. - Mat 26:1-4 NLT

On the way, Jesus told them, "Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, 'God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there." - Mat 26:31-32 NLT

In my favorite example of this, Jesus, being Jesus; walks into the temple and seeing the money hungry vultures feasting on the people, throws a holy fit.

Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers' coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, "Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father's house into a marketplace!" Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: "Passion for God's house will consume me." But the Jewish leaders demanded, "What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it." "All right," Jesus replied. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." "What!" they exclaimed. "It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?" But when Jesus said "this temple," he meant his own body. - Jhn 2:15-21 NLT

So, who exactly is in control here? No doubt that it is Jesus, and Him alone. See, this is part of God's plan. He has come having already decided to sacrifice His son. And, one of the most important things that He is trying to accomplish during this, (aside from the whole saving the world from their sins thing) is to take the middle man out of the equation. He is coming to destroy the priesthood. To destroy the thing that separates man from God.

I heard a man once say that if you have some frogs to eat, you might as well eat the biggest one first. When it came time to destroy the system of the Jewish Priesthood, Jesus went straight for the big frog.

The Big Frog
The crowning achievement of the Jewish priestly duties happened once a year. It is now known as Yom Kippur, or The Day of Atonement. It is the holiest of all the Jewish holy days. It takes place, ultimately, in the Holy of Holies. And it is done by the premier Priest of the day, a title handed down for thousands of years through an unbroken family lineage, The High Priest. The Big Frog.

A Day in the Life
It had been a tough time for Caiaphas, but it is almost over.

His strategic marriage to the High Priest Annas' daughter, had positioned him just right. The right education, the right contacts, the right relationships, and now the right position belonged to him. He was Israel's High Priest.

15 years earlier, his friendly working relationship with the Roman Governor Valerius Gratus had lead to his appointment to this ultimate role. He had even survived the shift of power as Gratus was replaced by the current Roman lead, Pontius Pilate.

At 15 years of service, he has been High Priest longer than most anyone. As Chairman of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish High Court, his place in history was secure.

He should be feeling a lot better about this day, the biggest day of the year. The day reserved for the HIghest of Priests to step into the Holiest of places, and to do the job that only he could do. He'd feel alot better about this day, if it weren't for that trouble maker Jesus. But, that was almost finished.

What an exhausting week. Finding a traitor in Jesus inner circle, Caiaphas had been able to arrange Jesus; arrest and lead the subsequent 'trial' where Jesus sat silently as they accused Him of blasphemy.

Jesus hadn't said a single word.

It was almost laughable. It would have worried him more. But, for all the trouble the Nazarite had been giving him, at the end, He stood there silently and refused to defend Himself while witness after witness that Caiaphas had been able to fabricate brought forth lie upon lie.

And, Jesus said nothing.

Like a burrowing worm, this unsettled Caiaphas. Jesus didn't seem like the kind to back down easily. But, in thinking about it, Caiaphas realized Jesus must have understood it was hopeless. Assured now. Caiaphas had done his job. He had done it right. And, the Jesus issue was about to go away... forever.

Now, it was time to get down to the liturgical duties of the Jew's High Priest. He just wished he could get the bearded trouble maker out of his thoughts.

Beginning the yearly ritual he had done so many times before, Caiaphas washed his hands and feet. Painful images of the nails being driven into the hands and feet of the carpenter's son splashed through his mind as he scrubbed all the harder.

Slowly undressing from his golden regal priestly garments, and laying out the white linen he will wear for the duration of the sacrifices, he thought suddenly of the garment he had watched them take from Jesus. It really was of excellent quality, rivaling his own. He wasn't sure how a poor street preacher had come across a garment of that quality, He had probably stolen it. But, Caiaphas could guarantee, Jesus would never wear anything as regall as that again.

"Okay, Caiaphas... concentrate. Today's isn't about Jesus, it's about you," he refocused. Putting on the White Robe, and washing again, he nodded, "That's right. Today is all about me."

Standing now between the Temple-porch and the altar, he faces the east, towards the people, and turns the head of the soon to be slain bullock towards the west, to face the sanctuary. Placing both hands on the head of the bull, he speaks, for the benefit of the crowd, the words that he has spoken so many times before.

'Ah, JEHOVAH! I have committed iniquity; I have transgressed; I have sinned— and my house. Oh, then, JEHOVAH, I entreat Thee, cover over (atone for, let there be atonement for) the iniquities, the transgressions, and the sins which I have committed, transgressed, and sinned before Thee, I and my house— as it is written in the law of Moses, Thy servant: "For, on that day will He cover over (atone) for you to make you clean; from all your transgressions before JEHOVAH ye shall be cleansed."'

As always, the people fall on their faces. They cry out in one voice, "Blessed be the Name, the glory of His kingdom is forever and ever."

Stepping closer to the people, he nears the Calphi urn, and standing between two identical goats, thrust both hands inside the urn (called the "Lottery) to grab the two "Lots". The 'Lots' were stones, one white with "la-JEHOVAH" etched in it, the other black with "la-Azazel" or "The ScapeGoat". Taking the unseen stones in hand, and placing a hand on each goat's head, the goat's "lot is cast."

Taking two scarlet cloths, one will soon be tied around the throat of the "la-JEHOVAH" goat where it will soon be slit, He tears the 2nd cloth and ties the 1st half around the horn of the "ScapeGoat", which is turned from the Sanctuary to face the people, awaiting their sins to be "laid upon him." The 2nd half of the Scapegoat cloth, is tied to the door of the temple.

Caiaphas's mind flicks to Jesus standing with Pontius Pilate.

"Which one should I set free?" Pilate's voice rings over the crowd.

"Barrabas! Give us Barrabas!" the crowd screams.

"But, what shall I do with Jesus?" Pilate is shocked by their passion.

"Crucify Him! Crucify Him!"

Returning to himself, Caiaphas shakes his head and thinks, "When this day's over, I'm gonna sleep for three days!"

Turning back to the bull, Caiaphas again lays both hands on it's head and this time confesses not only his own sins and the sins of his family, but now confesses the sins of all the priests. He wishes this was more private. It seems almost sacrilege for a man of his position to confess in front of the people. But, it is the tradition after all.

With a swift and practiced hand, Caiaphas kills the bull, and in a vessel gathers it's blood. This vessel, he hands to a helper who swirls it to keep the blood from coagulating.

Stepping to the Altar of Burnt Offering, Caiaphas fills a censer with hot coals, and throws a handful of Frankincense in another dish.

He would normally carry incense in his right hand, and the censer of coals in his left, but today, on the Day of Atonement, when the censer is so big and heavy, he is allowed to reverse the common order, and so, carrying the censer in his right hand, and the incense in his left, every eye watches as the white robed High Priest disappears from sight into the Holy Place.
The curtain of the Most Holy Place towers in the darkness before him. Forty feet high, and four inches thick, it's sheer mass is suffocating. Lit only by the light of the coals in his censer, the corner of the veil is turned back between him and the Holy of Holies, allowing him entrance. In Moses' temple, the Ark of God stood therein with the Mercy Seat overshadowing it. Above it, the glowing presence of JEHOVAH in the cloud of Shekinah between the outspread wings of the Cherubim. In that day, the High Priest would have placed the censer between the staves of the ark. But, in Herod's temple, the Holy of Holies sat empty of ark or shekinah, and instead Caiaphas rests the heavy censer on a large stone, called the "Foundation Stone".

Taking the Frankincense, he carefully throws all of it into the golden censer of burning coals and waits for the temple to fill with smoke, then withdraws.

The incense offering filling the Most Holy Place, the people in the court withdraw in silence to worship. As the people see Caiaphas withdraw from the Most Holy Place, they know his sacrifice has been accepted.

Grabbing the swirling vessel of bull's blood from the attendant, Caiaphas again advances into the darkness, dipping his finger into the blood, he sprinkles, once upward to where the Mercy-Seat would be, and seven times downward, his heart pounding in his chest.

Withdrawing again, he sets the vessel of bull's blood on a golden stand before the veil. Heart thumping, he slits the throat of the goat "la-JEHOVAH", catching it's blood in another vessel, he ventures into the empty darkness again, wondering if the people know that there is nothing inside. As before, sprinkling once upward, and seven times downward, before placing the second vessel on another golden stand.

Taking again the bull's blood, he sprinkles this time toward the veil, outside the Most Holy Place, once upward, and seven times downward, and does the same with the blood of the goat.

He pours the vessel of bull's blood into the vessel of goat's blood, then both back into the bull's vessel, mixing the two. He sprinkles both horns of the Altar of Incense, and seven times the top of that altar.

His own blood coursing through his head, Caiaphas, pours the remainder of the blood at the west side of the Altar of Bunt Offerings, purifying it as well.

His White Robe is without blemish or spot.

Having now completed the purification of the temple, Caiaphas's weariness nearly overwhelms him. It is almost 3 o'clock in the afternoon. But, strangely, it is as dark as the middle of night.

Now that he pauses, Caiaphas realizes that each time he stepped out of the Most Holy place over the last 3 hours, it has seemed as dark as death.

He has only one last act to perform this day as High Priest, his weariness suffocating. One last sentence. A phrase to be uttered by the High Priest alone.

What Caiaphas does not know, is that at The Place of The Skull hanging between two thieves, the Jesus whom Caiaphas schemed to defeat begins to form His mouth to speak. The mouth that remain closed during His trials, now opens to speak once again.

And, as one, two Priests breath in. The Heavenly Priest, bloody and beaten, gulps in His last. The earthly Priest thinking all is normalcy. But, none the less, as one, they agree for the first time and speak together the closing words of the sacrament...

"It is FINISHED!"

What Caiaphas next experienced, he would never be able to fully retell. The Earth began to violently move beneath him like a long-captive behemoth finally breaking it's bonds. Caiaphas next became aware of the warm blood on his hands and knees. Having fallen to his knees, his fingers, so often dipped in the warm blood of the sacrificed animals, now dripped his own blood.

The next sound shattered his ear drums. The earth quaking, rocks disintegrating, the multitudes screaming in terror. They did not compare with the rending sound exploding behind him. As if the earth itself were roaring it's triumph, the mighty curtain snapped taught. Though no hands touched it... though no outside force pulled it... The mighty curtain... the immense veil... the separation between God and man... that which seperated Caiaphas from all other men... with one horrendous, heart-stopping snap, rent explosively from top to bottom.

Sudden, clean, piercing, and cleansing light splashed the heavens. The unnatural night ends in an instant. The sun pierces the before-shadowed room, now no longer hidden by veil or fear.
Truly, It is finished.

Next, Whatever happened to the Priesthood?

Should the Church Abandon the church (Part 1)

2011-07-19T19:54:00.001-06:00

Camelot

The year is 1960. A baby-faced good looking kid from Massachusetts has just been elected the youngest American President ever. He appoints his brother Bobbie to the US Attorney General's office. Bobbie, then approaches the storied founder and leader of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover to begin investigating the Mafia.

Hoover and the FBI had been criticized in the media for ignoring the mafia for many years. Truth is, he had been avoiding the Mafia for a very long time. The world-wearied Hoover understood something practical that others seemed not to grasp.

There was money in the Mafia. There wasn't money in government service.

J. Edgar Hoover had been around the seedy side of people long enough to know that his underpaid and overworked field agents were much too vulnerable. The long hours, the financial needs of their families, and the necessary periods of separation from direct leadership oversight that was the life of a field agent was a recipe for disaster when mixed with Mafia money.

Now, history tells us that J. Edgar Hoover attacked the Mafia by upping the ante in their game. He attempted to trump their aces by buying mafia informants. Offering them protection and resources that would exceed anything they would see in their current deals in exchange for information. Only the 20/20 vision of review allows us to see whether there was wisdom in his decisions. However, one thing remains clear...

J. Edgar Hoover was hesitant to put his people into a position in which they were almost certain to fail.

The Mission or the Missionaries?
Jesus is about to be betrayed. He will soon be beaten, whipped, ridiculed, mocked, and humiliated. He knows this is coming. He has agonized over it. He has begged to have this cup that He must drink removed from Him. Nevertheless, He has accepted it.

Having done that, His thoughts are on His friends. Let's take a moment and look at an extended piece of scripture as Jesus exposes His heart towards His friends as He prays for His disciples.

After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life--to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. "I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me. "My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold. "Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I'm not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. "I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one--as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. "I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! "O righteous Father, the world doesn't know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them." - Jhn 17:1-26 NLT

Do you hear His love for His guys? Do you hear the responsibility He feels towards them?

The next chapter, John 18, starts by Jesus and his guys crossing the Kidron, and walking into a grove of olive trees. Judas knows this spot, and Judas is ready with soldiers to give his "kiss of death."

This is His final thought before He is taken from them to be crucified. His heart is not for the mission as much as it is for His missionaries. His heart is breaking for them. That love is amazing.

Like Whitewashed Tombs
One thing is for sure. When it came to confronting the religious leaders of His day, Jesus did not mince words. He laid it out plain and simple...

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don't follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach. - Mat 23:1-3 NLT

Alrighty, then. Sounds like a lot of people we know...

They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. "Everything they do is for show... . - Mat 23:4-5a NLT

I don't know about you, but that sounds like what everyone I know says about our Modern Day church.

And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called 'Rabbi.' - Mat 23:6-7 NLT

Right off the bat, I think it's safe to say that Jesus is not fond of these traits in His church. He has come to earth to start a revolution. The Jews wanted Him to start a political revolution, and to lead them out of the oppression that they were suffering at the hands of the Romans. But, He has other plans. He ALWAYS has other plans.

Understand that, in this passage, He is talking about what we would now call the "church." But, He is talking to His followers, His believers. He's talking to the "Church." Follow the capital letters here, He's talking to the Church about the church. (I'll explain the differences as I see them later)

Let's continue in Matthew 23 as He instructs how He wants them to be different than what they've seen so far...

"Don't let anyone call you 'Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don't address anyone here on earth as 'Father,' for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. And don't let anyone call you 'Teacher,' for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be a servant. - Mat 23:8-11 NLT

Shut the front door! How do we miss this stuff? Or more correctly said, how do we put so much importance on some of the things Christ said, while we completely ignore other things He said?

I'm not Jewish, so I don't call anyone Rabbi. But, I get His point. There is only one teacher, and all the rest of us are all equal. I'm also not Catholic, so I don't call anyone 'Father', but I was in church yesterday, and sat and listened to a wonderful 'Teaching Pastor' give a great 'sermon' on Job and the ups and downs in his life. It was meaningful, it was inspirational, it was comforting. The 'Teaching Pastor' is genuine and Godly. His message was impacting not because of his title, but because he has caught onto the heart of his calling, 'The greatest among you must be a servant.'

My issue isn't with him, we'll come back to this. For now, let's continue with a warning from Christ to the power hungry...

But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. - Mat 23:12 NLT

I don't know about you. But, Jesus doesn't seem like the kind of guy to make empty threats. I'd guess that you could pretty much bet that if He says something, He'll follow through on it.

He continues to characterize the religious establishment. Understand that, if you only know the "Sunday School" polite Jesus, what He says here may shock you. If your prayers sound like Ricky Bobby's, "Dear Eight Pound, Six Ounce, Newborn Baby Jesus, in your golden, fleece diapers, with your curled-up, fat, balled-up little fists pawin' at the air..." Well, this Jesus has a beard. Let's listen to the MAN.

"What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people's faces. You won't go in yourselves, and you don't let others enter either. "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! "Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! ... Blind fools!... How blind!... "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law--justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. Blind guides! You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel! "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy--full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs--beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness. "What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! ...Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell? - Mat 23:13-33 NLT

This may not be clear to you, but to me it seems pretty obvious. Jesus does not dig people who use "religious authority" to laud power over people for their own advantage or for the people's disadvantage. He REALLY doesn't like it, and He REALLY isn't someone to mess with. One thing is clear. Jesus did not like the way the Jewish leaders treated the Jewish people. I would imagine His opinion of that type of leadership in today's church is not much different.

Next, Part 2, where we go back a few thousand years...

REDUX If all the Bible is really "Scripture", then are we "Scripture" too?

2011-07-01T10:23:00.001-06:00

I've spent a lot of time thinking lately. I know... dangerous... Anyways, I've been thinking about the "infallibility of scripture", the importance the church places on the study and understanding of scripture, and the role our lives play in the world around us.

I've spent a lot of time in church. Having worked in "full-time ministry" for many years, for periods of my life I probably spent more waking moments involved in "church" than not. I've studied our sordid history. I've compared denominations. I've contrasted major belief separations within "Christendom".

And, for the life of me, I just can't figure this out.

I may have spent time thinking this through, but I am definitely no expert. I've studied, but I am no scholar. I am at best an semi-informed semi-pro layman, yeah... not even that.

Here's my problem.

We put this immense focus upon the intricate study of scripture. We scour the original (or at least earlier historical version) languages. We read commentaries. We listen to sermons. We compare linguistics. "Yes, but this is in the Greek Aorist tense!"

A Short Rabbit Trail
It bothers me that we have made the study of scripture a profession. Thus, to be done by professionals. And, in doing so, re-instituted the exact separation between laity and regular-everyday Joe's that Jesus eliminated. But, that's another subject.

Back to the Point
I am not trying to say that the study of scripture is not beneficial. I am not trying to say that it is not important. I am not trying to say that you shouldn't be studying scripture.

[22] But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. [23] For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. [24] You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. - Jam 1:22-24 NLT

Study of scripture is a beautiful thing. But, it is not a destination in and of itself. The point is not to JUST study the scripture. But, to study the scripture, seek to understand it, and then apply it in such a way to your life that it makes changes in your character.

Study itself is not worship. Study is a vehicle. Study of scripture, which becomes knowledge, can become belief. If that belief is given time to mature, it produces changes in our character which manifests itself as changes in our behavior and actions.

Lives that have visibly changed bring glory to God. THAT is worship.

Worship is an Olde English word which comes from "Worth-ship". And it means "to ascribe worth."

When we study, it does not necessarily ascribe worth to Father God. However, when that study becomes maturity in our lives, and people notice it. In that, our Father is glorified.

So, let me encourage you. Or, more correctly, let me encourage myself. Don't be like the man who looks into the mirror of scripture, then turns away and forgets what he saw. James continues...

[22] Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. [23] Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror [24] and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. [25] But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does. - Jam 1:22-25 NIV

Okay, but what does this have to do with Scripture?
Now, in my last post, we were discussing the letters that Paul wrote, and whether they were "Scripture". I was running off at the mouth about my issues of using Paul's quote about "all scripture is God breathed" to prove that Paul's letter itself was scripture. (Go back and read it, because I just did a terrible job readressing the issue).

Anyways, without any doubt, Paul wrote some great letters. But, in my opinion, he had something even more interesting to say about a letter that Christ wrote...

I'm in the Second letter Paul has written to the Church at Corinth. At the end of Chapter 2, he is saying that he's not like all the "televangelists" of his day who are only preaching to make a quick buck. But, he speaks before God out of love, and with sincerity.

Then, he continues at the top of Chapter 3 (understanding that it wasn't Paul who divided this letter into Chapters) and he takes an interesting stance.

[1] Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! - 2Cr 3:1 NLT

Okay, let's back up. First, he's saying that he's not a money-hungry-preacher-for-hire, like so many other people of his day (lest you think that you and I are the only ones who detest that type). Then, he starts talking about the proof behind the legitimacy of his ministry and calling.

Paul hypothetically asks if he really is like the other guys. Does he need to bring a letter of recommendation? Should he ask them to write their own letter of recommendation so he can go to the next town to preach-for-pay there?

Of course not!

But, watch what he says...

[2] The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. - 2Cr 3:2 NLT

Basically, Paul tells them that if anyone wants to look at the legitimacy of his ministry, he can look at the harvest produced in the Corinthian believers. That is the only "letter" of recommendation that he needs, "...everyone can read it and recognize our good work...".

So, the "letter" of recommendation is read in the lives of the people that his ministry has touched. But, who wrote that letter?

[3] Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This "letter" is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts. - 2Cr 3:3 NLT

Paul's letter to Corinth vs. Christ's letter to the Earth
Now, let's return to our subject from last post. If a man can write something (under the influence of the Holy Spirit), and across thousands of years of discussion, it can still be considered "God breathed Scripture". How much more so a letter from Christ.

If Paul's word ring eternal. How much more so the Eternal One?

Okay, so what's the point?
You undoubtedly know many a person that would never pick up a Bible. Maybe they've been burned by church. Maybe they can't stand "Christians". Maybe they can't stomach the politics. Maybe they just don't feel "holy" enough or "clean" enough or perhaps they do feel that they are just "not" enough.

Whatever the reason. The bible is not their source for inspiration. Paul's letter will never grace their thought patterns.

Your life, however, does. They may not read Paul's letter. They will read Christ's. Because Christ's letter... is you.

"...The only letter of recommendation we need is you..."

"...Your lives are a letter..."

"...Clearly, you are a letter from Christ..."

"...everyone can read it..."

You may be the only "Scripture" someone ever reads. Your reaction to difficult situations. Your decision in times of temptation. Your grace with the tough-to-love. Your patience with rush-hour-traffic. Your spirit of forgiveness instead of judgement.

You, my friend, are a letter of recommendation from God to all the people around you. Live it fearlessly!

Is all the Bible "Scripture"? The Riddled Riddle.

2011-06-14T08:44:00.000-06:00

When I was in High School, I had a friend named Dave. I'd love to be able to describe to you what type of high school student Dave was, but I'm not sure how to classify him. He wasn't a "Jock", but the Jock's all knew him. He didn't party, but the "Stoners" all thought he was hilarious. He could discuss quantum theories in the morning, help an awkward Freshman avoid social foibles at lunch, and chat up the Home Coming Queen before the end of the day.

Dave did not fit into any social structure, but was liked and respected by all

I am not Dave.

In some ways, although I am not Dave, I am a little like Dave... only a little... the not fitting into any social structure part. But, that's where the similarities end.

All the Super Human abilities to effortlessly maneuver the minefield of High School angst belonged to Dave alone. He made it look so easy. Easy smile. Lots of genuine laughter. Comfortable with the ladies.

I hate him still.

In the 20 plus years since I've graduated from High School, I can say with full confidence that I have gotten no better at this at all. I just can't seem to fit in. It's not that it bothers me, exactly. I know that it's healthy to have your own opinions. You don't know how many times I've quoted, "That warm comfortable feeling is the body temperature of the middle of the pack."

I know that, ultimately, it's good to not follow the status quo. To not believe something just because everybody else believes it.

I just spend a lot of time feeling... alone.

I spent most of my life in the church. Going to church. Working for the church. Cleaning the church. Setting up and tearing down at church. Teaching at church. Loving the church. Hating the church. Vowing to never step foot again in a church. Returning anyways to church.

And let me tell you first hand. Do you know what I feel most often when I'm around church people? Do you want to know?

Alone.

I feel alone. Isolated. Separated. Like there's nobody who understands me. Nobody who thinks like me. Nobody like me.

Everybody else seems to laugh and joke... worship and weep... sing and clap... given and take. But me, I feel like I'm always just watching. When the worship gets loud and boisterous... yeah, I'm not really very charismatic. When the offering plate comes around... yeah, I'd love to be an extravagant giver, but most times, giving anything at all is an extravagance.

I just don't feel like I'm a very good Christian. Maybe you understand.

I can't figure out how David did it. He made High School look easy. Like Michael Jordan graciously playing basketball with innocent children.

In life, I often feel like the 3-eyed half-brother who wasn't allowed to play basketball with gracious Michael Jordan lest my clumsiness cause him to tumble and fracture his spleen.

In Christianity (where I've spent so much of my life and time), when I am allowed onto the court, I feel I must have learned basketball from another planet, because what they're all doing makes no sense to me.

It's not that I don't pray. But, that my prayers are not bold and triumphant, they're more like "Hey God, can you help me not be such a jerk to my wife and kids. They don't deserve me being such a grump."

It's not that I don't read and study. That's probably the only thing I do well.

It's just that the things I learn when I read and study seem to disagree with a lot of what I hear around me.

Now, I don't claim to have any special knowledge. No secret code. No ancient sect.

But since I was a little kid, I couldn't jive with the typical. It's not that I didn't want to follow their drumbeat, it just didn't sound like rhythm to me.

I'm 40 now. It's not getting better.

Someone asks me a question... wants to know my thoughts on an issue... I'm in a dilema.

Do they really want to know what I think?

Or, do they want the neatly wrapped answer that most believe? The answer handed down from our father's father?. That the church has been teaching for 200 years? I mean, that answer has to be right... right? If it's widely accepted, and widely believed, then it has to be right... right?

The dance begins, and I am just a God-Awful dancer. I want to answer their question honestly, but I don't want to tie them up in a 2-hour long conversation explaining how I think the political environment in the church hundreds of years ago fostered an environment where someone twisted the interpretation to support an ideology which became doctrine handed down from pulpit to pulpit... from lectern to lectern... till it became unquantifiable fact.

I could give the patent answer, or engage in a miserable and thoroughly un-enjoyable review of the sordid underbelly of church history and doctrine.

Or, I could choose neither. Be vague. Dancing like a feather-weight boxer. Ducking and diving, tripping and stumbling lest I accidentally engage in the unpleasant, and thoroughly exhausting.

I hate it. I freaking hate it.

Maybe if I was smarter. Maybe if I was cleverer. Maybe I could come up with some smooth answer that reassures my troubled confidant without being untrue to my understanding. Maybe if I was smart.

It's not that I think I've got some kind of super-power vision giving me the ability to see invisible truth. No gamma ray induced green transformation with requisite whisper, "You wouldn't like me when I'm truthful..." (cue ominous music).

C'mon. I'm a screw up. Barely able to type and think at the same time.

Let me give you an example of my dilema. Let me give you an example of what I feel is an often-quoted scripture that consistently makes me uneasy. And then you tell me what you think...

First the setting, Second Book of Timothy, Chapter Three. Paul is instructing his understudy. He's warning him. Paul tells him there are people he can trust, and people he can't. Teachings he can trust, and teachings he can't. He talks about how Timothy knows Paul, and what Paul teaches. How Timothy has seen the persecution that Paul has gone through. How Timothy has treasured these teachings that he (1) learned, then (2) embraced as the truth. Because he (3) knows the life of the person who taught it to him.

So, Paul tells him that having (1) learned something, (2) embraced it as the truth, and (3) paid attention to the lives of the people you learned it from; having done all that, (4) look at it in light of the wisdom of the "scripture" you've been studying since childhood.

Specifically in 2 Timothy 3:14-15, he says...

[14] But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, [15] and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. - 2Ti 3:14-15 NIV

Paul goes on in verse 16...

[16] All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, - 2Ti 3:16 NIV

He's saying, this scripture that you learned as a young Jewish boy, it still applies. It came from the same God. The same God who breathed into Adam, breathed into those Scriptures and made it useful. Useful for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and for training in righteousness...

[17] so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. - 2Ti 3:17 NIV

Awesome! Beautiful! I love it! Ancient wisdom, handed down from celestial minds. It trains us in righteousness and thoroughtly equips us for every good work.

Here's the rub. Here is where I start to wish that I wasn't me. Here's where I start to major on the minors.

Here's what bothers me. What qualifies something as "Scripture"?

Obviously, Paul is talking about the books of Moses and other ancient books that Timothy studied as a boy. No problem for me there.

But, my whole problem here, and the reason I often flinch when I hear this passage referenced, is because this verse is often quoted as though it were referring to the entire work that is now our modern Bible. Including, the letter in which this idea is contained.

It is used as "proof" that anything within the pages of your Bible is on a higher-plain than mere mortal books. Thus, making everything written therein, the decisive factor in any moral argument.

My question is this. Did Paul consider everything in our Modern Bible to be scripture (understanding that some of it had yet to be written when He made this argument)

When Paul said that all "Scripture" is God breathed, was he referring to the letters he himself had written? Was he referring to the letter that he was dictating even then to Timothy?

I can't fathom that was Paul's intent.

Let me be clear, I'm not saying God didn't breathe life into what Paul wrote. I'm not saying that it is clearly not "Scripture".

I am only saying that Paul was talking here about the "Scripture" Timothy studied as a child, not the letter Timothy was presently holding in his hand reading.

If Paul didn't consider the letter he was writing to be "Scripture", and wasn't trying to claim it was "Scripture"... should we be using his statement to say that it is "Scripture"?

Even more importantly, if we can't use his statement to prove his letter is "Scripture". Does that mean his letter to Timothy is not "Scripture"?

My high-school buddy Dave isn't around to help me out here. So, instead I pray, "Hey, God. Can you please pound some wisdom into this thick stubborn head of mine?"

Maybe, He's planted some wisdom specifically for me inside of you. Do you have some insight?

What do you think?

Hanging with the Thieves Pt 2: Time Travel Secrets Revealed

2011-02-22T22:16:00.002-07:00

Have you ever thought about time-travel? The ability to travel to the past and reword that classic argument. To kiss that person you should've kissed. To slap that face you should've slapped. Or, how about to go forward into the future, and find out whether this girl really will look just like her mom in 20 years. Discover what that business opportunity could really become. Get an advanced look at tomorrow's technology today.

Whether for the purest of reasons, or narcissistic, the ability to step-in-and-out of time is a concept that has fascinated man since the beginning of... well... time.

Last week, we talked about how the Past and the Future are both thieves. Today, we're gonna start talking about something a lot more fun. In my intense geekification, I will reveal to you how to change the past, and cement the future. (fanfares of trumpets, oohs and aahs of the crowd). I will uncover the Secrets of Time Travel, and I will use the examples given in scripture to prove my point.

So, set aside your head-shaking, nay-saying doubts. We may learn something together. We may learn how to free ourselves from the bonds of time, and alter a world that has been altogether untouchable.

"And the geek shall inherit the earth..." (slightly modified quote from a famous book)

Now, in all honesty, I'm not taking you on an H.G. Wells-ian journey on the Time Machine, but hang with me here. We have some fun stuff to think through. In order to really understand the present... in order to hope to affect the future... you've got to understand the past.

*Disclaimer* Now, I know that last week we talked about how the past is a thief, but today we're gonna play the Parent-Card and call this a 'Do As I Say And Not As I Do' situation. You know what I'm talking about, when a commercial shows someone driving like a maniac, and then the words "Do Not Attempt This at Home" flash on the screen. Well, in order to accomplish what we need to get done here, we've got to look at the past, the WAY past. So, hold on, because this Gentile student is about to go all Hebrew on you.

The Jews, The Month of Nisan (not the car), and Water

The more things change, the more they stay the same

I recently moved to the Denver area from sunny tropical North Eastern Ohio. In process of the move, we purged a lot of stuff. A LOT of stuff. But, in our packing, I came across a bunch of old photographs. In some of those photos, I saw this dude. He kinda looked like me. But, then again, he kinda didn't look like me too. It was me, but it wasn't me, all at the same time. I was the same, but different. Fatter, thinner, harrier, balder, mustache, beard, clean shaven... each pic was a different man, but all of them were me. In fact, the summer after my junior year, I had to have my Senior Pictures retaken. In my rebellious first set, I had grown a nasty pseudo-mustache and my hair was long in a Joe-Dirt-sanctified mullet, which was too much for my High School to handle. So they had me retake them. The next set must be of a different dude. It's not just that the hair is shorter, that there is nary a wisp of facial hair visible, and that I had sprouted large pancake-sized glasses. But, the two sets of pics look like two entirely different people. When my wife first saw the one pic, she asked my Mother who it was in the picture.

Now, my wife is a completely different story. You can look at her 2 day old baby pictures, her 2nd grade picture, her 2nd year of college picture, or the picture of her holding our 2nd child and have no stinking doubt that it's her. She's different, but somehow she always looks the same. Same facial expression, same eyes, same orneriness. Same Stacy. She just gets better and better. I hate that about her... I do feel bad for her though. 20 years from now, I'll still be married to that young hottie, and she'll be stuck with old bald cantankerous me.

Thou changest not...

God is kinda like the perfect compromise between my wife and I in this. He's always consistent, but never boring. You can count on him to always come through like He always has, but to do it in new and inventive ways each time.

Which brings me to this week's Hebrew History Lesson...

The month of Nisan

The historic month of Nisan is a seriously action packed time of the Jewish calendar. Among others, you've got the Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Firstfruits. It was a month-long party.

That's something modern Christians have just never wrapped our heads around. The Jews were all about dancing their clothes off and partying till the early dawn. We're much too proper. During the Feast of the Passover, everyone had to have at least 4 glasses of wine. If you were too poor to buy your 4 glasses of wine, the money came out of the coffers for the poor. But, I digress...

Now, let me warn you again. If you're all for the politically correct, do-no-harm camp, you may want to stop here. Some of what scripture reveals is not pretty.

Still here? Ok, here we go... let's look at what scripture says...

The 1st part of our story

The Cliff-Notes-Version... The Jews have been slaves for hundreds of years. Pharaoh's been building an empire on their backs. In order to keep the Jews week, Pharaoh orders all the 1st born males to be killed. Moses' mommy puts him in a basket in the water where he is plucked up by Pharaoh's daughter. Mo's mom offers to be his maid, and Israel's hero grows up in Pharaoh's house. Fast forward a while, the Jews are continuing to pray for salvation, not realizing that God's already got the plan in motion. Moses peeps out an Egyptian beating a Jew, to his own surprise, Moses flips out, kills the egyptian, and takes off to hide in the desert. (Yes, God uses murderers). (Shameless promotion of a great flick...)

Fast forward some more. Moses has been wandering around in the desert for a lot of years, found himself a fine black woman, and while walking with his sheep, stumbles upon a bush that is on fire, though not consumed, and is speaking to him. (Not that this story would be bought by any respectable church these days).

So, as commanded, Moses heads back to Egypt, to get Pharaoh to let his people go. Pharaoh refuses, lots of locusts, bloody water, plague, plague, plague. Pharaoh, says, "Yeah, go ahead and go... WAIT, I changed my mind!"

Our story pics up as God is done messing around with Pharaoh. We start in the 12th Chapter of Exodus.

"1 Now the LORD gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron while they were still in the land of Egypt: 2 "From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. 3 Announce to the whole community that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice." - Exd 12:1-3 NLT

Alrighty, we're starting with the Passover and the Passover Lamb. By the way, only God is big enough to say, "This thing I'm about to do is so big, that your old calendar doesn't even matter. Today is the 1st day of the 1st month of a new year for you" I wouldn't think it wise to argue.

So, as instructed, each Jewish family chooses a 1-year old lamb or goat to sacrifice. Smaller families got together to share the sacrifice, depending on the size, and how much they could eat.

"6 Take special care of these lambs until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then each family in the community must slaughter its lamb. 7 They are to take some of the lamb's blood and smear it on the top and sides of the doorframe of the house where the lamb will be eaten. 8 That evening everyone must eat roast lamb with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. 9 The meat must never be eaten raw or boiled; roast it all, including the head, legs, and internal organs. 10 Do not leave any of it until the next day. Whatever is not eaten that night must be burned before morning. 11 "Wear your traveling clothes as you eat this meal, as though prepared for a long journey. Wear your sandals, and carry your walking sticks in your hands. Eat the food quickly, for this is the LORD's Passover." - Exd 12:3, 6-11 NLT

They take the lamb into their homes, the kids play with it. Everybody loves the little lamb. But, on the night of the 14th, things get bloody. With all the kids standing around. Dad grabs the lamb, and quickly slits it's throat. Mary doesn't have a little lamb anymore. They war-paint their doorframes with it's blood, roast it all, and pig out. (Is it appropriate to say "pig out" when you're talking about a lamb?)

But, they can't do this in their feetie-jammies. No, they're dressed and ready to go. Eat it fast. Burn anything left over.

It gets uglier.

"12 On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and kill all the firstborn sons and firstborn male animals in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD! 13 The blood you have smeared on your doorposts will serve as a sign. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt." - Exd 12:12-13 NLT

Yeah, this is not politically correct polite stuff here. So very many reasons for so many people to get offended. It's genocide. It's sexist. It's ageist. And, He's killing the 1st born male animals too. I mean, come on! What did Fido do wrong? But, He is God. I wouldn't think it wise to argue.

A less bloody momentary diversion

On May 7th, 1989, in the 5th and final game of the 1st round of the 1989 NBA playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers were battling the Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan, had just hit a jumper with 6 seconds left to give the Bulls their 1st lead of the game at 99-98. The Cavs had dominated the Bulls the entire season, beating them 6 times including a 6-point win in their last game of the regular season while the Cavs rested their 4 best players.

Once the playoffs start, the regular season just doesn't matter.

Cleveland takes a timeout. Craig Ehlo inbounds, gets a return pass, and scores on a layup, putting the Cavs on top 100-99.

What happened next is infamy.

Go back and watch the films. Jordan is being double teamed by Craig Ehlo and the gargantuan-shouldered Larry Nance. In the films you will see Jordan talking to Ehlo. Pointing at a spot on the floor.

"Right there." It's like he's taunting him.

"Right there. I'm going to get the inbound pass, and I'm going to shoot it from right there."

"See if you can stop me."

He could not.

And, "The Shot" was recorded forever is Cleveland's misery. Along with The Catch, The Drive, The Fumble, and The Decision.

Now, it's one thing to beat an opponent. but to first tell exactly HOW you're going to beat them, and then to follow through and do EXACTLY what you said you were going to do... that's the stuff of legends.

Back to our story

"28 So the people of Israel did just as the LORD had commanded through Moses and Aaron. 29 And at midnight the LORD killed all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn son of the captive in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. 30 Pharaoh and his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died." - Exd 12:28-30 NLT

Yeah, that's some ugly stuff. I'd normally make some stupid joke here to break the tension, but... I've got nothing.

Here's where it get's weird.

"31 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. "Leave us!" he cried. "Go away, all of you! Go and serve the LORD as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, and be gone. Go, but give me a blessing as you leave."" - Exd 12:31-32 NLT

Ummm? "But give me a blessing as you leave."???? What? Okay, so God really scared Pharaoh (understandable considering the mass death of only the first-born males Egyptians, but including all first-born male animals). That's something even Dr. House would say only God could do. And, now Pharaoh's scared of Moses. I guess I can understand.

And weirder yet.

"35 And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed and asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold. 36 The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So, like a victorious army, they plundered the Egyptians!" - Exd 12:35-36 NLT

This is tough for me. I know the Jews have been in slavery for exactly 430 years. In fact 430 years to the day. But this just seems like adding insult to injury. All their 1st born die, then Pharaoh asks for a blessing, finally, the Egyptians PAY them to leave!!!!

And so, 600,000 men (not including the women and children) walk out of Egypt with all of Egypt's plunder.

"18 So God led them along a route through the wilderness toward the Red Sea, and the Israelites left Egypt like a marching army." - Exd 13:18 NLT

Okay, I'm no student of war. But, victorious marching armies do not leave a land and head towards a sea with no boats there to jump into. Pharaoh's smart enough to figure this out, and God knew that.

"1 Then the LORD gave these instructions to Moses: 2 "Tell the people to march toward Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, opposite Baal-zephon. 3 Then Pharaoh will think, `Those Israelites are confused. They are trapped between the wilderness and the sea!' 4 And once again I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this so I will receive great glory at the expense of Pharaoh and his armies. After this, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD!" So the Israelites camped there as they were told. 5 When word reached the king of Egypt that the Israelites were not planning to return to Egypt after three days, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds. "What have we done, letting all these slaves get away?" they asked. 6 So Pharaoh called out his troops and led the chase in his chariot. 7 He took with him six hundred of Egypt's best chariots, along with the rest of the chariots of Egypt, each with a commander. 8 The LORD continued to strengthen Pharaoh's resolve, and he chased after the people of Israel who had escaped so defiantly. 9 All the forces in Pharaoh's army--all his horses, chariots, and charioteers--were used in the chase. The Egyptians caught up with the people of Israel as they were camped beside the shore near Pi-hahiroth, across from Baal-zephon." - Exd 14:1-9 NLT

I know that hind-sight is 20/20. But, I almost feel bad for Pharaoh. The Jews, however, are still slaves at heart...

"10 As Pharaoh and his army approached, the people of Israel could see them in the distance, marching toward them. The people began to panic, and they cried out to the LORD for help. 11 Then they turned against Moses and complained, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt? Why did you make us leave? 12 Didn't we tell you to leave us alone while we were still in Egypt? Our Egyptian slavery was far better than dying out here in the wilderness!"" - Exd 14:10-12 NLT

Now, I know that at this part of the story, I'm supposed to talk about how cowardly and unappreciative the Jews are. How little faith they have. But, I've got to be real here.

If I put myself in their shoes, this is looking pretty surreal to me. We've been in slavery for a hundred generations. Now all of the sudden, Moses shows up, ask Pharaoh to let us go worship for a couple of days, and when Ramses refuses, plagues start breaking all over the place.

Here's the thing though, they're affecting the Egyptians, but not the Jews. Frogs, rivers of blood, petulance. But, we're all untouched.

Then, Moses tells us to kill the lamb, slather on the blood, and put on your walking shoes.

The next day, all Egypt is crying, handing us their gold, and we go walking out... not towards the land of Canaan, but towards the Red Sea.

Now Pharaoh figured out that our 3-day field trip is being extended indefinitely, he's got us trapped against the sea, and he's coming charging.

I'd be soiling my shorts.

If you've been a slave for a hundred generations, a couple of weeks of having incredible favor and watching your masters suffer is not enough to break the cycle.

Have you heard the phrase, you can take the boy out of the south, but you can't take the south out of the boy? Well, you can take the Israelites out of slavery, but you can't take the slavery out of the Israelites.

I'd be freaking out, so would you.

Time for some comic relief in the story. Watch what Moses says.

"13 But Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the LORD rescue you. The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again. 14 The LORD himself will fight for you. You won't have to lift a finger in your defense!"" - Exd 14:13-14 NLT

Now, there are times when, as a leader, you nail it. And other times you really stink, and you miss it. The moment of crisis. All eyes are on Moses. "What do we do? What do we do?", the people ask. Moses replies, "Just stand where you are and watch the LORD rescue you."

God's response...

"15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!" - Exd 14:15 NLT

Classic moment. Like something from a Mel Brooks movie.

"16 Use your shepherd's staff--hold it out over the water, and a path will open up before you through the sea. Then all the people of Israel will walk through on dry ground. 17 Yet I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will follow the Israelites into the sea. Then I will receive great glory at the expense of Pharaoh and his armies, chariots, and charioteers. 18 When I am finished with Pharaoh and his army, all Egypt will know that I am the LORD!" 19 Then the angel of God, who had been leading the people of Israel, moved to a position behind them, and the pillar of cloud also moved around behind them. 20 The cloud settled between the Israelite and Egyptian camps. As night came, the pillar of cloud turned into a pillar of fire, lighting the Israelite camp. But the cloud became darkness to the Egyptians, and they couldn't find the Israelites. 21 Then Moses raised his hand over the sea, and the LORD opened up a path through the water with a strong east wind. The wind blew all that night, turning the seabed into dry land. 22 So the people of Israel walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on each side! 23 Then the Egyptians--all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and charioteers--followed them across the bottom of the sea. 24 But early in the morning, the LORD looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw them into confusion. 25 Their chariot wheels began to come off, making their chariots impossible to drive. "Let's get out of here!" the Egyptians shouted. "The LORD is fighting for Israel against us!" 26 When all the Israelites were on the other side, the LORD said to Moses, "Raise your hand over the sea again. Then the waters will rush back over the Egyptian chariots and charioteers." 27 So as the sun began to rise, Moses raised his hand over the sea. The water roared back into its usual place, and the LORD swept the terrified Egyptians into the surging currents. 28 The waters covered all the chariots and charioteers--the entire army of Pharaoh. Of all the Egyptians who had chased the Israelites into the sea, not a single one survived. 29 The people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry land, as the water stood up like a wall on both sides." - Exd 14:16-29 NLT

And exactly how does this relate?

GREAT Story. But, what in the name of corn on the cob does it have to do with time-travel, the past, and the future

Well, in order to understand, we've got to fast forward 40 years so we can start to see a pattern starting to develop. In much the same way that you can look at my wife Stacy's baby picture and see the pattern of the smoking hot thing she would become.

40 years later, the 2nd part of our story

It's the Month of Nisan again. Moses is now dead, and all the people are looking to Joshua for answers. Joshua has sent a couple spies across the Jordan river to scope out Jericho. They're hiding in Rahab the Prostitutes roof (try getting your wife to believe THAT!). Rahab tells them that she is positive that God will give them the land because everybody is scared to death of them. Even though they've been wandering around in the desert for 40 years, the story of how they left Egypt, the blood on the door posts, and how they crossed the Red Sea is fresh in the Jerichoians minds. She begs for their mercy, and the spies promise that if she hangs a scarlet-red cord from the window and stays in her house, her family will be spared. (kinda like the blood on the door posts thing 40 years earlier). So, once again, the Jews are camped beside a body of water. We'll pick it up in scripture and we'll see if our pattern continues developing.

"9 So Joshua told the Israelites, "Come and listen to what the LORD your God says. 10 Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. 11 Think of it! The Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River! 12 Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. 13 The priests will be carrying the Ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth. When their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will pile up there in one heap." 14 When the people set out to cross the Jordan, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now it was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river's edge, 16 the water began piling up at a town upstream called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the city of Jericho. 17 Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the LORD's covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by them. They waited there until everyone had crossed the Jordan on dry ground." - Jos 3:9-17 NLT

I don't know about you. But, to me... that's crazy. Same month, same nation of people. Water parting. Walking on dry ground. Some things are different, but the similarities are too big to ignore.

Let's take a closer look at the story, and see if we can figure out what God's doing here. Because, to do it once, is something incredible. To do it again...

Last time, they were running scared. They were free men that did yet know that they were free. So, when Pharaoh's army came charging, they freaked out and begged to be slaves again. God, however knew better (as He always does), and Moses stretched out his staff, and the waters parted.

This time, it's a different story. There's nothing like 40 years of wandering in the desert with clothes that never wear out and food miraculously appearing each and every morning to make you believe that God's looking out for you. The Israelite's aren't so scared this time. They're coming in to conquer.

Over the last 40 years, they became a real nation. The handing down of the Law. They took all the Eqyptian gold and silver, and made a portable temple to worship God in. It's not been perfect, and they've screwed plenty of stuff up, but all in all, they're in a good groove, and it's a different people that are approaching the water this time.

Now, the Jordan river is a MESS at this time of the year. It's like an angry hornet when you just ran over his nest with your lawn-mower. It's wide, it's dirty, and it is something to be afraid of. There's no stretching out the staff, instead, this time, the priests step down into the water, carrying the ark of the covenant, and the water doesn't just part. Let's look again at what it says,

"15 Now it was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river's edge, 16 the water began piling up at a town upstream called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the city of Jericho." - Jos 3:15-16 NLT

"The water began piling up at a town upstream called Adam." Hmmm. Adam. Where have I heard that name before.

Let's get metaphysical. Metaphysical. I wanna get metaphysical.

(A very poor Olivia Newton John reference in case you weren't sure).

Did you know that when a baby is being formed in the womb, the optic nerve start to grow from the eye towards the brain, and from the brain towards the eye at the same time. At some point, the two part meet in the middle, 1.2 million nerve fibers reach out to their precise 1.2 million counterparts, and sight becomes possible.

The point is, God knows what He's doing, and He's so stinking good at what He does that His excellence bleeds over into every part of it.

So, if you were God, and trying to make a point. If you were trying to tell a story that was bigger than the story you were presently in, and you wanted people to figure it out, wouldn't you leave some clues around?

The River of Time

Steve Miller sang that "Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking, into the future."

It never stops. I was brushing my teeth this morning and saw these 3 big deep ugly wrinkles on my forehead. I'm old. Time is ticking.

But, you've got to understand, that God created time, and thus, He is not contained by it.

To us, time flows like a river. Always in one direction. Unstoppable.

But God is not us. He's not held to our limitations. He is the beginning and the end at the same time.

So, when God instruct Joshua to have the priests carry the Ark of the Covenant (we'll get to the Ark in more detail later on... VERY COOL!), and step down into the water, the miraculous happens.

Verse 16 says that the water began to pile up at a town upstream called Adam. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea till the river bed was dry.

What the HECK?

If time is a river. Do we have any reference points upstream called Adam?

More importantly, what the HECK was up with an Ark that was powerful enough to make time roll back to Adam, and dry it up all the way off into the Dead Sea?

THAT, my friends is a poop load of fun, and I'm saving it for Part 3. See you next time!!!

Hanging with the Thieves Pt 1

2011-02-13T16:53:00.001-07:00

Post New Year 2011

So, we're a little ways into 2011. Did you skip the typical New Year's resolution this year like I did?

Maybe it's just me, but the older I get, the less I expect things to actually change in and around my life. I mean, let's get real... I'm 40 years old. Statistics say, the person you are when you're 40 is basically the person you'll be from there on out. Or, at least you're not getting much better. Older, wrinklier, crotchety-er (is that a word?), and generally worse, yeah... those changes will happen. But the thought of actually becoming a better person? Come on, now...

So, really... what's the point of the New Year's resolution? I mean New Year's is an awesome opportunity. It's a do-over. A mulligan. A reboot. Who wouldn't want their Future to be drastically different from their past? Your future could be AWESOME! I know... right? Who wouldn't want to forget the past and move unhindered into the future?

But what if your past was already awesome? Oh, snap!

The truth is that every New Year's, we rediscover something that has always been true, but we continually lose sight of... both the past and the future are thieves.

Living in the Past

I'm sure you've met them. There's two different kinds, and both are being robbed blind.

The Former Athlete

His high school narrow waist and broad mind may have since switched places. His hair might have mysteriously slid from atop his head back towards his shoulder which have sprouted hair all their own. But, he still has "The Game." The game when he ran for, caught or threw the winning touchdown. The game where he blocked or scored the winning shot. The game when he became King. But, this king is prisoner of his kingdom.

Since that moment of greatness, no moment has ever compared. Nothing he does can bring him back to the greatness of that moment. And so, he is stuck doing nothing... robbed blind by his past.

The Victim

Perhaps you know her. If you do know her, then you've definitely heard her story. The story of the gift she never received. The mother who controlled all she did. The father who drank too much. All the things that happened to her. All in the past. All with tentacles that decades later strangle her still. There is no denying the pain and tragedy these situations birthed into her life. But the pain continues long after the injuring is complete. So involved still in her past, her life is being stolen from her day by day.

The Past is a Thief

So, whether your past rocked, or your past was merely rocky, if it controls you... it's still a thief.

Living in the Future

Maybe you're not stuck in the past. Maybe you've got dreams. Maybe you've got plans. One thing you know for sure, you've got a future.

The Dreamer

Perhaps you know the Dreamer. He's been involved in every Network Marketing "opportunity" that hasn't yet been invented. He doesn't have much past to hold him down, because he hasn't ever really done anything. The one thing that he knows for sure is that when he hits the lottery, or when his invention gets picked up by Ronco, or when his manuscript (that he hasn't yet started to write) get's picked up by that major publisher... then he'll have arrived. Then, he'll buy that boat... pay cash for that car... buy those expensive shoes. He'll get there... someday. But someday is a stinking thief, and it's robbing him blind.

The Planner

Or maybe you or one of your loved ones are a Planner. You've got it all figured out. You know what you're GPA will be when you graduate from High School. You know what college you will be attending, what fraternity/sorority you will bless with your presence. You know where you will be interning, what your 1st year's salary will be. Depending on your stage of life, you've already designed your house... know what your spouse will look like... how many kids you'll have. You know how much you need to save each year to buy the house you're planning on buying. Perhaps you know where your kids will go to school, where they'll go to college. Perhaps you've got their lives planned out as well. You know EVERYTHING about the future, but I'll guarantee your vision for the future has left you blind to today.

Hanging with the Thieves

The New Living Translation tells the story like this... The crowd watched, and the leaders laughed and scoffed. "He saved others," they said, "let him save himself if he is really God's Chosen One, the Messiah." The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" A signboard was nailed to the cross above him with these words: "This is the King of the Jews." One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, "So you're the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself--and us, too, while you're at it!" But the other criminal protested, "Don't you fear God even when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn't done anything wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the thick veil hanging in the Temple was torn apart. Then Jesus shouted, "Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!" And with those words he breathed his last. (Luke 23:35-46, NLT)

The Voice of the Past

Let's be real here. Do you think Jesus ever suffered from performance anxiety? I know the bible says that he "was tempted in every way." But, I mean, He was Jesus. He knew he was always gonna be able to pull through and perform.

Well, I can't speaks for HeyZeus, but I can speak for myself. In general, I'm a screw up. I'm not really good at anything. The little bit I have been able to accomplish is because I've lucked into it. Have you seen how beautiful my wife and kids are? I'm just saying...

The Voice of MY Past

Anyways, when I'm scared to death I'm not going to be able to accomplish something, when I'm facing a fierce deadline, or when I've got no choice but to move forward, when all I want to do is go back to bed and hide. The absolute LAST thing I need is for someone to remind me of the last time I blundered into something that actually kind of worked. I know they think they're being encouraging. But it's really not encouraging to remind me of how close I came to imminent disaster and worldwide destruction.

Now Jesus probably didn't have my issues. But I'm also sure the people around Him reminding Him of His past were probably not root-root-rooting Him on as they were watching him being crucified.

The Voice of Jesus' Past

No, their "Weren't you the one who fed 5,000 people...", "Didn't you perform all kinds of crazy miracles...", "And YOU were coming to save US?" comments were not designed to encourage and cheer Him on to success. They were taunts. The voices from the Past always are.

There is something else the voice from the Past always is, it's selfish. "So you're the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself--and us, too, while you're at it!"

Hanging on one side of Jesus was a thief. The Voices from the Past are always there to steal from you.

You're just like your Father.
You're as controlling as your Mom.
Your best days are behind you.
You're disqualified.
You're too dirty.
You've screwed up too many times.

No matter if it was good or it was bad, the Past is a thief who belongs in the past.

The Voice of the Future

Again, I can't speak much for Jesus. But if I was hanging on a wooden torture rack that I had been nailed to after being beaten, punched, kicked, my bears plucked out (which is why I keep it so short), whipped, and a bunch of thorns stabbed into my scalp in a mockery of a crown... the absolute last thing that I want to think about is what's coming next.

Again, thank GOD that I am not Jesus, or you all'd be in a mess of trouble.

But, Jesus, as usual, has His "game-face" on. He knows what's going on, and He will not be dissuaded. In answer to the 1st thief's taunts, we hear the 2nd thief trying a different attempt...

But the other criminal protested, "Don't you fear God even when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn't done anything wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."

Awwww, wasn't that just... I don't know... sweet?

Let's take a step backwards and find out what's really going on here...

Let's set the stage

Now, if I'm gonna give my life for the salvation of all mankind (that's a remarkably laughable idea), and I need to go through torture and my eventual murder in order to accomplish it, all I've got to do is stand still for a couple of seconds...

Jesus was waiting in the night, knowing they were about to come and take him. He'd thought it all through. If I was in His shoes (or sandals as the case may be), and Judas is leading a group of Roman soldiers and diving in for a memorable kiss.

All I've got to do is stand still for a couple of seconds. They'll grab me, they'll take me, and from there on out, it's all up to them.

Jesus didn't have it that easy.

The hard part about being the King of Kings and the Savior of all Mankind, is that you're always in charge. Even when you don't want to be.

Ticklish

Here's something my masculinity encourages me never to admit. I am insanely ticklish. I do, however, love to tickle my kids. Bad combination.

Sometimes, they decide that it's funny to try to tickle me back. Now, I'm a bigger guy. 6'2" 225lbs. When a little girl sticks her fingers in my ribs or tickles the back of my neck, it is seriously difficult to not go all Ed-Norton-Eric-Bana-Lou-Ferrigno on them and throw them through the wall.

The simple fact that I CAN physically dominate them means that I have a specific responsibility to NOT physically dominate them.

Strength REQUIRES control and gentleness.

Back to our Story

The torturers, the one holding the whip, the ones casting lots for His clothes, the soldiers, the one driving the nails through his feet. Not a single one of them were any more capable than a newborn baby in comparison to the Lion they were trying to control.

Jesus couldn't let His concentration slip for even a second. Lest He go all Jackie-Chan on them and kick some bootie. Just a single nod towards the sky and The God of The Angel Armies calls down the... armies of angels, and the earth is a wasteland.

The Voice of the Past is always a Distraction

And so, Jesus hangs there, and the voice of the future speaks, seemingly harmlessly, "Lord, remember me when..."

The future always seems harmless. Trustworthy. This is where you should be looking, where you should be concentrating... or so it seems.

Why then, would Jesus say, "Do not worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough troubles of it's own." Why? Because it's the TRUTH! (He kinda had a knack for that.)

Let me be clear, here. YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE FUTURE. Nothing. Except one thing. And that one thing was exactly what Jesus was focused on...

No, Jesus is not fooled by this "Confidence Man" hanging next to Him.

The Magic Word

Instead He speaks the one word that can unite the Past and the Future. The one word that redeems the past and enables the future.

With his arms stretched out, in one hand He grabs the Past. In the other hand he grabs the future. And He says the magic word.

"TODAY you will be with me in paradise!"

Maybe that seems anticlimactic. But every great truth is great because we all already know it. Today is all we've got. It is the only opportunity you have to do anything about the past or to prepare for the future.

Even as I type this, and even as you read this, today is becoming yesterday, and tomorrow is becoming today.

I've got a couple more things to talk to you about in this subject, and I think it's kind of crazy stuff... but we'll save that for next time...

2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame Queen Pageant features RELM, joyful and innocent

2010-05-16T15:44:00.001-06:00

While the media is all abuzz about the recently distributed clip of a group of 8 and 9 year old scantily clad girls dancing in a competition to Beyonce's “Single Ladies”, Canton's own cuties, RELM brought an air of joy and innocence to this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame Queen Pageant.

ABC30 tells the story of the Orange County California group Precision Dance. A talented group of young girls dancing to Beyonce's “Single Ladies” and has the video of that dance that has created a national debate.

On the other side of the country, in Canton, Ohio, things couldn't have been more different.

As the 15 finalists in the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Queen Pageant awaited the announcement of the judges last tabulation, 4 beautiful young girls, RELM, took the stage and shocked the crowd.

RELM, made up of sisters Raegan (12), Evan (9), Logan (11), and Macy (8) are a musical group with big smiles, and bigger voices. They blend the contemporary with the classics, and perform with an exuberance, joy, and innocence that is too often missing in today's hyper-sexual youth entertainment environment.

“It's so nice to see young girls who are just allowed to be kids, and talented too!”, said Stephon King, producer of “Points to Ponder” mornings on WHBC 1480 AM after they aired a clip of the girls singing.

Watch the video of RELM performing at the pageant, and share your thoughts. I can personally attest to the quality of character that these young girls embody. After all, I am their daddy...

Christopher Levi

Times Square car bomb's threat felt in North East Ohio

2010-05-02T16:38:00.001-06:00

As a Times Square attempted car bombing fizzles in New York, the Canton Repository reports on it. But, what does that threat mean for Northern Ohio? And, how do we respond?

Police were alerted by two vendors to an SUV that ultimately was found to contain three propane tanks, fireworks, two five-gallon cans of gasoline, and two clocks with batteries, and electrical wire. A few pops, some smoke, and many accelerated heart beats later; a potentially deadly situation was avoided.

"We avoided what could have been a very deadly event", said Mayor Michael Bloomburg.

"Other" places

Maybe you are like me... you read the news. You read of the atrocities that happen around the globe. Suicide bombers. Genocide. Rapists. Hate crimes. Murderers. Child abuse.

We hear about these things, but somehow we remain disconnected. This happened in New York. That happened in London. A car bombing in the Middle East. Mass murder in Africa. That stuff just doesn't happen here in Akron. Canton is safer than that.

Somehow, because it is distant, it seems less real. This could not be farther from the truth.

It is not about distance, it's about direction

Regardless of where you live. Hatred is on the rise. Maybe suicide bombers have not hit your market place. Does that mean that they won't? The horrors we read of now, we could not comprehend twenty years ago. Where will we be twenty years from now. Will downtown Akron be the site of a terrorist attack? Just because it hasn't happened here, does that mean that it won't? That it can't?

We live in a fallen world. Scripture says that the wages of sin is death. The problem with that phrase is that it is not always the sinner that dies. Too often, the innocent suffer because of the hatred or anger of another.

A drunk driver runs into a family late at night. Children are killed. The drunk driver walks away. Physically unharmed, but scarred none the less.

A rape is committed, a crime of anger and hatred. The angry attacker walks away less human. The innocent victim is shattered.

The wages of sin is death. Death of a body. Death of a person's humanity. Death of hope. Death of dreams. And, simply put, broken things don't fix themselves. They just steadily (and sometimes too quickly) get worse.

But that isn't fair.

No. It's not. Again, our world is fallen. that means that it is cracked. It is broken. And broken things just don't act right. Broken minds don't think correctly. Broken hearts don't know how to love. Broken dreamers live nightmares.

Luckily, God isn't fair either.

Maybe you grew up thinking that God was fair. Without a doubt, He is not. And His "unfairness" is one of the biggest sources of hope for us to rely upon.

It is true that the innocent victim does not deserve to pay the consequences for some other person's evil. But, neither do we deserve God's love and grace. He loves us not because we are good, but because He is good. So, the world is unfair, and it stinks. But God is even more unfair, and that's awesome.

A word of hope.

Let me leave you with some hope.

Scripture tells us that King David and his men had been in battle. When they returned home, they were horrified by what they found... or more accurately, what they did not find. While they were off battling, someone had stolen away their wives and children. Off fighting in a war, they did not realize the battle was closer to home than they thought.

King David and his men made chase. They found their wives. They found their children. They recovered them all. This Psalm picks up as they begin to sing and celebrate.

Psalm 126:1-2 (NIV) 1.A song of ascents. When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. 2.Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."

The end of that first verse is unreal... "we were like men who dreamed." If you have been too close to the horrors of this life, whether you live in North Eastern Ohio or the farthest corner of the earth, let me introduce you to the one who can show you how to dream again.

...Christopher Levi

Getting along with other people when the stereotypes just don't fit

2010-04-26T21:44:00.001-06:00

Do you feel like a can of RC Cola in a Coke/Pepsi world? A little more Lane Bryant-y that you'd like, when all your friends are Limited and Express? Maybe you're a little too Quonset Hut, and not iTunes enough?

In translation... Do you sometimes feel like you just don't fit in?

Where we've been

We've been talking about relationships. We've hit it from all the typical angles. Guys getting along with guys. Girls getting along with girls. Girls understanding guys, and guys hoping to get a glimpse into the fairer sex.

However, maybe none of these glass slippers seem to fit on your feet. Maybe the person's feet onto which you are trying to slip these stereotypical glass slippers are just not princess-like at all.

How does this all apply to you?

You've got a champion

If you go to Scripture, you will find a different Jesus then the homogenized, ultra-pasteurized version we see in many churches today. You know the one. The white Jesus.The flannelgraph Jesus. The boring Jesus with the light brown hair, the pointy beard, the sad puppy dog eyes, and the flowing white tunic with the brown cloak on his shoulders.

People... that ain't Jesus.

Not even close.

The non good-looking Jesus

First of all, Jesus was ugly. You've probably heard him called the "Fairest of ten thousand." Yeah, that's not in scripture. You know why? Because Jesus was plain old ugly. And if He wasn't ugly, at least He wasn't good looking either. That's what Isaiah the prophet said. Isaiah was right about every single thing he said Jesus would be, probably wise to believe him on this one too...

Isaiah 53:2b (NLT) There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.

The non in-crowd Jesus

Have you ever watched the show Friends. What an eclectic group of people. Isn't it just amazing though that every single one of them is beautiful? How does that happen?

In the real world, it doesn't. In Jesus' world, it didn't either.

The rag-tag group of dudes that Jesus spent most of his time with probably looked and acted more like an episode of Deadliest Catch than an episode of HEROES.

In today's equivalents, Jesus hung around with a crowd of real losers. There was Peter the big-mouthed redneck. James and John were power-hungry brother's whose Mommy came to do their dirty work. Matthew was like a crooked IRS agent. And Simon (the Zealot) was a mercenary.

Sound a little more like your group of friends?

The non sophisticated Jesus

This passage is one of the most beautiful things written in scripture. Not because it's poetic, but because it's not...

Matt 9:10-11a (NLT) 10.That night, Matthew invited Jesus and His disciples to be his dinner guests, along with his fellow tax collectors and many other notorious sinners. 11.The Pharisees were indignant, "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?"

That is stinking AWESOME! Now understand that Matthew is writing this. Matthew doesn't hesitate to invite Jesus and his boys to eat dinner with Matthew's "fellow tax collectors" (Did you know that tax collectors were not allowed to give testimony in trial, because it was assumed that they would lie) and "many other notorious sinners."

Let's say that last little part again, "many other NOTORIOUS SINNERS." That's some church for you. When the pharisees find out what Jesus is doing, they act like most church people today, "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?"

That is a Jesus worth hanging around with.

Learning about relationships from that Jesus

We know that Jesus was all about the love. In this next scene, he's talking to a big group of people and turning a lot of their theology on it's ear...

Matt 5:43-47 (NLT) 43."You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44.But I say, 'Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!' 45.In that way, you will be acting like true children of your Father in heaven. For He give his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and on the unjust, too. 46.If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that. 47.If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different than anyone else? Even pagans do that."

There is a ginormous secret in this passage. It is the secret to happiness and successful relationships. Even if you have as many screwed up friends as Jesus did. Even if you're more screwed up than they are.

The secret

This is going to sound like a cliche, but I can't find any simpler way to put this... God doesn't love you because you are good. God loves you because He is good.

The whole concept of this passage is this... you've always been taught to love the good ones and hate the bad ones. Give people what they deserve. Treat people how they should be treated. Do unto others how they would have done unto you.

This is not God's way. And, it is not what Jesus lived, or how He wants us to live.

Love people. Treat them well. Value their opinions. Treasure their time. Give them sunshine when they need it. Give them rain when they need that instead.

This is not to say you should candy-coat everything and all things will be unicorns and rainbows. Sometimes, the honest truth is love. Sometimes, shutting your mouth is love. Sometimes, driving home a drunk friend is love. Sometimes, confronting an issue is love. Sometimes, you need to let it slide.

This brings us to a deeper secret.

The deeper secret

God realizes this. Jesus realized this. If we can realize this... watch out.

Listen carefully. There is no way to separate the intention from the result.

We'll say that again. There is no way to separate the intention from the result.

You reap what you sow. You get what you give. It's just the way it works... You can't give your buddy a box full of horse poo (love that word), wrapped up all beautiful, and then expect him to thank you when he figures out what you did.

If you tell someone that you love them, but the intention of your heart is to hurt them, you'll accomplish what you were really trying to do. Wrapping that poo in a pretty package may fool them for a while, but... There is no way to separate the intention from the result.

If you truly love someone, you can confront them about the most painful of things and eventually it will bring healing. Wrapping that painful love in gentle thoughtful words may ease the original reception, but regardless... There is no way to separate the intention from the result.

Fini

So, the key to being successful in relationships, whether with your group of raggamuffin friends with which you fit so well, or the lone person with whom you communicate regularly is exactly the same. Love them. Honestly. Sacrificially.

People, this is painful and honest stuff. Hard to write. Harder to live. If you like what you see, subscribe by clicking the "follow" button above and to the left. Also, please gimme your thoughts and comments.

... Christopher Levi

Turning towards. How men can learn to relate to women

2010-04-19T21:24:00.002-06:00

Guys, do you consider yourselves the LeBron James of relationships when it comes to getting along with the opposite sex? Are you the Placido Domingo of love? The Mahatma Ghandi of family? The Nelson Mendela of friends?

Ask the ladies around you. If they're honest, they may paint a different picture.

Where we've been

We've been talking about relationships. We discussed how men relate to other men, and how women relate to other women. Yesterday, we discussed (no men allowed to go and peak at this) how women can better learn to understand men.

Today, the topic is on the gentlemen, and how we can learn to relate to women.

The line

Joey Tribbiani, from the hit show Friends, thought it was all in a line... "How you doing?" Every time he met a beautiful woman, his coy smiling face, and expected line would proceed; with amazing success.

Guys, when you're not on TV, it doesn't work like that. Maybe you're as good looking as Joey. Heck, maybe you make him look like a geekier version of PeeWee Herman. It still doesn't work like that.

When we were discussing how men relate to other men, we talked about how we stand shoulder to shoulder, focused on other things. Camping, hunting, sports, gaming, MMA, WOW, Halo, iPAD, music, ladies, comedians, movies... and the list goes on and on.

While the ladies relate face to face, processing a lot of what happens in their world through the lens of their emotion. "How does this make you feel?" "Are you OK?"

Connecting

If you want to connect with a lady, and by this I mean actually connect. Not just touch them. Not just speak to them. Not just to remain their family member. But, if you want to actually connect, it may be time for some change. It might be time to take a look at their playbook, and learn from how they do things.

Guys, we're gonna be very honest, and frank. Some of this might be tough and unpopular.

First of all, as guys it is our responsibility to lead. Before you get your panties all up in a bunch and run out to correct your wife for not following you correctly, let me enlighten you what that responsibility really means, and where the onus lies.

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

This verse starts off well enough. "Husbands, love your wives."

"I do that already", you may be thinking. "I've got the love thing down pat". But, the verse doesn't end with this command. It clarifies how you should love her. "Just as Christ loved the church." Okay, that one hurts a little bit. It would be easier to swallow if it said "because Christ loved the church", or "kinda like Christ loved the church." No, he says "just as Christ loved the church." Ouchie.

The Apostle Paul still doesn't let us guys off the hook here. He leaves no room for interpretation. Tell us Paul, exactly what are you talking about when you say "Husbands, love your wife, just as Christ loved the church"? And his answer... "and gave himself up for her."

Brother, that's talking about the cross. That's talking about the cat-of-nine-tails that they whipped Christ with. That's talking about sacrifice. Paul tells us to love our wives, even though, and most especially when it is a sacrifice.

Sacrifice

It's easy to imagine taking a bullet for your lady. Heroically stepping in front of a moving car to shield her life. That is sacrifice. But that is easy sacrifice. It only has to happen once.

Sacrificing your life daily is something else entirely. Deciding day after day to shut your mouth, that's real sacrifice. Choosing to pick the movie or the TV show she would want to watch, even though it means missing Jack Bauer... that's sacrifice.

More than that, backing down from arguments even though you're positive that you're right. Now we're talking some sacrifice. Remember Paul telling us that love keeps no record of wrongs? Not bringing up any of the examples of the things she does wrong, that you could lay out in an argument... even though you know they would perfectly prove your point. That's tough stuff. It's sacrifice. It's our responsibility.

Taking responsibility

So, Adam and Eve are in the garden. They've eaten the apple and just figured out that they're naked. Which was probably and predictably more fun for Adam then for Eve. But, anyways, God comes walking through the Garden, looking for them and asks where they are. They are, of course, hiding. Naked, and all. God says, "Hey, who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the apple tree?" (Terribly paraphrased)

Adam's response coming up here is truly one of the great moments in Male history. Just, us guys at our best... pitiful.

God asks if Adam at the apple, and Adam follows classic guy techniques...

Deflect the question
Shift the blame
Show hostility to distract the person questioning

In one simple sentence, Adam makes his way through all 3 of these techniques in the Genesis of what are now these time honored techniques.

Adam says, "It was the woman that You gave me."

Deflect... when we think that answering a question will get us in trouble. We just ignore the question. God asks Adam if he ate the fruit, Adam start talking about something else.

Shift... if we can find someone else to blame, why not?. "It was the woman!" Blame her! It's all her fault.

Hostility... if neither of these techniques work, get angry and get loud. "And YOU gave her to me!"

If we want to be men instead of boys. It's time to stop acting like Adam and start acting like Christ. Take responsibility, and sacrifice that male pride.

Is there any special techniques? We heard you gave the girls some special techniques

Sorry, guys. There are no short cuts. There is no easy way out.

It's just like Adam's field that he looked over as God was handing out you-just-ate-the-fruit consequences.
You're gonna have to work at this, hard... for the rest of your life.

And it is absolutely and completely worth it.

The rewards

The female half to our species are absolutely astounding. They are an endless assortment of ever changing variables. They are like a Rubik's cube, except their colors change whenever they want to. And, sometimes they have 6 sides, but other times they only have 3.

Adam did all God gave him to do, and he was still bummed. So, God put him to sleep, and made Eve from his rib. When Adam woke up, he looked at that beautiful, tender, compassionate, frustrating, stubborn, laughing, grumpy girl, and said "AT LAST!!!"

Sorry guys, but we will never figure them out. Isn't that awesome?

Can you imagine how incredibly boring our lives would be otherwise?

...Christopher Levi

photo courtesy of http://www.chrisbuesphotography.com/

Tim Hawkins "The things you don't say to your wife" Wicked funny.

Turning your face. How women can learn to understand men

2010-04-16T13:10:00.000-06:00

Understanding the ridiculous psyche, and sometimes psychotic nature of men is something that only a woman will ever accomplish. We sure don't understand ourselves. Whether you're looking for friendship advice, dating help, family guidance, or marital counseling, the relationship that happens between a man and a woman affects them all.

Over the past week, we've been talking about relationships. We talked about how men relate to other men. Yesterday, we talked about how women relate to other women. Today, we'll discuss how women can learn to understand men.

No guys allowed today.

As a fully qualified member of the male species sub-group, there are certain No-No's that we don't discuss. Today, we will talk about those things in all their gory glory. So, if you are a guy... go away. But, come back tomorrow because we're gonna be chatting about the ladies.

An admission

Ladies, if you have been reading along over the last several days, you're probably thinking "Yeah, some of this is true, but this is seriously stereotypical and rather simplified." Yes, you are correct. There is no way to describe the wonderfulness that is woman in a 1000 word article. We could spend 400 pages describing your smile lines alone. So, time and space demand stereotype.

Stereotypes (not speaking of prejudice here), however, exist not because they are always right, but because they sometimes are. You probably are that much smarter than us. You do understand the emotional quotient of things so much more thoroughly. And we are loners. Look at TV and Movies. "The Last of the Mohicans", "The Lone Ranger", "Lone Wolf McQuade", "The Last Boyscout". The theme is so prevalent, because (at least to a degree) it is true.

Now, down to the nitty gritty of how you can better understand the maleness in your life.

The nitty-gritty

Tell no men that this was ever discussed, but, the number one thing that a man looks from from a woman is... (maybe not what you're thinking)... respect. That's right. For all our "toughness", we are a bit soft inside. For a guy, that search and hunger for respect drives much of what we do in life. Like Adam standing in the Garden of Eden, looking out at his fields, surveying what he needs to do, knowing that he will have to work his tail off all the days of his life; we realize something. The more we do, or the better we do it, the more we are able to provide. The more we are able to provide the better we feel about ourselves. When we feel more confidence about ourselves, we begin to interact with other people more confidently. Interacting with confidence, breeds respect. thus, a man finds much of his self-worth in what he "does."

Our self-worth and respect from others was not supposed to come from this source. In the Garden, God had already given man a job, something to do. He was to name the animals.

Gen 2:20 He gave names to all the livestock, birds, and wild animals. But still there was no companion suitable for him.

Do you see that. Adam accomplished all that God gave him to do, but he wasn't complete. He was missing something.

Gen 2:21-23a So the LORD God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. He took one of Adam's ribs and closed up the place from which he had taken it. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib and brought her to Adam. "At last!" Adam exclaimed.

Every great story has that moment in it, when the "he" finally sees the "she" and a big "At last!" reverberates.

You see, before the fall of man, before everything got all whopperdated (good word, huh? Substitute "messed up" for translation), Adam realized that Eve was his best "At last!" moment.

How do we fix this?

This is honestly painful to write. The only way to fix this is to give your husband, or your father, or your brother, or whatever guy were talking about more respect, even if you feel like it is unearned.

And how am I supposed to do that?

Turning your face. Maybe someday, you will be able to look each other in the eye and have deep meaningful conversations. But, for now, meet him where he is. Turn away from what you want and what you need in the relationship and selflessly uncover what he wants and what he needs. We know that what he needs most is respect, right? Turn away from looking at him, and instead look where he's looking. Stand shoulder to shoulder with him and study the things that he "does." And in that thing, you will begin to uncover a secret. You will see an image off in the distance of the man that he wants to be, perhaps only subconsciously.

Perhaps he's an adrenaline junkie. All pierced and tatted up. He finds anything he can do to get his heart pumping. Here's the truth. He wants to know that he's a warrior. That he could have thrived in battle. That he's a little dangerous. Your job now is to find the things in him that remind you of the man that he wants to be and PRAISE him for them. "You're so manly." "I feel safe when I'm with you."

Special hint

Want to know a quick way to hone in on the "man he wants to be?" Do this...

Look at the things about him that tick you off.
Look harder and deeper at them until you can find the positives in the negative
Watch for how those things that tick you off sometimes also help you other times.
Praise him for those moments.

Often, our biggest weakness and biggest strength are intertwined.

What does all this accomplish?

As you continue doing these things, he will slowly (much slower than you could ever imagine) begin to realize that he gets more respect from you than from anything he does.

And then one day it will happen. You will say something that touches his masculine soul. Maybe something that heals wounds left by an absent father or a traumatic situation. He will turn in surprise to look at you. And in your eyes, he will see the reflection of the man he always wanted to be.

And you will have the man you always wanted. Face to face.

Tomorrow, it's back to the guys. If you know a guy who needs to think about the things we are going to discuss here tomorrow, please make sure he jumps in.

...Christopher Levi

photo courtesy of http://www.chrisbuesphotography.com/ AWESOME photographer, and in North East Ohio!

Face to Face. How women relate to other women...

2010-04-13T17:28:00.002-06:00

We've been talking about relationships, and the advice and examples that Scripture lays down for us to apply to our lives. Yesterday, we talked about how guys relate to other guys. Today, it's all about the ladies.

Have you ever sat in a shopping mall and just watched people? Honestly, it is ceaselessly entertaining. Just the sheer diversity of styles, and personalities is unreal. But, imagine a ridiculous situation with me...

You've seated yourself on one of those benches in the mall. You bought a CinnaBon at the food court, and are now hoping to eat it in the absolute least visible spot you can find. You have searched for and found the perfect place. A place where you hopefully will not be seen as you gorge yourself on cinnamon-sugary-goodness, but still be able to do a whole lot of seeing. From opposite sides of your field of vision, two couples walk slowly towards each other. They are close in age, perhaps two sets of married couples from similar socio-economic circles. To you, the casual observer, there is nothing that would keep them from being friends, and for all you know, they probably already are. Little do you know, but the game is about to be played. As they approach, the two guys glance very very quickly at each other, they nod their heads in mutual acknowledgment of each others basic maleness, and perhaps they silently mouth a 'Sup?' in the others direction. With the women, the story started much earlier. From across the crowded mall, they have been studying each other. They each know the brand name and price of each piece of clothing the other wears. They watch the way the other walks. They notice earrings. They make mental note of shoe choices. At a mutually acceptable distance that is only known by these tribal members, Woman #1 will attempt to make eye contact. When Woman #2 allows her eyes to connect with Woman #1, Woman #1 smiles. At this point, there is very little margin for error. If Woman #2 does not return that valuable smile with something that appears to be genuine within their genetic hard-coded time limit, the smile on Woman #1's face will quickly turn to scorn. As they pass each other, their eyes will not meet again. Seconds after this encounter, but after the two have passed, Woman #1 will ask her husband, voice dripping with derision, “Did you see what she was wearing?” His monosyllabic reply is only, “Kim?” “What??!!”, she says. “You know her?”. He answers, “Sweetie, that was Mark and Kim.” And with the artful dodge that only a true woman can manage, she replies, “It was? Oh my gosh, didn't she look fantastic?”

With women, so much of their relationship is face to face. “How does that make you feel?” “You deserve better than him!” “Have you lost weight? Your face looks thinner!” They process emotional information not based upon what happens, not based upon what they should do about what happened, but primarily upon how what happened made them (or one of their friends) feel.

In yesterday's story of the Garden of Eden, we heard God explaining the consequences of Adam and Eve's choices. Let's listen in as He deals with Eve.

Genesis 3:16

To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children, Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

Yesterday, when we looked through Adam's consequences, we saw phrases like... painful toil, thorns and thistles, and the sweat of your brow. What do we hear in Eve's? Pain, childbearing, with pain you will give birth, desire will be for your husband, he will rule over you. People, this is not fun stuff. It speaks of emotional heartbreak, and pain.

See, here's the deal. Man was created to provide. Woman was provided to create. (Please, I'm not trying to say anything bad about women, I'm trying to compliment you here.) Adam's sentence is to work in the field, often fruitlessly in order to provide. But Eve brings to him the possibility of creation. Children, born in pain. And also relationship. “Your desire will be for your husband.” And that is also born in pain for, “he will rule over you.”

The picture from yesterday was of Adam looking over his field, at what he needs to do. Today's is of Eve. She is looking at Adam's profile. He is lost in his thoughts of what he needs to do. She, however, is the only one speaking... seeking him... waiting for his attention... “How does this make you feel?" "Why aren't you talking to me?" "Why won't you look at me?”

Women relate to women face to face. Not “What happened?”, but rather, “How are you?” Not “What are you going to do?”, but rather, “Are you okay?”

How do we apply this in the real world? Do you want to risk attempting again to connect with your Mom? This time, instead of trying to get her to hear what you have to say, stand face to face, look her in the eyes, and ask “How are you?” Hardest of all, don't expect her to ask the same of you. Give this moment to her, with your full attention. Most difficult... with an open and giving heart, expect nothing in return.

Tomorrow, ladies I will give you the secret information on what your guy is thinking as you are talking with him as we discuss “Turning your face. How woman can learn to better understand men.”

...Christopher Levi

Photo provided by stacydebord@yahoo.com

Shoulder to Shoulder. How men relate with other men...

2010-04-12T18:27:00.005-06:00

Yesterday, we started talking about how relationships work, and what kind of examples and advice Scripture gives us to help us learn what to do, and what to definitely not do.

Are you a guy, and you watch other guys talking, but feel like you're on the outside? Are you a girl, and the “conversations” that you hear between guys seems a little sub-neanderthal, and for the life of you, you can't figure out why your man would rather sit with his friends saying next to nothing... than to spend the evening talking with you? If so, today may be your lucky day.

We'll pick up with how men relate with other men. We're dealing with this first, not because men are stronger, or braver, or better than women. But rather, because we're... dumber? Simpler? Less Complex? Whatever... relationships between men (at least early-stage and more shallow relationships) are just easier for guys.

Let's look at an example...

Suppose you drive to your local park. If you live in a well populated area, and it is summertime, and if you are in a park that people actually go to... you will find basketball courts. On those basketball courts, you will probably see guys. They may be playing one-on-one. They may be playing “33.” They may be running full-court. But they'll be sweating, and laughing, and yelling, and bumping... and quite possibly, there will be guys playing on the court that know no one else out there. A couple of guys here may know this other guy. And that guy may be a playground legend, but the other guy in the corner, well no one has ever seen him before. Here's the point. Guys don't have to know each other to be able to do stuff together. There is the unspoken language. The “head nod.” The “Wassup?” It's universal and hard wired into most of us.

So, let's change the situation now...

Imagine you are in that same park, the basketball courts are there. What are the chances of ten women getting together to play a game of “pick-up”? Nope. Not gonna happen. If they tried, they'd be pulling each others hair out inside three plays. Kicking, scratching, biting. Women are beautiful, but they sure can be ugly to each other. (Women, you'll get yours tomorrow)

Why is it easier like that for guys? Because men relate to each other “Shoulder to Shoulder.” You'll see...

Scripture uncovers a lot about relationships in the Garden of Eden. We'll go through different parts of that story each day as we break down this subject. But for now...

Old Adam has screwed up. Big time. He ate the apple, he blamed it on Eve. And now God is handing out the consequences.

Genesis 3:17-19

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken, for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Now, first of all, in general, guys... listen to your wives. They are just smarter than we are. But, let's look at our keywords here and see if we can find a theme... painful toil, thorns and thistles, the sweat of your brow, and dust. Now, God's explaining the consequences, and he basically says, “Adam, this means you're gonna have to work. Hard. And it's not gonna be really productive. And, if you want to eat, you're gonna have to work like that 'til you die.”

So, the way that works for us is this. Adam screwed up for all of us. Because he screwed up, all us guys are screwed up. We've gotta work. We have to be do'ers. It's part of our nature now. The picture that this draws, is of a man looking out at his field. Unsatisfied with it's condition, but realizing that if he wants anything at all in this life, he has got to focus and go do something. Plow that field. Write that brief. Deliver those packages. Rescue that damsel in distress. Whatever it is, as guys, our solution is almost always to go and DO something.

Men stand shoulder to shoulder, not looking at each other, but looking out at what they need to do, or what they hope to accomplish, or what they wish was different, and that is how they relate. It is also our way of easing into actually being able to speak to each other. “So, how about them Browns?” “Do you think LeBron will be in Cleveland next year?” “Sure is a lot of snow, lemme help you shovel that.” “Wanna go bow-hunting next month?”

How do we apply this in our lives? If you want to find a way to start to relate with the father you didn't really get along with growing up, go find something he likes to do, and do it with him. Take your father, stand shoulder to shoulder, and tinker in the garage. Go to the car auction. Help him water his garden. Don't worry about striking up that conversation you've been imagining in your head forever. With guys, most times it's enough to just go and do.

Tomorrow ladies, it's your turn, as we discuss “Face to Face. How women relate to women.”

...Christopher Levi

Special thanks to Moses Rosen, professional photographer to be...

Getting along with people... What advice or examples do we find in Scripture?

2010-04-11T12:45:00.003-06:00

Aren't all of your relationships perfect? Did you think that making a decision to follow Christ would be all puppy dogs, butterflies, and unicorns? Do you find that you still have to deal with people's attitudes, and worst of all... your own?

“I'd like this job, if it wasn't for all the people!”...Anonymous Senior Pastor of a large church.

Even the “professional” Christians have to work at it, have to bite their tongue, and have to apologize for saying the wrong things. We all do. It's part of the experience of riding on this dirt ball we call Earth.

So, how do we get along with other people? And, can we find any advice or examples in Scripture that can help us travel the bumpy emotional highway to more successful relationships? The type of relationship doesn't change the way we get along with people, only the importance and urgency that we understand and learn how to get along with people.

If you've been married for 73 years, your marriage needs you to understand this. If you are a Business Woman, your career needs you to understand this. If you are a teenager, you desperately need to understand this. If you don't see yourself in any of this, hang on, because our last subject is just for you.

Over the next several days, we will take a look at different types of relationships, uncover some hidden landmines that could disrupt our lives, find valuable lessons we can apply from the wisdom of Scripture, and talk about the smart and stupid things the people in Scripture did in their own relationships.

We will look at:

How men relate with other men. Shoulder to Shoulder
How women relate with other women. Face to Face
How women can learn to understand men. Turning away.
How men can learn to relate to women. Turning towards.
What to do when these patterns just don't fit you or the person you want to understand. Making it up on the fly.

So, check back. Each day we will open up a new topic, and see if we can learn this dance, even if you feel like you were born with two emotional left feet.

...Christopher Levi

picture provided by stacydebord@yahoo.com

"She shoulda said, 'Watch out! I'm a vegetarian!"

2010-04-09T14:12:00.001-06:00

Have you gotten to watch The Blind Side yet?

I did this past weekend with all my girls at the In-Law's house.

Have you ever been completely blown away by the unexpected things you see in a loved one or family member? As the movie started, I was so focused on the issues going on in Sandra Bullock's life, that I just felt TERRIBLE for her. Even if you are like a hundred and sixty years old and used to rob banks in the Wild West, you don't get special permission to be an anal sphincter.

But, in credit to Sandra's exceptional acting ability, I very quickly lost myself in the real life story of Michael Oher, and his exceptional adoptive family. Quite a story...

But, I've got to tell you, my Macy is a HOOT! I'll explain.

If you haven't seen the movie yet, please do. If you have seen it, do you remember the scene where the tutor, played by Kathy Bates is interviewing for the job tutoring Michael. She ends the scene by telling Sandra Bullock's character that she's going to reveal something that she's never told anyone before. She says something like, "I just wanted you to know, I'm a Democrat."

My 7-year old, Macy, belly-laughing, busts out with, "She shoulda said, 'Watch Out! I'm a vegetarian!'"

What?

Where did that come from?

So good to be surprised by a family member in such a good and funny way.

So sorry, Sandra... your surprise wasn't fun at all.

(If you wanna support her as she watches her cheating husband's kids while he's in rehab, i thought i'd include these.)

...Christopher Levi

Mike Yaconelli posthumously wrecked my life in every good way imaginable

2010-04-08T19:11:00.000-06:00

Rhythms of Regret

2010-04-08T18:18:00.000-06:00

Have you ever been surprised by a really great accent? Sometimes it doesn't even matter what they're saying, enthralled by the dance of their dialect, you're fascinated.

Other times... you really are trying... but you have to ask them to repeat... and then repeat again. Awkward faced, you kinda smile and pretend like you understand, but the truth is... you have no flipping idea what it is that they just said. But, you loved it.

Connection is such a powerful and dangerous thing. At it's best, it helps us transcend. Become more than we are. At it's worse, it is capable of wounding us so deeply that it's poisonous talons tear at a soul, never to be healed again.

Sometimes the accent that catches our ears leaves us charmed. Sorrowfully, other times, it is the haunting voice of the past that reminds us too well of all the things that we do not want to ever become. If your situation now is way different than the one in which you grew up, have you ever gone home again? Even accidentally? Some parts are beautiful, and beyond expression. But, somethings are maybe best left in the past.

Perhaps you're not proud of your past. The things you used to do. The person you used to be. The way you used to think. You step back into what was once familiar, and find it is you that has become the stranger. Suddenly, the smallest things become beacons of regret. The tone of a voice reveals to you their deep-set and brewing prejudice. A posture or position reflects their unconscious hatred and fear. And you are reminded, overwhelmingly, why you chose to leave. Their life continues as it has. But, yours has forever changed.

Why is it that the enjoyment of this moment is only theirs? Why is it that things commonplace and forgettable to them, grieve your soul?

I don't want to be bitter.

I don't want to recoil in horror at what was intended trivially. I want to heal.

I want to find beauty in the ashes of my regret. I want to be able to love them. To find hope and joy where now only loss and sorrow dwell.

It is I that have changed. But I cannot go back. For I have changed.

What do i do now?

...Christopher Levi