Most Prized Possession

 

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.  James 1:17-18

My youngest daughter is quite a challenge.  Because of those challenges, my heart is a bit burdened today. I worry about her.  I ask God if I have given her the right direction.  She is not a wild child.  But today, she seemed to weigh on me.  When she wanders off the right path and makes a mistake, you ask yourself if you could have done something differently or pointed her in a direction that would have made everything alright.  Was I too harsh?  Will she make the right choices when she grows up?  Will she reach out to her mother and me when she cannot pick up the pieces?  It is difficult to know like God knows.  When I said that to myself, I then realized something.  She is a gift.

Through all that she has put me through, the many years of tireless arguments over the same things and pressing her repeatedly about what she should do, I’m still thankful to have her as my child.  She could have been any number of places.  But God gave her to Loretta and me.  Through all sixteen plus years, she has been a gift to us.  I am humbled and blessed to have that opportunity to be her Dad, and I need to remember how God saw me.  I certainly was not His best child, but He still loved on me, and He patiently waited to mold and grow me.  And when I was distant from Him, He did not leave me out in the wilderness.  He pursued me until I found my way back to His house.  Despite all our daughter puts us through, we always helped her find a way home.  That is what a good shepherd does with prized possessions.

We are all gifts to God.  When I say ‘gifts,’ I am not saying it in the sense we are to feel entitled or privileged.  Instead, it means to be viewed as something valuable.  If we understand who God is, then we know anything that He values is ultimately priceless, and above all things, we are those who He values most.  Another way to look at God’s value of us is to think of Jesus’s Parable of the Lost Sheep.  Listen how Jesus describes it:

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.  When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’  Luke 15:4-6

God does not have favorites or sees anyone either more or less valuable.  He sees all of us as His prized possessions not wanting to lose even one of us.  As such, all that we are and all we are given are from Him.  This is amazing to know and more importantly, invaluable to remember particularly at this time of the year.

Our greatest gift is the life God has given us.  Whether it is a child, spouse, family, and friend, all of it comes from Him, and no matter where you see yourself, take a moment to see yourself as God sees you.  The reason Jesus called it The Greatest Commandment is that we are to not only love God but to love our neighbors as … ourselves.  Thus, if we do it right, we do not see others as lesser nor greater.  We see what God sees: an abundance of gifts.  Let us celebrate this Christmas knowing the best gift was not gift wrapped.  It was wrapped in swaddling clothes.  Whose lives will you acknowledge as a gift to you?  How can you value your life as God values it?  My prayer is today we spend time remembering we are God’s most prized possession.  Amen, and Merry Christmas!

Almost Anyone Welcome

 We sometimes like to believe we are special, because we are disciples of Jesus. And, in very important ways, we are. Ironically, we are rarely special in the ways some disciples think. Jesus had to deal with this issue among His disciples, but also among "religious people" on the outside looking in.

Rather than Jesus being on the outside, looking in on the Pharisees, as they expected Him to be, they found themselves on the outside looking in at Him. That had to be very difficult for them to process. Sometimes, we can find ourselves in the same position, and, when we do, Scripture contains several calls to repent.

In such instances, repentance amounts to joining Jesus, not abstaining from something, turning around, or whatever. Repentance is first a change of mind and heart before it is a change of action. In the account of the call of Levi (Matthew), there is a call to the Pharisees to accept the perspective of their Creator, so He might become their Savior.

Jesus went out again by the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught them. As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth. “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him. Mark 2:13-14 NET)

I know, where are the Pharisees? But, trust me, they are there! Matthew is one of those "office" tax collectors, where people come to him, not him going door-to-door with a contingent of soldiers, robbing his own people. He still has the soldier(s), but not the requirement to trapes all over Galilee. So, he's kind of important, even among tax collectors. And He's probably "successful" (think "wealthy") as well. According to the NET translation and "study note" for verse 14, the "tax booth" was for the collection of trade duties on merchants. The belief in the note is that Levi collected them for Herod Antipas, the regional ruler on behalf of Rome.

So, that is what Levi left to follow Jesus. In a similar way to Andrew, Simon, James, and John leaving their occupation, Jesus has called this guy from his. The massive irony to anyone familiar with the Roman practice of tax collection would be that, "you just don't do that." And Levi did. Not only did he leave the lucrative business, but he throws a party for all his "tax collecting" buddies, and other "sinners"...

As Jesus was having a meal in Levi’s home, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. (Mark 2:15 NET)

Matthew (Levi) is not only leaving his "occupation", but is happy about it. I suppose, but don't know, that he could have had someone collect for him while he is off following Jesus. It never says that. Like it never says someone works the fishing business for Andrew, Simon, James, and John. We aren't told they continue to get anything from it while following Jesus. The impression is that they truly left it, and all the benefits thereof, to follow Jesus.

Now, enter the Pharisees...

When the experts in the law and the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this he said to them, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:16-17 NET)

The Pharisees are, unexpectedly for them, on the outside, looking in at Jesus. And, to His undying shame, He's obviously having fun, which He should never do, no self-respecting rabbi would. I just can't help but think of the line from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, where what really irritated the physicists was that they didn't get invited to those sorts of parties. I suspect the Pharisees, deep down, felt the same way. They were caught between the life of "respect" they maintained fraudulently, and the life of "shame" they witnessed Jesus and His disciples enjoying authentically.

Don't think for second, it was easy for the other disciples here. It had to be somewhat awkward for them as well. They were fishermen, sure, but still respectable Jewish men. Here Jesus was accepting into their number this guy, and then partying with him. The other four probably were more in agreement with the Pharisees than Jesus, at just that moment. And their feelings of "superiority" were about to be dashed by Jesus' response.

Jesus had not come to call the "righteous" but "sinners"? Think that through for a moment. How "righteous" do you suppose Jesus thought the Pharisees really were? If you are not sure about that, look over Matthew 23 and Luke 11. So, if Jesus knows these Pharisees are not righteous, what does He mean? Obviously, "self-righteous". Jesus has not come to call the "self-righteous".

So, the question for you to mull over is, "how am I self-righteous?", and you (and I) need to mull that over from time to time. Self-righteousness creeps in insidiously, and taints our walk with our Savior. Every time I make some headway in a struggle with sin, I feel proud of myself. How ridiculous is that? It wasn't me, not at all, but I'm so proud of myself for taking a few steps with my Savior, as if, for the first time on my own. I'm a bonehead. You may not be, and good for you if not.

In this account, I find that I can drift into the lane of the Pharisees, only to discover that I'm now on the outside looking in at my Savior having authentic fun with "those people". So, what do I do? What should I do? If I'm not in there with my Savior, then I'm not in a "right relationship" with my Creator. The corrective to such a situation is what we call "repentance". In this case, for this particular problem, the answer (repentant activity) would be to join the fun. 

The Pharisees were actually invited to the party, but declined (see any number of parables on that one). They would not shame themselves to eat with "sinners", and, in so doing, chose to be unrighteous. They could not make the paradigm shift to God's paradigm, a paradigm that accepted anyone who authentically sought their Creator. There sat Jesus, the answer to every question their hearts held tight, and they could not let go of their perspective. He was too different.

What is too different for you? What is shaking up your world that you simply can't wrap your head around? Okay, honestly that can happen a lot, in a whole host of circumstances that have nothing to do with God. So, let's be more specific: Where do you see your Creator working as Savior that you struggle to accept? Who is He working with that you believed could never be reached? For you, who are "those people"? Are they defined politically? Are they defined economically? Socially? 

When faced with your Savior working with "those people", the lesson from this passage in Mark is to go in and join the party. So, the message this morning is to "Party On!", because Jesus only calls those willing to humble themselves, shift their paradigms, and enter into the party. Be one of those. Those who won't, won't be called. Don't be that guy.

Party on!

Which is Easier to Say?

 The way of much Eastern Mysticism is the "path of least resistance". The concept of water is especially attractive to those who follow such paths. Water wears down over time, but initially is guided by the ground, following the path of least resistance. It eventually changes the ground, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly.

I used to believe this was a valid way to seek my Master, that He would guide me in this way, and to fight my circumstances was to fight Him. But I learned that this is a fallen world, not just a world with fallen humanity. This place is a spiritual battleground, and, if Eastern Mystics are who you listen to, then Sun Tsu might be a better option. For this is war, and the path of least resistance may not be the best path to winning a war.

Jesus chose the hard way often, very often. It was the path to the cross that He chose. On that path, He upset lots of people, including some scribes in a house in Capernaum one day:

And Jesus seeing their faith *said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:5-7 NASB)

Four friends come to the crowded house, and can't get their paralyzed buddy to Jesus through the people. They dig through the roof, and drop their friend, bier and all, through the roof right in front of Jesus. It was quite a scene, the dust and debris from the roof spilling into the room, and then four faces, and a pallet become visible where the roof had been. And down comes this guy on a pallet looking up at Jesus and smiling. Jesus saw their faith, the five, and forgives the paralyzed man his sin. It's a beautiful moment, except for the look on the faces of the self-important religious people in the front row.

Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, *said to them, “Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He *said to the paralytic, “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.” And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this.” (Mark 2:8-12 NASB) 

Jesus knows what these guys are thinking. They aren't saying it, but it's plain to Jesus what they're thinking. I believe this is what He wanted. He wanted them to catch that important understanding, because that is why these guys came in the first place (see Luke 5:18-26), they were investigating this new rabbi. So, in order to better help them understand who He truly was, Jesus forgave the man's sins. The scribes weren't wrong, that truly was something only God could do. So, Jesus reveals the amazing truth to them, He speaks for God! 

Saying the man's sins were forgiven was impossible to prove, there was nothing to see. How could anyone really know if what Jesus said actually happened? But, should He say something like, "Rise, take your pallet and walk" to a paralyzed man, well, that was verifiable. And, only God could heal a paralytic, which we don't point out much. In order for someone to actually heal another, God would have to do the actual work. To prove that God was with Jesus, that He came from the Father, as He taught, that the Kingdom of God was truly at hand (Mark 1:15), Jesus commanded the paralyzed man, and he got up and walked out.

Jesus validated His forgiveness of this man by also healing him. Just before this, Jesus touched a leper, and then healed him. The touch was necessary to heal a heart, and would, ordinarily, infect Jesus. But Jesus imparts holiness because He is God. Here He forgives sins because He is God. He heals the paralyzed man, as He did the leper, because He is God. He is, as Mark claims right up front (Mark 1:1), The Son of God. And this account proves it, clarifies it, makes the impossible as certain as life and death.

Are our actions making Jesus clear to those around us? Do our attitudes and actions clarify His deity, make certain His power to save, and convey His love for rebellious sinners throughout this crazy world? If so, persevere. If not, what needs to change in your life and conduct? We are told that we can forgive sins, you and I. Yes, only God can forgive sins, and He has delegated that responsibility to us (John 20:23).

Read this account, and let us go, and do likewise. 

Bethlehem Ephrathah

 

2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.

3 Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren Shall return to the children of Israel.

4 And He shall stand and feed His flock In the strength of the LORD, In the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth;

5 And this One shall be peace.

     Micah 5:2-5 (NKJV)

In this passage, Micah reassures the people that their Messiah will come and prophesies that He will be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah.  Because there is another town called Bethlehem in northern Israel, Micah specifies that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah (just south of Jerusalem).  And so it was, just as predicted centuries earlier.

 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

     Luke 2:12-15 (NKJV)

After the angel heralded to the shepherds that their Savior had come, they were told that a Babe lying in a manger would be the sign of this miracle. This sign shows the incredible contrasts involved in God’s sovereign plan. Though Bethlehem was just a little, out-of-the-way town, the Savior was born there. Though the Davidic line was dried up at the time, the Messiah came forth from it. The eternal Son of God came as a newborn baby, the divine King was born in a lowly manger to a humble girl. The best news was given first to common shepherds. Yet we see over and over how God uses the little things to confound the wise, and chooses the humble to become greater. 

While the shepherds found their Savior in Bethlehem, others did not.  The chief priests and scribes knew this prophecy and even quoted it from Micah to tell the wise men where to find the Christ (Matthew 2:5-6), but they did not seek Him themselves.  Whatever their reason, it’s tragic.  The long-awaited Messiah was right there with them and yet the Jewish leaders missed the most wondrous gift.  We must be careful not to miss Christ either.

 Let not our hearts be hard or distracted, but meek and focused on Him. Let not our expectations cause us to miss what God has for us. Like the shepherds, let us run to Him and believe with child-like faith. Like they did, let us fall down and worship Him. Then we will truly have a Christ-filled Christmas.

Giving Up Control To Get Control

 

Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.  For the Good News must first be preached to all nations.  But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit.  Mark 13:8-11

One of the great things I never mentioned about my Dad was how much I admired him when he prayed for the family.  My Dad was a successful businessman, but as I have said previously, he was a man of faith long before then.  As a young man, he went to a prominent local church in Detroit, and he would sing in a quartet as a tenor.  I would not get to hear him sing like that much, but he had a beautiful tenor voice.  That is where I guess he grew comfortable in front of audiences, and he would often say grace over the meal not only at home but also at major family functions and church gatherings.  I marveled at his timing of words and connection with God, and every word flowed with ease.  I would aspire to be as connected, but for most of my adult life, I would always get nervous and struggle to find the right words to say.  But over time as my relationship with God grew and more journey taught me to trust Him more, the words suddenly came.  The family entrusted me with saying prayer more, and I was able to speak what was on both my mind and heart with a seamless connection with God.  There is a saying I heard that became a lifelong principle of mine.  Sometimes, you must give up control in the narrow sense to get control in the broader sense.  If you can give up control of what to say and how to say it, you can begin to trust God to fill you with the Holy Spirit to say exactly what is needed for His Glory.

Trusting God means believing what He put in you is the good that will come out.  I spoke a couple weeks ago about when Jesus poured out His wisdom, love, and knowledge to Peter to lead His people after He would ascend to Heaven.  As I read these verses, the situation Jesus described was dire.  Being handed over to the council and beaten in the synagogues is bad enough.  But then, you had to stand trial just because you claimed Christ.  Just an ordinary walk in the park in the name of Jesus, right?  I remember saying how God is a wonderful playwriter, and is a master of setting the stage.  In the story of Job, Satan said that when you take all away from Job, he will curse you.  God knew that Job would remain faithful, and of course, Job affirmed it having said:

Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.  Job 1:20b (NKJV)

Here, Jesus set this stage knowing that should we find ourselves under the most trying of circumstances and yet testify to God’s goodness in the face of such adversity, there can be no doubt not only who we serve but also who others should be willing to give their life to Christ.  It is why Billy Graham Sr. was such a great crusader for Christ for every word that flowed from His mouth was clearly words God intended to share with his audiences.  And upon hearing him, millions confessed and gave their lives to Christ.  When you reflect of today’s verses, it is not so difficult to understand how such a movement of God happened.

God is forever faithful.  When the right words seemingly cannot be found and you worry about what to say, we know we can simply close our eyes, and focus our mind and heart on Jesus.  His Spirit will fill you, and then, speak with confidence knowing the true living God is with you.  Do not focus on your past failed comments.  Let us surrender control to Him and be amazed.  What prayers will you go to Him focusing exclusively on the Holy Spirit within you?  How can you allow your words to melt into God’s words?  My prayer is that we give up control of our thoughts to God to get control of our walk of faith toward Him.  Amen.

Pun Gained in Translation

 One of the reasons that I wanted to learn biblical languages is that I had always been told, "...in the original Greek, that means..." and figured that, to really understand the important stuff, I needed to know Greek and Hebrew. After several years of training, and two decades of translating, it has dawned on me that I gained something else, and still haven't really understood the important stuff.

One of the things that I gained was an appreciation for the creativity and humor of many of the biblical authors (and, of course, my Savior) demonstrated in their writing. That wasn't always as clear in a translation. But it's not an amazing revelation either. Usually, some phrase or word is a "pun" or a joke, or something you would pickup if it were spoken out loud in Hebrew or Greek.

But today, I found something that seems to only work in English rather than Greek or Hebrew:

As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Immediately He called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him. (Mark 1:16-20 NASB)

Jesus, walking along the Sea of Galilee, finds...fishermen. Who would have thought? Some occupations are made up of "participles" of the action done in the occupation. And I figured "fisherman" was one of those. It isn't. In Greek, you can't "borrow" the verb, "to fish", in another form to make a pun like you can in English (I don't know if it's technically a "pun", but some sort of word-play).

It would technically read, "...and I will make you fishermen of people." But that reads really odd in English. Instead, translators have used the obvious word-play. And it's important to draw attention to what Jesus says here. He connects what Peter and Andrew do for a living to what He is calling them to do. 

In a basic sense, Peter and Andrew gather fish (net fishing). Jesus uses the metaphor of harvesters in the fields to describe something similar. Fishermen were at the mercy of fish, in many ways. In Luke 5, this account includes Jesus directing Peter to catch fish with Him. After a fruitless night of fishing, Peter and his people net a huge amount of fish, simply at Jesus' word.

In one sense, Simon, Andrew, James, and John all leave one occupation to follow Jesus. This becomes their new occupation, or activity with which they provide for their families. In another sense, this occupation is also dependent upon what is sought, or rather, for God to bring what is sought to the seeker. 

We can all fall into the trap of believing we "make money" by what we do. We do our "jobs" and "make a living". But the reality is that our Creator brings us what we seek; He provides what we need for our families. The same is true for our calling in His Kingdom. We only see the results He brings. We work, we prepare the fields, we mend the nets, we make ready to share the good news of Jesus.

And it is our Savior who prepares the hearts as our Creator prepares the rains. It is our Savior who brings the people as our Creator gathers fish to the nets. What we have been called to be doing for the Kingdom of Heaven, may not be our "occupation". Even so, it is dependent up on our Savior for results. And there may be nights we work all night and catch nothing. And, like Peter, at the word of Jesus, we may need to put the nets out one more time.

If your occupation and your kingdom calling are different (mine are), take a minute to think about how our Savior is providing within both. How is Jesus making you successful at "work"? How is the Holy Spirit giving you success in a ministry? And how are you protecting your heart and mind from the trap of believing it's about what you do? How can you avoid the common cultural message that you are responsible for your own success?

Zebulun and Naphtali

 1 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles.

2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

3 You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian.

5 For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.

6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

     Isaiah 9:1-7 (NKJV)

This passage is another prophecy about the coming of Christ. When quoted during Advent, the focus is often on verses 6-7—“unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given. . .” These are marvelous promises to recall and hold in our hearts. But it’s also interesting to consider the context of this prophecy in the prior verses.

Isaiah directed the prophecy to the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. These lands were in the northern part of Israel, near the sea of Galilee, and were named after two of the tribes (sons of Jacob).  Zebulun and Naphtali often were the first to suffer from invasion, such as by Assyria (see 2 Kings 15:29). Also, this area was on the main trade route of that time and Gentiles congregated there, making it a place of paganism and was despised by the Jews.    

 These people were distressed, burdened and they walked in spiritual darkness. Yet a great light came to them. Jesus conducted most of His ministry in Capernaum and Galilee, which were in Zebulun and Naphtali (see Matthew 4:13-16).  And He said: "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of light" (John 8:12, NKJV). Some believed and followed Jesus, but unfortunately, most did not. They rejected Him as their Messiah.

 This passage reminds us that whether Jew or Gentile, we walk in darkness without Christ. Acknowledgement of our sin and brokenness ushers us into God’s amazing grace, where we can receive the Son who was given for us. Don't shut out His light but come to Him and accept the One whose name is “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (v. 6). 

Lost And Found

 

I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.  You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.  John 15:1-4

During my workday, I saw a news update that flashed on my phone.  “The Michigan – Ohio State football game has been cancelled,” it read.  Great.  Another thing lost to 2020.  I laughed writing that because when you think of the term 2020, that of course is an optometrist term for perfect vision.  How many of us saw this year coming?  Nonetheless, that news flash was indicative of a year that has been by far the most challenging for me, and I don’t think I would be out of bounds to say it has been equally challenging for you as well.  Whether it be lost quality time with family and friends, lost employment, a lost season for a child, or a lost loved one, we have experienced a level of loss this year that at times might be overwhelming to reflect upon.  Many of us have lost fellowship at church to maintain social distancing guidelines.  I would fall into this category minimizing my contact with others as one of the high at-risk categories to COVID-19.  Yet, I still miss my connections at Sunday services.  It is reasonable to say I may have even lost a bit in my connection with God.  Not in the sense that I am no longer aware of His presence.  Rather, there have been more days where I really must fight to feel that deep connection that once was natural.  With so much loss, one might very well give up hope, but I won’t.  In fact, today I feel stronger even as I know another holiday will be far different from any other.

You see through all that I’ve lost, I have found a lot as well.  Through losing greater connection with friends, I’ve gotten closer to my wife, my youngest daughter, and family as a whole.  I am grateful to my new small group I found this year that I’ve maintained contact with as they have also become my family.  I don’t say church family because being honest, they mean more to me than that.  And while I have struggled at times to connect with God, my awareness of His provisions, protection, love, and grace has grown exponentially.  I shared with someone when asked what I have gained out of this year is that I have found a greater capacity to love than I ever thought I could.  When I said it, I paused not because I questioned it.  It was because I was amazed by it, and that is so awesome about God.  He uses time, space, and situations to grow us in ways we never would on our own.

God never loses focus on our spiritual growth even as we may not at times see Him.  In reading today’s verses, I began to reflect on Jesus’s ability to share His wisdom.  Many of us lost so much this year.  But as we look at the things we lost, yes, there are some we mourn over such as a losing a loved one.  However, if we look at the bigger picture, some of the things we lost were part of God’s pruning of branches that might not help us grow.  Thus, what we might have found is something God intended for us to see.  I think of Isaiah 43:19 where it says, “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”  Perhaps now is a time for us to see things we would not have seen had we not gone through this challenging season.  A new friend, greater faith in God, or a positive habit forming (my making dinner for family?) might be ‘something new’ God has planned for you at this time.  Some of you may have been deceived that you have lost sight of God.  Understand a couple of things.  First, God knows exactly where you are.  He has never failed you, and knowing that, focus on Him as David did here:

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. (Psalm 94:19)

Second, trust there is something to be gained in all that you have endured thus far.  There are too many verses that underline this, but Paul said it best in Romans:

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.  And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.  And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.  Romans 5:3-5

As we get closer to celebrating the birth of Christ, we realize that is also the sign that the year is over.  For all we have endured in the year of ‘perfect vision,’ it could be easy to dwell on what we lost.  However, I would challenge you to look for all that God has shown you this year.  Look for the new things God has shown you, and then, use them to build your faith toward a stronger relationship with Him.  What strength have you gained from God’s power?  How much favor has He given you in a time of such uncertainty?  Where has He taken your fear of the future and shown you confidence to move forward?  My prayer for you today is to take a different look at what God has placed both on your heart and in your spirit to see what is lost and found.  Amen, and I leave you with these words of Jesus:

Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:5

Pouring In

 

A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.

“I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.” John 21:17-19

 

Every Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I write about what I am thankful for.  More times than not it is about a person such as my wife or mom.  Other times, I have thanked the people who read our team’s devotions and the encouraging words you all offered me.  After hearing a sermon this past week, I am incredibly encouraged.  Encouraged that God knows and loves us so much.  And of course, I am thankful for that as well.  But there is a group of people who I am especially thankful for this year.  They are the people who helped mold me into the person I am today.  Let us call them people who poured into me all they could to make me who I am.

There were the teachers who saw something in me.  There was the high school principal that knew there was something worthwhile in me that I could not recognize.  There was an owner who saw talent in my abilities to lead others.  And of course, there were people in my current job role who built me up and encouraged me throughout.  This is not to say there were not a slew of family members who supplied their love and knowledge onto me.  They did.  But there are the ones who just saw me as some kid from Detroit and had nothing to gain from helping me yet gave me so much.  I am so incredibly thankful for them today.  They poured into me without any expectation of receiving anything.

God pours in to mold us into the person we become.  I think of the story of Simon Peter.  In a sermon, I was listening to how Jesus chose to go into the boat of Peter, but we miss the part that Jesus had a choice between two boats.  In Luke 5, it says:

One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God.  He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets.  Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.  Luke 5:1-3

He had to know Peter was the one who would help to spread the Gospel, but much like we do not know God’s purpose for us, Peter did not.  Jesus saw something in Peter, and poured out His wisdom, love, and knowledge to him as well as the other Disciples.  But note where we are in today’s verses.  It is Peter, the one who denied Jesus three times yet loved Him more than the others, being asked three times how much he loved Him.  The reason if we think it through is not because Jesus wanted to make sure Peter loved Him because even Peter understood that He already knew that.  The greater rationale led me to believe a couple things.  First, the purpose was to humble Peter’s heart to focus on the task of minding the flock as Jesus was soon to ascend to Heaven.  Second, it was to pour into Peter a high level of confidence to ‘feed the sheep’ and ‘follow Him.’  Peter needed nothing more.  We often will question why God has put us in a situation.  However, as Peter found our question is not, “Why are you asking me this, Lord?”  It is to ask, “How do I follow you, Lord?”

God knows us.  We often spend too much time questioning ourselves and choosing to see only the ugliness that makes us who we are.  We simply forget that God knows everything about us, and no matter what ugliness you see, He still chose you.  On that basis alone, there must be plenty good within us because God does not make mistakes like that.  Let us be thankful for the love God pours out on us daily to see us grow into what He sees fit.  Are you glad God sees something in you?  How can you commit to follow Him closer today?  My prayer is that we are thankful for all God and others have poured into us.  Amen, and hoping your Thanksgiving was wonderful and blessed!

Just Trust

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

 

Do I trust you?  One of my favorite stories years ago was about a little girl named Starla Chapman, who was once stricken with cancer.  There were two things that brought her joy; God and the Alabama Crimson Tide football team.  On the night before she was to undergo chemotherapy, she uttered these two words to her parents.  Just trust.  She was only three years old, but clearly, she understood there was a higher power involved.  One might ask how could a three-year-old understand God better than others particularly at a time like that.  God after all gave us a wonderful mind for which we can use the process of deduction, put together ideas, be informing, and numerous other things.  With all this, could we be trusted to know what God needs us to know?  Then I remembered what Jesus said about children.  “Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.”” (Matthew 18:3) The heart of this verse (become like little children) referred to dependency and trust.

 

Being a servant of God deals with our ability to trust in Him and His word.  One of my favorite bible verses comes from 2 Corinthians 5:7, where Paul says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” (KJV) The reason it has always resonated with me is that it explains what many people would not understand.  We choose to believe in God’s existence unequivocally and without question even though we have never physically seen God nor heard Him speak literally to us.  In a world that creates false heroes and imaginary people for relationships, one could certainly understand the world’s skepticism.  This is where our own understanding can be a stumbling block.  Logic would dictate I have not seen Him, thus, how can He exist?  No one has ever come from the grave.  How could Jesus?  We could continue to go down this path of deductive reasoning to ultimately stop to say God cannot exist.

 

But our experiences with God teaches us how real He is for there are so many testimonies as to how He just showed up where no other explanation makes sense.  How many of you have heard these testimonies?  “I was at rock bottom, I had nowhere to go, I was ready to give up,” are among many of the opening stories about where God found someone.  Each of those stories end with, “I have a brand-new life, God brought me home, and now I live for Him.”  There is no doubt that despite what people have said about God, no one can create true life transformation like Him.  None of us can admit to truly understanding that, but deep to our core we know it is true.  It is why when then atheist questions my faith, I simply remind them that God is not just one thing or experience.  He is a lifelong relationship that is a constant.  He is always with me, and as the verse says, “Make your paths straight.”  Ask the drug addict or alcoholic who turned their life to God or the homeless person having found a job and apartment to live at. What about when one needed a miracle, and then God delivered abundantly in their favor.  It is hard to imagine from the outside what God can do, but for those of us who know Him, we accept and submit to Him unconditionally not because of our understanding.  Instead, it is because of how He shows up not only consistently but also without fail

 

Trusting God is as important an aspect of our faith as loving Him.  We often hear loved ones say, “If you love me, you will trust me.”  Many times, that is done to manipulate others, but if you love someone, why would it be necessary for that to be said?  God is faithful to His word, and through our journey of faith, He has proven repeatedly just how committed He is to us.  Why would we have doubts now?  Let us trust Him and be worry free for as Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing,” (Matthew 6:25) Where does God require more trust from you?  What causes you to question God’s faithfulness today?  My prayer is that when we have questions or doubts about our situation, we follow little Starla's example and simply 'Just Trust.'  Amen,

 

Starla’s story: https://www.espn.com/college-football/bowls12/story/_/id/8812751/aj-mccarron-special-bond-starla-chapman-college-football

Listening As God Would

 

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.  Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.  So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.  John 1:19-21

Isn’t it a great discovery when God shows you how much you have grown in the Spirit?  Over this past week, I have had several challenging discussions.  They were often with people I disagreed with, and a few have hurled some very nasty accusations at me.  In that moment, I tried to realize how damaging it would be to travel down a similar path with them.  In one the midst of one conversation, a person was describing a hardship they were experiencing.  I was preparing to answer with a ‘well, if you would have done this’ speech.  However, I paused, and just listened to understand what they were feeling.  I empathized with and prayed for them.  At the end of the conversation, they thanked me for listening and being of comfort to them.  That is not normally me or at least had not been for most of my life.  But somehow, God reminded me what mattered at that moment.  It was to be there for them and not to lecture on what they should have done.

Listening with the heart of God leads to compassion and loving of others.  In reading today’s verses, there were two parts that I focused on.  The first, focusing on quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry, shows the wisdom of God’s word.  Listening is the easy part.  Or so one would be led to believe.  Being slow to speak and/or get angry are at times very challenging, but if you struggle with either or both issues, they are incredible impediments to listening.  If you want to talk more, you are inherently listening less, and if you are upset, it makes it incredibly difficult to focus on what is being said.  It all makes sense.  This is a prime example of what Paul wrote saying, “ I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” (Romans 7:15)  This is the where spiritual growth comes into play.  In remembering those times where we ‘do what we hate,’ we should ask questions. What drove me to that poor outcome?  Anger?  Need to get words in?  Strong opinion?  A bit of self-reflection goes a long way in knowing what prevented listening from occurring.

The second part of the verses I focused on is humbly accepting the word God plants in our hearts.  This is where spiritual growth occurs.  We are to first be humble.  No one likes to admit they are wrong, but humility in this case is the willingness to accept you are not God. As I mentioned last week, we all want control, but we must be willing to accept He is in control.  His cup is greater than ours.  Should we accept that, only then can our hearts be transformed to His heart.  The book of Ezekiel says it best:

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.  Ezekiel 36:26-27

God’s word is perfect.  It not only gives us structure and order but also shows love and compassion.  To go against it leads to strife and challenges.  But should we learn and grow from it, we can be both better and a shining example to others of what a Christ driven life is like.  Today, let us first listen to God’s word and then, be an ear to others showing the same love and patience He has for us.  How can you be a better listener like God is for you?  What impedes your ability to hear others?  My prayer is that the next time someone asks to talk, we remove our own agendas and listen to others as God would.  Amen.

Some Good News

 I think most people like short sermons. In general, and unless the preacher is extremely interesting, I believe brevity is the most appreciated quality of a sermon, by most people. And that belief includes the understanding that there are exceptions among people, and among preachers.

So, when I read sermons in Scripture, whether the Hebrew Scriptures or the Christian Scriptures, their length is always of interest to me. It's one of the ways I evaluate the "sermon". We have so few traditional sermons of Jesus, this example in Mark is one I find very interesting:

Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee,  preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15 NASB)

The reason I find it so interesting is the amazing amount of information packed into so few words. It is nearly a string of jokes with the just the punchlines included; as if it elicits the same response had the terms been defined, but, instead, relies on the familiarity of the hearer. I believe this is, in fact, exactly what Mark has done.

But we are not necessarily familiar with the terms, or simply assume they are what we think they mean. Some of you may know exactly what they mean, but when was the last time you thought this sermon through, unpacking the words as you read it?

Here is what I mean:

1. The time... - this is the opportune time, not sequential, calendar time. It's not about dates having past as much as events having been accomplished.
2. ...has been fulfilled... - completely made full. The "todo" list has all of the items checked to make it the right, opportune, time. Don't you wish you could have read that list, just to see what our Creator put on it?
3. ...the Kingdom of God... - Israel assumed this was Israel, but also understood it to mean "the sphere of God's supreme influence". It was simply understood that God would not exercise supreme influence unless Israel was free from Roman rule and religious corruption. This was a misunderstanding.
4. ...is at hand; - literally, "has drawn near", it has happened already, and is a present reality. Even though Israel is still ruled by Rome, and the religious leaders remain corrupt, the sphere of God's supreme influence has already taken up residence with His human creatures.
5. repent... - we typically say, "turn", which is another term sometimes used for "repent", but it literally is a "change of mind" or "after thought". Either way, it happens in the mind first. It is a "paradigm shift" to align our thinking with the thinking of our Savior. It is seeing and evaluating things as He sees and evaluates them, using the same priorities and values.
6. ...and believe... - a mental acceptance of information as valid and actionable.
7. ...the gospel. - Good News. This isn't "news", but specifically good news. This good news is about what has just been said, but also contains the record of the events in this book of Mark about Jesus. What makes it "good", from the perspective of our Savior, is that Israel does not need to be freed from Rome, nor their temple worship purged of corruption for His sovereignty to operate in the lives of His people.

You might think, "Well, good for them. But what about me?" You mean you have not been waiting for some "filling" of a "todo list" of our Savior before the next thing happens? We look for His "appearing" with excited apprehension, or we used to.

If you are waiting for the "purification of God's people", then you are a lot like the Jews of Jesus' day. If you are waiting for some political turn of events to signal the reign of our Savior, then you have adopted the paradigm of the Jews under Rome. If you are waiting on something else, you are sitting on the trailside rather than walking with your King.

The new paradigm of Jesus, the "good news", is that God is sovereign right now, and we can walk with Him, right now.

Is the world wonky and off? Walk with Jesus, and you will influence the world for your Savior. Is your church squabbling and stymied? Walk with your Creator, and you will influence your fellow disciples for your King.

It is arrogance that drives us to belittle others. One of the ways we know we are walking with our Savior is how humbling it is. If we feel arrogant toward others, we have been walking with a god of our making, or worse. Walking with Jesus means we are very aware of our failings and His grace.

If you want people to be different, you cannot change them. Be that disciple you believe Jesus desires, and allow the fruit of the Spirit of Jesus to influence them. Live out Philippians 2:5-11 and 1 Corinthians 13. Be that guy.

Fuller's Field

 

3 Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the fuller's field;

4 And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. . .

10 Moreover the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying,

11 "Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above."

12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!"

13 Then he said, "Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also?

14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

     Isaiah 7:3-4, 10-14 (NKJV)

 We are now in the season of Advent and the Immanuel prophecy is a key verse cited in describing the coming of Christ.  The prophecy is amazing in it’s accuracy and detail, as well as the incredible truth that God would come in the flesh to be with us. But it’s also surprising to realize that this prophecy was revealed to Ahaz, a wicked king of Judah (see 2 Kings 16:3-4).

 Despite his idolatry and wickedness, the Lord was gracious to assure Ahaz that this enemy alliance would not prevail against Judah.  And despite knowing that Ahaz was a godless king, God encouraged him to ask a sign from the Lord, perhaps to stir up his faith. But Ahaz refused and said he would not test the Lord.  The Bible does prohibit the testing of God (Deut. 6:16), but that was not at issue here.  Instead, this seems to be a pious pretense by Ahaz, maybe to justify his resolve not to do God’s will but to persevere in his own plans.  In light of this refusal, the Lord then proclaimed the extraordinary sign of His choosing.  

 

This account highlights the inscrutability of God. We may not understand why God used a wicked king to pronounce such a wonderful prophecy, but we’re merely called to believe and have faith, unlike Ahaz.

 

Immanuel, God with us. Do you believe? Is He with you?

In the Beginning...of Mark

 Do you like long introductions? Me neither. Get to the point. Here's the introduction of Mark, the Gospel for those in a hurry:

​The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1 NASB) 

That's it. But look what's packed into it:

1. "gospel" - this is good news. It's not the Eleven O'clock News, not the Times, not CNN. This is good news. When is the last time you heard really good news, news that was good for everyone? It's been a while for me.
2. "Jesus Christ" - this is good news about THE Messiah. Not "a messiah". They had lots of news about such people, and it was rarely good news. This Messiah was all the messianic anointed ones rolled into One:
   1. The Prophet Like Moses - who would speak for Yahweh
   2. The King Like David - who would lead Israel to victory over enemies
   3. The High Priest like... - who would reform the corrupt religious system. This one turns out to be like Melchizedek instead of Aaron, which caught everyone off guard.
3. "the Son of God" - this is a term we often miss in English and our culture because of the "idiom" of Hebrew where "son" was used to refer to a category. This title puts Jesus in the category of God, which is claiming equality with God. That was extremely offensive to most Jews. This good news was about the Messiah of all messiahs, and every reference to the appearance of God among His people.

All these titles were found in the human being, Jesus. In this season, we celebrate the impossibility of the Creator of all matter in the universe contained in a manger sharing space with straw. What a strange beginning to such an immense story.

Being Included in God's Lists (again)

 So, I presented this to a bunch of youth yesterday. This is a video of the slide, with me talking through it. It's just over 13 minutes. It covers Genesis 5, and I refer to Hebrews and Deuteronomy as well. It's a bit different than the usual entry.

 

Blessings upon you all

Ziklag

 

1 Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire,

2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.

3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

4 Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voices and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

5 And David's two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite, had been taken captive.

6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "Please bring the ephod here to me." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.

8 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all."

     1 Samuel 30:1-8 (NKJV)

 This tragic scene awaited David and his men when they returned to Ziklag, a Philistine town that they'd made as their temporary residence. How awful to find the town burned and their wives and children taken captive.  To make matters worse, the men wanted to stone David, blaming him for the losses. David was their leader and he had made serious errors, not only in leaving Ziklag defenseless while they were away, but in aligning with the Philistines in the first place.

 Earlier the Bible explains: “And David said in his heart, ‘Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.’" (1 Samuel 27:7, NKJV)  Out of fear and without seeking God's guidance, David decided to join the Philistines, enemies of Israel. Instead of remaining in Judah where God had told him to stay (1 Samuel 22:5), David fled there and followed his own ill-conceived plan.

Yet after the tragedy in Ziklag, David came to his senses. Once again, David remembered that God was his strength (v. 6) and once again, David turned to God, seeking His wisdom and help (v. 7-8)  And God graciously assured David that He would be with them and bring about their victory.

 Even though he made many mistakes, David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) because he always returned to God and trusted Him.  Sometimes God will allow difficulties in our lives to get our attention when we’ve blundered or strayed so we will turn back to Him. When we do, He is gracious and welcomes us back. 

If God is For Us...

 I've been told that my Master actually isn't in my corner, doesn't have my best interest at heart, and I'm living in a world doomed to failure from the point it was created. Does it sound like I heard that from some snake in a tree? That message of bitterness and pain is out there, and it's popular with people who need some excuse for their pain and hopelessness.

The truth is much different. Jesus made a strange statement when Pharisees questioned His disciples about why Jesus would eat with "tax collectors and sinners". Jesus said, "It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick." In the account in Mark and Luke, He continues, "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

It's one of the earliest "reversals" in Jesus' ministry. But God's heart for those "sinners" is clear much earlier. In the Garden, with the dead pair who were so precious to Him, God makes clothes from skins instead of the "fig leaves" they used for themselves (Genesis 3:21). And then, with their firstborn, Cain, we see that, once again, our Creator has a heart for the sinner:

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:6-7 NASB

Even as Cain is upset that his sacrifice was not acceptable, his Creator seeks to lead him in the right path. He didn't need to. Why reach out to Cain? Clearly, Cain is far too much like his parents, the ones with whom Yahweh used to walk in the Garden in the cool of the day. But God does not give up on Cain.

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground. Genesis 4:9-10 NASB

God gives Cain a chance to confess, to repent, for regret, and to make it right. The first question is a test, one which Cain fails. Yet God still gives him the opportunity, even to one who has murdered his brother. And it continues. Even after Cain lies, even after he whines about his curse, even then, there is mercy from his Creator.

Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.  When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is too great to bear! Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground; and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” So the LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. Genesis 4:11-15 NASB

There is something in Cain's cry, that he would be hidden from the face of Yahweh, that resonates with me. Perhaps there was a glint of understanding and regret of what he had lost with his Creator. Commentators differ in their opinion about Cain, but God's mercy is unmistakable. He gives this sinner, this rebel, this murderer, a sign so that he won't be murdered himself. That wasn't part of the curse, it seems. His consequences didn't include being murdered himself, which seems strange to me.

Regardless of how you see Cain, focus on the mercy of our Creator. Regardless of how reprehensible his crime, look at our Savior. Isn't is amazing, incomprehensible? How is it possible that our Creator loves such as Cain? And, if someone loves like that, what sort of hope can we have?

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Romans 8:31-32 NASB

This has been true from the beginning. 

Mount Pisgah

 

1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho.

And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan,

2 all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea,

3 the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying,

'I will give it to your descendants.' I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there."

5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.

6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.

    Deuteronomy 34:1-6 (NKJV)

When we read this account, we may feel bad for Moses, the leader of Israel forbidden to go into the promised land with the people, and we may feel God treated him harshly. But God is always right in what He does.

 Earlier, we’re told the reason why Moses wasn’t allowed to enter the land: the Lord said Moses “trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel.” (Deut. 32:51, NKJV)  This reminds us that sin has consequences.

 

Yet despite Moses’ disobedience and punishment, God was so gracious towards him. He let Moses see the land that He was giving to the children of Israel, visible proof of His great promise. And what love and tenderness is shown in that God Himself buried Moses when he died.  In addition, Moses eventually did get to the promised land where he witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. (Matt. 17:1-3)

 

God has also dealt with me and rightly so. The consequences of certain of my sins are still evident and remain a heartache to me after many years. Yet the Lord has tenderly comforted me and dried my tears on many occasions, and I’m grateful that my brokenness is in His hands.

 

If you’ve experienced a Mount Pisgah in your life, I hope this example from Moses helps and encourages you.