What is the church? And what can we liken it to in Genesis 15?
"And he said to him, “Take
for me a three-year-old heifer, and a three-year-old female goat, and a
three-year-old ram, and a turtledove and a young pigeon.” And he took for him all these and cut them in pieces down the middle. And he put each piece opposite the other, but the birds he did not cut. And the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away. And it happened, as the sun went down, then a deep sleep fell upon Abram and, behold, a great terrifying darkness fell upon him."
"And after the sun had gone down and it was dusk, behold, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between those half pieces. On that day Yahweh made a covenant with Abram..."
God promises. God swears by himself for there is no higher authority to swear by. God, who's yes is yes and no is no and has no reason to swear by anything, makes vows to us, his people. Why?
"For people swear by what is greater than themselves, and the oath for confirmation is the end of all dispute for them. In the same way God, because he wanted to show even more to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of his resolve, guaranteed it with an oath, in order that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge may have powerful encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us, which we have like an anchor of the soul, both firm and steadfast..." (Heb 6)
Okay, so what does God promise? What has God vowed to His church? Never mind that, just yet. Bask, meditate, reel from the staggering fact that He does!
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Saturday, March 11, 2017
What is the church? Thankful.
What is the church? And what can we liken it to in Genesis 8?
"So Noah went out, with his sons and his wife, and the wives of his sons with him. Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, and everything that moves upon the earth, according to its families, went out from the ark. And Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and he took from all the clean animals and from all the clean birds, and offered burnt offerings on the altar."
The church is saved and not just it but as we said before, God delights to have His church participate with him in His saving grace. To extend it even to the beasts and birds. The church is God's preferred agency upon the earth. Here we see the grace He gives to his people purposely extended to creation itself. But that is not my main point today.
The first thing we see Noah do with his feet once again upon dry dirt is to gather stones together and make an altar. To worship the God who saved him. To respond to the God who called him. To THANK the God who loved him despite the fact that "the inclination of the heart of humankind is evil from his youth." God's words, not mine. And this fledgling church of Noah's will prove it before they we are done with them. But that is another day. Today they show us that the church are those whom despite their natural bent, God has chosen, made his agents, saved and now...
are purposefully and worshipfully Thankful.
"And it happened that while traveling toward Jerusalem, he was passing through the region between Samaria and Galilee. And as he was entering into a certain village, ten men met him—lepers, who stood at a distance. And they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” And when he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And it happened that as they were going, they were cleansed. But one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. And he fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were not ten cleansed? And where are the nine? Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Get up and go your way. Your faith has saved you.”" Luke 17
"So Noah went out, with his sons and his wife, and the wives of his sons with him. Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, and everything that moves upon the earth, according to its families, went out from the ark. And Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and he took from all the clean animals and from all the clean birds, and offered burnt offerings on the altar."
The church is saved and not just it but as we said before, God delights to have His church participate with him in His saving grace. To extend it even to the beasts and birds. The church is God's preferred agency upon the earth. Here we see the grace He gives to his people purposely extended to creation itself. But that is not my main point today.
The first thing we see Noah do with his feet once again upon dry dirt is to gather stones together and make an altar. To worship the God who saved him. To respond to the God who called him. To THANK the God who loved him despite the fact that "the inclination of the heart of humankind is evil from his youth." God's words, not mine. And this fledgling church of Noah's will prove it before they we are done with them. But that is another day. Today they show us that the church are those whom despite their natural bent, God has chosen, made his agents, saved and now...
are purposefully and worshipfully Thankful.
"And it happened that while traveling toward Jerusalem, he was passing through the region between Samaria and Galilee. And as he was entering into a certain village, ten men met him—lepers, who stood at a distance. And they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” And when he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And it happened that as they were going, they were cleansed. But one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. And he fell on his face at his feet, giving thanks to him. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were not ten cleansed? And where are the nine? Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Get up and go your way. Your faith has saved you.”" Luke 17
Friday, March 10, 2017
What is the church? In the ark.
What is the church? And what can we liken it to in Genesis 7?
"And every living thing that moved on the earth perished—the birds, and the domesticated animals, and the wild animals, and everything that swarmed on the earth, and all humankind. Everything in whose nostrils was the breath of life, among all that was on dry land, died. And he blotted out every living thing upon the surface of the ground, from humankind, to animals, to creeping things, and to the birds of heaven; they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained."
God is holy. Holy. HOLY.
You may not understand what holy means but here is one way to think of it: a goodness and righteousness as pure as the Sun is hot. Nothing impure, nothing unholy, nothing tainted with sin can stand in God's presence. It just simply can't. It will be burned.
Or perhaps it will make more sense to think of it this way: God's justice is perfect. Perfect fairness. Perfect exact and proportional punishment for any and all offense. Nothing missed. Nothing overlooked. Nothing ever swept under the carpet and forgotten. Everyone has perfect justice waiting for them before this King's throne. Now it is widely accepted that the measure of an offense greatly depends upon who has been sinned against. Lie to a child and no one cares. Lie to your boss and perhaps you will be fired. Lie to a judge and you will be fined and possibly imprisoned. Lie to a King... Do not pay your brother back a loan and be ignored at reunions. Do not pay your car loan and they will take back your car. Do not pay your taxes and you will be fined and possibly imprisoned. Do not pay the King what is His rightful due...
It is not unjust that God judges mankind. He gave you life, a world to live in and literally everything you have including the ability to think about it. He is due. All these things are not gifts as much as loans. They still belong to Him. It is not unkind that God takes back what is His. It is Amazing Grace that He ever gives it in the first place knowing before hand what you were going to do with it! It is not unloving that God condemns some to hell for their sins against each other and Him. It is staggeringly loving that He ever provided a way for anyone of us to be saved at all! And such a way! He gave His Beloved Son for us! Jesus voluntarily becomes our ark; our means of grace with this Perfectly Just Creator King and Judge who has every right over us! How much more angry should He be with us if we scorn or demean that gift!?!?
The church, therefore, are those IN the ark. You cannot be saved otherwise. God has only provided this one way. No one outside the ark survived. No one will be "good enough' on their own merit. You simply cannot tread water that long. One hundred and fifty days in a limitless ocean will be an afternoon swim at the pool next to eternity in the presence of Righteous God who no longer veils His presence to protect us from Himself.
Thanks be to God that He has provided a Way of Truth for Life.
"And every living thing that moved on the earth perished—the birds, and the domesticated animals, and the wild animals, and everything that swarmed on the earth, and all humankind. Everything in whose nostrils was the breath of life, among all that was on dry land, died. And he blotted out every living thing upon the surface of the ground, from humankind, to animals, to creeping things, and to the birds of heaven; they were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained."
God is holy. Holy. HOLY.
You may not understand what holy means but here is one way to think of it: a goodness and righteousness as pure as the Sun is hot. Nothing impure, nothing unholy, nothing tainted with sin can stand in God's presence. It just simply can't. It will be burned.
Or perhaps it will make more sense to think of it this way: God's justice is perfect. Perfect fairness. Perfect exact and proportional punishment for any and all offense. Nothing missed. Nothing overlooked. Nothing ever swept under the carpet and forgotten. Everyone has perfect justice waiting for them before this King's throne. Now it is widely accepted that the measure of an offense greatly depends upon who has been sinned against. Lie to a child and no one cares. Lie to your boss and perhaps you will be fired. Lie to a judge and you will be fined and possibly imprisoned. Lie to a King... Do not pay your brother back a loan and be ignored at reunions. Do not pay your car loan and they will take back your car. Do not pay your taxes and you will be fined and possibly imprisoned. Do not pay the King what is His rightful due...
It is not unjust that God judges mankind. He gave you life, a world to live in and literally everything you have including the ability to think about it. He is due. All these things are not gifts as much as loans. They still belong to Him. It is not unkind that God takes back what is His. It is Amazing Grace that He ever gives it in the first place knowing before hand what you were going to do with it! It is not unloving that God condemns some to hell for their sins against each other and Him. It is staggeringly loving that He ever provided a way for anyone of us to be saved at all! And such a way! He gave His Beloved Son for us! Jesus voluntarily becomes our ark; our means of grace with this Perfectly Just Creator King and Judge who has every right over us! How much more angry should He be with us if we scorn or demean that gift!?!?
The church, therefore, are those IN the ark. You cannot be saved otherwise. God has only provided this one way. No one outside the ark survived. No one will be "good enough' on their own merit. You simply cannot tread water that long. One hundred and fifty days in a limitless ocean will be an afternoon swim at the pool next to eternity in the presence of Righteous God who no longer veils His presence to protect us from Himself.
Thanks be to God that He has provided a Way of Truth for Life.
Thursday, March 09, 2017
What is the church? ...response.
What is the church? And what can we continue to liken it to in Genesis 6?
"And Noah did according to all that God commanded him; thus he did."
If God had called and Noah had said, "mmmm, no thanks. That sounds dumb," the Bible would have only been seven chapters long, and the soggy pages of chapter seven would have read, "and Noah didn't float long enough to regret that decision." Or maybe Chapter 8 would read, "And God sighed, rolled up His sleeves and brought forth Dave from the earth..." Only God knows. But He gave grace enough to Noah for Noah to believe Him.
Now it's very common for people to say they believe. And it is very common for that belief to appear to be nothing more than cognitive assent. Yes, i think that's true. Yes, i think God is good and trustworthy. Yet is that what saved Noah and his family? Simply believing God when he said, I'm going to flood the earth? That kind of belief would have had him paddling the backstroke thinking, "Yep, knew it, God was right." Belief not only demands action, it dictates the action. If you really believe God, it will change everything. What you are doing. What your values are. That year that Noah spent preparing and building the ark, he reaped his fields and gardens but i guarantee you he didn't bother sowing next year's crop. He didn't waste the time. He probably didn't put that addition on the house or buy a new car. Wasn't much point in remodeling the kitchen. Probably drained the bank account and bought grain and oats. A fat wallet wasn't going to feed him on the other side. His priorities fit the belief he had. The truth he believed. Anything that didn't add to fitting and kitting the ark was a distraction and a waste of resources. The church responds with belief and appropriate action. We might say, it trusts and obeys.
There's so much more to be said about this but tomorrow's another day... if it comes. "What is the benefit, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith but does not have works? That faith is not able to save him, is it?" James 2
"And Noah did according to all that God commanded him; thus he did."
If God had called and Noah had said, "mmmm, no thanks. That sounds dumb," the Bible would have only been seven chapters long, and the soggy pages of chapter seven would have read, "and Noah didn't float long enough to regret that decision." Or maybe Chapter 8 would read, "And God sighed, rolled up His sleeves and brought forth Dave from the earth..." Only God knows. But He gave grace enough to Noah for Noah to believe Him.
Now it's very common for people to say they believe. And it is very common for that belief to appear to be nothing more than cognitive assent. Yes, i think that's true. Yes, i think God is good and trustworthy. Yet is that what saved Noah and his family? Simply believing God when he said, I'm going to flood the earth? That kind of belief would have had him paddling the backstroke thinking, "Yep, knew it, God was right." Belief not only demands action, it dictates the action. If you really believe God, it will change everything. What you are doing. What your values are. That year that Noah spent preparing and building the ark, he reaped his fields and gardens but i guarantee you he didn't bother sowing next year's crop. He didn't waste the time. He probably didn't put that addition on the house or buy a new car. Wasn't much point in remodeling the kitchen. Probably drained the bank account and bought grain and oats. A fat wallet wasn't going to feed him on the other side. His priorities fit the belief he had. The truth he believed. Anything that didn't add to fitting and kitting the ark was a distraction and a waste of resources. The church responds with belief and appropriate action. We might say, it trusts and obeys.
There's so much more to be said about this but tomorrow's another day... if it comes. "What is the benefit, my brothers, if someone says that he has faith but does not have works? That faith is not able to save him, is it?" James 2
Wednesday, March 08, 2017
What is the church? Called.
What is the church? What shall we liken it to in Genesis 6?
"And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth was filled with violence because of them. Now, look, I am going to destroy them along with the earth. Make for yourself an ark of cypress wood..."
i'm always telling my kids in the Sunday school class i teach, 'Don't skip over that! Don't read, "And God said to Noah," as if it were, 'Once upon a time,'! In some ways, it is the most important and improbable words in the Bible! That God, The God, Yahweh, the Great I AM, spoke TO us! That's why we know anything! That alone sets up the church! God called us! Jesus, God in the flesh, called us, "Come, put down what you're doing and follow me. Put down what you presently consider your life, take up your cross, the life I will give to you of service and sacrifice, and follow me. God calls people as they are, yes; God formed you in the womb and knows you through and through and loves you as He made you, but what we do with that on our own is very rarely what He has for us to do! Otherwise stories like this one with Noah would read more like, "And God came to Noah who was building a boat and said to him, "Nice boat. I spoke to the animals, they should be arriving sometime after Thursday." And Noah spake unto him, "Cool." And God merrily went upon his way.
"When Israel (which means, 'wrestles with God') was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt (slavery to sin) I called my son." (Hosea 11)
"And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before me, for the earth was filled with violence because of them. Now, look, I am going to destroy them along with the earth. Make for yourself an ark of cypress wood..."
i'm always telling my kids in the Sunday school class i teach, 'Don't skip over that! Don't read, "And God said to Noah," as if it were, 'Once upon a time,'! In some ways, it is the most important and improbable words in the Bible! That God, The God, Yahweh, the Great I AM, spoke TO us! That's why we know anything! That alone sets up the church! God called us! Jesus, God in the flesh, called us, "Come, put down what you're doing and follow me. Put down what you presently consider your life, take up your cross, the life I will give to you of service and sacrifice, and follow me. God calls people as they are, yes; God formed you in the womb and knows you through and through and loves you as He made you, but what we do with that on our own is very rarely what He has for us to do! Otherwise stories like this one with Noah would read more like, "And God came to Noah who was building a boat and said to him, "Nice boat. I spoke to the animals, they should be arriving sometime after Thursday." And Noah spake unto him, "Cool." And God merrily went upon his way.
"When Israel (which means, 'wrestles with God') was a child, I loved him,
and out of Egypt (slavery to sin) I called my son." (Hosea 11)
Tuesday, March 07, 2017
What is the church? Favored.
What is the church? And what can we liken it to in Genesis 6?
"And Yahweh saw that the evil of humankind was great upon the earth, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was always only evil. And Yahweh regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. And Yahweh said, “I will destroy humankind whom I created from upon the face of the earth, from humankind, to animals, to creeping things, and to the birds of heaven, for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh."
The line of Adam had failed. No one is said to be walking inherently with God since Enosh was yoinked up by his suspenders. The church of God as it was known then is for all extents and purposes, indistinguishable from the world, from the sons of Cain. The church is not inherently better than the world. There is nothing in us that made God love us. We are evil and every inclination of our hearts is always only bent on loving ourselves. Which brings us to our defining characteristic today.
The church is those on whom God's favor rests. "And those whom he predestined, these he also called, and those whom he called, these he also justified, and those whom he justified, these he also glorified." Romans 8
"And Yahweh saw that the evil of humankind was great upon the earth, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was always only evil. And Yahweh regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. And Yahweh said, “I will destroy humankind whom I created from upon the face of the earth, from humankind, to animals, to creeping things, and to the birds of heaven, for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh."
The line of Adam had failed. No one is said to be walking inherently with God since Enosh was yoinked up by his suspenders. The church of God as it was known then is for all extents and purposes, indistinguishable from the world, from the sons of Cain. The church is not inherently better than the world. There is nothing in us that made God love us. We are evil and every inclination of our hearts is always only bent on loving ourselves. Which brings us to our defining characteristic today.
The church is those on whom God's favor rests. "And those whom he predestined, these he also called, and those whom he called, these he also justified, and those whom he justified, these he also glorified." Romans 8
Monday, March 06, 2017
What is the church? Pursued and persecuted.
What is the church? And what can we liken it to in Genesis 4?
"And Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your face fallen? If you do well will I not accept you? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. And its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
If you were looking for the protagonist of this chapter, it would not be Abel. It's Cain. Cain and Abel are of the same family, they are brothers, they both bring offerings to Yahweh. For all extents and purposes, they, with their parents, are the church. Cain does not bring his offering to God in love however. He resents God. He brings the fruit of his own labor, possibly not even his best. Just something to appease the God who runs my life. Or perhaps he truly does want to be accepted by God, but for what he is. For what Cain has done. Look at me! Am I not worthy? Are you not proud of me? Am I not good enough for you?
No. Frankly. You are not. But if you do what is good, what I've instructed you to do, won't I accept you anyway, God says. God pursues Cain even though God knows what is in Cain's heart and what he will do. God lets Abel be martyred. Like his father the devil, Cain hates God but he cannot hurt God so he will touch who he can. Cain reveals what is in his heart as we all do eventually. Cain only cares for himself. Cain is driven out to protect the church. But he still carries the image of God. He still carries the same common grace as the church. He creates, he makes. He makes a church of his own, names it after his own and we see through the generations how, despite its industriousness, or maybe because of it, that church becomes arrogant and proud and cruel. The church of self.
At one time or another, we all belong to this church of Self. We all worship ourselves. Christ comes and either calls us out of it and to himself, or calls us out, calls us what we are. And just like our father Cain, we killed him for it. But God...
"And Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your face fallen? If you do well will I not accept you? But if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. And its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
If you were looking for the protagonist of this chapter, it would not be Abel. It's Cain. Cain and Abel are of the same family, they are brothers, they both bring offerings to Yahweh. For all extents and purposes, they, with their parents, are the church. Cain does not bring his offering to God in love however. He resents God. He brings the fruit of his own labor, possibly not even his best. Just something to appease the God who runs my life. Or perhaps he truly does want to be accepted by God, but for what he is. For what Cain has done. Look at me! Am I not worthy? Are you not proud of me? Am I not good enough for you?
No. Frankly. You are not. But if you do what is good, what I've instructed you to do, won't I accept you anyway, God says. God pursues Cain even though God knows what is in Cain's heart and what he will do. God lets Abel be martyred. Like his father the devil, Cain hates God but he cannot hurt God so he will touch who he can. Cain reveals what is in his heart as we all do eventually. Cain only cares for himself. Cain is driven out to protect the church. But he still carries the image of God. He still carries the same common grace as the church. He creates, he makes. He makes a church of his own, names it after his own and we see through the generations how, despite its industriousness, or maybe because of it, that church becomes arrogant and proud and cruel. The church of self.
At one time or another, we all belong to this church of Self. We all worship ourselves. Christ comes and either calls us out of it and to himself, or calls us out, calls us what we are. And just like our father Cain, we killed him for it. But God...
Sunday, March 05, 2017
What is the church? Afraid because we are naked.
What is the church? And what can we liken it to?
"But the serpent said to the woman, “You shall not surely die. For God knows that on the day you both eat from it, then your eyes will be opened and you both shall be like gods, knowing good and evil.”
The church is made up of sinners. Even in perfection we were tempted to hate God and want to be rid of Him and our need of Him. We coveted power. We coveted independence. And to do that we doubted that God was good. We doubted that God loved us. We doubted that God knew what He was doing. We ceased to trust. We ceased to obey. We ceased to believe that God was what God is. This is the church that did this. God's chosen, handmade children. God who can do no wrong and is perfectly just and fair made the two most perfect specimens of human that have ever existed to give us the best shot, our champions, our apex humans, our alphas, had we been there we would have thrown parades for them, lauded them, watched them on the talk shows, voted for them unanimously and figured the game was in the bag. Bet the freakin' farm on them.
And lost. They failed. God gave them a single choice, just as he gives us. Will you trust me? Will you love me enough to obey me? Will you doubt that I AM good and know what's best for you? All you have to do is... not eat this. A test is not a fiery trial that you either pass or fail, a hurdle you have to jump, a race you have to win to move on, it is a mirror, designed by God who knows you and loves you to show you what you refuse to see, yourself. That's what naked means: exposed.
A couple of bites later the church went from those children of God in perfect relationship with him and each other to those miserable sinners hiding from Him and each other, trying not to be naked anymore, trying not to let anyone see what we really are. And for the next four to six thousand years or so, the church was defined as those TRYING to be in relationship with God... and failing.
"But the serpent said to the woman, “You shall not surely die. For God knows that on the day you both eat from it, then your eyes will be opened and you both shall be like gods, knowing good and evil.”
The church is made up of sinners. Even in perfection we were tempted to hate God and want to be rid of Him and our need of Him. We coveted power. We coveted independence. And to do that we doubted that God was good. We doubted that God loved us. We doubted that God knew what He was doing. We ceased to trust. We ceased to obey. We ceased to believe that God was what God is. This is the church that did this. God's chosen, handmade children. God who can do no wrong and is perfectly just and fair made the two most perfect specimens of human that have ever existed to give us the best shot, our champions, our apex humans, our alphas, had we been there we would have thrown parades for them, lauded them, watched them on the talk shows, voted for them unanimously and figured the game was in the bag. Bet the freakin' farm on them.
And lost. They failed. God gave them a single choice, just as he gives us. Will you trust me? Will you love me enough to obey me? Will you doubt that I AM good and know what's best for you? All you have to do is... not eat this. A test is not a fiery trial that you either pass or fail, a hurdle you have to jump, a race you have to win to move on, it is a mirror, designed by God who knows you and loves you to show you what you refuse to see, yourself. That's what naked means: exposed.
A couple of bites later the church went from those children of God in perfect relationship with him and each other to those miserable sinners hiding from Him and each other, trying not to be naked anymore, trying not to let anyone see what we really are. And for the next four to six thousand years or so, the church was defined as those TRYING to be in relationship with God... and failing.
Saturday, March 04, 2017
What is the Church? Naked and unashamed...
What is the church? And what can i liken it to?
It is like when, Yahweh God said, “it is not good that the man is alone. I will make for him a helper as his counterpart."
Despite present day thought and structure, you cannot be the church by yourself. You are literally not in the church. You are deliberately cutting yourself off from the church. You don't ALWAYS need the church around you, Jesus got off by himself to pray but even to do the work of the church, Jesus never divided his boys up in groups of less than two. Even, as we pointed out yesterday, God refers to himself in the plural.
The church is relationship. Defined by a group of people in relationship with God through Jesus Christ who made it possible. But it doesn't end there. The first commandment is Love God. Relationship with God. The first four commandments of the ten were vertical. Love God, don't love some other god which is not a god. Don't make gods for yourself. Don't abuse or malign God's reputation. Set apart a day to remember that you are not God and who is.
But the next major commandment, the next six of the ten are all horizontal. They deal with us being naked, known, vulnerable with each other and unashamed, not fearful, not defensive, in truth. This is why we must have the first relationship. You cannot be naked with everyone. i hope i don't have to explain why. But even in the church it is dangerous and excruciatingly difficult. It is easier for a rich man to go through the eye of a camel than for two people to be in true relationship and love with each other under the best of conditions in this world. But that's the job and only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we do it and we'd better, because it's how the church will be known and therefore, how those who don't yet know God will know him.“A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” John 13
It is like when, Yahweh God said, “it is not good that the man is alone. I will make for him a helper as his counterpart."
Despite present day thought and structure, you cannot be the church by yourself. You are literally not in the church. You are deliberately cutting yourself off from the church. You don't ALWAYS need the church around you, Jesus got off by himself to pray but even to do the work of the church, Jesus never divided his boys up in groups of less than two. Even, as we pointed out yesterday, God refers to himself in the plural.
The church is relationship. Defined by a group of people in relationship with God through Jesus Christ who made it possible. But it doesn't end there. The first commandment is Love God. Relationship with God. The first four commandments of the ten were vertical. Love God, don't love some other god which is not a god. Don't make gods for yourself. Don't abuse or malign God's reputation. Set apart a day to remember that you are not God and who is.
But the next major commandment, the next six of the ten are all horizontal. They deal with us being naked, known, vulnerable with each other and unashamed, not fearful, not defensive, in truth. This is why we must have the first relationship. You cannot be naked with everyone. i hope i don't have to explain why. But even in the church it is dangerous and excruciatingly difficult. It is easier for a rich man to go through the eye of a camel than for two people to be in true relationship and love with each other under the best of conditions in this world. But that's the job and only by the power of the Holy Spirit can we do it and we'd better, because it's how the church will be known and therefore, how those who don't yet know God will know him.“A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.” John 13
Friday, March 03, 2017
What is the church? In the beginning...
What is the church? What can i liken it to?
After my last post, someone asked me to define the church. Not because they didn't think they knew the answer but so that they could find out how i defined the church. That seemed fair enough except for one thing.
i don't care how i define the church.
It literally doesn't matter what i think. It only matters what God thinks the church is. And that is a subject not only too lengthy for a blog post but far too weighty for me to even ponder at length in one sitting. It's one of those subjects, like God himself, the more i stare into it, the more i see. So what i've decided to do, because i do feel this is an important subject which merits discussion, is to see what i can see God says about His church in Scripture for the rest of Lent. i'm not giving up anything for Lent. i'm taking up something.
But where to start? Well, where does God start? In the beginning. Genesis one.
"And God said, “Let us make humankind in our image and according to our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of heaven, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every moving thing that moves upon the earth.” So God created humankind in his image, in the likeness of God he created him, male and female he created them. And God blessed them..."
The first thing i see, is God, referring to His glorious self in the plural, creating the church and blessing it for a set purpose. It is his agency for change upon the earth, the earth is good, yet God orders his people to subdue it, submit it, change it for a purpose. The church is his agent, his servant, his viceroy, his governor. Its work is blessed, not a curse. As Keller puts it, Genesis is less about HOW God made everything but WHY.
A second thing i see, is God making them diverse from the start. Male and Female. Forget races, creeds and tribes, you want diversity? Have both women and men in the group. And every creed, tribe and nation has both male and female. Built in difference in desire, methodology and value. And BOTH made in the image of God. God cannot be expressed in only one gender.
The Church is created, diverse, blessed and purpose built.
After my last post, someone asked me to define the church. Not because they didn't think they knew the answer but so that they could find out how i defined the church. That seemed fair enough except for one thing.
i don't care how i define the church.
It literally doesn't matter what i think. It only matters what God thinks the church is. And that is a subject not only too lengthy for a blog post but far too weighty for me to even ponder at length in one sitting. It's one of those subjects, like God himself, the more i stare into it, the more i see. So what i've decided to do, because i do feel this is an important subject which merits discussion, is to see what i can see God says about His church in Scripture for the rest of Lent. i'm not giving up anything for Lent. i'm taking up something.
But where to start? Well, where does God start? In the beginning. Genesis one.
"And God said, “Let us make humankind in our image and according to our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of heaven, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every moving thing that moves upon the earth.” So God created humankind in his image, in the likeness of God he created him, male and female he created them. And God blessed them..."
The first thing i see, is God, referring to His glorious self in the plural, creating the church and blessing it for a set purpose. It is his agency for change upon the earth, the earth is good, yet God orders his people to subdue it, submit it, change it for a purpose. The church is his agent, his servant, his viceroy, his governor. Its work is blessed, not a curse. As Keller puts it, Genesis is less about HOW God made everything but WHY.
A second thing i see, is God making them diverse from the start. Male and Female. Forget races, creeds and tribes, you want diversity? Have both women and men in the group. And every creed, tribe and nation has both male and female. Built in difference in desire, methodology and value. And BOTH made in the image of God. God cannot be expressed in only one gender.
The Church is created, diverse, blessed and purpose built.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Here we go!
Like thinking of a snappy, perfect retort two days after someone insults you, it is forever my bane to see much more clearly what i should have told the Redwoods Sunday school class in the week following my getting to teach them. We were looking at the Jewish Calendar as God and Moses laid it down in Leviticus 23 and 25. And i saw as through a glass darkly part of what i see now so they got a tidbit of this, but not the whole enchilada i see now, with mole sauce, salsa and sour cream.
The Jewish year began in the Spring. In the time of sowing seed. In the time of new birth. A new growing season, new life all around, wildflowers and trees blooming and sprouting, the weather warming, the snows retreating, lambs and kids frolicking and even baby goats! In this time God calls his people out of slavery, out of death, he calls his firstborn, his chosen son and says, 'You are my beloved, in whom I AM well pleased.' He buys his firstborn out of death and slavery with the blood of his own firstborn. The Lamb of God is sacrificed and feeds his people for the start of their journey. His blood covers them, the angel of death passes over them and spares them for the sake of the Lamb of God. The bread they eat has no yeast, no sin, because the work done is all Jesus'. All righteous, not mixed or mitigated by selfish motives.
Then comes the blessed day when they are finally able to gather the first fruits of the harvest, early results, the first ripenings of this year whenever they came. Decided completely by God! No date could be given for this. The first fruit of life! The first gift! Waved in the air by the priest before God. A lamb again sacrificed. No bread, no roasted grain, no meal. This offering is totally consumed by fire, devoted to destruction before God as a pleasing aroma. Christ, raised up in the air by the priests, cut off, no descendants, buried in a tomb. A pleasing sacrifice to God, a promise of things yet to come.
Then seven sevens counted off, a number of perfection, completion. The feast of weeks! Pentecost! The first harvest! The lamb is sacrificed with bulls and rams and goats and fellowship offerings and sin offerings and now the work is taken up. The church, messy and chaotic and mixed with sin, bread with yeast, our work is beginning! The Spirit gives us fruit! Eat, feast, the journey is too great for you!
Then, at the end of the season, a ram's horn is blown. A shofar. The feast of trumpets. On the first day of the seventh month, at the time of completion, an announcement, a call to arms, a call to assembly and remembrance. A herald of God the King coming! Thus begins the time of testing to see what is in the hearts of men. Ten days, ten commandments, ten plagues, the number of testing, leads us to...
The Day of Atonement. The day of judgment. The terrible day of the Lord! The Harvest is brought in. The reaping is done. When the books of Life and Death are opened and all deeds are made known. When the sheep are separated from the goats. The temple is entered by our great high priest and we are atoned for by his blood.
But that is not the end! Oh no! Not by a long shot! For just five short days later, the Sabbath begins the Feast of Tabernacles! The Feast of Booths! The seven days of celebration of the time when we lived in skin tents, wandering the wilderness, led by God, led by faith, before we entered this beautiful land where we inherited fields and vineyards we did not have to plant! Before we lived in the Kingdom! A week of festival and joy and celebration and craziness living in the streets where everyone shares and dances and feasts and remembers and tells the story of what God has done!
God has been telling the same story all along. He weaves it into everything he does, everything He's created. Are we seeing it? Are we remembering it? Are we telling it to our children and our children's children? Are we celebrating?
Today is Fat Tuesday. A feast designed as the antithesis of what God does. God's gonna make us fast for forty days of Lent, let's party while we still can. i don't much care for that story. It's man's story. It's short sighted. It sees neither what God has done nor what He is going to do. And that's not the story i want to be a part of.
The Jewish year began in the Spring. In the time of sowing seed. In the time of new birth. A new growing season, new life all around, wildflowers and trees blooming and sprouting, the weather warming, the snows retreating, lambs and kids frolicking and even baby goats! In this time God calls his people out of slavery, out of death, he calls his firstborn, his chosen son and says, 'You are my beloved, in whom I AM well pleased.' He buys his firstborn out of death and slavery with the blood of his own firstborn. The Lamb of God is sacrificed and feeds his people for the start of their journey. His blood covers them, the angel of death passes over them and spares them for the sake of the Lamb of God. The bread they eat has no yeast, no sin, because the work done is all Jesus'. All righteous, not mixed or mitigated by selfish motives.
Then comes the blessed day when they are finally able to gather the first fruits of the harvest, early results, the first ripenings of this year whenever they came. Decided completely by God! No date could be given for this. The first fruit of life! The first gift! Waved in the air by the priest before God. A lamb again sacrificed. No bread, no roasted grain, no meal. This offering is totally consumed by fire, devoted to destruction before God as a pleasing aroma. Christ, raised up in the air by the priests, cut off, no descendants, buried in a tomb. A pleasing sacrifice to God, a promise of things yet to come.
Then seven sevens counted off, a number of perfection, completion. The feast of weeks! Pentecost! The first harvest! The lamb is sacrificed with bulls and rams and goats and fellowship offerings and sin offerings and now the work is taken up. The church, messy and chaotic and mixed with sin, bread with yeast, our work is beginning! The Spirit gives us fruit! Eat, feast, the journey is too great for you!
Then, at the end of the season, a ram's horn is blown. A shofar. The feast of trumpets. On the first day of the seventh month, at the time of completion, an announcement, a call to arms, a call to assembly and remembrance. A herald of God the King coming! Thus begins the time of testing to see what is in the hearts of men. Ten days, ten commandments, ten plagues, the number of testing, leads us to...
The Day of Atonement. The day of judgment. The terrible day of the Lord! The Harvest is brought in. The reaping is done. When the books of Life and Death are opened and all deeds are made known. When the sheep are separated from the goats. The temple is entered by our great high priest and we are atoned for by his blood.
But that is not the end! Oh no! Not by a long shot! For just five short days later, the Sabbath begins the Feast of Tabernacles! The Feast of Booths! The seven days of celebration of the time when we lived in skin tents, wandering the wilderness, led by God, led by faith, before we entered this beautiful land where we inherited fields and vineyards we did not have to plant! Before we lived in the Kingdom! A week of festival and joy and celebration and craziness living in the streets where everyone shares and dances and feasts and remembers and tells the story of what God has done!
God has been telling the same story all along. He weaves it into everything he does, everything He's created. Are we seeing it? Are we remembering it? Are we telling it to our children and our children's children? Are we celebrating?
Today is Fat Tuesday. A feast designed as the antithesis of what God does. God's gonna make us fast for forty days of Lent, let's party while we still can. i don't much care for that story. It's man's story. It's short sighted. It sees neither what God has done nor what He is going to do. And that's not the story i want to be a part of.
Saturday, February 04, 2017
Faith, it's what's for dinner. (i swear i've used that title a half dozen times.)
"In the meanwhile the disciples were asking him, saying, “Rabbi, eat something!” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.”" John 4
Why didn't Jesus eat? The woman was gone. It would be a while before the rest of the villagers came. Doesn't seem to be anything going on, what would be the logical reason for refusing food at that point? i don't get the impression 1st century peasants in the Middle East ate anywhere near as much as we Americans peasants do twenty centuries later. Maybe i'm wrong but while wandering on the dusty road by foot, i'm guessing they didn't eat three squares a day. So anytime food was offered i'm gonna guess they didn't pass. "No thanks, man, I had a sticky bun and a sardine three days ago, i'm stuffed." So why does Jesus take a rain check on the food he sent the twelve into town to get in the first place? He seemed to see what was coming. Crowds. Two days of preaching. Why would he want to weaken his body?
"So the disciples began to say to one another, “No one brought him anything to eat, did they?” Jesus said to them, “My food is that I do the will of the one who sent me and complete his work." John 4
i'm not saying i know, but the only reason i can think of is because he didn't necessarily see what was coming. He is God but as a man, it seems his foreknowledge was not always perfect. The Spirit showed him and told him some things but not everything. We don't know when. We don't know how. He was in communion with God, yes, but he still got off by himself to pray. He used the same channels you and i use to speak with the Father. To listen to the Father. To be in communion with His Father. He prayed.
And he fasted. He had just pulled the pin on a grenade and sent it back into town in the form of a woman in the joyous shock of having possibly just met the Messiah of God! Like the messengers He chose to send news of His resurrection, Jesus chooses this woman to be the herald to her own people. Now, it seems to me, he is fasting and praying upon the outcome. That God would be exalted by the good news spreading and changing more hearts than just this one. That the harvest would produce fruit. He's no longer alone but that doesn't mean he can't discipline his body, submit it to his eagerness to the work. Every pang of his stomach only serves to sharpen his vision as he gazes down the road and prays for the ears about to hear. After a long day of walking in the heat, food may make him drowsy. He wants his wit for the work, both the work of praying and the hoped for work of receiving the hopeful. For this time, he did not have to send someone healed of a physical disease. The crowds, if they came, would come seeking the cure for the spiritual, not the bodily ailments. They would come perhaps just to see and hear a prophet, but to hear the words of God. They wouldn't be dragging along everyone afflicted with everything from leprosy to restless leg syndrome. They would come seeking God.
But i wonder too. Is that all? Did angels minister to him as they did to Elijah? i don't know. Maybe they did or maybe the joy that comes from being exactly who God made you to be, doing exactly what He made you to do completely cancels out, at least temporarily, all other needs and considerations. Can we be so filled with the Spirit that we are full? Can it be that actually loving God and obeying him can drive out the sins we cling to? The idols we find so hard to throw away? The fragile identities we cultivate so carefully? The identities and comforts and treasures of this world we so hunger and thirst for?
"Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
because they will be satisfied." Matt 5
Why didn't Jesus eat? The woman was gone. It would be a while before the rest of the villagers came. Doesn't seem to be anything going on, what would be the logical reason for refusing food at that point? i don't get the impression 1st century peasants in the Middle East ate anywhere near as much as we Americans peasants do twenty centuries later. Maybe i'm wrong but while wandering on the dusty road by foot, i'm guessing they didn't eat three squares a day. So anytime food was offered i'm gonna guess they didn't pass. "No thanks, man, I had a sticky bun and a sardine three days ago, i'm stuffed." So why does Jesus take a rain check on the food he sent the twelve into town to get in the first place? He seemed to see what was coming. Crowds. Two days of preaching. Why would he want to weaken his body?
"So the disciples began to say to one another, “No one brought him anything to eat, did they?” Jesus said to them, “My food is that I do the will of the one who sent me and complete his work." John 4
i'm not saying i know, but the only reason i can think of is because he didn't necessarily see what was coming. He is God but as a man, it seems his foreknowledge was not always perfect. The Spirit showed him and told him some things but not everything. We don't know when. We don't know how. He was in communion with God, yes, but he still got off by himself to pray. He used the same channels you and i use to speak with the Father. To listen to the Father. To be in communion with His Father. He prayed.
And he fasted. He had just pulled the pin on a grenade and sent it back into town in the form of a woman in the joyous shock of having possibly just met the Messiah of God! Like the messengers He chose to send news of His resurrection, Jesus chooses this woman to be the herald to her own people. Now, it seems to me, he is fasting and praying upon the outcome. That God would be exalted by the good news spreading and changing more hearts than just this one. That the harvest would produce fruit. He's no longer alone but that doesn't mean he can't discipline his body, submit it to his eagerness to the work. Every pang of his stomach only serves to sharpen his vision as he gazes down the road and prays for the ears about to hear. After a long day of walking in the heat, food may make him drowsy. He wants his wit for the work, both the work of praying and the hoped for work of receiving the hopeful. For this time, he did not have to send someone healed of a physical disease. The crowds, if they came, would come seeking the cure for the spiritual, not the bodily ailments. They would come perhaps just to see and hear a prophet, but to hear the words of God. They wouldn't be dragging along everyone afflicted with everything from leprosy to restless leg syndrome. They would come seeking God.
But i wonder too. Is that all? Did angels minister to him as they did to Elijah? i don't know. Maybe they did or maybe the joy that comes from being exactly who God made you to be, doing exactly what He made you to do completely cancels out, at least temporarily, all other needs and considerations. Can we be so filled with the Spirit that we are full? Can it be that actually loving God and obeying him can drive out the sins we cling to? The idols we find so hard to throw away? The fragile identities we cultivate so carefully? The identities and comforts and treasures of this world we so hunger and thirst for?
"Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
because they will be satisfied." Matt 5
Friday, January 20, 2017
What's wrong, scruff?
The cess pit runneth over and the well is going dry.
That's the best way i can think to describe it.
It is both literal and figurative.
A living allegory.
It's not the story of my life, that at least has a happy ending,
but it is what i'll title this chapter.
but it is what i'll title this chapter.
yep.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
And the sign says...
“Did I not say to you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”
John 11
There are two kinds of people in the world. Binary thinkers, for whom there are only and ever two choices and whatever the rest of you like to think of yourselves as. i have my own word for you but you’d probably consider it derogatory. But then you’d be wrong. Which, coincidentally, is my word for you: Wrong.
Jesus seems to think there are only two kinds of people too. Those who don’t believe and those who.… want to.
“It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews surrounded him and began to say to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly!” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe!”
John 10
When those who don’t believe ask for a sign, Jesus farts in their general direction. “An evil and adulterous generation desires a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah!” Forget you, he seems to say. I’m going to die and rise from the dead and that’s all you get. Figure it out from there. A verbal sandal shaking is what he gives them instead.
But belief is hard. “And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” So the Lord said, “If you have faith like a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17) Wow. How much faith must a mustard seed have! i can’t even tell my cat to get his feet off the counter and expect him to do it without threat of violence, and he has legs and ears and knows the sound of my voice! Here’s this little seed telling trees where to go. Kinda makes ya think. What we who have mouths and are surrounded by trees would be able to do if we just believed? “But Jesus said to him, “If you are able! All things are possible for the one who believes!” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9)
And here’s the amazing thing, Jesus does! For Jesus, no length is too far to go for those who want to believe in him! He wants us to believe! He’s even willing to let us grieve for four whole days believing nothing more than that our brother is dead and that Jesus didn’t seem to care. Martha and Mary are both experiencing the same grief. They both have the same words for Jesus when he finally shows up almost a week probably after they called for him to come quickly and four days after the funeral. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” They both have faith. They both believe Jesus can do almost anything. Martha even says so, “Even now I know that whatever you ask God, God will grant you.” Martha has good theology, she knows doctrine, ““I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” And Mary knows her place before Jesus. Three times we see her in scripture and every time she is in the same place, at his feet. No one can question her devotion. Like Ruth, she has offered herself utterly, unashamedly to him. i think we would say they believe.
Yet listen to what Jesus prays…
“Father, I give thanks to you that you hear me. And I know that you always hear me, but for the sake of the crowd standing around I said it, so that they may believe that you sent me.” Jesus did all this for them! To strengthen their faith! To help their unbelief! The man who would not prove he was God, gave them a sign!
And that’s the key to all signs and wonders, not do they point to the power of the user. Prophets have great power, but it was always power for a purpose. Not that God wants us all to be happy and healthy and have everything we want. He does but He’s a Father and He knows when, where and how much to give. Signs and wonders are always, ALWAYS the Testimony of the Holy Spirit about who Jesus is! And Jesus’ testimony is always, ALWAYS about who the Father is! That’s it. Because that’s what Jesus is concerned with: not do you know of him? But do you KNOW him! And Jesus will go to any length, any height, any depth for you to know and believe! And that alone should tell you something about who he is.
But it might not. For a sign may only have one purpose, but it has two outcomes. Sign of Jonah or not, the Pharisees and the scribes did know Lazarus was raised from the dead too. They saw and believed Jesus had real power. They thought they knew who and what Jesus was too.
But then, they were wrong.
John 11
There are two kinds of people in the world. Binary thinkers, for whom there are only and ever two choices and whatever the rest of you like to think of yourselves as. i have my own word for you but you’d probably consider it derogatory. But then you’d be wrong. Which, coincidentally, is my word for you: Wrong.
Jesus seems to think there are only two kinds of people too. Those who don’t believe and those who.… want to.
“It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the Portico of Solomon. So the Jews surrounded him and began to say to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly!” Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe!”
John 10
When those who don’t believe ask for a sign, Jesus farts in their general direction. “An evil and adulterous generation desires a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah!” Forget you, he seems to say. I’m going to die and rise from the dead and that’s all you get. Figure it out from there. A verbal sandal shaking is what he gives them instead.
But belief is hard. “And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” So the Lord said, “If you have faith like a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17) Wow. How much faith must a mustard seed have! i can’t even tell my cat to get his feet off the counter and expect him to do it without threat of violence, and he has legs and ears and knows the sound of my voice! Here’s this little seed telling trees where to go. Kinda makes ya think. What we who have mouths and are surrounded by trees would be able to do if we just believed? “But Jesus said to him, “If you are able! All things are possible for the one who believes!” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9)
And here’s the amazing thing, Jesus does! For Jesus, no length is too far to go for those who want to believe in him! He wants us to believe! He’s even willing to let us grieve for four whole days believing nothing more than that our brother is dead and that Jesus didn’t seem to care. Martha and Mary are both experiencing the same grief. They both have the same words for Jesus when he finally shows up almost a week probably after they called for him to come quickly and four days after the funeral. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” They both have faith. They both believe Jesus can do almost anything. Martha even says so, “Even now I know that whatever you ask God, God will grant you.” Martha has good theology, she knows doctrine, ““I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” And Mary knows her place before Jesus. Three times we see her in scripture and every time she is in the same place, at his feet. No one can question her devotion. Like Ruth, she has offered herself utterly, unashamedly to him. i think we would say they believe.
Yet listen to what Jesus prays…
“Father, I give thanks to you that you hear me. And I know that you always hear me, but for the sake of the crowd standing around I said it, so that they may believe that you sent me.” Jesus did all this for them! To strengthen their faith! To help their unbelief! The man who would not prove he was God, gave them a sign!
And that’s the key to all signs and wonders, not do they point to the power of the user. Prophets have great power, but it was always power for a purpose. Not that God wants us all to be happy and healthy and have everything we want. He does but He’s a Father and He knows when, where and how much to give. Signs and wonders are always, ALWAYS the Testimony of the Holy Spirit about who Jesus is! And Jesus’ testimony is always, ALWAYS about who the Father is! That’s it. Because that’s what Jesus is concerned with: not do you know of him? But do you KNOW him! And Jesus will go to any length, any height, any depth for you to know and believe! And that alone should tell you something about who he is.
But it might not. For a sign may only have one purpose, but it has two outcomes. Sign of Jonah or not, the Pharisees and the scribes did know Lazarus was raised from the dead too. They saw and believed Jesus had real power. They thought they knew who and what Jesus was too.
But then, they were wrong.
Monday, December 19, 2016
I AM the Christmas
"“I know that Messiah is coming” (the one called Christ); “whenever that one comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he." John 4
i don't want to celebrate Christmas this year.
i don't want trappings if the spirit is dead. Slain. Murdered.
i don't want to hang reminders of things done, of years past, of a long ago event in history. This is not a feast of celebration. This is not a joyous remembrance. This is not ritual. i don't want to spend money i don't have on things no one needs. i have no use for tradition. Symbol. Emptiness. Hollowness. Glass balls with nothing inside which only show me distorted reflections. Reams of torn paper and discarded boxes but no real gifts. Jolly fat men who bring Lexuses to rich people. French perfumes to cover the reek of death.
This is Passover night. The first one. This is darkness complete with fearful anticipation. This is a hasty meal with belts on, sandals laced, bags packed and walking staff in hand. This is shepherds sleeping outside. This is a disturbed kingdom. This is a world torn apart by war, famine, pestilence and demagogues. i have no reason to sing carols. i don't want to deck halls. i have no use for religion.
i need Christ to come. i need God With Us. This is not Bah Humbug. i don't want less Christmas. i want MORE! i don't want the holiday.
i want the Man!
i don't want to celebrate Christmas this year.
i don't want trappings if the spirit is dead. Slain. Murdered.
i don't want to hang reminders of things done, of years past, of a long ago event in history. This is not a feast of celebration. This is not a joyous remembrance. This is not ritual. i don't want to spend money i don't have on things no one needs. i have no use for tradition. Symbol. Emptiness. Hollowness. Glass balls with nothing inside which only show me distorted reflections. Reams of torn paper and discarded boxes but no real gifts. Jolly fat men who bring Lexuses to rich people. French perfumes to cover the reek of death.
This is Passover night. The first one. This is darkness complete with fearful anticipation. This is a hasty meal with belts on, sandals laced, bags packed and walking staff in hand. This is shepherds sleeping outside. This is a disturbed kingdom. This is a world torn apart by war, famine, pestilence and demagogues. i have no reason to sing carols. i don't want to deck halls. i have no use for religion.
i need Christ to come. i need God With Us. This is not Bah Humbug. i don't want less Christmas. i want MORE! i don't want the holiday.
i want the Man!
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Words fail me, the Word does not
If anyone should see his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he should ask, and he will grant life to him, to those who sin not leading to death. (There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should ask about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death. (John 5)
Whoever said, “He’s so heavenly minded he ain’t no earthly good.” probably had John the Revelator in mind. Words fail John. He’s a philosopher and high thinker and poet and his lofty concepts often seem strangled by the limits of language. They don’t dance for him on the page the way they must in his mind where the meanings shine and nuances wax and wane. Something seems lost in translation. The written word can come at us divorced from the emotions of the writer. Like a text from your brother, “Was that sarcasm, or is he really happy for me? What does he mean?”
“See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (John 5)
What does he mean??
If John was high minded, Jesus, especially as John relates him, is nigh on inscrutable. Is he saying this man’s sin led to his lameness? “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9) Neither, says Jesus, not because the man or his parents were sinless. That’s preposterous. Not because it isn’t true that disease and plague and pain and suffering and even Death itself didn’t enter the world because of sin, all creation knows that to be true and groans as it waits under a curse of death for the Revelation. But he says “neither” because that’s not important to what he wants to do. It’s the wrong emphasis. No, no, no, he could have said. You’re looking from the bottom up. You’re looking at newtonian religion. Every sin has an equal and opposite curse. So you must be righteous to get blessing. That viewpoint has no life in it! It is all focused on you! All on your many, many grievous sins. Like Pharisees trying to actually DO the Law and only making it more and more tangled and unbearably heavy with more laws till no one can bear it and we are all crushed beneath it like the lame man or chuck it entirely like the adulteress! It is as if Jesus is boiling it all down as he did to Martha.
Sinner, Sinner, “you are anxious and troubled about many things! But few things are necessary, or only one thing…”
Yes, there are countless myriad sins. Our hearts are idol factories, sin wells, the deeper you go, the deeper it goes. It just keeps getting darker. Crack the lid off this septic tank of your soul and the stench will overwhelm you, knock you out and drown you when you fall and your corpse will sink forever. But when it comes right down to it, there is only one sin that really matters to Jesus.
Do you believe in him or not?
Here even the word belief fails us! This is not just cognitive recognition of a historical person named Jesus. It’s not even just the intellectual assent that he was the Son of God. If it must start there, then so be it, but let it never stop there! Let it never stop at all! If sin is bottomless, Grace, the gift of belief and faith and trust and joy and adoption into God the Father through Christ is limitless! The higher you look the higher it goes! Infinity! Do you believe in him? Then believe him! Do you believe him? Then put your trust in him! Do you put your trust in him? Then love him! Do you love him? Then obey him! Do you obey him? Then love his! He is the fount of living water that never fails, he is the light that never fades, he is the gift that never stops giving, Clark! His jellies are new every morning! As soon as you start writing about him, you gain an appreciation for John’s plight! For Paul's run on doxologies! For David’s psalms! We could literally sing of His love forever!
Sin no longer. This path leads only to death. Not the death of the body, every body dies, who cares about that? Quit being so near sighted! Fear the one who can throw body and soul into hell! Fear the second death! Sin no longer! Flee the path that leads only to the second death! Flee living for nothing! Flee living as if you could keep the Law? Flee trying to be perfect! Quit fleeing from the Father who loves you and wants you in his family and in his home! Accept the perfection laid down for you! Accept the righteousness laid down for you! Accept the Lamb bled out for you! Accept the ransom paid for you! The free gift given to you! See, I have healed you! See, I have died in your place to save you from certain death, not from anything so temporary as disease or an angry unforgiving mob, these things are just parables, shadows and foretastes of the Wrath of a Holy and Perfectly Just God! See, I love you, have loved you and want to love you forever!
Believe in me!
Whoever said, “He’s so heavenly minded he ain’t no earthly good.” probably had John the Revelator in mind. Words fail John. He’s a philosopher and high thinker and poet and his lofty concepts often seem strangled by the limits of language. They don’t dance for him on the page the way they must in his mind where the meanings shine and nuances wax and wane. Something seems lost in translation. The written word can come at us divorced from the emotions of the writer. Like a text from your brother, “Was that sarcasm, or is he really happy for me? What does he mean?”
“See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (John 5)
What does he mean??
If John was high minded, Jesus, especially as John relates him, is nigh on inscrutable. Is he saying this man’s sin led to his lameness? “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9) Neither, says Jesus, not because the man or his parents were sinless. That’s preposterous. Not because it isn’t true that disease and plague and pain and suffering and even Death itself didn’t enter the world because of sin, all creation knows that to be true and groans as it waits under a curse of death for the Revelation. But he says “neither” because that’s not important to what he wants to do. It’s the wrong emphasis. No, no, no, he could have said. You’re looking from the bottom up. You’re looking at newtonian religion. Every sin has an equal and opposite curse. So you must be righteous to get blessing. That viewpoint has no life in it! It is all focused on you! All on your many, many grievous sins. Like Pharisees trying to actually DO the Law and only making it more and more tangled and unbearably heavy with more laws till no one can bear it and we are all crushed beneath it like the lame man or chuck it entirely like the adulteress! It is as if Jesus is boiling it all down as he did to Martha.
Sinner, Sinner, “you are anxious and troubled about many things! But few things are necessary, or only one thing…”
Yes, there are countless myriad sins. Our hearts are idol factories, sin wells, the deeper you go, the deeper it goes. It just keeps getting darker. Crack the lid off this septic tank of your soul and the stench will overwhelm you, knock you out and drown you when you fall and your corpse will sink forever. But when it comes right down to it, there is only one sin that really matters to Jesus.
Do you believe in him or not?
Here even the word belief fails us! This is not just cognitive recognition of a historical person named Jesus. It’s not even just the intellectual assent that he was the Son of God. If it must start there, then so be it, but let it never stop there! Let it never stop at all! If sin is bottomless, Grace, the gift of belief and faith and trust and joy and adoption into God the Father through Christ is limitless! The higher you look the higher it goes! Infinity! Do you believe in him? Then believe him! Do you believe him? Then put your trust in him! Do you put your trust in him? Then love him! Do you love him? Then obey him! Do you obey him? Then love his! He is the fount of living water that never fails, he is the light that never fades, he is the gift that never stops giving, Clark! His jellies are new every morning! As soon as you start writing about him, you gain an appreciation for John’s plight! For Paul's run on doxologies! For David’s psalms! We could literally sing of His love forever!
Sin no longer. This path leads only to death. Not the death of the body, every body dies, who cares about that? Quit being so near sighted! Fear the one who can throw body and soul into hell! Fear the second death! Sin no longer! Flee the path that leads only to the second death! Flee living for nothing! Flee living as if you could keep the Law? Flee trying to be perfect! Quit fleeing from the Father who loves you and wants you in his family and in his home! Accept the perfection laid down for you! Accept the righteousness laid down for you! Accept the Lamb bled out for you! Accept the ransom paid for you! The free gift given to you! See, I have healed you! See, I have died in your place to save you from certain death, not from anything so temporary as disease or an angry unforgiving mob, these things are just parables, shadows and foretastes of the Wrath of a Holy and Perfectly Just God! See, I love you, have loved you and want to love you forever!
Believe in me!
Friday, December 16, 2016
Say what??
And a certain man was there who had been thirty-eight years in his sickness. Jesus, when he saw this one lying there and knew that he had been sick a long time already, said to him, “Do you want to become well?” The one who was sick answered him, “Sir, I do not have anyone that, whenever the water is stirred up, could put me into the pool. But while I am coming, another goes down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk!” And immediately the man became well and picked up his mat and began to walk.
After these things Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “Look, you have become well! Sin no longer, lest something worse happen to you.” John 5
Now the scribes and the Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery. And standing her in their midst, they said to him, testing him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery! Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” (Now they were saying this to test him, so that they would have an occasion to bring charges against him.) But Jesus, bending down, began to write with his finger on the ground, taking no notice. And when they persisted in asking him, straightening up he said to them, “The one of you without sin, let him throw the first stone at her!” And bending down again, he wrote on the ground. Now when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, they began to depart, one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone—and the woman who was in their midst. So Jesus, straightening up and seeing no one except the woman, said to her, “Where are those accusers of yours? Does no one condemn you?” And she said, “No one, Lord.” So Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.” John 8
These passages used to bother me. Not the healing and the mercy. Those are great. True What-Would-Jesus-Do? moments. i fully expect the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and ushers in the Kingdom of God to heal the sick and save a sinner from a self-righteous lynch mob. (Stone mob? Rock mob? hmm.) No, it’s not the miracle or the prickly teaching, it’s that tag line he tosses in at the end.
Go and sin no more.
i don’t know about you, but i grew up in churches where this wasn’t a problematic line at all. It made perfect sense to the adults who taught me. It tied in neatly with the Ten Commandments. With the blessings and curses of Gerizim and Ebal of Deuteronomy. Pick up your mat. Gerizim. Sin no longer. Ebal. Neither do I condemn you. Gerizim. Go, and sin no more. Ebal. Keep your room clean, don’t lie, eat your vegetables, be nice to your brother and God will love you. Gerizim. Go play down by the lake, steal that kid’s cool pencil holder, say a bad word and God will smite thee down with great vengeance and furious anger! Give your change to that dirty guy outside the coffee shop. Eat vitamins. Raise your kids to go to college and be productive citizens. Pay your taxes and God will welcome you into his glorious rest. Get a divorce. Have an abortion. Struggle with addiction or sexual immorality, whether visible or not and it will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah than for you on that day.
It wasn’t until i was older that i realized why that thinking created nothing in me but either self-righteousness or anxiety. If i think i’m doing well, then I AM doing well. If i slip up, i’m just another one of those old people who say, “well, i HOPE God will let me in. i HOPE i’ve been good enough.” That’s not salvation. That’s not Psalms. That’s not Jesus not losing one of his sheep that the Father had given him. That’s not, “do not be afraid!” “Fear not!” That’s not glorious or Easter or Peace on Earth on whom His favor rests. It’s certainly not love from before the foundation of the world, before I formed you, I knew you.
It’s karma. Law. Works salvation. So why the Tartarus does Jesus say it??
What do these two instances have in common other than this one line? Look at them again. Do you see it? Were either of these people coming to Jesus? Did they seek him? Did they cry out to him? Did they fall at his feet and beg for mercy? No.
Jesus came to them. He found them in their misery. Or they were dragged to his feet in their guilt and shame. We see nothing in either story to show they knew who he was at all. The lame guy didn’t even know who he was AFTER he healed him!
Jesus is the greatest expert on what sin is and isn’t. He who knew the scriptures certainly knew Joshua 24, Psalms 14 and 53 and Isaiah 64. And we who know him and love him know them too. You don’t have to tell someone who loves Jesus not to sin, they don’t want to. But they will. We will still struggle with greed and anger and fear and sex and belonging and hope and joy. We won’t want to but we will. It’s why we needed a savior in the first place. This is not what Jesus is talking about. What is he talking about then, mr. knowitall?
Lord willing, i’ll tell ya tomorrow.
After these things Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “Look, you have become well! Sin no longer, lest something worse happen to you.” John 5
Now the scribes and the Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery. And standing her in their midst, they said to him, testing him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery! Now in the law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” (Now they were saying this to test him, so that they would have an occasion to bring charges against him.) But Jesus, bending down, began to write with his finger on the ground, taking no notice. And when they persisted in asking him, straightening up he said to them, “The one of you without sin, let him throw the first stone at her!” And bending down again, he wrote on the ground. Now when they heard it, being convicted by their conscience, they began to depart, one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone—and the woman who was in their midst. So Jesus, straightening up and seeing no one except the woman, said to her, “Where are those accusers of yours? Does no one condemn you?” And she said, “No one, Lord.” So Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.” John 8
These passages used to bother me. Not the healing and the mercy. Those are great. True What-Would-Jesus-Do? moments. i fully expect the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and ushers in the Kingdom of God to heal the sick and save a sinner from a self-righteous lynch mob. (Stone mob? Rock mob? hmm.) No, it’s not the miracle or the prickly teaching, it’s that tag line he tosses in at the end.
Go and sin no more.
i don’t know about you, but i grew up in churches where this wasn’t a problematic line at all. It made perfect sense to the adults who taught me. It tied in neatly with the Ten Commandments. With the blessings and curses of Gerizim and Ebal of Deuteronomy. Pick up your mat. Gerizim. Sin no longer. Ebal. Neither do I condemn you. Gerizim. Go, and sin no more. Ebal. Keep your room clean, don’t lie, eat your vegetables, be nice to your brother and God will love you. Gerizim. Go play down by the lake, steal that kid’s cool pencil holder, say a bad word and God will smite thee down with great vengeance and furious anger! Give your change to that dirty guy outside the coffee shop. Eat vitamins. Raise your kids to go to college and be productive citizens. Pay your taxes and God will welcome you into his glorious rest. Get a divorce. Have an abortion. Struggle with addiction or sexual immorality, whether visible or not and it will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah than for you on that day.
It wasn’t until i was older that i realized why that thinking created nothing in me but either self-righteousness or anxiety. If i think i’m doing well, then I AM doing well. If i slip up, i’m just another one of those old people who say, “well, i HOPE God will let me in. i HOPE i’ve been good enough.” That’s not salvation. That’s not Psalms. That’s not Jesus not losing one of his sheep that the Father had given him. That’s not, “do not be afraid!” “Fear not!” That’s not glorious or Easter or Peace on Earth on whom His favor rests. It’s certainly not love from before the foundation of the world, before I formed you, I knew you.
It’s karma. Law. Works salvation. So why the Tartarus does Jesus say it??
What do these two instances have in common other than this one line? Look at them again. Do you see it? Were either of these people coming to Jesus? Did they seek him? Did they cry out to him? Did they fall at his feet and beg for mercy? No.
Jesus came to them. He found them in their misery. Or they were dragged to his feet in their guilt and shame. We see nothing in either story to show they knew who he was at all. The lame guy didn’t even know who he was AFTER he healed him!
Jesus is the greatest expert on what sin is and isn’t. He who knew the scriptures certainly knew Joshua 24, Psalms 14 and 53 and Isaiah 64. And we who know him and love him know them too. You don’t have to tell someone who loves Jesus not to sin, they don’t want to. But they will. We will still struggle with greed and anger and fear and sex and belonging and hope and joy. We won’t want to but we will. It’s why we needed a savior in the first place. This is not what Jesus is talking about. What is he talking about then, mr. knowitall?
Lord willing, i’ll tell ya tomorrow.
Monday, November 28, 2016
How then should we live?
Not much time today so just a few thoughts on Luke 12. Because the whole chapter seems to be Jesus’ treatise on how to live our lives as Christians. As part of the Church of God.
1. Do not deal in hypocrisy, showing for those below, saving nothing for the Truth above. More on that in a second…
2. Do not fear bodily death, but fear eternal damnation and separation from God.
3. Do not fear what to speak, but speak truth at all times. Trust the testimony of Jesus to which you owe all.
4. Do not prepare for this life as if it were permanent or all. Prepare for the eternal life to come for it is all. Now is the time to invest in the future. Retirement is only the bottom of the first inning. The first mile in a marathon. The second throw in the first frame… insert favorite sport metaphor here…for even retirement should be spent preparing for real life.
5. Do not be anxious about the material. But concentrate on the spiritual. Give toward and work toward this kingdom come. Cuz as we’ve been saying, temporary/permanent. Permanent wins.
6. Stay diligent. Stay faithful. Delay is coming but it is ..temporary.
7. Do not be tricked or lulled into complacency because of the length of time of the delay. Stay vigilant.
8. Be faithful to your calling. These last three feel repetitive because they are. Jesus must think they are important or something. Like he said, “wait here, i’ll be right back,” and then stepped out for two thousand years or so…
9. Expect opposition. Not out there, yeah, that’ll come too but right inside your own family. Absolute truth tends to be absolute. “I am The Way. NO Man comes to the Father EXCEPT by ME” doesn’t leave much wiggle room for counter offers or compromise.
10. But as much as it concerns you, live in peace with all. For you have a Judge and He has a Day. And a day is coming even before The Day. We all meet our Day. Some of us will see The Day but all of us will have a Day in court before this Judge. So yeah, best to keep your defense handy, as Pete says.
And i can’t help but think the wrap to all of this is the first thing he said. Don’t be hypocrites. You say you believe in God, then believe God. You say there’s a better kingdom coming, a permanent one, a truer one? Then shouldn’t everything we do, everything we say, everything we hope for and in, everything we earn be for this? It’s the basis of Paul’s rebuke of Peter when he stopped eating with gentiles. You say we’re all saved by the same grace, then why do you favor one over the other? We say there’s a King? Shouldn’t we live for his kingdom? We say we will live forever? Then why do we fear so much of what happens here? Why do we fear death? We say a Day is coming, our King is returning, a new heaven and new earth will dawn? Then why do we live as if this is all there is? Why do you wallow in self-pity and despair and cynicism as if there is no hope?
No wonder they don’t believe us.
Friday, November 25, 2016
to You
“And his disciples asked him what this parable meant. And he said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest they are in parables, so that
‘Seeing they may not see,
and hearing they may not understand.’” Luke 8
“To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God…”
Holy crap. To you. To. You.
You. Y-O-U.
You who are reading this are hearing the same words that came from God’s lips to his disciples. You are privy to the same knowledge as Jesus only gave to his chosen apostles!
Let that sink in.
The Mysteries of the Kingdom of God are freely given to you! The gospel the angels desire to look into. “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is set high; I cannot prevail against it.”
All four gospels follow the same basic course, Act 1: who is this? Act 2: what has he come to do? Act 3: now that you know the answers to acts one and two, go and proclaim. Who is this who forgives sins? Who is this who speaks with authority? Who is this who even the demons obey? Who is this who commands the winds and the waves that they should obey him? Over and over, those who get a peek behind the veil are told, “tell no one.” Over and over all things are given to the elect people of God as only parables. So that they…
“‘Keep on listening and do not comprehend!
And keep on looking and do not understand!’
Make the heart of this people insensitive,
and make its ears unresponsive,
and shut its eyes
so that it may not look with its eyes
and listen with its ears
and comprehend with its mind
and turn back, and it may be healed for him.” (Isa 6)
Judgment. “Therefore consider how you listen, for whoever has, to him more will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away from him.” What they thought they had was the favor of God. They were the ones brought out of Egypt. They were the ones who ate the bread of angels in the desert. They were the ones given the Law. They were the ones given the prophets and the holy Scriptures. They had it all! The testimony of God about himself. Who is this? He is, “Yahweh, Yahweh, God, who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding with loyal love and faithfulness, keeping loyal love to the thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and he does not leave utterly unpunished, punishing the guilt of fathers on sons and on sons of sons on third and fourth generations.” And yet, “He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, and the world did not recognize him. He came to his own things, and his own people did not receive him. But as many as received him—to those who believe in his name—he gave to them authority to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a husband, but of God.”
Anyone, but anyone in the last two thousand years or so who picks up this book, this Bible and can read the words that are printed in it is freely given the knowledge it contains. The knowledge of the One True God and His Salvation in the bodily form of Jesus Christ. Not just the prophecy, not just the parable but the meaning, the plain truth, this one, this Jesus, this is the Anointed Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!
What will we do with it? What will you do with this Jesus who is called, Christ?
What will we do with it? What will you do with this Jesus who is called, Christ?
Friday, November 11, 2016
the Four Loves: The Lion of Judah
Power. Acclaim. Influence. Fame. Privilege. Freedom.
Pride.
Aye, there’s the rub. For in my mind, Pride is the unforgivable sin.
‘Now hold on there Baba Luey!’ you say, ‘I’m pretty sure the only unforgivable sin is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit!’ And i’d say you are right and this is a rabbit trail except that it illustrates our point beautifully.
The incident you are referring to is in Matthew 12 and Jesus has just driven out a demon, “And all the crowds were amazed and began saying, “Perhaps this one is the Son of David!” But the Pharisees, when they heard it, said, “This man does not expel demons except by Beelzebul the ruler of demons!”” The Holy Spirit has just testified with a display of power and a sign and a wonder that Jesus is the Son of David and that the Son of David is more than we imagined he was. For the work of the Spirit is the glorifying of God the Father through the testimony and glorifying of Jesus the Son, “Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev 19) The Pharisees see their power and influence challenged and they spread a counter gospel. They preach what they hear their father preaching. In their pride and their lust for power, they blaspheme against the Holy Spirit’s testimony.
Satan thought himself a lion and so challenged God for control of the pride of heaven. Archangel Mike tossed him on his tookus and he fell to earth and took control of the pride of earth, killing the cubs of his predecessor. “Woe to the earth and to the sea,
because the devil has come down to you,
having great anger,
because he knows that he has little time!” (Rev 12)
Satan’s pride and lust for power are absolute in him. There can be no forgiveness because, and this is key, because you rightly testify that Jesus’ blood and finished work and unfailing love can forgive ANY sin…
EXCEPT… the sin that never asks for forgiveness even in the face of God Himself.
And there it is. Pride won’t come to Jesus. Pride won’t admit any god but itself.
But God! “So those who heard this said, “And who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” (Luke 18) Jesus can set the slaves and the prisoners free! Yahweh humbles the proud! Ask Nebuchadnezzar. Ask Paul. Jesus is Lord of…Lords! Jesus is King of …Kings! He is the Lion over all other lions and He is imminent!
“The sun and the moon grow dark,
and the stars have withheld their splendor.
And Yahweh roars from Zion;
from Jerusalem he utters his voice,
and the heavens and the earth shake.” (Joel 3)
The Day is coming and when it does…
“They will go after Yahweh;
he roars like a lion.
When he roars,
his children will come trembling
from the sea.
They will tremble like birds from Egypt,
and like doves from the land of Assyria;
and I will let them return to their homes—
a declaration of Yahweh.” (Hosea 11)
“And one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.
And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as though slaughtered…” (Rev 5)
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