DAY 213

PING PONG…THERE IS A POINT

Psalm 54, 55 & 56 and Romans 3

We continue in Romans, but before I press into chapter three of that letter, let me just note two things about all three Psalms for today. The first is that they are all of lament, the person is pouring out their heart to God. The second is they all end with a positive statement about God. This is a classic structure to the Psalms, and might I suggest it should be and could be for our lives. We have dark moments, moments of despair, but in the end we hold onto our faith in God.

The reality of those dark moments, the evil that is in the world, in spite of God’s faithfulness to all of humanity, is what Paul has been talking about…let’s review. In the last two days I asked two questions:

1.      Do you think the world has largely forsaken God?

2.      Do you think we “get right” with God by keeping the Law…all of it which includes not judging others?

Another way to look at the first two chapters is that in verses 1:18-32 Paul describes the blatant unrighteousness of much of the world, and in 2:1-16 he comments on the hypocritical righteousness of moralizers (those are the people who judge others). This string of Paul’s logic is what led me to ask the question, “Do you think the world has largely forsaken God?” Because outside of the small population of Jews in the world, this is how Paul views the majority of earth’s population…do you view it that way?

He then turns his attention to the “Law Keepers”…that would be the Jewish people. Yet Paul aptly points out in 2:17-3:8 that while the Jewish people have self-confidence, there is an anomaly, they boast of God’s Law, but they break it (this by the way is not a new thought, Jesus was constantly pressing this point).

All of this brings us to chapter three. I titled this blog entry “ping-pong” in part because of the “back-and-forth” chatter of Paul. Some of us are not use to this rhetorical method. It is a method that tries to ask and answer questions that might come to the readers mind. It is a little like the writer saying, “Now I know you are going to point out “A”, but I have already thought of that by “B”. It leads to a lot of back-and-forth writing. But like a “ping-pong match” there is a point and it is going somewhere. Let’s break it down a bit.

In verse one he asks a question that is based on the first two chapters. So if all of us are in the wrong, is there any advantage of being a Jew. His answer is absolutely! Consider an example: Have you ever been entrusted to do something – maybe the Best Man or Maid/Matron of Honor at a wedding? The Best Man is to bring the rings and both give “toasts” at the reception. They derive no benefit from these tasks. They have honor so long as he/she has done it, and once done their position of esteem is a bit less. Another example would be delivering something of great value. You have it, but it is not yours because your job is to give it to the person awaiting its delivery. If you keep it you are stealing. The Jews have been entrusted with the message of God, to be a light to all, to point the way to God. They have failed, they have not only kept the message for themselves, not only have the nations not received it, but those nations (the Gentiles) have deduced a completely wrong view of God. He then goes onto to a back-and-forth discussion about whether or not the failure of those entrusted somehow diminishes God, the answer is of course, no.

In a ping-pong match every now and then there is a big swing, verse nine is just that. In verse one he says it is good to be a Jew. In verse nine he asks, “Are we Jews any better off?” His answer, “No!” You might be thinking, “Wait a minute, you just said in verse one…” Here is where we need to slow down and see the distinction between “privilege and responsibility” in verse one, and “favoritism” in verse nine. God shows no favoritism to the Jewish people when it comes to whether or not they are measuring up to God’s standard…they do not get a pass as it were. In verses 3:9-20 Paul lays it out for them in classic rabbinic tradition. In verses 10-18 he strings together a variety of Scriptures (which the Rabbis would do) to make his point. He draws on Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Proverbs and Isaiah making three points about sin: it is ungodly, pervasive, and universal. If you think you have the Law on your side (he writes in verse 20) you are barking up the wrong tree.

Paul has up to this point spent his time making one point very forcefully, he has rounded up all of creation and proclaimed that “all have fallen short of the glory of God.” No one can stand before God and pass muster on his or her own. In verse nineteen he uses a phrase that has to do with the period he lived in. When a person was in court, when they had nothing left to say for themselves, they took their hand and put it over their mouth…they stopped their mouth.

We are now turning into the beginning of the solution. Before we do let me outline what Paul, as many of his day, is wrestling with, and with the outline of these questions in hand you might consider re-reading verses 21-31.

We have established the universality of sin, we have established that God granted to Israel the Promises and Law, but they failed. Given the situation, how can God “be just” or “be in the right”? How can he at once be faithful to the Covenant with Abraham and the Law, and at the same time do what is just to those who have not kept the Covenant and Law? Further, how can he deal with evil on the one hand and rescue the helpless (the helpless sinners) on the other? If God is so smart, then why did He create such a situation?

His answer is Jesus. If you read verses 21-31 you will see his answer to the questions I framed above. The Law and the Prophets testified to Jesus, yet He, Jesus, is apart from it. God’s righteousness is shown through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. All are justified, made right before God, because God has fulfilled all that the Law demands for sin through the blood of Jesus Christ…and it is all done by God so that we may not boast. In fact the worst that evil has, death, is defeated.

I know this has been a day of ping-pong, and a day which really built upon the first two days, but I pray it was worth it. Take some time and re-read some sections if that will help you.

I ended each of the first two days each with a question to help you keep with the flow. Rather than a question, let me just add a comment. Paul has been showing that all of us are in the same boat, the boat of sin. He at the same time has been showing that God’s Law, while it is good, cannot save us because we cannot keep it. He then asks if this “Good and Smart God” that we proclaim has somehow painted himself into a corner, and then answers, “No” by showing how Jesus answers all the questions he has asked. There will be more on this, but I pray you are staying with it. 

DAY 212

SO WHAT WAS YOUR ANSWER

Psalm 51, 52 & 53 and Romans 2

Is it steep enough for you? You might be wondering what is going on in Romans 2 (as if Romans 1 wasn’t enough). I ended yesterday’s blog with a question for you to ponder, “Has most of the world given itself over to human passions and forsaken God?”

What Paul is doing in Romans 2 is again pushing on this point.

He picks up from yesterday, yesterday when he made it clear that God actually “gave up the unrighteous to their own lusts” (cf. 1:24). He then goes on to describe those lusts. The point is that there are some people who try and hide the truth (cf. 1:18) even though this truth is plain to all, and those people will bear the judgment of God.

He continues with another interesting point with regards to people who judge those who do the debased things he has just described. He basically says, “If you judge those people, do you not think you will be judged?” His point is simple, “None of us should think that we are somehow better than those people who are denying God. We all have sin in our lives and therefore should not be judging.” He says “There will be tribulation for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and then the Greek.” (cf. 2:10)

His introduction here of “the Jew…and the Greek” has to do with those who are trying to follow Yahweh and those who are not. He unpacks both groups of people and goes into a rather dizzying description of those who have the Law and those who don’t…and those who don’t have it, but follow it…and those who have it, but don’t follow it…ALL TO SAY…we all fall short.

If I might just pause and answer a question about “why Paul is doing this?” He is taking a very specific “angle into this debate of sorts” to establish a very foundational fact…we need God to save us from our nature…both Jews and Greeks.

Do you believe that? Most people today want God to “help them a little.” They feel like that can do much of life on their own, but every now and then some help from God would take the edge off. After all, aren’t we all supposed to “do our part?” Paul in Romans is saying, no. You have one of two choices, either keep the Law perfectly…that’s right perfectly, or be judged for not keeping it…whether you know the law or not. And, make sure you don’t judge anyone else along the way. It seems like an all or nothing proposition, but his point is less about the following rules and more about human behavior…we are not perfect…not a one of us…therefore we all miss the mark with God…and missing the mark…that is called sin.

Do you see how far he is pushing the point? I said yesterday that this is somewhat of an “argument” for all God has ever done, and this is one of the foundational points…and he is going out of his way to not let you or me, “shade it a little” one way of the other.

Just as I ended yesterday with the question of whether you think the world has largely forsaken God, today I invite you to ponder this proposition that if we are “right with God” by keeping the Law which includes not judging others, then we must not fall short.

Remember we have lots of chapters to go and so we are in the early stages; there is more, much more, in the Person and Work of Jesus, but for now Paul is getting some things into place and we need to “keep with the flow.” I will try to ask a question, or point of the principle or proposition Paul is using each day to help you keep with the flow.

The Psalms are lovely today: Psalm 51 is one of my favorites and goes along the lines of what I have been writing about with regards to Romans. The Psalmist (King David) cries out, “Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within in.” There it is, that need.

DAY 211

THE HIMALAYA’S OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

Psalm 49 & 50 and Romans 1

Yesterday I commented that the end of one road most often leads to the beginning of another…and so we begin Romans. Romans might be thought of as the “Himalaya’s of the New Testament;” the going is steep and the air is thin…but do not panic. People who climb high peaks practice and work up to them, and you have been doing just that. You are almost 2/3’rds of the way through the Bible. In many ways you know the “big picture story of God’s Plan, and you even know many of the details. What Romans might be considered is a “legal brief;” the argument if you will of how God’s Plan in Jesus fits all we have ever known about God.

I am going to try very hard to help us through it. “Romans is the longest and most systematically reasoned of Paul’s letters. Paul announces its theme in 1:16-17: the gospel is God’s power of salvation, because it shows us that the righteousness of God is through faith for all who believe. Paul explains the need for justification through faith because of sin (cf. 1:16-4.25). He then spells out the results of justification by faith in terms of both present experience and future hope (5:1-8:39). In the next three chapters, he expresses his sorrow that many of his fellow Israelites have not embraced the gospel, and he wrestles with the theological implications of this in chapters 9-11. He concludes by describing how the gospel should affect on everyday life in chapters 12-16.” Paul is thought to have written this letter circa 57 A.D. In todays lesson he writes to them about how he longs to see them, we have just read of his long journey to Rome which was by way of being arrested and a ship wreck! (The quoted material is the introduction from my ESV Bible.)

I said above that in the early part of the letter he explains the need to be “made right with God” because of sin. In verses 17-31 you might be thinking, “Man does he ever!” Paul is not pulling any punches. I want you to think about our world and ask yourself if you agree with his assessment. Has most of the world given itself over to human passions and forsaken God? Ponder that question a bit and tomorrow I will give you a few more of my thoughts about it, but today I think you need to stare at what Paul is suggesting. 

DAY 210

THE END OF A STORY MEANS A BEGINNING

Psalm 46, 47 & 48 and Acts 28

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble – Psalm 46:1

Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to god with a cry of joy – Psalm 47:1

Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised – Psalm 48:1

So begin each of our Psalms for today. It would appear that the Psalmists are in a good mood…or maybe it is more than that. Our external situations often drive our countenance. There are certainly days of great joy and great sorrow in our lives. There are also seasons, some where we must endure long periods of trouble or hardship. Paul has been experiencing a long season. Have you added up the years since arriving at Jerusalem until he gets to Rome? It is years and not months. His ability to be rooted in Christ Jesus carries him through the times of plenty and the times of hardship.

We have come to the end of the Acts of the Apostles; from here on what happens to Peter, Paul, and the rest will be the stuff of tradition and legend. Remarkably the Book of Acts ends with the Paul under house arrest. I am told the way some “jails” worked in Rome is that they would send a guard to your home and chain you to the guard. Imagine yourself being Paul’s guard…might you have heard the Gospel? No doubt you heard it, and no doubt you saw the people come and seek counsel and guidance from him. And while, at least for me, it is fascinating to muse about what was happening at the end of Paul’s life, what is probably more important is for me to reflect on the Book of Acts and what is has shown me…after all, it is the book of the early Church, that group of people who love Jesus and are struggling to figure out how to follow him.

The story of Acts is a story that begins with God: Father-Son-Holy Spirit. Jesus ascends to the Father and the Holy Spirit descends upon and fills the disciples. Our walk is a walk following this “three-person’ed God.” All we have read in the Old Testament (for we have finished the “history” books) have testified to God’s love and faithfulness…His hesed.  We see it come to its fullness in humanity in the Acts of the Apostles. We see that now those who follow Jesus are the chosen people. “Chosen” not to flaunt ourselves, but chosen to humble ourselves and point the way to the Father.

Over and over we saw disciples humbled. Stephen being stoned, Peter having to struggle with the “Gentile Question,” Paul the “Jew’s Jew” struggling with the “Jewish/Gentile Question,” and then there is the issue of how to present the Gospel when opposed…and these folks were opposed, weren’t they! There is much to ponder and reflect upon. The one BIG point I am taking away is almost in the background, it is almost the color of the canvas that all the stories are painted upon…and that is their determine-ness. There are no stories about doubt in Jesus, there are just stories about how they, because they have been transformed by God, are now living for God…and for me that is the biggest message to take away…and in many ways those first three verses of the Psalms today I can imagine coming off the Apostles lips…may they always be on ours.

DAY 209

AT THE END OF YOUR ROPE

Psalm 43, 44 & 45 and Acts 27:27-44

We have all been there, at the end of our proverbial rope. Paul is; he is shipwrecked. You could view this situation in two ways. This first being that you might see his situation as having gone from “bad to worse;” after all today we learn that the ship was carrying some 276 people, some of (and maybe many of) whom were prisoners. So now you have made it ashore, marooned on an island with 276 strangers you do not know and some who might be murderers. That would be one way to look at it. The other way might be that you have been delivered from this dreadful ship, are on “terra-firma” where you can get some food and be safe as God works out his plan to get you and Paul to Rome. Maybe you can even think of a third way to view this situation.

All kidding aside, there are days we get to the end of our rope…and God understands. Read Psalm 44 – it is pure lament. The first 8 verses praise God for his past deeds, but then verse 9 begins, “Nevertheless, you have rejected and humbled us…” and it goes on from there. The Psalm is thought to have been composed when Hezekiah was in deep distress and trouble (cf. 2 Kings 19). My point is that this is the Word of God. Ever wonder if you could get honest with God and let him know how you feel when you are at the end of your rope? Ever wonder if you could get so honest with God that you express, not you lack of trust, but your disappointment with Him? If you have ever wondered these things, they re-read Psalm 44.

Being at the end of your rope is something God can appreciate, and even has experienced in the person of Jesus. Yet at the same time, as people of faith, while we are in distress, there should always be at least a tiny glimmer of hope. Sometimes our despair is so dark that is it only a glimmer and yet a glimmer is all we need, for we also read, Send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, and bring me to your holy hill, and to your dwelling;” cf. Psalm 43:3.

DAY 208

“I TOLD YOU SO”

Psalm 40, 41 & 42 and Acts 27:1-26

I never find “I told you so” a very helpful phrase. Today we find Paul on a ship trying to make his way towards Rome. He tells those in charge not to set sail from a certain point because of impending weather, that he Paul has been warned of, but no one else. They do not listen to Paul and rather set out, and of course, they end up in a storm. At the end of today’s readings we find him standing up again and saying, “I told you this was going to happen. However, don’t worry we won’t die, we will lose the ship, but we won’t die!” I am surprised someone has not thrown him overboard.

This is one of those stories of the Bible that makes me smile. If you wanted to hold St. Paul up as the model follower of Jesus, and the perfect disciple, you would leave out some of the particulars. The Bible is full of these “less than complimentary” accounts of Jesus’ followers…which is one of the reasons I love it, and one of the reasons I think the stories are true. These stories have not been polished, they contain all the rough edges of truth, and through the roughness of the humanity the truth of God is heard…God will ensure Paul gets to Rome for God and His plans will not be thwarted.

These experiences of God flow through history even into today. In the Psalms we read: “Great things are they that you have done, O Lord my God!” (cf. 40:5a) and “Put your trust in the God” (cf. 42:6).

So in some ways “I told you so” might apply to me, considering all we have read in the Bible. All those times of doubt I have, or allow worry to build, or give in to anxiety…all those times and more…I imagine after they pass the Lord could say to me “I told you trust me, I told you so…” Fortunately He does not say that to me…and yet the point for me today is to realize that while he does not, I must still learn the truth…Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from age to age. Amen. Amen. 41:13

DAY 207

COMMIT YOUR WAY TO…

Psalm 37, 38 & 39 and Acts 26

“The Lord laughs at the wicked” – do you think, or even more, believe that? Psalm 37 declares it. The Psalmist goes to great lengths telling us “not to fret because of evildoers but to put our trust in the Lord.” To drive the point home he writes commit your way to the Lord. This Psalm is believed to have been inspired by God during the Israelites captivity in Babylon!

What does it meant to commit our ways to the Lord? Does it mean following a list of rules? I don’t think so. I believe what the Psalmist is saying is to first and foremost commit yourself to God…the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…to God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This God is faithful and trustworthy, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. A God who hears the cry of the poor and lowly. A God who forgives and restores. A God who seeks to dwell in the heart of all humans.

To give ascent in your heart and mind and soul to this God is to commit to Him. Once we do so we are led in any number of ways to live and order our lives. And here are my thoughts regarding “living and ordering our lives.” The Gospel is pure Grace, we are made “right with God” through the Love of the Son. There is a freedom in living that faith. That freedom however is not what we as Westerners often think of as freedom. It is not a freedom to live destructively, but a freedom to seek first Kingdom Living…and Kingdom Living is living a life that gives life and joy and peace. Living that sort of a life requires “committing to the ways of the Lord,” again not to earn God’s favor, but rather to live into the life that is on offer to all who commit to Him who Loves us.

The question becomes can I seek to live in that manner being free of all the guilt that comes when I fail at it, can I seek to live in that manner as I resist the temptations that seek to draw me from the love of God, can I seek to live in that manner with peace and joy so others are drawn also to this God of Love…I pray that by God’s grace and strength I can do so more each day.

DAY 206

FINDING YOUR VOICE

Psalm 35 & 36 and Acts 25

Today the Psalms are best read in a Bible that presents them in versicle format. As I mentioned yesterday, today I would comment on Acts, chapter 24 & 25. In these two chapters we read of Paul’s time with Roman authorities. What struck me in chapter 24 was not the vehement hatred that the Temple authorities had for Paul. What struck me was how Felix held him for two years. It seems that Felix had some mixed motives: he was hoping for money, he was trying to please those bringing charges, but he also had “a rather accurate knowledge of the Way” and he would summon Paul often and speak with him. Might Felix’s heart burned as he heard the truth? History records Felix as quite a scoundrel and we will not know his motives this side of heaven; he did however keep him for two years…wow!

In fact Felix left office with Paul still in prison and now Paul was Festus’ challenge. Both Felix and Festus were Roman Procurator’s, governors of a Provence. Now Festus, as the new guy in town, tries to win favor with the Temple authorities by trying to convince Paul to go to Jerusalem…instead Paul wants to go to Rome (you might remember that God told him he was going to Rome).

Next we read of Paul before King Agrippa and his sister Bernice (if you want to read about any of these folks just “Google” them). It is a rather grand scene, Paul coming before them. This “king” is a king of a portion of Judea and a descendant of the Herod. Imagine standing before a king and proclaiming that Jesus of Nazareth, a carpenter’s son born in Galilee, was really God come to earth, born by a virgin birth. And this God lived among us, died crucified, then miraculously rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and then appeared to you on a road!

What would you say if you stood before a king? What do you say when you stand before your family. For quite a while now, say three or four decades or so, some followers of this man Jesus have fallen silent. We have been backed into a corner, had to answer for all the wrongs the Church has committed for two thousand years (while we don’t get to mention the good it has done), fallen into what I view as the trap of trying to answer every “question under the sun,” only to lose our voice about The One Question that matters…and that question is how we understand and are known by God.

I would like to share my approach these days. I recently was in a conversation with some people who were pulling out all the standard objections to Jesus and the Church. I listened for awhile, a long while, and then I asked a question. My question appealed to their perceived belief that they were tolerant. I asked, “Is it OK with you that I believe something different, can I have a different belief, or must I agree with you?” They were taken back. This conversation was taking place in a group and their tirade of tolerance now came home to them. Their response was, “Of course.” So I said, “Look I believe rather straightforwardly that Jesus is who He said He was, did the things the Bible says He did, and…and I am trying to follow Him…is it OK with you that I am trying to follow Him?” I went on, “I am not standing on a street corner with a bull horn condemning people to hell, nor I am proclaiming to have every answer to every question, but I am trying to follow Him…and when I do (and I don’t always get it right) I experience purpose and peace.” It had an interesting effect; a number of people seemed to nod as if to say, “Yes that is what we are trying to do.” I had found my voice.

The point I think isn’t that you do what I did, but that you think about how to share what is the most important thing in your life…your faith in God.

DAY 205

TASTE

Psalm 33 & 34 and Acts 24

Psalm 33 is full of that wonderful word, hesed, which we translate steadfast love. I wrote about it a few days ago on Day 197. The steadfast love of the Lord is a wonderful thing, and it is thought that this Psalm was composed by David after being forgiven for his adultery (just as Psalm 32 was). Hesed is an amazing attribute of God.

It can be challenging to think in isolation about concepts such as God’s steadfast love, His faithfulness, etc. I have suggested before that it is why we remind ourselves over and over again of God’s story – and our story – because when we do, the cumulative evidence is overwhelming.

Yet Psalm 34 presents another concept for you to ponder…taste. Taste and see that the Lord is good (34:8). The first Bible I was ever given had this verse written in beautiful calligraphy on the inside cover. The person giving me this wonderful gift suggested that as I read God’s Word, I should taste it and enjoy how good it is! A few days ago I went out with some friends to a small French Restaurant. To enjoy that food requires that I slow down, take small bites and actually allow it to linger in my mouth. Now I am the sort of guy who “inhales” his food. I can actually finish my lunch before my wife Beth has actually finished sitting down and spreading her napkin. I too often eat that way, and I too often “do life” that way. However, to taste something requires a purposeful consciousness, and even a sense of anticipation.

When you go to church to worship, are you full of anticipation about meeting God, or how about when you pray…or read your Bible? Sometimes I am, but most times God has to work hard to get my attention. All too often I come to church, or prayer, or study with a zillion things in my mind. Today, take a moment, slow down, and enjoy God’s Word…maybe go back a read a verse or two…and with respect to the Acts reading, I will write about it tomorrow because today I just want to enjoy the taste of God. 

DAY 204

TRUST GOD...AGAIN

Psalm 31 & 32 and Acts 23:16-35

“Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress” and “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven…for when I kept silent my bones wasted away.” Both these verses capture the tone of the Psalms for today.

In the first we have David as he runs from Saul. You remember the story. David has been anointed the king, but Saul is still alive and on the throne. Saul is extremely jealous of David and pursues him in order to kill him. David, on the other hand, despite two opportunities to kill Saul and “relieve his own distress” refuses to kill the Lord’s anointed. David puts his trust in God rather than rely on his own strength.

In the second we have David after he has committed adultery with Bathsheba. David feels tremendous guilt for his sin. For days he will not eat, using his fasting to plead with God to spare the child that was conceived by this sinful act. Yet in this Psalm we read how David has gotten the other side of his sin and allowed God’s forgiveness to restore him. In fact, he writes that failing to confess his sin caused his “bones to waste away.” The point is that sin is bad, but unconfessed and unrepentant sin is worse…it destroys. Confessing sin required trusting the God will forgive and not punish – sometimes when we have trouble “forgiving ourselves” it is really rooted in whether or not we trust God for His forgiveness.

In Acts of the Apostles we read about how a plot to kill Paul is thwarted. This is quite a brazen “lot” as they are going to ambush the Roman guard. Paul has been trusting God all along this appointed journey.

In point of fact, both Psalms and Acts display, and invite us to, trust in God: for deliverance from enemies and for deliverance from our own sin. It should not surprise you that in the course of a daily blog which is reading through the Bible that there are recurring themes. The Bible is not full of an infinite number of themes, one for each day. No, the Bible has a short list of godly traits and characteristics that we are invited to adopt as our own.

You might be saying, “Yeah, I get it, but how, how do I develop an attitude of trust?” One way is to make a list of all the times God has forgiven you, delivered you, been faithful to you, protected you. What does your list look like? No doubt there may be some times you perceive He did not do those things…be careful that you don’t assign someone else’s sin against you (or your sin) to God’s motivation…rather think of those moments when He who is faithful and trustworthy…has been. And then just sit back and drink those times into your soul, and over time your attitude will meld into an attitude of trusting God.

By the way, I chose this picture for two reasons: first I love this movie (The Princess Bride) and second I need to practice what I preach...I need to learn to Trust God...if someone watched me during a week they might say, "I do not think "Trust God means what you think it means, because you don't seem to be doing it!"

DAY 203

WHAT GETS YOU GOING & KEEPS YOU GOING?

Psalm 29 & 30 and Acts 23:1-15

What gets you going? By that I mean to ask what gets you excited and energized. Paul seems energized. The Psalmist seems energized as well.

Psalm 29 exclaims and “All cry Glory!” Psalm 30 announces that God has turned the authors “mourning into dancing.” Paul seems to actually provoke a longstanding controversy between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Now all of this is deadly serious. The Psalms are written on very serious occasions, and Paul, well he is on trial. Yet in the midst of all this stress, there is something about all these readings which get me to ask, “What is getting these folks going?” If any of us were in their shoes we might be very focused on the issue that is right in front of us…for Paul it is his life!

Yet what they have in common is “their center.” The center of Paul’s remarks are not so much his situation, but rather his dedication to serving God. The full thrust of Psalm 29 is towards God. Psalm 30 concludes with “I will give thanks to you forever!” What seems to “get these folks going” is a determination for God.

I have to admit that I get all fired up about all sorts of things, but not always for God. I get fired up for my favorite team, for the fun things I like to do…heck, I get fired up for Ice Cream! But for Jesus, well it is not that I need to simply stay centered, but I need to learn to continually draw my energy and motivation from living a life ordered for, and indeed serving, God. I as I write these words I am painfully aware that the Gospel is Grace…something we receive and not do. I believe that in my bones. Yet I also have a sense that the Christian Life, following Jesus, is more than lying on my couch repeatedly chanting a mantra of “it’s all grace.”

My point is that it is God’s good and perfect love that allows me to be with him now and forever…the question is how much do I want to be with him now? He won’t stop loving me, but I sure can do a lot to either draw close or move far away from him.

My comments are short today, it is Sunday, hope you go (or went) to church. I am on vacation and going to check out a local church…I just need to “get going.”

DAY 202

WHAT IS YOUR STORY?

Psalm 26, 27 & 28 and Acts 22

I am not sure how the Psalms might be “hitting you” or “meeting you.” There continues to be talk of the “wicked” and a desire on the part of the Psalmist for God to punish these people. We might have a view that says we shouldn’t think this way.

Consider for a moment the story of the people writing these Psalms. It is thought that Psalm 26 and 27 were written while the people of Israel were captive in Babylon. You remember the story. They have been hauled off, taken from their homes and turned into slaves. The Psalmist writes of the desire to dwell in God’s House (we think heaven, they are thinking of where heaven and earth meet…the Temple). The Psalmist also writes that God will punish the wicked; those who have pressed them into slavery.

When I am noodle-ing theologically I will often ask myself, “So how would this theology work in Sudan, or China, or some of the other “2/3’rd’s world” where people live under tyranny, quite possibly not knowing where their next meal is coming from.” I ask that question because those of us in the West get caught up in our story. It is natural enough, yet we often perceive God’s favor differently than others in the world do. Now I believe God cares about all of us. I believe God hears our prayers. I believe God put me in the “West” so I need not be full of some sort of misguided guilt. Having said all that, what I also believe about God ought to transcend cultures and geography and time. God should not be conditioned only be “my story.” Might I want God to intervene and deal with my oppressors if I was in a country and being oppressed? I think the answer is obvious. Might I long for a time when I could be free to worship in the Cathedral? Again, the answer is obvious.

But I am in the West and so what might the Psalms and even Acts of the Apostles being saying to me…and maybe to you? First off, any of these reading might be speaking to a deep part of your life, and if one of them is, then I say “Amen.” Another point might be to consider Paul’s situation. Here he is, locked up in Jerusalem. Why – because he told his story and invited others to come to know God in Christ Jesus. Not only is he locked up, but he is about to be flogged. All of a sudden his Roman citizenship matters. Not only does it interrupt his planned flogging, but it is about to give him his day in court…a day he call tell others about Jesus. Today he gave his testimony, about how God had completely changed his life. Many rejected it, but I imagine some were affected. Tomorrow he will be able to tell others.

Today, you and I are given an opportunity…how has and does God presence affect your life…what does Jesus have to do with your life…and might God placing you in the place He has be as much about you telling your story as it is Him answering your prayers?

DAY 201

ON THE OUTSIDE

Psalm 23, 24 & 25 and Acts 21:18-40

We don’t think of being Christian or Christianity as being on the outside, but from the beginning it has been counter to the prevailing culture. Remarkably, Christianity comes from Judaism, itself a minority culture on the outside of society.

Psalm 23 declares that it is the Lord, not a king or a nation or a society that is our shepherd and guide, but the very Ruler and Creator of all. Psalm 24 declares the same asking “Who is this King of Glory? The Lord strong and mighty.” Psalm 25 cries out “In you O Lord I put my trust.”

Standing on the shoulders of Judaism, Christianity burst onto the world stage a mere 2,000 years ago. Some people believe that “modern humans” have been around for 200,000 years. Christianity’s story though is not a new fangled story, it is the story of God calling to His creation. He has been doing that since the time of Adam. The story reached its apex “when the fullness of time had come” with God sending His own Son to live and die among us only to rise from the dead in order that we might have life.

Paul has arrived at Jerusalem after traveling all over the Mediterranean telling this story and having huge success (albeit amid persecution). He goes to the Temple and a large disturbance has developed. He has gotten himself arrested. He is outside the cultural norms of the day. This chapter closes with him about to speak to the people. What do you think he is going to say? By now I bet you can guess.

What is remarkable, and yet I need to stop being surprised, is how this “story” is one that is always on the outside. Certainly Europe and North America have for centuries by led largely by a culture that is informed by a Judeo-Christian view, but even during that time I think the world was more governed by institutional norms, then transformed lives of people trying to follow Jesus.

Followers of God: Father-Son-Holy Spirit…Followers of Jesus…will most often be “on the outside.” We need to get use to it, and when we find ourselves on the inside, we need to double check ourselves. Being a priest, I am certainly on the inside of the institutional church, the challenge for me is that I need to be spending more time on the outside in the world telling people the story.

DAY 200

UP & DOWN

Psalm 20, 21 & 22 and Acts 21:1-17

Do you experience “ups and downs?” Many people have mood swings and some experience quite a few over the course of a day. I felt like I went through a huge mood swing between Psalms 20/21 and then Psalm 22. The first two are like mountaintop praises and the third Psalm has such strong lament the we include it in our Good Friday services as Jesus dies on the Cross – quite a mood swing. Scholars think Psalm 20 and 21 were written in regard to the war with the Ammonites, cf. 2 Samuel 10:19.

I think Paul’s companions are “up and down.” They are happy to see him, but when they realize that danger awaits him in Jerusalem they want him to avoid going there. Paul however is determined and his intentions give his friends great pause – “Let the will of the Lord be done” proclaims Paul.

Paul does not seem to be subject to mood swings from his circumstances – he certainly does have them – but not in this instance. His sense of doing God’s Will, his sense of direction, seems to be carrying him in what I imagine is a rather emotional period of his life as he says goodbye to all these wonderful people he has become brothers and sisters with.

Having a direction, God’s direction, is something to hold onto. The circumstances that trigger an “up or down” mood are plentiful during our days. If I can hold onto my purpose, what God has me doing – be it a loving husband and father, a faithful priest, etc. – if I can keep those in focus, then the swings seem to have less of an affect. There is nothing wrong with being down when something really bad happens, or up when something good happens…my point is about all those little things during the day that tend to cause me to “swing.” It is those small things which often cause disproportionate "huge swings” that I need to be conscious of - the key is remind myself of God's direction for my life and invite God’s Holy Spirit to guide my steps.

DAY 199

FOLLOWING GOD

Psalm 18 & 19 and Acts 20:17-31

Today in Acts we come across Paul’s “farewell tour.” He has the leaders of Ephesus come and visit him, a church he labored over for three years, before he leaves for Jerusalem. He tells them he will most likely not see them again. You might think he should stay in one of these cities where he has worked so hard, has established friends, and has a church! It would be the natural thing to do.

Paul however sees the world differently…and as Christians we should too! Paul sees his life as one that is committed to following God. That statement has a few things buried in it. First is that God has intentions for you. This omnipotent and infinite God has taken the time to think about you and has, dare I say, a plan for you (cf. Jeremiah 29). The second item is that is implicit in this statement is that you and I can know God’s plan for us.

I have posted earlier about following the Holy Spirit and the “five CS’s” but rather than reiterating that teaching, I think it better to ask myself and you, “Do we try and a follow God?” The Psalms even speak to this question. Psalm 18 declares “I love you O Lord, you are my strength and my fortress.” This Psalm deals with the reality that we are opposed in life. The Psalm even uses the word “enemies.” Yet the Psalmist is certain that God will prevail because they are following God’s leading. Psalm 19 is a great Psalm that declares the beauty and wonder of God’s Word…and how following it is a good thing. Paul in Acts 20:27 points out that he has been committed to sharing the “whole counsel of God.”

The point, or the question, is “Are we trying to follow God.” Most of us wake up and live our lives. We go to school, or we go to work either at home or somewhere else. Some of us have kids and some of us don’t. Our lives are highly ordered. Now when you are a young person, as you complete your education, you are encouraged to make your way in the world. “Find out what you like, or are good at” is one phrase. Another phrase is “As long as you are happy.” Maybe our phrase and our prayer ought to be, “How do you see God leading you?”

The statement of “I just want people to be happy” is a loaded statement. We all say it – including me. But happiness is fleeting. I have a good friend that when he hears people use such a phrase he shares with them the English root of the word. Encouraging someone to “be happy” is encouraging them to a life of chasing a fleeting emotion. “Joy” is another matter. Joy is the deep sense of peace even amid unhappy circumstances. How might we find Joy? By knowing and following God.

I doubt Paul was “happy.” He just doesn’t seem the type. I do think he knew the Joy of the Lord, and we can too. It means we shift our focus. We throw off the all the temptations (think of the TV Ads that tell you “need” this or that as just one example) and we focus on God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit and all he calls us to be.

So many of us have a picture of church and religion as a “buzz kill,” but think about hanging out with Jesus. It was exciting. Go to a picnic, or the beach, or a boat ride, or the hospital: Nothing boring about those trips. Beyond the excitement there is something about the stability, the unchanging nature of God and of who he calls us to be. Beyond excitement, being faithful is often times following God, and it can be harder than being swept up in exciting dramatic activities…the key is that whatever you and I do, we need to be doing what the Lord wants us to be doing…and doing it for Him. I think that is what Paul was doing, and in many ways as I think about my mom who passed away a little over two weeks ago (an amazingly dedicated and faithful person)…I think they both were following God’s leading…may we also.

DAY 198

INTELLECTUAL INTEGRITY

Psalm 16 & 17 and Acts 20:1-16

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge, Psalm 16:1. Clearly a prayer we can all cry out from time to time. I have been thinking about the “in you I take refuge” part. I have been thinking specifically about where I take refuge when I am sharing the Gospel in a less and less tolerant world.

My thoughts go to this question because of all the action we are reading about in Acts of the Apostles. Paul is obsessed with sharing the Gospel and he uses a technique that I try to hold to. I don’t know what Paul calls it, but I call “intellectual integrity.”

When people come up and ask me a question about God I love to respond with a question that goes something like, “Well tell me about how you understand God, and why you understand God that way?” After a bit the question comes round my way and I will always share my views, but usually offer an observation or question. I observe that in our world today where “tolerance” is an often espoused virtue, I find that people are uncomfortable with disagreement – and I usually ask the person if it will be OK if we disagree. Next I tell them that my basis for my understanding of God, as best as I can understand someone as vast and magnificent as God, is found in the Bible and Person of Jesus Christ.

I find in our world today we are losing the ability to have conversations about God. We (or maybe I) fear being labeled as a bigot, or worse. People will often take one thing said and then pigeon-hole another person with a rather derogatory label.

Imagine Paul going into a synagogue and debating for days, even weeks. Yes at some point they would ask him to leave, get very upset, and even turn ugly. Yet I wonder if they had intellectual integrity? I think they may have.

What I mean by intellectual integrity is that we try and be honest with ourselves. Where is it we are making assumptions. Where is it we know we are making a step of faith. Where is it we are struggling with our own issues. Finally, how is it we read the Bible. For me, I cannot put words into Jesus' mouth that never came out, and I cannot take words out of his mouth that he has spoken. Further, the Bible cannot mean something today it did not mean when it was first written. I need to deal with the full corpus of the Bible – the good, the hard, and the confusing. I need to try hard to present Jesus as the Son of God come to earth to reconcile the world to the Father, and to make that presentation with love and charity…but (and it is a big one) I need to not shrink away.

Consider this idea of asking a question or two before you start, consider making an observation about how people are uncomfortable disagreeing asking permission to disagree, and then begin.

The Christian value is not tolerance to the point where your tolerance silences you…the Christian value is hospitality. Hospitality is a spiritual gift. Having a civil conversation, discussing, listening, sharing ideas and thoughts about God is to practice Christian hospitality…and remember you can always find refuge in God.

DAY 197

HESED

Psalm 13, 14 & 15 and Acts 19:21-41

Psalm 13 is a Psalm for when you are really struggling and, down and out. “How long O Lord…” begins the Psalm and then the author goes deeper in his lament. We have all been there, those moments of darkness: Those moments of doubt when we are so beat up, or so beat down, or so discouraged, that we are not sure it will ever get better. But then, like all but one of the Psalms, it ends on a positive statement – not about us or humankind – but about God: “but I have trusted in your steadfast love.”

The Hebrew word that we often read/translate “steadfast love” is hesed. The hesed of God is this kind of amazing, divine, never-ending, never-failing, love. It is the love of God that is always there – even when we cannot feel it, or see it – we believe in it because we believe in God. Hesed can make all the difference. It is the one strand that you can hold onto when all else has been stripped away.

You might ask, “Why? Why can I hold onto the idea of hesed?” The answer is because of all you have read about God, and all you know about God. If you have been reading the Bible with me then let’s ponder a few things. How faithful were the Israelites – the answer is not very faithful. Yes there were seasons, but on the whole they often walked away from God. How many times did God walk away from them, when they would call out to him? Answer – ZERO! Why – because of God’s hesed. Now am I not picking on the Israelites because I do the same thing, we just have the story of how God's responds to them.

Take for example the story of a few of the kings, who after they sinned would have a prophet come to them and “call them out.” Some of the kings (e.g. David with Bathsheba and later Hezekiah) would repent and seek God – and God would immediately, immediately show up. Why – because of God’s hesed.

I could go on, but let me just “cut to the chase” and ask what does Jesus show us? God’s hesed. He came and gave and healed and taught and loved…and was killed. Did he come back with wrath? No, he came with hesed. Even when we are “fools” God will restore (Psalm 14).

Hesed challenges the world, it challenges all that we chase…those idols. We see that point today in the Acts reading. There was “No small disturbance” (you have to love that language). And then we read about how “not small” it was. The issue is that following Jesus, following the One True Living God, means all our other idols are dethroned and torn down. We no longer need to stroke the fears of our hearts with idols because we know the hesed of God. In Ephesus we learn that they had quite an industry as they were the great temple keepers of the god Artemis – a god that was dethroned.

We may not have a Temple of Artemis, but we have our own idols that we have put on thrones…money, youth, sex, success, popularity, and more. The problem is just like Artemis they are false and they fail us. None of the things I just listed are inherently bad when they are used as directed by God. They become a trap to us when we make them idols, and they fail us, indeed destroy us. God does not fail and rather than destroy He restores. And (I think this is a big AND) He never leaves for He is a God of hesed.

I came across one definition of hesed: “the consistent, ever-faithful, relentless, constantly-pursuing, lavish, extravagant, unrestrained, furious love of our Father God!”

And now, may God, the One True Living God, the God who will never forsake you, may this God and His hesed envelop you.

DAY 196

MISCHIEF

Psalm 10, 11 & 12 and Acts 19:1-20

“But you (God) do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands.” Psalm 10:14.

There is “mischief afoot” and as Paul labors for two years in Ephesus the sons of Sceva, Jewish Exorcists, try and cast out demons in the Name of Jesus. Things go terribly wrong, but God used it for good because “many who were believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them…” in fact so many people that the value of all that was collected was fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Consider a few observations from this reading of Acts. There is first of all the part about “which baptism did you receive?” and then the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” which led to them speaking in tongues and prophesying. Then there is the part where he first spent three months in the synagogue, and then a total of two years in the city. We have the part about how “handkerchiefs or aprons” that touched Paul’s skin were carried to the sick, and their diseases left them and evil spirits came out of them. Finally we come to the “sons of Sceva” and the story I commented on above.

Wow, where to begin? Do you understand all that is taking place? Certainly “God is seeing mischief,” but there are so many things taking place in this early church that many of us do not see today, and because we don’t see them, we wonder a few things. Some of us wonder if we have somehow missed something (like baptism in the Holy Spirit) and that are faith isn’t quite where it is suppose to be. Then there are some of us who just conclude that this happened in the early church, but that day-and-age has long past. Finally there are some who just “write off the Bible,” or parts of it, because of these hard to believe stories – after all, Jesus walking on water is one thing (he is Jesus) but mere humans doing these things is quite another. So let’s jump into a few of these topics.

Today when we do baptisms, we baptize in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is a specific part of the service that anoints the candidates head with oil and in my tradition we say a beautiful prayer about them receiving the Holy Spirit and it ends with “you are sealed with the Holy Spirit…” No one that I have baptized immediately began speaking in tongues. What do I make of this situation? I don’t. I don’t try and figure it all out. Jesus did not say go and get people to speak in tongues…He said, “Go and baptize in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.” So that is what I (and we) do. I cannot explain what was going on in Paul’s day and I have seen people speak in tongues and in a later blog I will write more about that subject. Please know that the Scriptures say there is “one baptism, one faith and one Lord” (cf. Ephesians). You do not need another baptism. There can be times in your walk with Jesus where you ask God to pour out his Spirit upon you. One person describes it this way, “I am a vessel, but I leak and need refilling,” and another says, “I am a vessel, a cracked pot, and I leak and need refilling.” The “cracked pot” is not “crackpot;” the point is that we all have some brokenness in us. Ask God to fill you up – “don’t stand far away O Lord, come near!” (Psalm 10:1 a bit modified by me.)

The next thing I want to comment on is how the “believers” had a pile of stuff that was not godly. Yes it was magic, but the point is that followers of Jesus don’t just “magically” (sorry about that) become perfect. We are “followers,” we walk along the way trying more and more each day to become like Jesus (we do this knowing our salvation is secure). There are some moments in our walk when, all of sudden we realize we need to deal with something that has been hidden, we realize we need to get rid of some junk – for we are all mischievous to one degree or another, no one is perfect.  

What about the power of God that flowed out of Paul and even his aprons? Well that is a tricky one in this day and age. Maybe you have had your fill of TV Evangelists. You know, the people who say, “Send me $50 and I will pray for you and God will heal you.” Those folks give Christianity, the Church and Jesus a bad name. Those folks make us skeptical on anyone who talks about God’s power flowing out of them. Yet “don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.” I have had some people put their hands on me and pray to God and it has been amazing – God’s Holy Spirit flowed through them in real and powerful ways. The point – God’s power still flows.

Lastly there is the bit about evil spirit and exorcisms – like the subject of tongues I will provide a separate blog on that subject. This entry is already a little long and I don’t want to rush either of those subjects.

For today, I am struck by the “mischief” and asking myself what do I need to bring to God and have it burned…how about you? Maybe today is one of those moments when we realize there are a few things we are treating as “hidden.” I say “treating as hidden” for “the Lord’s eyes see” (cf. 11:4). Don’t panic that He sees – remember His love and bring them to him, asking him to remove, maybe even destroy them so they are no longer a part of your life…or mine.