Be Holy

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Pete

I don’t how many times I’ve read this passage, but this morning it struck me as an odd thing to say. Perhaps the last thing I’d think of saying, given the situation. Yet, among the first things God would say. Hmmm . . . another reminder that His ways and His thoughts so transcend mine (Isa. 55:8-9).

I’d say, “I know. I think I understand. I can empathize to a degree. Hang in there. It’ll all work out. Keep on keepin’ on!”

God says, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Huh!

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

(1Peter 1:13-16 ESV)

It’s the context for the command that arrests me this morning. Peter’s writing to the “exiles of the Dispersion.” He’s addressing persecuted Christians on the lam. At the very least they’ve already undergone insults for the name of Christ (1Pet. 4:14). But that it was likely to escalate was evident by their need to flee. They were “suffering for righteousness’ sake” (1Pet. 3:14) and they could expect that they would increasingly “suffer as Christians” (1Pet. 4:15). They were taking it in the teeth!

And while our current season pales in comparison to what these believers were enduring, though we can debate whether or not governments are taking advantage of this time to stick it to us as the church, one thing we do know, hardship takes up margin. Whatever reserves we might have after just doing “normal” life, this current season consumes some portion of those reserves. There’s fewer points to give away on our stress charts these days. As weariness increases patience has a way of decreasing. As each day continues with its endlessly escalating numbers, our reservoirs of hope are drained. So, to be sure, just as Peter’s readers did, a word of encouragement is welcomed at a time like this. But honestly, who’s looking for a command to obey?

Peter opens his letter reminding them of the “genuine faith” they possessed and the opportunity their dispersion presented to affirm their trust that: God had truly given them new life; Jesus was really preparing a place for them in heaven; and, the Holy Spirit, by His indwelling power, would actually sustain them through whatever lie ahead.

But then, a command to obey. “Be holy in all your conduct.” Be holy as God is holy. With everything else they were dealing with did they need to deal with that too? Apparently.

Weariness has a way of tempting us to relax things a bit, to cut ourselves some slack in how we behave. I think that’s why the Spirit moves Peter to pen the warning, “Do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance.” Instead, says the Spirit of Christ, time to lean into what you know, and Who you know, and who you are.

You are a set apart people, live set apart lives — especially in seasons of suffering. You are new creations in Christ, walk as new creations in a new way, evidencing a new power. Though your margin feels minimal, though your reserves are running low, though you feel like you’re running on empty, aim for the high road, walk in a manner worthy of your calling (Eph. 4:1).

Be holy, for I am holy.

Not something we can just gut out, but something we can surrender to. For the God who is Himself holy is the God who lives in us, and through us, by His Holy Spirit. And what God calls us to do, God enables us to do. Ours is to wanna do it. But sometimes we feel like we don’t even have the strength to muster up the will. Or, we’d prefer to self-medicate with something, or get lost in some distraction, rather than exercise a holy determination to be holy.

Like I said, it struck me as odd this morning that such a high and lofty command would be so quickly given to an oppressed and suffering people. But His ways aren’t my ways. And my ways are to be His ways.

And so, I want to be holy, even in this season, for His holy.

Holy by His grace alone. Holy for His glory alone.

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A Genuine Faith

Posted on October 5, 2020 by Pete

It’s the real thing! 2020 proves it!

Hovering over Peter’s opening words to the “elect exiles of the Dispersion.” While they many not have been “sheltered in place,” they had been “scattered to places.” Like us, their “normal” way of gathering together had been disrupted. Life had been turned upside down for them as well. And it wasn’t just one thing, or one event, they were “grieved by various trials” — it just kept coming, one thing after another!

But they were those who were keepin’ on keepin’ on. And, for those who cared to take notice — and for the God whose eyes “run to and fro throughout the whole earth” (2Chron. 16:9) — it proved something. It proved they had a genuine faith.

Peter wastes no time in his letter to these suffering saints, reminding these discombobulated disciples of their past, that they had been born again to a living hope by the power of Christ’s resurrection (1Pet. 1:3). He then turns their eyes to things above and to their future, that they had an eternal, unfading inheritance reserved for them in heaven (1:4). And so, he assures them during these present various trials that they are being “guarded through faith” by the supernatural dynamic of God’s power through God’s Spirit (1:5).

What’s more, he says, the fact that they were still walking in belief, that they were still faithful followers, was evidence that they possessed a genuine faith.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith —  more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire —  may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

(1Peter 1:6-7 ESV)

If, after all 2020 has thrown at us, we’re still believing, still pursuing, still keeping our eye to the sky, then, whatever else it may accomplish, it proves one thing — that our faith is genuine. It’s being tested and it’s proving to be the real meal deal.

I’m not saying it’s proving how tough we are in mustering up a positive attitude in the midst of bad situations. Not that it’s proving our fortitude in our ability to make lemonade out of a mountain of lemons. Rather, that it’s proving our faith is authentic, God-graced faith. The indisputable evidence that the work He has begun in us is a real work, the work He has promised to complete in us (Php. 1:6).

All kinds of reasons to check out. Who would blame anybody for having doubts? Who’s gonna judge those are weary and have decided to remove themselves from the game in some form or manner?

But why haven’t we? Why do we keep talking about the “opportunity” presented by this season — whether that’s an opportunity to draw near as children or to go out as salt and light? Why, though our numbers are down in our buildings Sunday after Sunday, are we jazzed because we see how God is building us up? It’s faith. Not blind faith. Not I-wish-I-may-I-wish-I-might faith. Not pie-in-the-sky-in-the-sweet-by-and-by faith. But genuine faith. The sort of faith that comes from being born again, possessing an eternal inheritance, and knowing the daily dynamic of the sustaining power of God.

And not so we can take any credit or boast in ourselves. But that it “may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

No simple answers to the “why” of this season. But here’s one answer: It proves that our spiritual DNA really was rewired when we first believed. The battle scars testify to God’s power to keep His promise to save to the uttermost. And, it demonstrates, if to no one else, to ourselves and to our God, that this is the real thing, that this is a genuine faith.

Faith gifted by His grace. Faith tested for His glory.

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Building Discernment Muscle

Posted on October 1, 2020 by Pete

With everything else Jeremiah had to deal with as a prophet of God with an unpopular message, he had to deal with “fake news” as well. There was another “prophet” in town and he had a very different “thus says the LORD” than did Jeremiah.

In that same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, Hananiah the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon, spoke to me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and all the people, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. I will also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the LORD, for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.”

(Jeremiah 28:1-4 ESV)

Pick a prophet! Whose voice are you going to be inclined to want to listen to? The one who says, You’re outta’ here for 70 years, so go peacefully and “seek the welfare of the city” of your exile (Jer. 29:7), or the one who says, Hang in there, don’t give in, only 2 more years and our enemy will be defeated and everything’s back to normal?

As I hover over Jeremiah 28 I realize that competing news cycles aren’t anything new (actually, as Ecclesiastes keeps reminding me, nothing’s new under the sun). I’m reminded that confusion about how to understand the signs of the times has always been a deal. So what’s a follower of God to do?

How we need to be discerners. How we need to be able to filter the feeds and figure out the way of faith. And what’s the best way to do that? Thus says the LORD . . . the word of God.

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

(Hebrews 5:14 ESV)

Powers of discernment are developed through training. By constantly practicing to distinguish good from evil. And that, as we chew on solid food. Meat and potatoes from the revelation of God. Bringing everything under the scrutiny of Scripture. Taking the redemption story and overlaying it upon life’s realities . . . and it’s fake realities.

Not saying that everyone who does this will end up with exactly the same answers for every question, but at least we’ll be working from a common reference point. Aware that we have an enemy, the prince of this age (Eph. 2:2), who is the father of lies (Jn. 8:44), who is going to stir up confusion in order to bring about division, we stand firm on the Word as our authority. As we test every new theory against the old, old story, we grow discernment muscle, becoming increasingly able to distinguish good from evil. All from chewing on food for the mature.

By His grace. For His glory.

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A God at Hand

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Pete

As I hover over Jeremiah this morning I’m thinking that what can be such bad news for some can be such amazing, good news for others. Case in point, the false prophets of Jeremiah’s day.

Not the false prophets of Baal, though bad enough, but those who falsely prophesied as oracles of God. Filling God’s people with vain hopes that all would be well, they spoke “visions of their own minds” (Jer. 23:16). Choosing to stubbornly follow their own hearts, they ended up despising the heart of God by offering groundless assurances, “It shall be well with you” (23:17). Declaring Jeremiah’s warning to be “fake news”, they downplayed the marauding Chaldeans and promoted their own brand of prosperity wisdom in the name of the LORD.

But God makes clear they weren’t His prophets. Though they prophesied in His name, He didn’t provide the script. For, had they actually stood in the council of the Almighty, they would have spoken the words of the Almighty, and would have proclaimed the urgent need for God’s people to turn from their evil ways (23:21-22).

And here’s the kicker. They were so wrapped up in their deception that they didn’t even consider that if the God whose name they invoked as their authority was, in fact, God, then wouldn’t He know they were making their stuff up?

“Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD. I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!'”

(Jeremiah 23:23-25 ESV)

“Am I a God at hand and not a God far away?” Bad news for the prophets. Did they think God wasn’t aware of their message? That He couldn’t see their self-serving duplicity? That the God who fills heaven and earth was somehow unable to peek also into their hearts and minds? Our God is a God at hand. Bad news for those who would play fast and loose with the things of God.

But, what can be such bad news for some, can be such amazing, good news for others. For our God truly is a God at hand and not a God far away?

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

(James 4:8 ESV)

For fake prophets who confess their fake-ness; for sinners who flee to the cross to be cleansed of their defiling iniquity; for those whose hearts have been purified through the washing of the Word, who have renounced their duplicity, a God at hand is very, very good news. The God we can draw near to in sincere faith is the God who will be near, ready to sanctify fully.

Yes, God knows my heart. No, it’s the not the heart I want to have, but it’s also not the heart I used to have. It’s a new heart — having been made new, even today it is being made new. A heart that God fully knows. A heart God has promised to fully redeem. And that, by being a God at hand.

Good news, I’m thinkin’ . . .

By His grace. For His glory.

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Consider

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Pete

Talking to a brother after church yesterday morning, we managed to linger together long enough to get past the “How are you?” pleasantries and go a bit deeper into the “How ARE you?” realities. We talked about how this season has caused us to ponder possibilities that we never imagined pondering. About how easy it is to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” when, in reality, you know that your daily bread is not really in doubt (think direct deposit). But for many in this season, job loss, or at least the possibility of job loss, is a daily reality. And this reality really is an opportunity. An opportunity to consider.

In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

(Ecclesiastes 7:14 ESV)

I marked this verse as a “command to obey.” First part, pretty easy. Bring on prosperity and I will be joyful. Bring on “agreeable” times and I will be pleasantly “pleasant.”

But what I’m chewing on this morning is part two of the command:

. . . in the day of adversity consider . . .

When things are, literally, disagreeable, unpleasant, even malignant, then, in that day, consider. Have a look around. Have a look within. Observe and learn things that prosperity has a way of hiding from observation and learning. When the going gets tough, it’s a good time to take a hard look. To give attention to, to distinguish, to discern.

To realize the only constant, the only unchangeable reality, is that God is the Author of all things, the day of prosperity as well as the day of adversity. And that He permits both so that we might know afresh that tomorrow is not ours to assume it will be easy or, to presume it will be “normal.”

How many times in the past few months have you said, or heard someone say, “Didn’t see this coming!” How many of us entered 2020 with presumptive plans only to see them thrown out the window? Who said in January, “I’m going to invest in masks this year?” Who imagined that “managing your bubble” would be a thing? Who said this is the year that handshakes will give way to elbow bumps? Not this guy! But none of those really define the degree of adversity this year has brought to so many. For many, the loss and suffering endured is really beyond much of my experience.

But, while my “adversity” is certainly minor in comparison to others, it’s still my adversity. Still my disappointment. Still my frustration. Still my sorrow. Still my day of adversity. And, according to the teacher of Ecclesiastes, it should also be my day to consider.

To be reminded by today’s reality that I really don’t know what tomorrow will bring. That I really have no control when it comes to the future. And that the best thing I can do, regardless of the season — whether prosperity or adversity, is stand firm in the power and promises of the God who makes both.

This really is a season to reflect and, if necessary, realign. To take inventory. To review priorities. To walk humbly with our God.

An opportunity to consider.

By His grace. For His glory.

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Seeds of Peace

Posted on September 25, 2020 by Pete

Hovering over a promise to claim this morning. A promise of righteousness. Who couldn’t use a bit more righteousness — both within them and around them? But it’s one of those farming promises. You know, one of those you reap what you sow type of outcomes.

The promise? A harvest of righteousness. The seed? Peace. The source? Wisdom from above. Lot to chew on this morning.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

(James 3:17-18 ESV)

Talking with a buddy last night about the complexities of the world we live in. The issues which surround us, the lack of objective truth which destabilizes us, and the chaos created through social media which inflames us. Enough, we said, to make you think about moving to acreage on a mountain, setting up a communal compound with those of like mind, turning off your devices, and hibernating in a hermit haven. But, not really the way of being salt and light in the earth. Kind of feels like putting your light under a basket — not really encouraged by the Master (Matt. 5:13-16).

So, what’s the alternative? Engage. And this morning, I’m reminded how to engage. With the wisdom from above. (Oh, how I need wisdom from above!)

We’re not to wage war as the world does. Our weapons are not the same weapons. Our tactics are not the same tactics. Vitriol in our conversation has no place, nor any need, for those who have experienced firsthand the victory of the cross. Who understand the dynamics of sin, having ourselves once been slaves to sin, and the remedy required. Who see the signs of brokenness, ourselves having once been broken, and know the healing possible. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.

No, far from entering the chaotic complexities of our time with demeaning dialogue, we do so with the wisdom from above. Pure and grounded in truth. Pacifying rather than provoking. Mild, respectful, as we rub shoulders in the public square with fellow image-bearers. Ready with a reason for the hope within us but also open to reason — willing to listen, willing to yield the floor in order to gain understanding and perspective. Our hearts primed with mercy, kindness, and goodwill toward others, truly desiring they would come to the knowledge of the truth — not just entering into debate in order to crush them. Without partiality but sincere — without bias, either towards persons or towards serving an agenda other than the agenda of the gospel.

That’s the wisdom from above. And, as I think back to lessons learned in the book of Proverbs, that Jesus is the personification of wisdom, it’s the way of the Prince of Peace who lives in us and through us.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” ~ Jesus

(Matthew 5:9 ESV)

And that’s where the promise comes in. A harvest of righteousness. Sown in peace. By those who make peace. And that through the wisdom from above.

A harvest of righteousness, at the very least, within — where we become more like Jesus even as we seek to imitate Jesus in the ways of Jesus. And, perhaps, a harvest of righteousness — only by God’s grace and through the Spirit’s transforming power — in the world around us. Even if it’s only in that small microcosm of the world around us where we touch it as salt, and offer clarity as light.

Might we sow seeds of peace in the hope of realizing the promise of a harvest of righteousness.

By His grace. For His glory.

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Let My Words Be Few (A 2008 Rerun)

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Pete

Feeling particularly convicted this morning by James 3:1-12. Too close for comfort. Too recent an experience to dodge the bullet. And though “no human being can tame the tongue”, it doesn’t alter the fact that it is sin to “set a fire” or spread “deadly poison.” What to do? Confess, repent, run to the cross. Be forgiven, be washed, and by His abundant grace get back in the game enabled by the tongue-controlling power of the Holy Spirit. But not feeling much like typing out some thoughts.

So, I do what I often do in this situation, I go back and look up past meals for some food for thought to chew on. This time I get a hit on some thinking from 2008 that was sparked by a reading in Proverbs and makes reference to James 3. Man, I wish I had come across this earlier this week.

Sharing with you what’s ministered to me this morning.

This morning, my reading in Proverbs reminds me of some sage advice from a guy who’s “been there done that.” His advice? “Keep your mouth shut.” Well . . . not quite that harsh or blunt . . . but not too far off.

“He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive.”

(Proverbs 17:27-28 NKJV)

“The one who knows much says little; an understanding person remains calm. Even dunces who keep quiet are thought to be wise; as long as they keep their mouths shut, they’re smart.”

(Proverbs 17:27-28 MSG)

Exhortations about restrained use of the tongue are relatively common throughout Proverbs . . . add to that James’ analysis of how hard it is to tame the tongue (James 3:1-12) . . . and anyone with their “ears on” to the Scriptures should realize that this muscle in our mouth can get us into a lot of trouble. We need to be thoughtful on how we use it.

It’s interesting that Solomon says that it’s the person who is knowledgeable and “gets it” who is very selective about his words and is able to stay calm in spirit. You might think that smart people should be the ones dominating conversations because . . . . well, they’re smart! But it seems that our God . . . through the inspiration of the Scriptures and the pen of Solomon . . . sees it differently. And as I noodle on it, a couple of possible reasons come to mind as to why God thinks that true wisdom and smarts manifests itself in few and carefully selected words.

One reason, I think, is that God values humility in us. Too many smart people know they’re smart and want others to know they’re smart too. But ya’ gotta think that humility says, “Maybe I think I know something or two . . . but that’s just by the grace of God.” And so, if my smarts are God given smarts . . . and any insight I think I have is God given insight . . . and my arguments are reflective of godly wisdom . . . then I probably should be cautious in filtering what comes out of my mouth. Not just the content . . . but the spirit conveyed by my words. Paul says our speech should always be with grace (Col. 4:6). Our testimony is as much wrapped up in how we say something as it is in what we say. And maybe that’s why a pre-disposition to few words is smart. It minimizes the chances of saying something we didn’t mean to say . . . or saying it in a manner which we didn’t intend. Humble man . . . restrained tongue. I think they go together.

Second reason why I think God wants us to be people of few, well-selected words, is because it is an indicator of our trust in Him. Proverbs 17 says that a smart man is a man of few words and that a man of understanding is of calm spirit. A churned up spirit seems to be the source of many words. The need to justify myself . . . or establish myself . . . or confront the situation could be a recipe for disaster in terms of how I use my words. But to trust in the Lord . . . to allow Him to justify . . . to wait on Him for the right words . . . that leads to a calm spirit. Jesus was a man of few words . . . you think about it, He wasn’t a big debater. Well chosen words . . . well thought out answers . . . and then He left it to people to digest and respond. Even during His fake trial before the Jewish religious leaders and his interrogation before Pilate, He was careful what questions He chose to engage in and really used very few words in those He responded to.

So some pretty sound advice this morning. A good check for the guy in this chair on his “tongue management.” Few words . . . calm spirit . . . holding my peace . . . an observer more than a commentator. Good stuff to consider.

Father, I marvel this morning at the breadth of Your Word. From the high and lofty insights into Your awesome character and works . . . to the intensely practical, day in and day out, use of words. Give me wisdom, Lord . . . I desire a spirit of humility . . . I want to learn to trust You more, to rest in You more . . . and then, let my words be few . . . and well chosen.

By Your grace. For Your glory.

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Come and See

Posted on September 23, 2020 by Pete

“Come and see,” said Philip to Nathaniel. Check it out. Kick the tires for yourself. Don’t take my word for it. Just because I think this Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph, is the Messiah promised by Moses and the prophets, don’t make it so. “Come and see.” So, Nathaniel went and saw.

Hovering over the last section of John 1 this morning. Talk about your encounter of the divine kind. Nathaniel the skeptic (“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”) meets Jesus the Seer.

Jesus sees Nathaniel coming toward Him and calls out, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in who there is no deceit!” “What?” thinks Nathaniel, “have we met?” And so he says to Jesus, “How do you know me?” And Jesus says — and I’m imagining in only the way Jesus could say it, and with the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit set to high — Jesus says, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

Jesus the Seer saw him. Knew him. Looked deep into his heart and perceived all that could be perceived. The good, the bad, the ugly. And then the Seer says, “Come and see.”

And Nathaniel sees Jesus. Really sees Jesus.

Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

(John 1:49 ESV)

And Jesus says back, in effect, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

(John 1:50-51 ESV)

Nathaniel, through the eyes of faith, saw Jesus as the Son of God. That’s pretty wild! Somehow (more like, by “some Who”) He recognized this non-descript Teacher from a no-name town as the King of Israel. Who would of thought! But Jesus says, you ain’t seen nothing yet . . . I’m also a Ladder. Wait until you see that!

Son of God. What more claim to fame could anyone have? King of Israel. Sounds like top of the food chain to me. But, Jesus’ says, know Me as the Ladder, too. The Staircase that joins heaven and earth. The Mediator between the divine and the defiled. The Christ who bridges the great chasm. The Way for the lost to be found. This is the “greater things than these” that Jesus, who saw Nathaniel, told Nathaniel he would see.

And I’m thinking I would do well this morning to see it too. To pause and perceive afresh. To put aside for a few moments all the cares that await this day and focus anew. To see again “greater things” in the One upon whom angels ascend and descend from a heaven opened up.

What a great access is ours. What a great salvation to ponder again, as if for the first time.

Let us see and then, let us worship the Ladder! Hallelujah, what a Savior!

And you know, we really ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

Come and see.

Because of grace. For His glory.

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Seasons of Siege

Posted on September 22, 2020 by Pete

Not gonna lie, this season has a way of amplifying my readings in the major prophets. Not that I equate America with Israel. Not that I believe God is in the final judgment business in this age of grace. But that I believe the God of the prophets is an unchanging God, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Thus, the sin which provoked Him to anger in Jeremiah’s day will, no matter where it is found, provoke Him to anger today. To be sure, there is a place for that anger to be quenched, the cross of His blessed Son, but only for those who run to it. And God, just as He did in the days of the prophets, even today intervenes to reveal Himself, and to point people to the way of rescue through seasons of siege.

. . . they weary themselves committing iniquity. Heaping oppression upon oppression, and deceit upon deceit, they refuse to know Me, declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: “Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of My people?”

(Jeremiah 9:5b-7 ESV)

They’re lost. They’re hard-hearted and stiff-necked. They’re running themselves ragged with sin. They refuse to know Me. So what else can I do, says the LORD, but turn up the heat? To refine them in the fire, to test them under pressure, that they might come to their senses.

Even as God was mustering up the Babylonian horde to evict the people from their land because of their persistent, perpetual rebellion and unfaithfulness, He calls them to return. Even as the Babylonians set up siegeworks on Jerusalem’s doorstep, hemming them in, God appeals to His people through His prophet, wanting their season of siege (talk about your shelter in place!) to act as a wake up call and a catalyst for repentance.

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. . . . For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place . . .”

(Jeremiah 7:3, 5-7a ESV)

And while their return to God would be manifest in amended ways and deeds, what strikes me this morning is that it would be initiated through understanding and knowledge.

Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”

(Jeremiah 9:23-24 ESV)

Nothing new under the sun, those who reject God are those who are full of themselves. Trusting in their wisdom, confident in their strength, relying on their wealth, they say to themselves “Self, we got this. We don’t need no God.” True of fallen Israel, true of fallen empires throughout the ages — even during this age of grace.

But, I’m thinking, God turns up the heat on the nations He has loved — and loved unto death on the cross — so that when their wisdom and their strength and their riches are no longer sufficient to maintain control of their lives, they’ll look up . . . look wwaayy up! And they’ll understand and know there is a God.

They’ll understand. They’ll give attention to, ponder, look towards. Clarity will come. The light will go on.

They’ll know. They’ll recognize, discern, confess to be true, and experience. They’ll taste and see.

And what will they understand when the light comes on? What will they know and admit when they taste and see? That the LORD is not just the God of steadfast love, but also of justice and righteousness. And not just in ancient Israel, but “in the earth.”

They will know there is a God. They will understand He is the Sovereign Creator of all things. And they will experience the holy, put-you-on-your-face-in-reverent-awe fear that saves the soul. And then, by His wisdom, and by the power of His might, and as heirs of His eternal riches they will have the desire, strength, and ability to amend their ways.

What can I do, says the God who loves a people who have strayed? What can I do but refine them and test them? That they might know Me and live.

Even seasons of siege are by His grace. That our boasting in Him alone, though for our good, might be for His glory.

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A Crown Beyond the Sun

Posted on September 21, 2020 by Pete

Had a look at my post from this day in my reading plan a year ago. Not surprised that I put down a few thoughts from the reading in Ecclesiastes 2, lot to chew on there.

I don’t play the lottery but, not gonna lie, sometimes I think I’d love to try and see if I could handle being the winner of one. To be unfettered by financial restraints. To pursue what I want to pursue, go where I want to go, play what I want to play, and, yes, even financially support whatever I want to support. That was Solomon’s deal.

What I might dream about from time to time, King Solomon lived out. With pedal to metal he pursued the way of pleasure as well as the way of principle or, as he put it, “how to lay hold of folly” (2:3b) as well as the way of “wisdom.” And in the end, wisdom won — “there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness” (2:13). But also in the end, this mega-lotto winner “hated life.” Because, in the end, if all that life is “is done under the sun” then, he realized, it didn’t matter whether you pursued folly or wisdom, “for all is vanity and a striving after the wind” (v. 17).

But this morning, in my reading in James, another view of “the end.” An end which is really but the beginning. A finish line which is also a starting line. An exit which provides a glorious entrance.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

(James 1:12 ESV)

Not gonna debate whether or not Christians should be incented as to how to live here and now in light of receiving rewards there and then (though I personally think that’s why they’re mentioned). But I am thinking about the difference it makes when lives are lived which transcend an “under the sun” view. When the ultimate arbiter of what I do in this life isn’t its legacy, or how it’s summarized on a gravestone, or remembered by someone who knows my history, but is, instead, the way in which it prepares me for my next story — life beyond the sun.

There is a promise of what is to come that puts “what is” into context — the promise of a crown of life. By its name alone, it brings hope — a life beyond this life. A reason for the trial. A reward for choosing to remain steadfast in the way of wisdom rather than give up and default to the way of folly.

A life beyond this life has a way of giving meaning to this life. Providing a context that’s always defining a hard today in terms of a great tomorrow. A promise that helps offset the pressure. The hope of a crown that creates a steadfast resolve that says, “It’s gonna be worth it.” The promise of a crown “to those who love Him” — a crown of life. Abundant life. Fullness of life. Eternal life.

Oh, the difference it makes to know that there is a crown when it comes to dealing with life “under the sun.” A crown beyond the sun.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.

(2Timothy 4:7-8 ESV)

This too, a part of His immeasurable grace. This too, only for His inexpressible glory.

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