What’s He Doing Here?

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Pete

It’s one of the classic expressions of surprise . . . that subtle movement that indicates something unexpected has been encountered . . . when it’s exaggerated it can be great physical comedy . . . it’s called the double take. You know, when someone encounters someone else or something they weren’t expecting and then their head snaps back quickly . . . their eyes bulge out . . . the sound effects guy lets go with a big “boing!” (or something like that). Well, this morning I had a bit of a double take. Nothing too over-the-top . . . nothing too funny . . . no sound effects . . . but a double-take nevertheless.

I’m reading in Acts 13 . . . about the church in Antioch . . . a place where the grace of God had fallen and many, many had come to faith — both Jew and Hellenist (Grecian-Jew). A great number believed and turned to the Lord . . . Barnabas was sent by the church in Jerusalem to check it out . . . he determined to encourage these new believers to follow the Lord “with purpose of heart” . . . and then he went and got Saul . . . and for a whole year the two of them assembled with the church and taught them. And this became the place where disciples of Jesus were first called Christians (Acts 11:19-26).

And it says in Acts 13 that “in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul” (13:1). There it is! Head swings back . . . eyes bulge out . . . do you hear the “boing?” What’s he doing there? Manaen! One who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch? He’s in the church? . . . he’s a prophet? . . . he’s a teacher? . . . he’s worshipping Jesus? . . . he’s fasting? . . . he’s laying hands on Saul and Barnabas under the direct orders of the Holy Spirit and commissioning them for their first missionary journey? What’s he doing here?

Come on . . . you just don’t expect anybody who had anything to do with Herod to be in church . . . much less a prophet, teacher, or leader. It says he was brought up with Herod the tetrarch. You remember Herod . . . the guy who had the head of John the baptizer cut off and handed to his step-daughter . . . actually she was his niece until he lusted after his brother’s wife and took her for his own. The same Herod who, when Pilate sent Jesus to him, was glad to see Jesus because he was hoping to see Him perform, hoping to see a miracle or two, . . . but when Jesus didn’t perform, and didn’t even answer his questions, he treated him with contempt and mocked him and sent him back to Pilate (Luke 23:7-11). This Herod who was part of a family of Herods who were bad, bad, bad people. So what’s a guy who had been brought up with Herod doing in the church of Antioch?

Looks like there’s differing opinions as to exactly what Manaen’s relationship was with Herod. Some think that it was Manaen’s mother who was Herod’s nursemaid and so they were kind of foster brothers or, as the NLT says, “childhood companions”. Peterson, in the Message, speculates that he might have been an advisor to Herod, the ESV says he was a “member of the court of Herod.” Whatever the exact relationship, it seems clear that he and Herod had a strong association. You gotta think that Manaen was subject to the same influences . . . shared some of the same background . . . knew some of the same opulence and power, at least indirectly. So what is a contemporary of Herod the fox (Jesus’ words not mine (Luke 13:32)) doing in the church of Antioch worshiping, praying, and fasting with Saul and Barnabas and other teachers and prophets?

Simple answer: the grace of God.

You know, we can so easily look at a person’s upbringing and write them off because “normal” for them is so debased for us. Or, we find out about someone’s history and we look right past them. Or, when they do show up in church we’re somewhat suspicious . . . maybe even asking ourselves, “What’s he doing here?” In those times, oh that the Holy Spirit would move us to do a double take and think Manaen. In fact, some of us were Manaens. Brought up so far from the things of God . . . ignorant and arrogant . . . using Jesus’ name in a way that the Name above all names should never be used. Yet, by the grace of God . . . the love of Christ . . . the work of the Holy Spirit, we ended up part of His body . . . assembling with His people . . . and maybe even had spoke of us, “What’s he doing here?”

He’s here because Jesus saves . . . here because God so loved the world, the whole world, that He gave His one and only Son as a payment for all sin . . . here because God in His sovereign grace drew him to Himself and he believed that Jesus is the Son of God and that in Him is life eternal. Kind of amazing who you might find on a church’s membership roster isn’t it . . . that’s kind of how God works . . . amen?

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Not Trusting in Horses

Posted on January 18, 2010 by Pete

Ok . . so you might remember them . . . those old black and white cowboy movies. And that classic scene in a number of those old westerns where there’s a guy in jail and his buddies are going to get him out . . . and so sneak around back of the jailhouse to where his cell is . . . and they tie some ropes to the bars of the jailhouse window . . . tether the rope to a pack of horses . . . give ’em a swat . . . and the horses pull the bars and good portion of the wall out . . . and voila! . . . “they dun sprung ‘im!” You wonder if Peter was thinking of such plans of escape that night he got thrown in the slammer (Acts 12).

But no way it was going to be as simple as hooking up a bunch of horses to an outside window. You kind of get the sense that Peter’s cell was buried in the depths of the prison. What’s more Peter was bound by chains to two soldiers who doubled as cell mates . . . and there were two more at the gate of the prison . . . all in all, four squads of soldiers were assigned to make sure Peter didn’t escape (12:4,6). Herod was determined to have himself another public execution. The Jews had responded so favorably to his execution of James . . . and it had been such a long time since the the Jews liked him at all, that Herod determined to hold an encore performance . . . this time it would be the head of Peter that would roll. And no one . . . no how . . . no way . . . was going to spoil it by helping Peter to escape.

And so that night . . . the church prayed (12:5) . . . Peter slept (12:6) . . . and God acted. And you know, it’s way to easy to skim over this part . . . the part where the angels come and rescue Peter . . . because it can seem so fairy tale like . . . the stuff of Sunday School flannel graphs . . . we read it . . . and believe it . . . but don’t connect it with how God REALLY works in human affairs. But hey! Why not? Isn’t He the same God, yesterday, today, and forever? And so I slow down and read these verses and am amazed with the manner in which God can intervene in the lives of His people. I’m not saying this is God’s normative method of rescue . . . but this is an example of the normative power of our God!

You check out the account in 12:7-11 and it’s absolutely mind-blowing! Peter’s asleep . . . and then an angel is there amidst a bright shining light . . . and he has to give Peter a whack in order to wake him up ( an aside . . . doesn’t seem like Peter was having problems sleeping . . . you gotta think it was an indicator of the peace Peter possessed as he trusted God for whatever was to happen). Peter’s chains fall off . . . he’s free of the guards . . . they are still in la-la-land . . . the angels then lead Peter out of the prison . . . opening up doors . . . or walking through walls . . . or whatever . . . it all seemed unreal to Peter because he thought he was experiencing a vision. They stroll by the first and second guard posts . . . you don’t sense they were skulking in the shadows . . . hiding behind corners with their backs pressed against wall . . . but that they angels had done something to the prison guards so that they could just walk past them out to the gate . . . and then open the gate . . . and then send Peter on his way. How awesome is that? And it’s not the fact that God uses that game plan for every rescue that is amazing, but that He can . . . it’s part of His repertoire . . . the same God who has promised never to leave me or forsake me has that kind of power to deliver. Maybe if I really got that, I’d sleep at night more like Peter rather than worrying myself into insomnia.

Peter hadn’t seen any of those old western movies. Thinking about a team of horses pulling down the walls of his prison cell probably wasn’t even something that could come to mind. But even had horses been a possibility . . . I’m thinking Peter wouldn’t have given it a second thought . . he wasn’t trusting in horses.

The Psalmist reminded me this morning that “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” (Ps. 20:7). And isn’t that the bottom line? God can use horses . . . He can use chariots . . . and He can use angels too. Our God is able to deliver . . . through the “normal” and mundane and yes, if He chooses, through the blow-you-away miraculous. The issue isn’t how God delivers . . . its not about the means by which He will sustain His people . . . it is that He can . . . and He will. And mine, is to trust. I know it’s easy to say when you’re not sitting in the prison cell . . . but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. By His grace, and through His Spirit in us, may we know that deep abiding calm and assurance that comes from trusting wholly in Him in all things and through all circumstance.

In those times where we need rescue . . . angels would be cool . . . horses might be nice . . . but we’ll trust in the name of the LORD our God. Amen?

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God and Clean Hands

Posted on January 15, 2010 by Pete

Ok . . . as I start typing this, I don’t exactly know where it’s going . . . or if I can keep it to a “devotional size.” But I’m finishing up Psalm 18 and I came across this passage which, quite frankly, I found myself wanting to skim over . . . ’cause I wasn’t quite sure how to deal with it. Here’s the passage:

“The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, And have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless before Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.” – Psalm 18:20-24

So why did I try and gloss over this? Well, because I think as I first read it, it sounded kind of “name it and claim it” to me. Because there were a lot of “I” and “my” and “me” in it. The Lord rewarded me . . . because I . . . according to the cleanness of my hands. And I probably had this initial discomfort because it sounds like a “works based” faith where because David thinks he’s righteous and his hands are clean then he figures God will reward him. So that’s why I found myself just as soon skimming over this. But, . . . and I’m thinking it’s a Holy Spirit thing, . . . I found myself going back over this repeatedly because even though it “didn’t compute” at first, it is the Word of God . . . it is God breathed . . . it is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2Tim. 3:16). So, what’s the Word saying here? And what isn’t it saying?

When I get to these “tough passages” I look for some help from some trusted friends. Between the commentaries on my desk and those on my computer, I have probably up to 6 different sources where I can check out what others — those far more learned than myself — have to say. And guess what? As I look at what these scholars say about this passage, they are all over the map! Some even interpreting this allegorically as being about Jesus and not David at all. Ok . . . so I’m not the only one who finds this a bit perplexing. So after a few minutes of meditating . . . which isn’t the same as hours of study . . . here’s what I’m thinking.

First, this isn’t a passage about salvation . . . it’s not about the basis for David’s acceptance before the Lord . . . David, himself, is clear about that . . . “Great deliverance He gives to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed” (18:50). David knows he is a recipient of God’s mercy. Instead, as David recounts his deliverance from Saul and his enemies, as He pens this triumphant song of praise to the Lord, he is sitting in a place of a clear conscience before God with an integrity of heart that he has pursued, and sought faithfully to obey the way of the Lord (18:21-23). I don’t think David’s claiming perfection . . . I don’t think David’s saying that he deserved God’s favor because he obeyed God’s work perfectly. But, David does say that God’s reward and God’s recompense and God’s favor were upon him when David trusted in the Lord . . . and sought the Lord . . . and followed the Lord. His hands were clean . . . in integrity of heart he lived life with a desire to do what was right because His God was worthy of such a determination.

This was the time when at least twice David could have taken matters into his own hands and taken out Saul . . . and claimed the throne that God through Samuel had promised him. Instead, he obeyed the Lord . . . he refused to lift his hand against the Lord’s anointed (1Sam. 24:6) even though it was the Lord’s anointed who had departed from obedience and now, with blind jealousy, was hunting down David with only one thought in mind . . . kill him! But David lived righteously (not perfectly) . . . his hands were clean in God’s sight . . . and David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, says, the Lord rewarded me . . . He recompensed me. I don’t think He’s saying that the Lord was obligated to respond to David’s obedience . . . but that He did.

And, as you read the Psalm, it’s not the boastings of a self-righteous man, instead it is the gratitude, praise, and worship of a man who humbly acknowledges God’s intervention on his behalf and says, “I will love You, O Lord, my strength . . . I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised” (18:1,3). David would not always be a man of clean hands . . . the dirt of Bathsheba and the blood of Uriah would soon be upon those hands . . . and in that state, the song-writer would sing a different tune . . . a lament of his unrighteousness and his transgression and his lack of integrity (Psalm 51) and would write this song to the same God of mercy . . . and would, by the grace of that God, find favor — unmerited favor — at His hand, as well.

God is pleased with those who seek to live righteously and obediently. It starts with humbling ourselves with obedience to the message of the cross and the need of a Savior . . . and continues through our day-to-day pursuit of His word and desire to live for His glory. God seeks clean hands . . . uprightness of heart . . . a life focused on maintaining a clear conscience before Him and often applies the precious blood of the Lamb to sin in repentance. How God will intervene in a certain battle or struggle is His sovereign determination, but let us not think that He will not reward obedience or that He will not recompense clean hands . . . He longs to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant, . . . enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matt 25:21). Enough said . . .

Father, thank You for leading me to wrestle a bit with Psalm 18. I am so aware of my weakness and failure . . . but I desire righteousness . . . I seek clean hands . . . I want to know You and Your word and, as much as lies in me, and by the enabling of the Holy Spirit, obey that word . . . not for my reward . . . but for Your glory alone . . . amen!

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God of Action

Posted on January 14, 2010 by Pete

So, we talk about God intervening on our behalf . . . about God involving Himself in the affairs of our lives . . . but do we ever really think about that looks like . . . and if we do, what do we imagine? I ask myself that and it occurs to me that I probably see God not having to exert a lot of “effort” (if God exerts effort) in order to tweak this or influence that as He directs in the paths He has ordained for me. I probably imagine Him to be somewhat passive in His actions concerning my life . . . thinking, perhaps, that He just speaks a word . . . and it is so. But as I read the first part of Psalm 18, it portrays a very different picture — not a picture of David’s over-active imagination, but a Holy Spirit directed, God-breathed revelation of the way God might act on the behalf of His people. And as I read it, I realize He is God of action.

It’s a psalm of David, a psalm of deliverance. David is absolutely up against the wall . . . going down for the count . . . “the pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me” (Ps. 18:4) . . . David says his enemies “hated me . . . they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity” (18:17-18). Back up against the wall . . . situation desperate . . . out numbered . . . out powered . . . out strategized . . . done, like dinner. So what does David do? What’s left to do? He cries out to the Lord. “In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears” (18:6). David prays . . . God hears . . .God acts. And there is nothing passive about the intervention of God . . . check this out . . .

“He was angry . . . devouring fire came from His mouth . . . He bowed the heavens and came down . . . He rode upon a cherub and flew . . . The Lord thundered from heaven and the Most High uttered His voice, hailstones and coals of fire . . . He sent out arrows and scattered the foe . . . the foundations of the world were uncovered at Your rebuke O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils . . . He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters, He delivered me from my strong enemy . . . the Lord was my support” (18:7-18). Passive intervention? No way! God of action? You bet!

Sure, there’s some imagery here that probably shouldn’t be taken literally . . . but it’s imagery, not imagination. This is God-breathed play-by-play action. Does God act in this way all the time? Probably not. Does God act in this way sometimes? I’m thinking so. Is this my God? my Rock? my Fortress? my Deliverer? Pretty sure! Awesome!!!

O’ how we need to beware of a view of God that has Him passively watching our lives like we watch TV during dinner . . . half listening . . . paying enough attention to know what’s going on, but not enough to get really wrapped up in it. I wonder if God doesn’t lean forward in His throne, vitally interested in what’s happening down here . . . down here as concerning this world. . . down here as concerning this guy in this chair. Will He always directly intervene? No. But can He? Yes. Will He always intervene in such a way that He’s bows down heaven and flies upon cherub and thunders and fires arrows of deliverance? No. But can He? Yes!!! And that is my God.

David says, “He delivered me because He delighted in me” (18:19b). True of me too? Does God delight in me? I’m thinkin’. Not because of who I am or what I’ve done, but because of who Christ is and what He’s done. He is the delight of the Father (Isaiah 42:1, Matt. 3:17) . . . and I am in Christ. By grace alone and through faith, when God sees me, He sees His Son . . . and thus, He delights in me. And so, I too can say with David, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised” (18:2-3).

He is worthy to be praised . . . whether He chooses to intervene or not . . . whether it is with thunder and lightning or in a more subtle fashion. He is worthy to be praise because He is God . . . Almighty, All-knowing, All-powerful God . . . . far from passive God. And so, this morning, I will own David’s words as my own, “I will love You, O LORD, my strength” (18:1). Amen!

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Faith in the Fundamentals

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Pete

Again this morning it is repetition which catches my eye, . . . and engages my mind, . . . and touches my heart. I’m still reading through the Sermon on the Mount. I’ve been through the Beatitudes . . . being salt and light . . . sin in the heart . . . loving my enemies . . . living before God in the secret place . . . being taught how to pray . . . and encouraged to focus more on laying up treasures in heaven than padding my bank account for “you cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24). And then, in this mornings reading, I encountered a thrice repeated command . . . three simple words . . . not needing a lot of exegesis to understand what they’re intended to convey . . . easy to say . . . hard to do . . . “Do not worry.”

“Therefore do not worry about your life (6:25) . . . Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ (6:31) . . . Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things (6:34).” Really? Do not worry? Yeah, really.

And the things we are not to worry about are the fundamentals of life . . . what we’ll eat . . . what we’ll drink . . . how we’ll be clothed. I can’t help but think how many people a year ago didn’t give second thought to these things and now are out of work wondering how they’ll make ends meet . . . how they’ll put food on the table . . . how they’ll clothe the family. And for those who are believers, is this for them too? I’m thinking so.

And Jesus says its a matter of faith . . . to worry is to have little faith. We want to say its just being human . . . but like so much of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus kind of backs us into a corner and doesn’t really leave that option open to us. He doesn’t focus on what we are but instead on who God is. He is the One who feeds the birds. Are we not of more value to God than the birds, Jesus asks? The One who clothes the grass of the field, will He not clothe us as well? Does God know what we have need of or doesn’t He? It’s not about who we are or what our circumstance is . . . it’s about what we believe to be true about God and His concern for His children.

Kind of basic . . . but kind of hard, too.

But its not that Jesus says, “Do not worry and do nothing.” Far from it. He says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt 6:33). Now there’s a promise to claim! But again, it’s a faith thing. Can God really be trusted to meet my basic needs if I set my heart on pursuing Him? No matter how you cut it, at the essence of worry is a belief system about God. Sunday’s sermon reminded us that God is all knowing . . . that He is all powerful . . . that He will always accomplish His purposes. True statements? Even in the routine fundamentals of doing life? Yeah . . . true statements. He’s all knowing about my circumstances . . . He’s all powerful to meet my needs . . . He will accomplish His purpose in my life.

If you think about, the believer has placed His eternity in the belief that God has met their greatest need, forgiveness of sin, through the provision of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. It is faith that causes us to rest from worrying about whether or not God will “let us in” to heaven — trusting that the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse us from all sin (1John 1:9) . . . and that the grace of God is sufficient to forgive us our sin because of Christ’s work on the cross. If we would place our eternal destiny in His hands, why do we struggle so much with trusting Him for tomorrow?

I was also reading in the Psalms this morning. David says, “I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved” (Ps. 16:8). Sounds kind of like “seeking first the kingdom of God.” David focused on passionately pursuing God . . . doing all he could to ensure the Lord is before Him and as close as his right hand. And then David writes confidently, “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (16:11). Worry or fullness of joy? Anxiety or pleasures at the right hand of God? Seek first the kingdom or seek first our needs? I’m thinking we have a certain amount choice in the matter.

Father, through Your Spirit, help me to so focus on pursuing the kingdom that meeting the needs of the day are put into proper perspective. Continue to teach me how to walk by faith. Continue to show me what it means to trust in the Lord with all my heart . . . and seek not my own understanding . . . to acknowledge You in all my ways . . . confident that You will direct my paths (Prov. 3:5-6). I desire to honor You in the fundamentals . . . for Your glory, amen.

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Chosen Vessels

Posted on January 12, 2010 by Pete

I “witnessed” a couple of baptisms this morning. Two guys . . . in the book of Acts (8:26-9:19) . . . both became believers and were baptized. Very different guys . . . yet, in things that matter most, very similar . . . both were chosen vessels of God.

The one guy was a foreigner, a big shot in the court of Candace the queen of Ethiopia . . . the other guy was a local boy, and he was a big shot too, in the council of the Pharisees. They both had just been at Jerusalem to worship. Afterwards, the one set out for home, and was heading back to Ethiopia . . . riding in his chariot with a scroll in his hand, trying to understand the mystery of God revealed in the prophet Isaiah. The other set out for Damascus . . . walking with a number of other “devout” men, he had a a piece of paper in his hand, a letter to the synagogues in Damascus authorizing him to take by force those who were “of the Way” that they might be brought back to Jerusalem, tried for blasphemy, and potentially be put to death.

Both had encounters that quite literally came out of nowhere. One moment the Ethiopian is riding along reading Isaiah and the next he notices this dude running alongside his chariot, panting, asking him, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The Pharisee’s journey was suddenly interrupted too by a light from heaven . . . and not just some 150 watt bulb . . . no, this was a light so bright and so intense that it knocked you to the ground . . . and the Pharisee heard a voice too . . . a voice from heaven . . . and he was also asked a question, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Both guys were stopped in their tracks . . . both guys were all ears . . .both guys had questions to answer.

The Ethiopian could have played the big shot . . . “Uh, yeah . . . I uh pretty much understand it all. Thanx for asking. I’ll be on my way now.” Instead, this man who had been seeking God through worship in Jerusalem humbled himself before this cross-country runner he’d just met and admitted, “How can I, unless, someone guides?” The Pharisee, who thought he was serving the God he worshiped in Jerusalem, humbled himself too (kinda’ hard not to when you’re talking to a Voice from heaven). But He answered his question with a question, “Who are You Lord?” The Ethiopian wanted to know who the Scriptures were speaking of . . . the Pharisee wanted to know who he was persecuting. Perhaps neither really understood how the answers to the questions . . . it would be the same answer, by the way, . . . neither could imagine how much it would change their lives.

The jogger, beginning at the passage in Isaiah, preached Jesus to the Ethiopian. The voice from heaven, identified Himself as Jesus. The Ethiopian was convinced by the written word of God that Jesus (the man) Christ (the Messiah) is the Son of God (the Lord). The Pharisee was convicted by the living Word of God, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us, the Word who died for the sin of mankind, was buried, and on the third day rose again . . . and upon meeting Him, the Pharisee too knew that He was Lord . . . “Who are you, Lord?” . . . “Lord, what do You want me to do?”

The Ethiopian immediately commanded the chariot to be stopped, went down to the water and was baptized by Philip. The Pharisee waited in blindness for three days and prayed until a disciple of Damascus (someone the Pharisee had set out to arrest) came and laid his hands on him and called him, “Brother.” “Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.” Both met the Lord . . . both were baptized.

And one other thing, that I think this Ethiopian and this Pharisee shared in common . . . I believe they were both “chosen vessels” of the Lord Jesus. That’s what the Pharisee was called when the Lord told the Damascan disciple to go to him (Acts 8:15) . . . and I think it to be true of the Ethiopian as well. Two men . . . seekers of God . . . but not knowing Jesus. Two men out doing life as they thought it had to be done. Two men who God, in His Sovereign determination, sought for Himself. Two men who met Jesus . . . one through the Scriptures . . . the other “online.” Two men who humbled themselves and owned Jesus as Lord. Two men who were baptized. Two men who became vessels of God’s choosing for His purpose and glory.

And . . . a third man . . . sitting in a chair . . . reading about a couple of baptisms . . . and recalling his own. He wasn’t so much a seeker of God . . . but he was out doing his own thing when the Lord stopped him . . . and graciously revealed Himself to him . . . and drew this man to Himself . . . such that he too would say, “Lord, I believe.” And this man too, by the grace of God is a chosen vessel . . . for His purposes . . . and His glory . . . thank You, Lord!

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The Secret Place

Posted on January 11, 2010 by Pete

I’m reading in the Sermon on the Mount. And, you know, I don’t know that I can say this is one of my “favorite passages.” And I think that’s because I find the incredibly high-standards of Jesus a bit unsettling. You know, you can think you’re doing ok in this Christian walk . . . maybe start lining yourself up against others, and figure you’re doing alright, but then, you come across the Sermon on the Mount. And there you are confronted these incredibly high standards the Lord has for those who would live for the kingdom of heaven. You start reading of sin that’s in the heart and not in the actions (5:21-22, 27-28) . . . of hacking off body parts off in order to avoid sinning (5:29-30) . . . of letting people slap you around and going the extra mile for those who would seek to take advantage of you (5:38-42) . . . of loving your enemies and blessing those who curse you (5:44) . . . and then, to top it off, He says, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (5:48). Brother! Talk about your “type A” spirituality. What do you do with all that?

But as I get to the first part of Matthew 6 and read of doing charitable deeds and praying and fasting . . . I am reminded that I really am not left alone to try and take a shot at this radical way of living. I have a Father. And repeatedly in this first part of Matthew 6, in my NKJV Bible, He is referred to as “your Father who is in the secret place” and “your Father who sees in secret” (Matt 6:4, 6, 18).

And there is something, again, a bit unsettling of being reminded that God sees in secret . . . that He knows the concealed . . . that He’s fully aware of what I might be considered to be hidden. But though it might have it’s unsettling effect, isn’t there something also amazingly comforting about knowing that God knows me . . . and still desires relationship with me as “My Father?” No need to hide . . . no use in hiding. But by His grace, and because of the blood of His Son, He peers into the secret and sees a work in progress. A work He has begun (Php. 1:6) . . . a work He has created in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:10) . . . a work that, through His Holy Spirit, He is shaping more and more into the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). And so, though it can be un-nerving sometimes, I don’t fear that God sees in secret . . . in fact, it’s something to be embraced.

He is the God of “the secret place.” And it’s there where we really start to live out this calling we have in Christ. It’s not about putting on a show before men, it’s about honestly stumbling along before God. It’s not about being seen by others as a “good Christian” it’s about being rewarded by our Father who sees in secret. Whoever captured that phrase, “Audience of One”, nailed it. Oh, that I would be more and more aware of the secret place and the One who desires to meet me there. That I would, by His power, continue to cultivate the inner man such that it operates more and more from a desire to please Him alone.

To embrace the secret place, it seems to me, is to rest in the forgiveness of the cross. To desire the secret place is to experience the “Daddy, Father” Spirit of adoption which drives us to His arms. To go to the secret place is to believe that He is working a working in me that He will complete. So, while the Sermon on the Mount may be somewhat intimidating, while it presents a heavenly high standard, I’m not left to seek the kingdom alone. I have a Father who sees in secret . . . One who will meet with me in the secret place . . . One who will faithfully and patiently continue to mold this lump of clay for His purposes.

Father, thank You for the reminder of the secret place . . . for the fresh realization that You know my heart. Continue to teach me how to meet You there . . . to cultivate that which would allow me to be motivated, in all things, to live in light of Your kingdom and calling . . . for Your glory, amen!

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A Long Answer to A Short Question

Posted on January 8, 2010 by Pete

Ok . . . so it occurs to me, as I muse over Acts 7, that Stephen could have saved himself a lot of trouble, not to mention his very life, if he had just said “No.” As he stood before the council, the high priest asked him, “Are these things so?” (Acts 7:1) Technically, that’s a closed question . . . only two possible answers . . . yes or no . . . and I’m thinking he could have said, “No.” The accusation was that he spoke blasphemous words against Moses and God (6:11) . . . that he spoke against the holy temple and against the law (6:13) . . . that he was preaching that Jesus would destroy their place of worship and was going to re-write the customs given by Moses (6:14). And so, as he stood before this kangaroo court, when asked the short question, “Is this true?”, couldn’t he just have given a short answer like, “No?” I guess not.

I guess that men who are full of the Spirit and wisdom (6:3), who are full of faith and empowered of God to defend that faith (6:8, 10), are the kind of men who take advantage of the open door even if it costs them dearly. And as I read his defense in Acts 7, he responds to the closed question by addressing the accusation. He talks about Moses and God and the temple and the law and Jesus . . . and, he talks to me.

Stephen takes these religious leaders through their beginnings . . . from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob . . . from Joseph being sold into slavery in Egypt to the family of Israel relocating there. And then, he talks of Moses the deliverer. Moses, the one raised up of God but not recognized by his fellow Israelites (7:25). Moses, the one who stood barefoot before God on holy ground and was commissioned by God to deliver the people from bondage (7:33-34). This Moses, whom the people rejected was the one God sent to be ruler and deliverer (7:35) . . . and was the one who prophesied, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him shall you hear.” (7:37, Deut. 18:15). Moses wasn’t blasphemed by Stephen . . . he was believed!

Concerning the law . . . Stephen reminded them that Moses had brought “the living oracles” of God down from the mountain but their fathers “would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt” (7:38,39). They would be delivered by God, but they’d serve God on their terms. They’d be brought out of the bondage of Egypt, but they wanted to keep Egypt’s values and worship. Who was anti-law?

Anti-Moses? Anti-law? No way! That’s not what Stephen preached . . .that’s not what Christ preached. In fact, Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17). But just as their ancestors had rejected Moses as deliverer, this hard-hearted brood of vipers refused to recognize Jesus as the Christ, the one spoken of by Moses. They would take the law of God and hamstring it with their self-serving, righteous-through-works, religious customs of men.

Ok . . . so maybe it’s becoming clearer why Stephen couldn’t have just said, “No.”

And then Stephen talked of the tabernacle . . . the temple . . . the place of God’s dwelling. “The Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: ‘Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the Lord, Or what is the place of My rest? Has My hand not made all these things?’ ” (7:48-49). It had never been about the place . . . it had always been about the Presence. God’s place is in heaven . . . but His desire is that His presence would be among men. They had become focused on the building over the Builder. Yup . . . led by the Spirit, given the opportunity to reveal their self-seeking, hard hearts and their resistance of the things of God, just saying “No” wasn’t really an option for Stephen.

And I guess, it serves as a bit of a self-check for me. To beware of turning my heart back to Egypt . . . of wanting “the best” of the world and then fitting God in around that. And it’s reminder to beware of conforming the Bible to my agenda. And it’s not about “going to church” but about “being the church” . . . not about a place on Sunday morning but about a presence 24/7. It’s a warning about not becoming hard-hearted . . . and stiff-necked . . . and resisting the Holy Spirit. It’s a warning that Stephen gave his life for. Oh, what instruction would have been lost had Stephen simply answered, “No.” Praise God, that he was led to give a long answer to a short question.

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What a Dream!

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Pete

Ok . . . so imagine it. You’ve pretty much been able to “do life” on your own. You’re a smart guy . . . a resourceful guy . . . you know what you want . . . and you’re just crafty enough to know how to get it. Yeah, you are technically the younger son . . . but hey, only by a couple of minutes . . . so why should your twin brother get all the advantages of being the eldest? His birthright could just as easily been your birthright . . . his blessing, just as easily your blessing . . . so, why not? And Jacob, “the heal holder” (Gen. 25:26) . . . the “supplanter” . . . pretty much was able to use his cunning to deceive his way to the top of the family food chain. But, you get to the end of Genesis 28 and he’s got to be wondering, “What has this really all gotten me?”

He’s alone . . . he’s laying on the ground trying to go to sleep . . .he’s trying to use a rock for a pillow . . . and he’s got to be wondering what he’s got himself into (28:11). Sure he’s got the birthright . . . all that took was a bowl of soup (Gen. 25:29-34). You bet he’s got the blessing of his father . . . that cost him some goat roast and a bad rash from the itchy clothes he had to wear (Gen. 27:1-29). But now, he’s on the run from a brother who wants to kill him . . . separated from a father who’s dying . . . apart from his biggest supporter, his mom . . . going to who knows where . . . not really knowing if he’ll ever be back . . . doesn’t know how he’s going to feed himself . . . doesn’t know how he’s going to clothe himself . . . doesn’t really know much about nothin’. Good job, Jacob! Pretty resourceful. Pretty self sufficient. Pretty lost. Now what?

“Then [Jacob] dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: . . . ” (Gen. 28:12-13a)

What a dream! A ladder to heaven . . . angels going up and down it . . . a vision of the Lord God in all His heavenly glory . . . and then, God speaks. Talk about your divine visitation! And you gotta know it wasn’t because Jacob was the most righteous guy around . . . or that he had the most to give God . . . or that he was even seeking God . . . God visited Jacob in this dream because it was God’s sovereign determination. God was going to use the deceiver for His glory.

“The land on which you lie . . . I will give you and your beyond-counting descendants. In you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. I am with you . . . and will keep you . . . and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you . . . I will begin a work in you and through . . . and I will finish that work.” (Gen. 28:13-15)

Isn’t that how God works? It sure is how He worked in my life. Not that I had a vision and heard and saw God. But that He just as surely revealed Himself to me . . . through other believers . . . through His Word . . . through the inner-workings of His Spirit with mine. I wasn’t looking for Him . . . I was doing life my own way, with my own means and resources. And then, He revealed Himself to me. Not in a dream . . . but just as clearly and powerfully as He did with Jacob. It wasn’t overnight . . . but it wasn’t for Jacob either. It would take time for Jacob as well. But it started with a new awareness.

Jacob wakes up from this amazing dream . . . he comes to after his divine revelation . . . and realizes, “Surely the Lord is in this place” (28:16). A new dimension was opened up for Jacob. There would be a larger context in which to live life and pursue goals and judge success. Sure, there’d be a few more lessons to learn along the way . . . no way was it going to be easy street . . . he wasn’t going to get it all right . . . but, in His grace, God revealed to Jacob that He wanted him . . . and that He would work in and through him. And though Jacob’s faith started small, “If God will be with me . . . then the LORD shall be my God” . . . he started seeing life on earth in a heavenly context . . . started to realize that it wasn’t about how clever he was, but about how faithful God was.

Isn’t that the grace of God known by many of us Jacobs? Why He would visit us, we don’t know. That He visited us, we become more sure of each day as our relationship with Him becomes more real. We are confident that the work He’s begun in us, He will complete until that day when He takes us up that ladder and to our heavenly home (Php. 1:6). In the meantime, we learn to do life less on our own strength and more by the power of His indwelling Spirit. He must increase . . . we must decrease. Not my will, but Thine be done. And the dream is for His glory . . . amen!

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Singin’ the Blues

Posted on January 6, 2010 by Pete

You know, one of the things that has to draw you to the Psalms is the honesty found in them. Sure, there’s a lot of “feel good” lift your hands to heaven lyrics in these ancient songs, but there’s a lot of dark stuff too. If you think about it in types of music, there’s both “praise and worship” and “the blues.” David and the other writers of the Psalms weren’t afraid to ask the tough questions . . . they didn’t “fake it” and put on a happy face when life was kicking them in the teeth. But, they also didn’t wallow in “the blues” . . . they didn’t understand God in the context of “the blues” . . . instead, they put “the blues” in the context of their God. Case in point? Psalm 10 . . .

“Why do You stand afar off, O Lord? Why do you hide in times of trouble?” (Ps. 10:1)

Ok, so how’s that for putting it out there? When’s the last time you heard that “sentence prayer” uttered at small group? Whose gonna cut a Christian CD with those “pick me up” lyrics or dare to even reveal they’re thinking such things about God? In fact, you might wince if you heard a brother or sister pray, “GOD, are you avoiding me? Where are you when I need you?” (MSG). Can you say that to God? Apparently so. And if we’re honest, isn’t there something in our core which relates to times when such sentiments surface? Either times when we’re suffering at the hands of some unjust person for no apparent reason . . . or times when we look out at the what’s going on in the world around us and the suffering caused by injustice at large . . . and wonder, where is He?

For the majority of this “blue-sie song” the psalmist dumps his observations into some pretty “downer” lyrics . . . “the wicked in his pride persecutes the poor . . . he blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord . . . God is in none of his thoughts . . . his way are always prospering . . . his mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression . . . under his tongue is trouble and iniquity . . . he murders the innocent . . . fixed on the helpless . . . he lies in wait to catch the poor . . . he has said in his heart, ‘God has forgotten, He hides His face, He will never see’ . . . he has said in his heart, ‘[God] will not require an account” (10:2-13). Lord, why do You remain distant from the situation? Why do You conceal Yourself amidst such distress? You’re not gonna find this tunage on iTunes’ featured song of the week, are you?

Then, in verse 14, there’s that three letter, game-changing, word. That word which serves to take the earthly and place it in context of the heavenly. That word which elevates the mind above the perception based on circumstances to the reality based on the character of Almighty God, the Father. That three letter word? “B, U, T!”

“But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief . . . You are the helper of the fatherless . . . The Lord is King forever and ever . . . You have heard the desire of the humble . . . You will strengthen their heart . . . You do incline Your ear . . . there will come a time when You will bring about justice for the fatherless and oppressed . . . a time when the man of the earth will oppress no more.” (10:14-18)

It’s ok to sing the blues from time to time. Not in a self-pitying sense, but in a sense of just honestly coming before God when things aren’t making much sense and expressing the barrenness of heart that is being felt . . . or the confusion . . . or the “I’m so tired” feelings of being overwhelmed. However, at some point in our song . . . at some point in our “blue-sie tune” . . . we need to engage mind over heart and utter that three letter word . . . “but.”

God is not defined by our situation . . . instead, our situation needs always to be put in light of who God is and what we know to be true about Him. The promises of God need to be applied to the pressures of life . . . faith needs to be exercised where feelings of futility prevail. He does hear . . . He will encourage and strengthen. “God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1Cor. 10:13 NIV). And even in the midst of storm and trial, in the midst of things not seeming fair or making sense . . . when, through the Spirit, we remind our hearts of who God is . . . then the blues give way to the praise and worship . . . and the barrenness is replaced by the blessing of knowing that He is near and His hand is on our life . . . and we get strength for the day . . . and He gets the glory forever . . . amen!

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