Not the God I Wanted

Are you happy with the God of all creation, the Maker of heaven and earth? I have been walking with the Lord for about fifty years now. I had expectations when I began the journey. Ones that fit my maturity and needs of the time, and God seemed to be okay with that. My image of the Almighty has changed. I would like to think it has grown from those early days. Still, there are days when I remember wanting, even anticipating, a more reciprocal God. One where I did my part and He did His. I wanted a comfortable God that was all powerful, yet somehow predictable. Perhaps, in some measure, contained. When I read the Chronicles of Narnia, all those years ago, C.S. Lewis reminded me often that Aslan, the divine lion of the series, was not a tame lion. A nice reminder in the story, however, not all that comfortable in real life.

I have found that, in the honest intimacy of my spirit, that I still long for that tamer version of the Lion of Judah. One where my prayers are answered quickly and in accord with my own desires. Yes, it is true that the theological, rational, intellectual me is quick to remind me of all I have learned. The mind that tells me God is God and I am not. He will do what is best for His ultimate plan and my ultimate good, even if I am uncomfortable with the process. That does not mean I do not struggle with the process from time to time. "We live in a fallen world" may be the only answer when tragedy falls. Yet, it is an answer that can feel a bit hollow when I look at the reality and the pain in my heart when the dark days come. It is those times when I can be remarkably critical with myself. I can see  the struggle as failure and a lack of faith. The Lord has always come through. I have known "the peace that passes all understanding" (Philippians 4:7). And I experienced the truth that, "He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20). I have even been able to join Job in honestly saying, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). Those thoughts and memories offer a bit of strength and resolve when I am seeking the tamer lion. However, I would be dishonest to say it is always satisfying.

I pray regularly for a lot of people, issues, missions, and concern for world events. I have seen God answer in remarkable ways. I have seen cancer removed, eyesight healed, people rise up from what everyone thought was their death bed. I have seem social events change the attitudes of people and tragedy unite families and congregations. God has been evident and responsive to my hurts and my prayers. I have also seen the other side. A longed for and anticipated child die at birth for no apparent medical reason. I have had a college room mate, and dear brother in the Lord, be used of God to further the gospel in almost unimaginable ways. Brilliant mind, excellent communicator, able to speak eight languages, struck down in freak car accident at age forty. I have stayed up all night with a couple praying for a child who died in the morning. I have felt the loss of a friend, more like a brother, who has left a hole that the Lord has yet to heal. I have stood in the dark and asked why, knowing there is no why to be found. I have seen ministries grow and selfish, angry people work to destroy them. In all of these situations God could have intervened and chose not to. Even in the current situation where covid 19 has grown into debilitating fear for so many, believers and unbelievers alike, God has the power to change things. Yet the one who "robs, kills and destroys" seems to gain an upper hand in too many lives and communities.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a God Who just stepped in and did what we wanted? A tame yet powerful lion we could direct. One we could come to and say, "I pray, You answer, that's the deal. And I need it by tomorrow." That is not the God of the Bible, nor the God of real life. Feelings have to give way to faith. Wishing and wanting needs to be overshadowed by trust. Discouragement replaced with obedience. Doubt and fear with truth and love. I really do not want a tame lion. I really do need one way bigger than me. One Who can take the questions of life and the disappointments of living and give me that assurance that it will be okay. The Lion has got this. Even through the pain and scars that linger and may always hide below the surface, this Lion has never left my side. And when the days come to an end He will carry me through the valley of the shadow of death to a new home that has no more good byes, no more tears, no more pain and gently present me to my Heavenly Father. A place of joy unspeakable and full of glory. In the darker days I remember this. He is not a tame Lion, but He loves me, and that is enough.

Don't Let the Devil Win

God's church has done pretty well in the midst of challenging circumstances. Historically we usually do.  Satan had a great opportunity to deliver a blow to God's mission. Most of us have been unable to meet together. For the first time Resurrection Sunday services were canceled world wide. Our greatest celebration set to the side. The isolation has continued for longer than any of us had hoped or expected. However, families reconnected. We have made phone calls and checked up on our senior members. We left meals and groceries on doorsteps. We found ways to place worship, devotionals, Bible studies and messages out there on the web. Some of us "Zoom" together while others "Duo", "Face time" or video chat.The message of the gospel and the opportunity to learn about the Lord has multiplied in ways we could not have imagined. What was meant for evil has been turned to good. It has been an amazing thing to behold and a time to give glory to the Lord God for the opportunities we have had. It is also a time to pray that all this spiritual social media will have a dramatic effect and that there would be a great harvest for God's kingdom. We have more than survived the pandemic, we have been conquerors in Christ Jesus. Working through the trial is something we have demonstrated we can do successfully. It is coming out of the trauma where we often do not fair so well. 

This time will not last forever. We are seeing the isolation begin to draw to a close. In the USA different states are giving various degrees of freedom for churches to gather together once again. Churches are putting together strategies and programs to reopen. It is not an easy task and the variables depending upon your location or restrictions make the challenges even greater. On top of that all of the churches that assemble across our lands are full of people. I do not mean the building, I mean the assemblies of living breathing people. You know, all those sheep with various gifts, personalities and experiences just trying to get along. I have been involved in pastoral ministry for over forty years now, and I have seen the Body of Christ splinter in the best of times over the most trivial things. We are often our own worst enemy. In times of struggle we put divisive things aside and look out for one another. That is how it should be. And that is what we have seen. Again, it has been a glorious and God honoring thing to behold. We need to be fervently praying that this would continue.

In the process of keeping up with folks I have spent a bit more time on the phone. Emails and texting are useful, however, talking to people on the phone has many advantages and offers a little better communication. What I have found is that there are a great divergence of opinions as to Covid 19, where it came from, how dangerous it is and what to do. Opinions vary from, "This is no beg deal, I've seen worse cases of flu and colds" to "This is the clear sign of the apocalypse in Revelation". There are conspiracy theories that suggest China is the cause, the "Illuminati" is setting up a one world government, the Democrats are forcing socialism on us, or the Republicans and big business set this up to thin out the elderly, non productive, populations and force us all to buy vaccines. Some are said with a bit of humor and some with real intensity as they hope to convert me to their cause. Thus, we should be meeting together like we always have, no need for masks or precautions this was all an overreaction, we will be fine. We should not be meeting at all. We should meet in cars in the parking lot. We should meet outside. We should put speakers in the church windows so people can meet inside or outside depending on how they feel. We should meet but all wear masks and stay six feet apart. We need hand sanitizer at every door and free masks. We should not pass an offering plate or communion tray for they may have germs. Just wait until the government says it is okay. The government has overstepped its bounds, we should ignore them and just meet anyway. 

Ahh, the joy of Christian unity. The one commonality we find in every book of the Bible is the question of unity and God;s people trying to get along. Think about it, can you think of any book in the Bible that does not have some kind of human conflict in it? It seems to be the devil's most effective tool. Churches divide, families split, fellowships are ripped apart, friendships destroyed. It happens all the time. The potential for this destruction is waiting on our doorstep. How will you respond to believers with varying view on this pandemic and how to move forward? Will you feel a bit judgmental toward those with a different point of view? Satan will flood our minds with thoughts of how naive some people are. How easily some are manipulated or duped by the press. Or how arrogant and unfeeling some people are who have not suffered loss. We will be tempted to think less of others, get irritated with their boldness or lack of caution. The unity in crises could be shattered as the crises comes to a close. 

We have to move forward. We will have to begin to meet together as we all long to do. Yet, we will need remarkable forbearance and patience with one another as we do. We are likely to not get it all right all the time. Be in prayer for your pastors and church leaders who will need to make decisions as to how your church fellowship will proceed. They will not be perfect, however, my guess is that they really do care for you and will do the best they can. If you can not wait to get together, that is fine. If you are cautious and need more time, that is okay as well. We really will be put to the test as to how well we will love and respect one another in this time. The world has been watching. They will continue to watch as we proceed. What will they see? Loving people dealing with one another with patience and gentleness or a divided church struggling with division and chaos. I agree with David's thoughts in Psalm 133:1, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" I also know the other side from Jesus' words in John 10:10,“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." I know which one the Lord wants and which on the devil hopes for. I say, don't let the devil win. How about you?          

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

Be afraid, be very afraid. This is the grave message that has pummeled us for the last twelve weeks or so. The Corona Virus is out to get you and the only responsible thing to do is to cower in terror in your house. No matter what you think of the situation most of the world finds itself in being motivated by fear, This is a dangerous place to be. Exercising caution is a reasonable and prudent thing to do. However, the motivating message we have heard on the news, from our politicians and a number of medical experts is that of fear. Fear you will be infected and die or fear that you will infect someone else and their death is your fault alone. If you do not obey the message of fear you are selfish, hateful and rebellious. None of those qualities are Godly so just go home and try to sedate your fear with some entertaining distraction.

I have witnessed an almost irrational fear in some folks at grocery stores. Even within the body of Christ there are those who live in fear. God has given us another avenue to follow. In Deuteronomy 31:6 God gives this message to Moses, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” Paul gives Timothy a similar message, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (1 Timothy 1:7). It is not difficult to find Scriptures telling us not to fear. The only fear we are to have is a reverential fear of the Lord. 1 Samuel 12:24, "Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you." Being cautious is a responsible way to respond to a crisis, any crisis, be it health, military, or terrorist threat. However, responding in fear rather than trust in the God of creation is one step away from forsaking the God who delivers you.

Responses to life's issues always have consequences. Responding in fear is no different. John warns us that fear negates love. 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love." Loving God also means trusting Him. The God Who did not withhold His only Son for our salvation is One we can love and trust in return. We need not live in fear. Notice the danger of fear. "Fear has or holds torment". The Greek word is only used one other time in Scripture, “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" found in Matthew 25:46. John uses the same word for everlasting torment or punishment for one who succumbs to the trap of fear. Fear robs us of life and love.

When I was in eighth grade my American history teacher approached our history with a blend of sociology, history, cultural anthropology, and philosophy. History was based in a culture and influenced by one's philosophical approach to life. America had a blending of cultures and its founding drew from the works of John Locke, Thomas Aquinas, and even Plato. The one principle I somehow hung onto was this statement. "Fear destroys freedom." If Columbus had been ruled by fear there would have been no new world. If the pilgrims or Sir Walter Raleigh had lived in fear there would be no Massachusetts or North Carolina. Fear would have kept the colonies under the tyranny of Great Britain. The settlers would not have moved west and much of what we enjoy would never have come to be. Remove fear and we learn to fly, and explore outer space, and find cures to disease. Fear keeps us from sharing the Gospel, being missionaries to foreign lands, teaching a Bible class or even listening to a sick child. Fear is far more destructive than we may realize.

Being aware of the dangers and responding accordingly is a sign of wisdom. God is aware of contagious disease. He instituted regulations for those who were ill or contagious. Leviticus 13 gives the regulations for those with skin ailments, including quarantine, to protect those who were healthy. (Just a note, God does not quarantine healthy people on the basis of fear.)  Keeping those infected at a distance from those who are not is a Biblical principle to protect the community. Leprosy was a horrible, contagious, and sometimes deadly disease. The community needed to be protected. Sometimes, just to be safe, people were isolated until a rash or infection could be verified as contagious or not. It was the best thing to do so that the infection would not spread. Prudent action to help prevent or limit the spread of a disease was part of God's instruction to His people. However, the instructions were not intended to bring fear into the lives of His people. The intent was to bring protection and security.

I do not know your circumstances. I do not know how this current virus has threatened you or your family. However, I do know that the Lord does not want your life filled with anxiety and fear. Perhaps we just need to remember the words of the writer to the Hebrews tells us, "So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Or any pandemic, or government, or whatever the world wants to throw at us. The Lord is always there. I will not be afraid.