Is There a Bird in Your Bed?

Do you ever wonder where those interesting colloquial sayings come from? Some are a bit dated and some are new enough that I have no clue what is being referred to. When I was growing up I learned that there is, "More than one way to skin a cat". I am sure this is true, however, I have never tried and have no desire to test the theory that cat skinning holds a variety of methodologies. I did see the truth in "not looking a gift horse in the mouth", just be happy you got a free horse and do not worry about it's dental hygiene. I also like the newer phrases, such as "A few fries short of a Happy Meal". Which is an upgrade from "A few bricks shy of a full load" seeing as, these days, Happy Meals are more common than loads of bricks. Hebrew and Greek had these back in the days of Christ. "Putting a camel through the eye of a needle" is one that has generated a lot of theological conjecture while it seems to be nothing more than a colloquialism in Jesus' day. I wonder if exegetical work will be done on Happy Meals some time in the future?

The phrase that has captured my interest is, "A little birdie told me so". If you are not immediately familiar it was a sort of cute way of not revealing your sources. The question, "Where did you hear that?" could be bypassed by explaining that "A little birdie told me so" and thus keep the perpetrator of the rumor or your source of information anonymous. Though I was familiar with the phrase I was not aware that it was Biblical. It is drawn from Scripture. Ecclesiastes 10:20 reads, "Do not curse the king, even in your thought; do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; for a bird of the air may carry your voice, and a bird in flight may tell the matter." Apparently little birds have been eavesdropping for quite some time.

Two things come to mind when I came across this verse in Ecclesiastes. First, that colloquial phrases have found their way from Scripture into the common English language. This tells me that there was a time when Scripture so permeated society that phrases like these became acceptable and common. For history buffs the battle for Dunkirk might come to mind. The British forces were on the verge of annihilation when they sent this phrase to London: "But if not." I wonder if this would have any meaning today. Back during World War II people immediately recognized this to be from Daniel 3 when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego resolved that they would not bow to the golden idol but face the fiery furnace knowing that God could save them, "but if not" they would still not bow. Word spread of the pinned troops and every available fishing boat, yacht, and pleasure cruiser, headed into the Channel. The Germans hesitated in their advance, for no apparent reason, while the armada of little boats evacuated more than 338,000 soldiers. "But if not" became a colloquial phrase for standing firm, though it has pretty much died out today. We do toss around phrases like, "first remove the speck from your own eye" from Matthew 7:3 and "Don't put your light under a basket" from Luke 11. However, we might be hard pressed to come up with the reference. My point is simply that the influence of God's Word in Western society has certainly lost ground over the years. Which means the clear teaching of the Scriptures has waned as well.

The greater point is Solomon's warning. A warning a Jewish Rabbi named Jacob provided to the assemblies of believers back in the first century. We refer to his writings as a letter from James. In 3:6 he writes, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell." Pretty strong words.  James knows of the destructive power words can have. They are a gift from God that we can use to encourage and share the good news of Christ's offer of life and salvation. However, they are dangerous as well. Bringing reputations to ruin, damaging relationships, destroying ministries and families. Proverbs regularly warns of the use of the tongue. Reminding us that the Lord hates lies and deception. 

The words of Messiah Jesus are even more convicting. Matthew 12:36, "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they give account of it in the day of judgment." We will give an account for every idle word? That should take a chunk out of eternity. The Lord's point here is to be careful what you say. Solomon tells us in Proverbs 17:28, "Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive." A variation of our own colloquial phrase, "that it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all  doubt." The use of God's gift of language is not to be taken lightly.

The reason goes back to Solomon's words about the bird. What we say and do cannot be hidden forever. Speaking to the tribes from the east of the Jordan River, Moses tells them they are to help their brothers conquer the land to the west. If they do not Moses gives this warning, "But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23). Your sin will find you out. Achan found this to be true in Joshua 7 as did Ananias and his wife, Sapphira in Acts 5. Sinful words like sinful actions will find their way out into the open. A little bird will make it known and you may well pay the price, if not now, when you give the Lord an account of what words you have spoken. If a little bird can hear what is said, we better believe the Spirit of God has taken note.

I conclude with the Apostle Paul's encouragement to the Colossians, "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one"(Colossians 4:6). It is good advice, a little birdie told me so.

Trust In Car Alone

We have a variety of vehicles in our driveway. A Chevy Astro, Kia Sedona, Honda Civic, Nissan Rogue, and even a vintage 1988 AMC Eagle. My sons drive a Toyota and a Suzuki. Include my daughters and we add a Hyundai, a Dodge, and a Ford. We are fairly well covered in the automotive spectrum. All are road worthy, though some may question the Eagle. They are a pretty dependable means of transportation. We also occasionally use trains, planes, and buses to get where we might need to go, but cars are the transport of choice. Being privileged to live in the United States of America, owning a car, and having readily available transportation is pretty much a given. When living outside of a metropolitan area having a car is almost essential to survival. I have possessed a variety in my life time. Ranging from the 60's muscle cars (1964 Mustang, 1966 Barracuda, 1969 Camaro) to the family Ford wagon and Chevy minivan. When looking at these, or whatever your mode of transportation might be, I see a challenging parallel with my spiritual life.

We are to be people of faith. Trusting the LORD God with our future and our day to day existence. If you are aware of who God is, this should be a bit of a no-brainer. He is awesome in power and yet intimately concerned with my well being. Solomon explains that if we want to have clarity in where we want to go in life, trust is essential. He spells it out for us in Proverbs 3:5-6, " Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct your paths." If we trust, if we believe, He will direct our paths. We do not need to understand, just trust, for there are times when things are simply beyond our understanding. No need for anxiety here, just relax and trust in the Lord.

However, this is not always my experience. I am the reason Paul wrote Philippians 4:6, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Anxiety is a result of a lack of trust. If we truly trusted we would be at peace and not be touched with worry or concern. We would treat God like we treat our cars. I drive a lot. I honestly enjoy being behind the wheel. I love road trips. Making a twelve hour straight drive to the Outer Banks is not an issue. It is actually pretty relaxing. So I put a lot of miles on my vehicles. I am not filled with anxiety wondering if my breaks work. In the hundreds of thousands of miles I have driven my brakes have failed once. They are dependable so I never stress over whether or not they will come through for me. I do maintain a relationship with them, checking the pads and fluid levels, occasionally replacing rotors and calipers. As long as I keep this proper relationship with them I am confident they will not fail me.

God, however, occasionally allows things to enter into my life that I am either not prepared for or simply do not like. Sickness, unexpected expenses, loss of people I love, and a variety of other things that make my existence uncomfortable. So when this happens I fret a little. I also complain about the circumstances and remind God that this is not what I want. Oh, I do pray, and I do get around to the trust thing. But I also have had sleepless nights, long walks in the rain, and an extra hour on the elliptical machine to burn off some frustrations. Why is it that I do not always go to the trust and relax mode? Why does it seem I have more confidence in my car getting me where I need to go and stopping when I hit the break peddle that I do with the Creator  of the universe? Shouldn't I have the same, if not more, confidence in the LORD God Almighty? He certainly has proven that He is able to care for me. His love could not be more obvious through the gift of His Son. But, I still question just what He allows.

I marvel at the account of Peter in Acts 12. Herod had arrested James, John's brother, and had him executed. Seeing that it pleased the Jews he arrested Peter and intended to execute him as well. Peter is in the inner prison under guard. Acts 12:6, "And when Herod was about to bring him out, that night Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers; and the guards before the door were keeping the prison." Did you catch that? Peter's friend, business partner, fellow disciple and one of the inner circle with Messiah has been arrested and killed. Now he, Peter, awaits the same fate and he is asleep. Really asleep, check out verse 7, "Now behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, 'Arise quickly!' And his chains fell off his hands." The angel has to poke Peter to wake him up. The brilliant light was not enough. I would not be asleep. Praying, maybe. Having a few anxiety issues, perhaps. Wondering what God was doing?  I am pretty sure that would be on my sleepless agenda. I guess I still have a ways to go with that trust issue.

Somehow, I hope to find the balance between trust and taking God for granted. To have the same quiet confidence that I have in my car's brakes. To know He is present at the moment those anxious events occur. To simply trust Him all the time. To escape my attempt at my own understanding and acknowledge Him as He directs my path.

So how goes the trust factor going in your life? Your car or your God. Who provides that quiet confidence that keeps you from doubt? Just something to think about.

On the Edge

I live in rural New York. It is not uncommon to be greeted by a variety of wild life as you drive down most any road or highway. I have waited while a black bear ambled across the road, dodged a few possums and a number of raccoons. I have encountered a fox and coyote making a dash across my headlights. I have found myself beeping at an entire flock of turkeys in the middle of the road and more woodchucks than I can count. They are agile and seem to want to avoid any real contact with this human being. However, there are other creatures that seem to be intent on contact. They are the indigenous white tail deer. They seem to have some peculiar desire to look in my living room window and munch the flowers next to my front door. They hang out in my back yard and when we had a pool they would stop by for a drink and to checkout the floating pool toys. In truth they are pretty impressive creatures. Slender legs that can bound over a fence from a stand still. They are a bit of a nuisance as they pass on the lush green clover in the neighboring field so they can devour my shrubbery and flowers. It is just a part of sharing the environment with God's creatures.

There is one thing that I do not understand when it comes to deer. The area we live in is pretty open. There are fields, farmland, and lots of wooded areas. There should be plenty of room for us to coexist. That being said, why to they graze on the side of the road instead of out in the field? What compels them to try to pay "chicken" with oncoming cars? It is not like there is nowhere else to go. Is the grass really that much better in the median between east and west bound major highways? Do they actually think they will win when they step in front of my seventy mile an hour van? Go hang out in the woods or the fields. Eat the daisies and wild flowers and get away from the edge of the highway. These deer seem compelled to live on the edge of the roads or even on the roads. Are they oblivious to  the unfortunate carcasses of possible family members who have become vulture dinners left crumpled on the side of the road? Do they have some sort of bazaar death wish? How stupid can these creatures be to hang out on the edge of death and personal destruction?

Fortunately we, as human beings, as those created in God's image, are far wiser than deer. We would never dabble on the edge of destructive behaviors. We know better than to place ourselves at risk, positioning ourselves in the path of temptation. We are more prudent than to put ourselves on a path that leads us into an area of moral weakness. We are indwelt by the Spirit of God, so the idea of wandering willfully into areas that we know are places we should not go is foreign to us. Maybe not so much. We do live in a fallen world that is at odds with, if not aggressively challenging, everything we believe to be true. Every form of media is calling us to compromise our integrity. If not openly, to at least drag our thoughts to areas we really do know are not pleasing to the Lord.

This is why the Apostle Paul gave instruction to young Timothy, "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22). 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns us, "Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'" Simply put, if you want to live a Godly life you need to avoid the situations that can draw you into sin. Do not just think about it, Paul says to flee. Get out of there. Be like Joseph, drop your coat and run! (see Genesis 39 for the full account). We need to follow the counsel of the writer of Hebrews when it comes to living on the edge of temptation: "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). As believers, it seems that we are susceptible to adopting the behavior of the New York white tail deer. We graze at the edge of the road called temptation and wonder what happened when  a truckload of sin slams into us and sends us spiraling toward disaster. How much better to keep a little distance between us and what can cause us to fall.

We do live in a world that is filled with things to distract us and thus we must be vigilant. It seems obvious that our Lord's prayer in John 17:15 has been answered, at least in part, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one." We have certainly been left in the world. However, we bear some responsibility for keeping from the evil one. Most of us know our weaknesses, be it wanting nice things, admiring an attractive person, or enjoying a good meal. Yet some of us know that, for us, this can lead to coveting, lust, or gluttony. Not for everyone. But, as I said, we know our weakness. We are experts in rationalization so we can feel comfortable standing on the edge of the highway called temptation somehow sure we will not step in front of the oncoming bus of moral failure. 1 Corinthians 10:12 was written for a reason, "Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall."

God knows us well. He also knows that being on the edge of the highway of temptation is no place for His children to live. He is kind enough to tell us to flee. Be aware of the highway. Stay out in the meadows of grace. Keep your distance from those other deer that say the grass is tastier on the edge of the road to destruction. However, the choice is still ours.  Just keep in mind the vultures are circling for a reason.

No Great Commission

Have you been called to fulfill the "Great Commission"? Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen" (NKJV). These two verses have been an anchor for the spread of the Christian faith, in general, and a particular verse of importance for evangelicals. It is a verse I have heard expounded upon from my college days even up to today. I was told that our Lord, God's Son, had given a command to GO and preach the gospel. One cannot stay and go at the same time, thus I was to leave where ever I was and launch out into the world and take the Gospel to every part of the earth. Evangelism was said to be key to the promotion and distribution of the Christian faith. "So when and where are YOU going? Where has the Lord called you to GO?" was delivered by a variety of preachers and missionaries. This was often followed by horrifying statistics of how many people were going to hell because of my slow response to the call to "Go".

Now, to be fair, there was the caveat that not everyone was called to a cross cultural "going". However, in one way, shape, or form Jesus was telling you to get up and get going. After all, didn't the Apostle Paul warn in Romans 10:14-15 about the desperate need to go? "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" The Lord already sent so if you do not go they will not hear, will not believe, will not call upon the Name and will be lost for all eternity. And it is your fault. Well, being a rather subdued personality with a gift to teach I always felt really short on the evangelism thing. Sure people came to faith through my teaching of God's Word. Lives have been changed, addictions broken,and  families restored. But, that confrontational evangelism "go" thing has never been me. Then I took a closer look at Matthew 28.

The words translated as verbs are "go", "make", and "baptizing". The Greek text shows us that "go" is an aorist passive participle. Aorist is the least definite verbal ending in Greek. It can be a simple past however, it tends to be indefinite in its translation, not really something to build a commission upon. Passive is something done to you and participles are pretty easily understood by adding an "ing" ending. "Make" is to teach or instruct. It is an aorist, active, imperative. This is the only command we find in these verses. We are commanded to teach or instruct the nations how to follow Messiah. Then we are to be baptizing them, present, active, participle. So we should be actively baptizing people all the time. Our Lord's instruction to His disciples was pretty simple. As you go through your life, directed by the Spirit of God (remember you are passive here), you are commanded to teach those around you to be disciples. In Verse 20 we find that the word translated "teach" is a present, active, participle . This means you are to consciously actively, continually be offering instruction concerning everything the Lord has commanded. When they determine to become disciples of Christ we are to direct them to make a public display of their desire to be Christ's disciple through baptism. (By the way, the "go" command in Mark 16 is also passive so there is no command there either).

Now how do we fulfill these instructions? Fortunately, God left directions that everyone of the twelve, and whomever else was present, would know. It is passage they all have memorized and recited thousands of times as they grew up. It is found in Deuteronomy 6:5-9, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

We begin by loving God with all of who we are, mind, soul, and strength. Second we put all of God's words, commands, and statutes into our hearts. We integrate them into our lives. Third, you teach them diligently to your children. You are to put them on display when you sit in your house (what you watch on TV), when you walk by they way (how you treat the check out clerk at the store when no one has been there to help you find the item you needed), when you lie down (bed time prayers), and when you rise up (How do they see you approach each day with the Lord?). Everything your hands do reflects God's Word, everything you think demonstrates His truth in your life, They mark how you live in your city and in your home. Pretty practical stuff. Live like you say you believe.

When you do this be prepared for 1 Peter 3:15 to become true in your life, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." If you live separated unto God your behavior will be noticeable, maybe even irritating, to the people around you. So be prepared to give a clear, loving, gentle, answer as to what the Lord has done for you and what He can do for them as well. Begin to teach them of the Way, the Truth and the Life so they can come to the Father and know life eternal.

So you have no need to feel guilty for not going or not being that confrontational evangelist you may have been told to be. There isn't really any imposing "Great Commission" being held over your head. You are not responsible for every person who has not heard. You are not responsible to "go" anywhere, unless the Lord so directs you to go, (that passive thing kicks in here). You are responsible to live. To be who God made you to be. Your thoughts and actions need to be reflective of His thoughts and actions. We need to think about what answer to give concerning the hope within us so when people ask we are prepared.

Having read this post you will now be on your way with the rest of your day.  God is not commanding you to go anywhere, but as you go where ever today might take you be aware of the opportunities to be teaching and developing relationships. Living in such a way that the hope in you is on display. The Lord will give you the opportunity to be making disciples as you are going. Oh, if that is a bit intimidating, remember He will be with you always, even to the end of the age. 

Do You Believe In the Supernatural?

Do you believe in the supernatural? My guess is that most who read this would respond in the affirmative. There is more to this life than just the tangible stuff we absorb with our senses. We attempt to act as if the supernatural is real. We pray and we sing praises to a Being that is a bit beyond our cognitive abilities. Many accept the Scriptures as a revelation from this supernatural Being and that He desires for us to have a relationship with Him, not just an awareness of His existence. Belief in the supernatural has been around from the very beginning, from the time man first entered the world. The supernatural has had its influence upon every culture and society at some point in time. For those who hold a belief in Yahweh and His Son, Messiah Jesus, the supernatural should be an understood reality of daily life. The wonder of the supernatural should pervade our normal routine activities, making them anything but normal and routine. However, for many of us that is not the case. Life can, indeed, become very routine and seem boringly predictable. Should we just accept the norm and live that way? If we really do have a personal relationship with a supernatural God it seems that life should be more.    

When we look to the Word of God and read the accounts of the people there, life has a greater vibrancy than what we often experience. From God coming to walk in the garden in search of Adam to His conversation with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, David and the ongoing list of interactions with the people of God. Those in Scripture see a connection between God and much of the normalcy of life. If there is a drought the question is asked of some supernatural involvement. The kings and prophets wondered if God was communicating to them through these natural events. Now I know that we live in a fallen world and that Paul tells us in Romans 8:22, " the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now," so some of what we see is the evidence of the weight of sin on creation. However, is it wise to chalk everything that happens around us to just be rationally explained away?

Our culture is Greek by nature. We are steeped in rational thought. Our search for understanding leads us to believe that everything can be explained if we just understand the facts or the underlying scientific principals behind things. Storms are explained to us through charts and diagrams and computer models so we understand why they form and how they may track. The same is true for earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. We can come up with a rational explanation for it all. We can even enter vast amounts of data into our computer programs and produce a computer model of what the climate will be one thousand years from now. It can all be explained if we just have enough data. The same is true for illness and economics. We have evolved to a point where the supernatural has little to do with ordinary life. Rationalism has become our answer to the unknown and unexplainable. Just give us a little more time and we can figure it out.

The challenge for those who believe in a supernatural God Who reveals Himself to us is to maintain balance. Accepting, even anticipating, the supernatural in our day to day lives while also knowing  the simple truth that world events can have natural explanations. We do not need to proclaim Gods judgement after every storm (and often the claim that the end of the world is at hand). God does not punish people with cancer and illness. That is one thing we can learn from Job. On the other hand I give a nod to President Trump for his proclamation for a national day of prayer on September 3, 2017 in response to the devastating hurricane that crippled southern Texas. A call to ask for help from the Supernatural One was refreshing in the midst of our rational explanations of colliding atmospheric conditions.

I have known people who saw the supernatural in everything. Usually giving credit, or perhaps blame, to the devil and his demons for everything from insomnia to "stolen" parking spaces. Every sniffle needed to be prayed over and every good dental check up was a victory over the cavity demon. They found the books by Frank Peretti (This Present Darkness, and Piercing the Darkness) to be close to inspired texts rather than works of fiction. By the way, they are an interesting read and do remind us that there is an unseen supernatural world around us. Just remember they are fiction and you do not need to start praying for the good angels to win. I believe God has that covered. My point is that we tend to swing to extremes. There is honest danger in seeing supernatural warfare consuming every moment of your life. However, there is also danger in living in a rational world. We can fail to see God's warnings. We can miss opportunities to give Him praise or be encouraged to pray.

I have had more than a few incredibly close calls while driving. I am sure that diagrams could be drawn and an understanding of physics and kinetic energy could explain my survival. However, some of those instances left me with a intangible feeling of a presence beyond the rational. An emotional adrenaline rush? Perhaps, or it really was a touch of the supernatural? In truth all these things we see as rational explanations simply highlight the hand of the supernatural. Wind currents, high pressure systems, physics, all those rational computer programs are based on discovering what has always been there. Placed in motion by an intelligent, supernatural designer. One could argue the point; however, the rational thinker knows that the possibility of such complex systems evolving from nowhere is a significant leap of faith.

We are surrounded by the supernatural. From creation, to protection, to weather reminders that we are not in control. We have the opportunity every day to see the hand of God among us.  Let creation proclaim His wonder. Be honestly thankful for His daily protection. If you drive in New York any day without someone driving into your car it is pretty much an act of God. The food we enjoy, the sights that we see, even the technology we employ has a foundation in the hand of the supernatural if we see it.  Don't let your rational thoughts rob you of knowing His supernatural presence. As Francis Schaffer wrote, He is there and He is not silent, the question is, are we listening?

No Sacrifice for Sin?

Has anyone ever told you that the offering of Jesus was made to cover your sins? Has anyone ever suggested that the Old Testament sacrifice for sin is a picture of Christ's sacrifice? However, did you know that there is no sacrifice for most sin in the Old Testament? If you were an Israelite and sinned against God, if you willfully disobeyed one of His commandments, there was no offering available to cover your sin. God's revelation to Moses provides a great deal of instruction and certainly gives directions for a variety of sacrificial offerings, however a relative few actually deal with sin. There are thank offerings, free will offerings, offerings of the first fruits, redemptive offerings for the first born males, specific sacrifices to cleanse the priests along with wave and incense offerings. Leviticus chapter 4 deals with sin offerings. Perhaps it has been a while since you read the chapter. Perhaps in your reading you did not notice a very important word.

It would be helpful if you took time to read verses 2, 13, 22, and 27 of Leviticus 4. The surrounding verses give details as to how to prepare and offer a sin offering. If you have read the verses did you notice each instance of sin has the word "unintentional" preceding it? The Lord knew that His people had just come out of Egypt following a sojourn of over 400 years. They had been slaves for a significant part of that time. They held their own culture, to an extent, but the rules and regulations for life as a slave was dictated by Pharaoh. Thus, upon their deliverance, God graciously gave them instructions and directions as to how to best live. They were not optional. However, they were pretty inclusive as to every aspect of life so it would have been fairly easy to unintentionally violate God's Word. Again, by His grace the Lord provided a way to have those unintentional sins forgiven. However, He offered no sacrifice for intentional sins.

If that is indeed the case there must be no hope for all those Old Testament folks. Well, you might say that Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, took care of that. Except that day was a time of national repentance rather than a personal sin offering. The reality seems to be that many of us are deeply ingrained in traditional Christian or Evangelical thought. We believe we are in the dispensation or time of grace unlike the time or dispensation of the Law. We are saved by grace and free from the Law. Those Old Testament people had to keep the Law as a means of salvation. Grace finally came to us through the cross. The only problem with that way of thinking, is that it does not line up with Scripture. Paul makes it clear that no one keeps the Law. Everyone has fallen short. So does that mean there is no hope for the people before the time of Christ? Does that mean we will not see Moses, or David, or Abraham, Isaac or Israel in glory? What was Moses doing on the Mount of Transfiguration  with Jesus if He did not make it to glory?

Perhaps the story of David's sin can help. David sinned intentionally. He did not accidentally commit adultery with Bathsheba. He did not unintentionally have Uriah, one of his loyal mighty men, killed. He did not bring Bathsheba into his bedchamber unknowingly. He is guilty of intentional sin. There is no Levitical  sacrifice available. In contemporary terms David is toast. He is without hope. The punishment for these crimes is death. But look at what Nathan tells David in 2 Samuel 12:13, "So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die." How can that be? How could the LORD put away David's sin? Why won't David die? The only reasonable answer is grace. Like the grace He extended to Noah. The grace He extended to Abraham when Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him for righteousness. Abraham, David, Noah, saved by grace. Hmmmm I wonder how many other Old Testament people were saved by grace after they violated Torah?

We are told that we need to pray and ask forgiveness and maybe confess our sin and and we will be forgiven. It is hard to find that formula in the Bible. The message of John the Baptizer, Jesus the Messiah, Paul, Peter, and the writer of Hebrews was repentance. Forgiveness comes through confession and repentance. Prayer, or speaking, confessing,our sin with repentance may be the avenue we choose to use however, just praying for forgiveness is not a Biblical concept.  Turning away from our intentional sin with a desire to not commit that transgression once again is the pattern we find no matter which Testament we look to. The sacrifice and shed blood of God's Son, Messiah covers sin. It always has. Repentance and believing, faithfully following, trusting that what the Lord has said, gives us a relationship with Him and His Son by the power of His Spirit. It is all by grace. It is now. It always has been.

It seems that the artificial division we place between those Old Testament saints and those of the New is just that, artificial. Moses, David, Hezekiah, and the untold multitudes of the Old Testament repented, had faith in Yahweh and were saved by grace. So were Peter, James, John, Paul and the rest of our New Testament heroes. So was I. How about you?                

The Job Effect

 My life is filled with good things. I have a healthy and supportive wife who loves me and is always there for me. I have seven remarkable and gifted children (I do not have two "in-laws" they are all my God given treasures) and am blessed with, soon to be, four grandchildren. I have food, shelter and too much stuff. I type this on a convenient laptop computer that cooperates with me, most of the time. Then, at the time I choose to post these ramblings, it will make these words available to be read by anyone around the globe. I have friends near by and those who are still close even though the miles are extensive. I am attached to extended family with supportive and encouraging "In-Law" parents. and many folks I minister and serve with. I even have those who give sacrificially, to encourage me and meet the needs of my family. The Lord has provided exceedingly abundantly in more ways that I can document here. However, there is more to my life than these God given wonders.

Life also has times of finding ourselves in the shadows. Grays and darkness contrast the joyous colors of the mosaic that is life. In recent days I have gained a deeper appreciation for a man named Job. My thoughts have mingled with the record of his life and I have found some company in the darkness. I have never been through all he suffered and often I do not qualify for the description in verse 1 " that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil." Neither am I confident that I always share in his quiet confidence, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him" (Job 13:15). I do, on occasion, have a vulnerability that drys my soul and causes me to wonder if the Job effect is God's visitation on my life. I write from my own perspective today, but perhaps you can relate to my thoughts when the Job effect visits you.

In numerous places in the Psalms, the testimony is given,"I cried to the Lord, and He heard my voice, and delivered me". However, there are times when it seems that is not so. I do not see the answer I long for. I have not lost sons or daughters, I have not lost oxen and donkeys to the Sabeans, I have not lost camels and have no servants to be killed. My occasional sciatic twinge hardly compares to a covering of painful, oozing, sores that have no remedy. I sit in an air-conditioned office, not on a pile of ashes with a broken pot to scrape my sores. So how, in the midst of this bounty and kindness, can my soul be troubled?

If you did not notice I skipped Job 1:16. "While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!” Do you see what is recorded here? It is God who took away the sheep. Not the Sabeans or Amalakites, or raiders from the east. The fire of God took them away.

I am a shepherd, a pastor, a teacher to a flock. I did not ask to be. It is not what I do. It is who God made me and called me to be. I cannot call myself blameless or fully upright before the Lord. I do fear, and respect God much of the time but to say evil thoughts never cross my brain would be an untruth. I am an imperfect shepherd. But I love the sheep. There have been times when I did not want to, times I wanted to lash out at the stubborn, divisive, destructive members of the flock. Times my thoughts were far from gracious toward those who blatantly desired to bring harm to me and, even worse, my family. I have grieved over those who sought their own way at the expense of the rest of the flock and God's ministry. After wreaking as much havoc as possible they left without a thought for the bleeding and wounded souls they left behind. In times like these I cried out to the Lord but it did not feel like He heard my voice. There are quiet moments when the pain still haunts my spirit and pokes at the tender spots of my mind. However, I know He is still faithful. He never leaves, He never forsakes. These times have been few, yet still too many when I know the pain and grief it brought to God's heart. To see His children act this way must be more grievous to Him than I can begin to imagine.

Generally speaking, I survive these times and move on with a confidence in the Lord that only His Spirit can provide. He really does bring healing to a wounded heart. Seeing the sheep go through such damaging and unnecessary times can leave ones soul feeling like you have been caught in a bout between Rocky and Apollo Creed. Yet, those events are ones you can chalk up to sin, rebellion, misunderstanding, pride and the nasty old nature that hangs around our necks more often than we may care to admit. In all these things God is there. In all these things God gives strength and the ability to forgive and move on. My personal Job effect comes from the slow bleeding of prayers that seem to go unanswered. It is having to watch a family slowly self-destruct. They choose to refuse to follow God's simple instructions for reconciliation and blessing. Pride and shadows of the past bleed their relationship dry and divorce now seems to be a welcome escape. They fail to see the truth that the bleeding will not stop after the papers are signed. The Job effect visits me in the sudden loss of one who is closer than a brother. God simply took him. It also comes the midst of hours of prayer, crying out to God to heal the broken. Those so dear to me that are suffering from some disease that slowly, painfully sucks away life. Yet, the disease progresses. I believe God has a purpose. I believe He has a plan. But, I still wait to hear His voice and see the answer that never comes. I feel as though I have been deserted, left alone in the shadows.

Like many pastors I honestly love the sheep. In a very real sense they are my life. I desire to see them grow strong in their understanding of God and His Son, I pray for them to know the joy of His Spirit and to discover and use their God given gifts and abilities to further His Kingdom. Like most shepherds, I desire the flock to grow, to reproduce and become stronger and more effective in ministry. I witness a world where the thing I love most, outside of God and my family, is just a convenience to many around me. Life is filled with comings and goings so an aspect of shepherding is saying farewell to sheep who move on. They have sought the will of the lord as they prepare to leave. However, I have found few who seemed moved to seek and to pray for new sheep to fill the part of the body they will vacate. The new post-retirement home or job promotion is in clear focus. The impact of  their departure on the fellowship they leave behind has barely crossed their mind, if at all. Retirement, job promotions, can be good things, and I celebrate with those who are directed by the Lord to begin new chapters in their lives. However, the celebration is bittersweet. For there will be missing parts in the body if they are not filled by new sheep. So I call out to the Great Shepherd and ask that sheep be added to the flock and that His ministry would expand for His glory. But there are times it seems like God sends a fire from heaven to take the sheep away instead. I look at Job and wonder how he accepted loss and death and pain and could still say "If He slay me yet will I trust Him".

Perhaps that is the purpose of Job. To be honest I find the story unsatisfying. It is true, God gave Job his stuff back, however, Job's first children stayed dead. It took years to replace his family, his standing, and possessions. To top it off, God's answer was, "Where were you?" As I pray for the growth and ministry of the church I love, for the church I know He loves, "Where were you?" does not feel all that helpful. I also know I am not alone. I know the hearts of many pastor's and it really does not matter how large or small the assembly, disruption to the flock is always painful. Loss of families and friends is a part of the life and the culture we live in. Ministries rise up and dissipate, sometimes for no apparent reason, other than God. I have prayed with pastors going through challenging times in ministry. I have seen ministries come to a close in spite of heart felt prayers and a faithful witness. It seemed God's answer was "Where were you?" Not the answer we hoped for, but at least with our friend Job we know we are not alone, However, when all is said and done there is no other calling I desire. There is no other place I would want to be. No other love I would want to own. Maybe Job is right, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" just might be the answer after all.

As life progresses, as you fulfill your plans and dreams, know that you are not incidental to the family of God you fellowship and worship with. Think about the hole you leave behind should the Lord choose to move you. Give some thought as to how God might want you to pray concerning the part of the body that will not function as well without you. Praying for and preparing those to fill your spot is a very good thing to do. When it comes time to give an account of how we transitioned from one church family to another, "Where were you?" is likely not the question you want God to ask.