OUR GOD, Part 1

Have you ever bared your soul to someone? Maybe you told them your deepest darkest secret. Perhaps you took a risk and told someone you loved them. Either way, you most likely hoped they would reciprocate. But there is always the possibility they won’t. They may reject it. If you are human, it's likely you have experienced rejection. And let's be candid--rejection sucks!

But we can take comfort in knowing that we are not alone. From the time the foundation of Earth was laid, man has continually rejected their creator. Even in the midst of our rejection and rebellion, He is still willing to risk it all. God is committed to you and me more than we can ever comprehend. Just listen to a couple of promises God makes to us, even today.

"They will be my people and I will be their God."   (Jeremiah 32:38)

"But now, O Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you O Israel, the one who formed you says, 'Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom; I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.'”  (Isaiah 43:1-4)

God has made Himself vulnerable. At the most basic level, He is giving us a proposal. He throws the ball in our court. God says, "I want to enter into an intimate, monogamous relationship with you. I want to be the only God in your life. And I will give myself wholly to you." God risked it all. He steps out and risks that we will reject Him.

Let me put this in some easy to understand, applicable terms. Right here, God says He doesn’t want worthless religion. Following a list of rules and regulations won't cut it. Half-hearted devotion will not suffice. Whoring around with worthless idols is a lose-lose. And guess what, nothing has changed. The same reality holds true today. God has made himself vulnerable.  He made the first move. He says "I’m committed to you and I want to know where you stand. Will you reciprocate in this relationship? Will you love, honor and trust me?"

It's your move!

Before you respond, how about we dig a little deeper? In this very passage I believe God is giving us a glimpse into what it means to be His people. Nowhere in this passage do I see anything about rules or regulations. There is no discussion of sacrifices or burnt offerings. He doesn't even mention any of the 10 Commandments. In all reality, He doesn’t quantify or qualify anything. So, if none of that is what it really means to be the people of God, what does it mean to be the people of God?

First, we must understand what exactly God is saying when He promises to be our God.

Before we get into that we must first understand this. Almost all religions ‘gods’ make the claim that they will be our god. However, it is only Christianity that makes good on that promise. While the 'gods' of other religions remain distant and disconnected. Our God, the God of Christianity, the One, True God is the only one who sacrificed Himself to bridge the gap and ransom us back to himself.  Furthermore, after that, He utters these promises: "I will be with you always. I will dwell within you. I am in the midst of you. I will never leave you nor forsake you." And you should know God can't break these promises--nor does he intend to.

WHY

There is a story tucked away in the ninth chapter of John about a man who was born blind. It offers some insight into one of humanity's most frequently asked questions. If you are a parent, your children ask this question any time you tell them to do something. A majority of teenagers continue to ask this question to anyone in a position of authority. If you are an adult, you ask this question any time things don't go your way. And everyone who has a heart asks this question when evil and injustice are witnessed. If you haven't yet figured out the question, it's "why?"

And we pick up this encounter with the blind man as Jesus and His disciples are walking along the road. It seems the disciples travel this road and see this man on a regular basis. Likely they have stopped and conversed with this man from time to time. Which is probably how they are privy to the fact that he was blind from birth. But this time their Rabbi, Jesus, is with them. And since the question has been bothering them for some time, they finally gather the courage to speak up. They ask the question everyone has been wanting to ask, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” The disciples were searching for answers. I sense what they were really getting at is why God allowed this to happen?

We, like the disciples have asked God the very same question. It is our natural inclination to wonder where an all knowing, all loving God is in the midst of pain. We resort, just like the disciples, to asking God "Why?” I can recount numerous times in my life where I thought things were going well. For the most part, I was doing what I thought I needed to do. Lo and behold, everything came crashing down. Ministry was taken from me. The car broke down. Finances didn't come in. My wife left me. At the onset of each of these situations a wrestling match with God ensued.

The two biggest "why's" of my life occurred within about a 2 year span.

To completely understand the first situation you should know that for the majority of my high school career I ran from the ministry calling God had given me a glimpse of. Nearing the end of high school, after rebelling long enough, I gave in. During those years I had finally come to the realization that God had a better plan for my life than I did. So, I spent 4 years in college pursuing my BA in Pastoral Ministry. It was then I found purpose and satisfaction. It was then that I jumped at each and every ministry opportunity. I would spend countless hours immersing myself in Scripture. The idea of ministry was enthralling to me. I was going to do great things for God and change the world.

Now, for the first big "why." It came at the end of my tenure as Assistant Pastor at a church in Wyoming. Remember that I felt I was finally doing what I was created to do. Almost two years into that position, I was discouraged and burnt out. Due to unforeseen circumstances I left the church and walked away from ministry. That first year I spent countless hours asking “why?” Why didn't my ministry thrive? Why hadn't things gone better? Why did I now despise the one thing I loved just a few years before? You know what? The answers never came. Then, in bitterness, I began to wrestle with God and keep Him at a safe distance. For a short time, I was even on the brink of walking away from the Church completely.

Jump ahead two years in my life for the big "why" number two. I seem to be living out a sitcom. You know what I'm talking about; life is going as planned and every problem can be solved in 30 minutes. My wife and I had just bought a house. We had started trying to have children. I was established at my job and getting raises on a regular basis. I found a church that felt like home. I was beginning to plug back into ministry. Then a wrench gets thrown into the equation. I find out my marriage is eroding and my wife is leaving me. You better believe the "why's" came pouring from my heart. Why did God allow this to happen? Why didn’t He change her heart? Why didn’t He save my marriage? Why did I have to go through this? Why am I being punished? As you might guess, again, the answers didn't come.

In both instances, for the longest time, I lived in limbo thinking God would provide some specific answer. That God would tell me exactly what he was doing and why these seemingly bad things were happening (this sounds an awful lot like the disciples question in John chapter 9). Finally, after months without answers, I eventually came to a point where I gave up. The realization I came to was that the "why's" didn't matter. Knowing why wasn't going to change anything. It wouldn't make the problem more bearable. It wasn't going to alter my past. Having the answers wouldn't drastically change my future. Knowing the "why's" would only give me a false sense of control and contribute to the delusional thoughts that I could change things. That I could make things better. That I could make ministry work. That I could make her love me. And here, we jump back into John chapter 9.

Jesus answers the disciples question. He does not leave us with some mysterious purpose for the man’s blindness. Instead, Jesus offers hope. He rejects the disciples' desire to point fingers at who is to blame by clarifying that God isn't to blame for everything. Furthermore, Jesus shows us the proper response to evil by fighting for this man's healing.

Is it possible this man’s blindness had nothing to do with his or his parents action or inaction. Could it be that, in a sense, they were all innocent bystanders. Perhaps it was part of some master plan in order that the work of God may be manifest in his life. If we believe that, we have to ask why God would make someone blind for the sole purpose of healing him someday? To prove that He could? To bring Himself glory? Surely God, who is love, could find a less harmful way to glorify Himself. Afflicting someone to gain glory by stopping their affliction sounds more like the work of the devil than God. I choose to view this in a different way. Rather than painting a picture of a capricious God who makes a man blind for the purpose of healing his blindness, this passage reveals a loving God who sent His Son to manifest His works by healing a man oppressed by evil.

Jesus instructed the disciples, and us, as to the proper response when such evil prevails. He then modeled what he came to do—to put an end to injustice and to comfort and heal the oppressed. He said, “Let the works of God be manifest in him,” showing compassion for the man. Then he turned to his disciples and reminded them that they must do the same.

Jesus never really gave the disciples the answer they were looking for. Instead he showed them the importance of moving from "why," to "what now?" Seeing the importance of this paradigm shift moved me from fear and trepidation to action. I quit dwelling on the past and began focusing on the future. I took responsibility for the part I had to play in the outcome and started changing the things I could. And I came to the realization the disciples came to...more often than not, the "why's" don't get answered. Because we don't need to understand--to understand doesn't require faith. Following God doesn't mean we get to know everything. It requires we have faith that He knows what He is doing and will, one day, work things out for good.

The conclusion I drew from those times of doubt were priceless. No matter what, I have to choice to push ahead and see how God will make His glory known through any given situation. I continue to move forward trusting that God has bigger and better things in store for me (and you)...some day.

LOVE MERCY

Have you ever been curious what God wants from you? Now we can definitely look to the List, the 10 Commandments, and get a good idea of what God wants from us. The 10 Commandments are great, but let’s face it, most of us are probably painstakingly going through that list trying to find the loopholes. Well, God wasn’t specific about this. He said I was to honor the Sabbath and the Sabbath is all about rest, so I’m not even going to get out of bed today. Or if we focus too much on the list of the big 10, it becomes more of a thing of ritual; which is not what God wants at all.

But when it comes down to it and the rubber meets the road, what God really desires of us is far more basic than all of that.

If I told you I had pinpointed exactly what God wants out of each and every one of us, would you like to know?

Micah 6:8: “No, O people, the LORD has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

The good news is that this passage lays out three important things God wants from each of us—to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly.

Right now we are going to take a look at the second, and perhaps most crucial of the three, God wants from each of us—to love mercy. It seems to me the other two are an outflow of this one; for that reason I will save those for later.

This idea to 'love mercy' gets at the very heart of Jesus message. Perhaps you recall an encounter Jesus had with the religious leaders. This particular time they were asking some very leading questions in order to get some dirt on him. The Pharisees asked Jesus what the greatest commandment is, and Jesus replies,“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Right there in just a few words Jesus sums it up. He says, "You want to know what God wants? Here it is. Listen up. God wants you to love him and love your fellow man." And we pick up on the second of these commandments, to love your neighbor as yourself. When it says we are to 'love mercy,' that is what the passage is getting at. To 'love mercy' has a direct correlation to how we interact with our neighbor.If we read through Scripture, we see this idea of 'mercy' jumping off every page. The word we translate as 'mercy' appears 253 times in the Old Testament alone. Now, I don’t know if you’re picking up what God is laying down. But in case you aren’t, this whole idea of mercy is pretty important to God! If Scripture brings it up that many times in the Old Testament alone, He likely wants us to take notice.

Now, before we jump into how we can 'love mercy' I’m going to spend a little time laying a foundation.I’m a word guy and wholeheartedly believe the Bible doesn’t waste words. The first thing I want you to notice is that this Scripture doesn’t say we should HAVE mercy, it says we are to LOVE mercy. There is a big difference between the two. The first one I can fake. I can go around doing things without my heart being in them. It’s much easier to do acts of mercy than to actually love doing those things. To 'love mercy,' means we aren’t merciful out of obligation or compulsion. Rather, it means we do these things out of the overflow of our heart. We 'love mercy,' because God has shown us mercy and this is the only proper response to the sacrifice He made for you and me.

So let’s dig a little deeper and take a look at the word 'mercy'. It is the Hebrew word kheh’-sed. In the Bible, this word is also translated as goodness, kindness, steadfast love, unfailing love, loving kindness, or I especially love this one--zeal toward others. If that doesn’t help, let me give you a more precise definition: compassionate treatment; a disposition to be kind and forgiving; to alleviate distress.

How often do we love the idea of something, but not the actual thing itself? We love the idea of patience, but not what it takes to develop. We love the idea of relationships, but not the work they require. We love the idea of being a pro athlete, of making it on the big screen, etc. but more often than not, we don’t love the work required to make those things a reality.

If I were to ask how many of us love mercy, most of us would probably raise our hand in agreement. Sure, we love mercy. Especially when it’s shown to us. But when we bring someone else into the picture and they are the ones in need of mercy, it’s an entirely different story altogether.

If I’m honest with you, mercy is not my strong-suit. 9 times out of 10, when someone wrongs me, my response is not one of compassion and mercy. I’m much more of a justice guy; I kind of delight when people get what’s coming to them (unless I'm the one getting what's coming of course).

All of this leads me to two key thoughts.

The first key thought is this: I can only be as merciful, to the extent I have received mercy.

Luke 7:47- “I tell you, her sins--and they are many--have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love."

If I have not accepted God’s mercy, it is going to be pretty difficult for me to extend that mercy to others. If there are areas of my life I am still keeping hidden and not turning over to God, I’m going to struggle to showing others mercy in those particular areas. 

The second key thought is this: Extending mercy to others is the way we demonstrate our love of God.

1 John 4:20- “If someone says, I love God, but hates a brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we have not seen?”

This means I can no longer turn a blind eye to my neighbor in need. Every time the Bible talks about church, it talks about helping those in need. Every time the Bible mentions compassion, it is followed by action. It doesn't do us or the world any good to sit around a table, discussing the truth's of the Bible unless we actually do something with them. And this means we have to actually seek out the lost (a term I have really come to despise, but I will go with it), interact with them, live life with them and extend mercy to them.

I look forward to the day when as Christians, as followers of Christ, we are no longer known for the things we are against and the things we don’t do. I would much rather we, as followers of Christ are known for what we do. And what we do is "love mercy!"

JESUS, Part 4

What is your view of Christ?

What are the non-negotiables for you?

Do you view Him as many of the Jesus films portray him? A calm, cool, collected, politically correct individual with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pale complexion? (This physical description is not accurate, because, afterall, Jesus was a Jew living in Israel.)

Do you think of Him as a Santa Claus or a genie that will be there at your every beckoning?

Do you view Jesus as predictable?

Do you think Jesus is safe?

Before you answer that, let me define “safe.” Small. Predictable. Easy.

Perhaps you view Jesus like those of the Jesus Seminar, who sought to set aside all misinterpretations of Christ and get to the real Jesus. The true Jesus. The historical Jesus.

I first learned about the Jesus Seminar my freshman year of college. We were given an article, on the Jesus Seminar, to read and write a reaction paper on. I began reading the article and thought to myself, "this is going to be good; Christianity needs more individuals like this. More people reading through the Bible and trying to find the true, historical Jesus." After a few minutes of reading I was appalled.  Before I tell you why, let me give you some information on  The Jesus Seminar. It is a group of New Testament “scholars” (I use that term loosely) who have been meeting periodically since 1985. The initial two hundred has now dwindled down to about seventy-four active members. They focus on the sayings and actions of Jesus within the four Gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John--to determine the probability of His actually having said or done all that is attributed to Him. Each scholar would offer his/her opinion on each Jesus statement by voting with a different colored bead. (I know what you're thinking, this sounds very technical and scientific).


Red: Jesus undoubtedly said this or something like it

Pink: Jesus probably or might have said something like this

Gray: Jesus did not say this; but the ideas are close to His own

Black: Jesus did not say this; it represents a later tradition

Here is what they concluded. Over 80% of the statements Jesus supposedly makes in the Gospels are gray or black—Jesus probably didn’t say them. This means that only 20% of Jesus’ statements (in the Gospels) are likely to have been spoken by Him.

Perhaps this shocks most of us. It should. But think about it and let it sink in. Isn’t that what many of us do? We read through the Bible and pick out what we like and add it to our theological buffet. We like the part about Jesus healing people, but we’re not so sure about the part when he overturned the tables in the temple.  We're into the fact that he turned water into wine, but we're not so sure about that whole turning the other cheek bit. The thought of Him going to prepare a place for us sounds pretty sick, but to think he actually says we may have to endure hardships and suffer is tough to swallow.

We will gladly buy into the things that fit our view of God, Jesus, or Christianity. The things we find easy. The safe things. The things we will do without hesitation. Those are the things we believe about Jesus.

What the Jesus Seminar came up with was a kind, gentle, politically correct, Mr. Rogers-like Jesus. They concluded that Jesus was not a miracle worker. He could not prophesy. And He would never make the extraordinary claims the Bible associates with Him (how dare God’s Word).

The Jesus Seminar came up with a Jesus who is safe. A Jesus who is tame. A Jesus who is predictable.

I am sure that a majority of Christians living in such countries as China would quickly inform us that Jesus is not safe. If He were safe, they wouldn’t face so much persecution. They wouldn’t be thrown into jail (at the very least) or killed for simply uttering His name. If that doesn’t convince you, perhaps Paul, the Christian persecutor converted Apostle, could help. Just read the eleventh chapter of Hebrews that he authored. You will find some shocking truths about what following Jesus might look like. Following Him may mean you have to give up everything—something most Western Christians (including myself) cannot even fathom. If this is a picture of what safety looks like, then I guess yeah, Jesus is safe. But we all know that fearing for your life on a daily basis is quite the opposite of safe—or at least I hope we do.

Several years ago, on Christmas Eve, I was watching a show on the Discovery Channel titled “The Miracles of Jesus.” In this show they set out to put Jesus’ miracles to the test. Christian and non-Christian alike put everything on the line and set out to see if Jesus’ miracles could be proven by science or illusion. They scrutinized His many miracles and came to the conclusion, without directly saying it, that the only way they could have been accomplished is if He was in fact who the Bible tells us He is.

So…who is Jesus? What picture of Jesus does the Bible paint? I say the Bible, because that's the best and truest account we have of His life. It is only there we can discover who he really is!

HEALED

We've all heard the adage, "there's no such thing as a dumb question." I'm not so sure that's really the case! I have heard some dumb questions in my 28 years so far. "Do you know you're short?" I can't begin to tell you how many times I heard that one growing up. Here's how I would have liked to respond more often than not: "What? I'm short? How did I never notice this? I must have carnival mirrors in my house, 'cause! Thank you for pointing this out to me. All this time I just thought everyone around me was freakishly tall!" On numerous occasions, I have had to answer the phone at work only to have the individual on the other end asks if we, at Sioux Falls Rubber Stamp, actually do make and/or sell rubber stamps. To be totally honest, sometimes I would like to tell them they have the wrong store; they're looking for Subway. Maybe it's just me, but I think whoever came up with this phrase didn't have to deal with people.

And then I grab my Bible and read through the stories of Jesus' life. To be honest, there are times I read these accounts of his interactions with people and wonder what's going through his mind. One such story is found in the fifth chapter of John. You may have heard sermons preached on this passage. You may have even read this story yourself. Often times this story is referred to as "The Healing at the Pool," or "Jesus Heals a Lame Man." If you are reading this, you are smart enough to realize this story is about one of Jesus' miraculous healings.

Before we get into this, some background information might be useful. To begin with, this man is lame. And lame, in Biblical times, wasn't a way of saying he wasn't cool. It means, in the most literal sense, that this man could not walk. If we read this story, we discover that he has been this way for 38 years. To top it off, I don't believe wheelchairs had been invented yet. That means this man is dependent on the mercy of others. We also find out that he spends most of his time laying by a pool; however, he isn't looking for a tan. He is hoping to be healed. And according to legend, this pool--the Pool of Bethesda--is known for it's healing powers. The Bible tells us that an angel will stir the water of this pool at any random time and heal the first to enter. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this pool isn't likely ADA compliant; which means every time the water is stirred, he is pushed aside by the less lame (literally and figuratively).

But today will be different. Enter Jesus.

Jesus opens his mouth and utters what can only seem like one of these dumb questions I referred to earlier. "Do you want to get well?" Talk about a dumb question! Every time I read this I wonder what in the world Jesus was thinking. Then my mind wanders to the lame man and I put myself in his shoes--er, I mean sandals. And I can't help but think after laying there day-in and day-out, this man would have some sort of smart remark. "No Jesus, I can actually walk. My friends and family just carry me here to so I can pick up the ladies. The sympathy card works wonders! Of course I want to be healed. I can't walk. I've been this way for 38 years." 

However, I tend to think there was more going on here than meets the eye. Given the fact that Jesus is God in the flesh, and circumstances made the answer to his question quite obvious, I can only conclude that Jesus was talking about something not so obvious. You see, God doesn't ask us questions because he lacks information. He's omniscient--that's just a big word that means he already knows it all.

Let's try to unpack this question by looking at it in a different light. Perhaps Jesus was digging deeper and asking things like: Do you really want things to change? Are you ready to leave behind all of the excuses? Can you handle the responsibilities that will become a regular part of life now? Because to be healed changes everything! Sometimes, our healing may come with a price tag. The question then becomes are we willing to pay the cost? Are we willing to do what it takes? Often times, I wonder if we may want to be healed, but aren't ready for the change that it brings.

For some of us, our ailments (physical, mental, and emotional) have come to define us. Believe it or not, there are many people who do not want to be healed. They do not want divine help with their problems. They do not want to be helped out of their weakness. They crave the attention their problems bring. They thrive on the sympathy and pity of others. They sometimes flee assuming responsibility for their own lives. People will openly turn their backs on the deliverance being offered, all because of the responsibility that will now come. Maybe putting this into everyday questions makes this easier to grasp. "Do you really want the promotion or is it just easier to complain about money? Are you ready for the responsibility and sacrifice of being in a relationship, or would you like to wallow in your self-pity?" Bottom line is this--some people just don't want to be healed. It is safer and easier for them to keep living life this way. And as Jesus, in a round about way points out, you cannot help someone that doesn't want to be helped!

So, the question remains, "Do you want to be healed?"

HIDE-N-SEEK

Hide-n-seek is a game I haven't played in years. It's not like this is a hobby after you've made it through grade school. As far as I know, there aren't any hide-n-seek leagues sponsored by the city. You won't find this as an Olympic event, nor do I foresee it becoming popular with the X-games. Seeing as how I don't have any children right now, it's likely I won't be playing again for several years either. Now, I do have two adorable nephews that love to hang out and play games with me. But it seems they are more interested in technological advances like the Nintendo Wii. (And since you are now curious, yes, my 7 year old nephew can beat me at many games on the Wii.)

Growing up, hide-n-seek was a game my brother and I would often play. Of course, I was always so eager to be the one to hide (it was the far superior aspect of the game). Being the younger sibling, it was rare my older brother would allow me to hide first. But this time was different. This time he was kind enough to let me begin the game by hiding. It was only later I found out this was a ploy.

Before I get into the story, I need to set the scene. Josh, my brother, is five years my elder. Since we grew up in a house with two working parents, we were often relegated to spending quality (I use this term loosely) time with each other. I always had to tag along with my big brother, as is customary for any younger sibling. It usually wasn’t because I liked his friends or really even wanted to go with them. Rather, my motivation was to annoy and terrorize them. You may find it difficult to believe, but I used to be a bit of a punk (not so much anymore, right?). Let me give you an example. As you might have guessed, we were two typical boys growing up. As typical boys, we were prone to wrestle and fight. However, when he wound up getting the best of me, or I realized I was incapable of winning, I would become vicious. Usually I would choke him or give him a cheap shot to the groin. At this point, I would release a deafening scream which always resulted in my mother coming to my rescue, inevitably finding Josh on my chest, beating the snot out of me. After the altercation was broken up, it never failed he would get a lecture about being older and more mature. This, I always found quite amusing; which was obvious from the smirk on my face when my mother's back was turned.

Now, back to this game of hide-n-seek. On this particular day, I found the perfect hiding spot, nestled beneath a pile of blankets between the couch and the wall. It seemed like I was hiding for eternity. But I was committed to the win and would not give up. Minutes of hiding turned into hours and eventually I dozed off. Only after my parents came home and found me (quite easily may I add), did I wake.

This game of hide-n-seek is nothing new. The very first account of hide-n-seek is recorded in Genesis. We find an epic game in which Adam and Eve have set themselves against God. The reason I know this is evident by the fact that the Bible plainly tells us, "they hid from the Lord God among the trees." Now, most of us read this and probably think hiding from God is such a ridiculous notion. But, if we are willing to admit it, we play the same game today. It seems to me, this is evidenced most in our initial reaction when we screw up. We break a few of the commandments; we ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit; we take off in the opposite direction God is leading us. And what do we do? We, just like Adam and Eve, hide in shame and fear. And just like the game between my brother and I, we will not give up. All because we have convinced ourselves the most difficult times to turn to God and embrace Him occur right after our rebellion. Often, we find ourselves running from Him, our hearts full of fear. We avoid our quiet times in prayer. We allow our Bible to sit on our night stand and collect dust. Convinced that God doesn’t want to face us at that point. All because the infraction is so fresh.

And this is not the reaction God is looking for!

You see, in the Genesis account, God was still looking and calling out for them. He still sought Adam and Eve, even though they had been tainted with sin. Even though they wanted nothing to do with God at that point. And in light of Scripture, I am reminded that when I sin against God, there is no need to hide in fear. Because of the cross of Jesus Christ that fully paid for the punishment of my sin, I may approach His throne of grace with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). I may turn to God in my time of brokenness, trusting that His grace is sufficient (Psalm 51:16-17). Even if there is discipline, it should (this being the key) bring me joy since I know that God is treating me as one of his dearly loved children (Hebrews 12:7). 

Therefore, even though we may be tempted to run from God when we sin against Him, we must realize that God’s desire is for us to draw close to Him (James 4:8).  Let us not be afraid to turn to God in this, our greatest hour of need. Remember that His sacrifice paid for our sins, and He offers us reconciliation and freedom--from whatever we have done and from fear.

JESUS, Part 3

While there was a lot of confusion as to who Jesus really was back in the day, I have to admit over 2,000 years the Jesus puddle has gotten quite a bit murkier. On one occasion, the Bible gives us a glance at the confusion surrounding this Jesus. This particular encounter (Luke 9:20) is as follows:

One day as Jesus was alone, praying, he came over to his disciples and asked  them, “Who do people say I am?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”

Then he asked them, “Who do you say I am?”

If you ask me, this sounds like a loaded question. Jesus, the God-Man, asking who he is. The way I see it, Jesus says this, "you have been with me and know me, do you believe who the people say I am or is there something more to me?” Then He comes out and point blank asks to them, “Who do you say I am?” No beating around the bush here (I really like that about Jesus…most of the time). 

And to this, Peter, gives a great Sunday school answer. His response reminds me of a lame joke involving a young boy in his Sunday School class. His teacher asked the class what is gray, bushy-tailed, hangs out in trees and loves nuts. To this the boy informs the class that it sounds an awful lot like a squirrel, but since they are in Sunday School, the answer must be Jesus. (I warned you it was lame.) Here, Peter gives Jesus a similar answer, quite possibly regardless of what he actually believed himself. And Peter tells him “You are the Messiah sent from God!” Now, I’m curious if Peter was fully aware what that phrase, “Messiah sent from God” even meant.

If confronted with the same question today, I fear that many of us would give a similar Sunday School response. Although it is true, that He is the Messiah sent from God, do we know the implications of that title? Do we really know more about Jesus? Have we moved beyond proper and respectful titles to find out who He really is? Do we realize this Messiah, Jesus, is much more than the savior of our sins?

Take a minute and ask yourself these questions. Who do the crowds say He is? Who do your co-workers say He is? Who do the people on the street say He is? Who does American society say He is? Who does the church say He is? And perhaps the most pertinent question of all, who do you say He is? 

If you’ve answered those to your satisfaction, by all means, continue reading.

There are many different views of Jesus. You may find this hard to believe, but some of us view Jesus the way He has been portrayed in the Jesus films. A calm, cool, collected, politically correct individual with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pale complexion. In case you hadn't heard this, let me be the first to tell you that this physical description of Jesus is not accurate. Jesus was, afterall, a Jew living in Israel. That means he looked more, well, middle eastern. Some people think he was somewhat of a philosopher, debating and philosophizing (I think I just made up a word) the issues of the day. Others view Jesus as a social activist--someone voicing the concerns for the underdog, the less-fortunate, and the non-religious. Yet some view Jesus as some sort of psychic. Others think of Him as a pacifist, or a political activist for poverty.  There are even some that believe Jesus was a homosexual because of statements made about John, the disciple, “whom he loved.” Some think of Him as a great moral teacher, while others view Him as a nut case.

Let me tell you who America thinks Jesus is. If the research is accurate, what Americans believe about Jesus is quite muddled. For the most part, they believe in the reality of this Jew who, 2,000 years ago, proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of God, but beyond that there is much confusion.

A survey of 1,054 adult residents of the United States conducted by Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University found that 75 percent “absolutely believe” Jesus was a real person. Sixteen percent said they “mostly believe” in His historical reality, 5 percent “do not believe” and 4 percent remain uncertain.

But what we, Americans, accept about Jesus is even more complex than that. Nearly one out of five people don’t believe that Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary--60 percent said they “absolutely believe” Jesus was born to a virgin, 16 percent mostly believe and 5 percent are uncertain.

Americans have slightly more confidence that Jesus “died and physically rose from the dead,” with 63 percent saying they “absolutely believe” this central theme of the Easter story. But, surprisingly, adults in the poll were more likely to conclude that “Jesus was the Son of God” and that “Jesus was divine” for which absolute belief was at 69 percent and 67 percent, respectively than to believe the biblical accounts of his birth and death.

Are you like most Americans? Is the person of Jesus surrounded by a shroud of mystery?