I'm Thinking About...

...stress, and how it can affect the human body and mind. I've just come through four of the most stressful days of my working life and each day I have gone home shaking from the stress. Stress makes my hands shake and my elbows and knees ache. It's funny how busyness can affect the body. And I sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen all day! There is truth to the fact that our bodies and our minds are not separate from each other. They are intimately connected. One affects the other and vice versa.

...the heart, and how easy it is to wound. Especially if it is my own heart. You see, I have a bad habit of holding high expectations for things I plan, whether it is a romantic evening, a small group or a newsletter. And when those plans suddenly change, are canceled, or fail to live up to my expectations, my heart gets hurt. Oh, I'm sure I could try to be thick-skinned, calloused, and cold, but to do so would deny things that make me human. I have emotion. I have a heart. And it breaks. Too often, I believe, but it does break. God has replaced my heart of stone with a heart of flesh (2 Cor. 3:3; Jer 31:31-34). I will not trade it back. I just need to either lower my expectations or learn to better deal with their failure.

...the passing of time, and how my days seem shorter and emptier when the sun goes down earlier. I bought a new chainsaw yesterday -- an electric one -- but I don't have an hour of daylight to use it. Even when I come home from work a 5, I have other more important things to care for at home. By the time I get changed into work clothes, the sun is about to set and the trees are blocking whatever daylight I have left. I have work lights outside, so that I can tend my garden at night, but I feel I should refrain from using outdoor power equipment after the sun sets. I think it's a neighbor taboo. Time messes with us so badly. Makes me long for eternity and the sunrise that has no sunset.

...encouragement, and how words and e-mails don't usually encourage me nearly as much as actions. Though I must confess that I was greatly blessed by the retelling of a recent mission trip by one of my pastors. He went to Ukraine with a church missionary and encountered a church in Kiev that really blessed him. He met person after person who were kind and humble, offering service, food, and fellowship. The church across the world is amazing. Just reading about the neat people my pastor met really encouraged me as a believer.

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

If you were a Jew living two thousand years ago, there was no getting around it: Yom Kippur was the holiest, most special day of the year. It was Easter for Christians, Labor Day for workaholics, Memorial Day for Veterans. Jews were required by Law to gather at Jerusalem, if physically possible, and wait in eager anticipation for the high priest to enter the Holy of Holies and present the blood of a bull before God Almighty. The Jews would hold their breath while the priest was in the most scared chamber and pray that their offering would be accpeted by God to atone for the annual sins of the nation. There were few guarantees. God would not accept an unacceptable sacrifice by an unacceptable priest.

Yom Kippur was sacred. It was the holiest day of the year. Today, October 9, is Yom Kippur.

The devout Jews of today will cease their labor and reflect all day upon their sin. There is no more animal sacrifice, so I'm not sure how they handle atonement, but they still revere today as the most sacred day. For 1500 years, sacrifices were made on Yom Kippur to atone of the year's sin. Israel was a nation in covenant with God. And Yom Kippur paid for the sins of the nation.

But there was a problem with Yom Kippur. Read Hebrews 10:3 and following, "But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. By the will [of God] we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD."

Thankfully, there was a sacrifice that was offered before God to take away not only the sins of the year, but also the sins of all eternity.

Will you join with me in saying a prayer for the Jewish people today? Will you join me in praying that they will accept the one true sacrifice that took away their sin, the atoning death of Jesus, their messiah? Will you join me in praying for their salvation?

Out of Context

I was forwarded a political-religious e-mail over the weekend from a gentleman in my church that said:

"This is the scariest election we as Christians have ever faced. From the looks of the polls, the Christians aren't voting Christian values. We all need to be on our knees. Do you believe we can take God at His word? His scripture gives us, as Christians, ownership of this land and the ability to call upon God to heal it. I challenge you to do so. We have never been more desperate than now for God to heal our land."

The e-mail then quoted 2 Chronicles 7:14 as its Scriptural foundation:

"[if] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Even though I've been accustomed to hearing this verse used during election seasons, the fact that the verse itself has been taken out of context and run through the political washing machine always bothers me. This may be the most misinterpreted verse of the Old Testament used by Christians in America today. I hear it on Christian radio and see it in Christian bookstores. Young Christians across the nation rally around this verse every time they gather at school flagpoles to pray. But what does it really mean? Who are the "My people" called by "My name"? I think it useless to point out the truth about this verse, but here are a few things to ponder:

1. Context -- The verse comes from a paragraph of dialogue delivered by God to Israel's King Solomon in a dream.

2. Grammar -- It is a conditional statement preceded by and followed by declarations. God says He will hear prayers offered at the Temple before and after verse 14. The verse itself is introduced by a clause... IF in times of famine or pestilence, verse 13 says...

3. Time -- God is speaking to Solomon at a time before Christ -- before the Church. He is having a one-on-one conversation (one-sided, I might add!) with the wise king, who has just constructed a Temple to house the manifest presence of God.

4. Interpretation -- Who is the "My people" called by "My name"? Israel. Yes, folks, it's not America. In fact, Ethiopia has a greater claim to being a theocracy than the U.S. of A. After all, Christianity is the official religion there. It is not the official religion of the U.S. Israel is the one who prayed at the Temple. Israel received famine and pestilence as a result of its sin. Israel was called upon to humble itself and turn to the Temple and pray for healing. Its land was hurt by its sin. Israel is the recipient of this conditional promise.

5. Covenants -- God has made no covenant with a nation since Sinai. The founding fathers of the USA did not make a covenant with God. Not all believed in God. Not all believed in the deity of Jesus Christ. And God certainly didn't reach down to them to speak to them in a dream and promise them things.

You see, God saves individuals now, not nations. In fact, God even spoke to and saved individuals outside of the Law in the Old Testament! 2 Chronicles 7:14 does not apply to America. It never did. It never will.

Is this election scary? Not to me. God is in control. And He loves you and He loves me no matter who is in the Oval Office. And He asks you to pray for that person and then choose to live in peace and quietness under his authority (1 Timothy 2:1-3; Rom 13:1-3). Can you accept this? I can.

Of Earthly Tents & Heavenly Homes

"Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Corinthians 5:1-5)

I've been thinking a lot lately about this one particular passage of Paul's as I watch my grandparents get frail and as I feel my own body get aches and pains in places and ways I never experienced before. Our bodies, as we know them, are meant for temporary living on this earth. They are tents, breaking down through time, but good for withstanding the forces of this world. We endure hardship and pain, storms and rain; we fall down and get up again, in our earthly tents of cells and bone. I long for a body that does not break down, as I look at my grandfather, struggling with cancer, and long for his body to be the same. I yearn for a body that is eternal and bulletproof, just like Paul did. And I know that I will one day receive that body. Something tells me it's gonna look an awfully lot like the one I have now, save for a number of nicks and scratches. Oh, and it will be unbreakable. God has promised. And He isn't in the habit of breaking His promises.

Squeaky Wheels & the Groaning of Time

Ain't technology grand?

Back in 2001 I bought my first computer, an Apple iMac G3 that had a grand total of 13 Gigs of memory and two -- gasp -- yes, two USB ports on it. It was totally awesome! The computer I was using before had barely enough power to run a crock pot and the new machine was so amazing in comparison that I think I did backflips for three months. However, as we all come to find out, new technology is only new from the time you slide the credit card to the time you open the box. After you first turn it on... it's practically obsolete. Each month, technology seems to best its best efforts, from computers to websites to cell phones. My cell phone was purchased in late 2005 -- brand new -- and I was told just recently that it is ancient. Yes, from new to ancient in less than three years. Just today at the church I was confronted with the fact that our auditorium's LCD projectors (which I consider to be totally cool machines) are about to depart to that final microchip destination in the sky, circuit heaven. They are corroding on the inside and their effectiveness is gradually fading away.

Much like all we see around us. Much like you and I.

Yesterday I was bemoaning the effects of time. My grandfather is 83 years young and having some concerning health problems. It seems like only yesterday that I was riding with him on his riding lawnmower, chopping down blades of grass on one of the various lots he owned. Now, he cannot even sit on his mower. His grandsons do most of his yardwork. Time has caught up to him. Just as it will to you and I. But that's our reality here on planet earth. We must live with it, even if we don't like it. Things are breaking down, not getting better. And they will get much worse. Saint Paul puts it this way in Romans 8:20-22, "the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now."

All of creation is suffering as a result of mankind's fall way back in the Garden of Eden. God put a curse upon both man and ground and things have been getting progressively worse. Paul wrote that creation groans in pain like a woman giving birth. It longs for redemption just as you and I long for redemptiion. We long for time to cease and our bodies to rest. We long for renewal of our weary bodies but we know that we will not have such on this side of the eternal line. The planet is breaking down just like I am -- just like our electronic devices are. No, not even computers and LCD projectors are immune to the curse, it seems.

But unlike they, we will be redeemed. Because Jesus paid the debt of our fallenness and became accursed for us. And through faith in Him we will have redemption of both spirit and body. Yes, our bodies will be redeemed (read 1 Corinthians 15 all the way through). Death never had final say over the body. God always did. And our bodies will be raised -- from ash, bone or dust -- and we will be made like new. To walk forever without squeaky wheels and whining joints on streets of gold.

Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Behold, the Bunny Prowleth...

Can't Get Past the Evidence...

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the rabbit prowls around like a hungry hare looking for someone's lettuce to devour."
(1 Peter 5:8, from the Gardener's Bible)

I'm Thinking...

... that many Christians have lost their way when it comes to having a biblical worldview of "God and Government." I saw a Christian talk show's newsletter recently and the host wrote, "I believe that this election represents a major fork in the road for America." It sounds exciting but it ignores the fact that God will do with America as He pleases regardless of who wins. It ignores the fact that the two leading candidates for president are both professing believers in Jesus Christ. One candidate is open about his faith and the other more reclusive. But both believe. God's candidate will win this election. He or she always does. In every election. In every nation. We have a sovereign God who sees America on the same level as Mauritania (read Isa. 40). He no longer makes covenants with nations like He did with Israel. He loves and saves individuals and chooses to work through all governments. They are subject to Him. Always have been. Always will be.

... that Derek Webb's album "Mockingbird" is pure prophetic truth. I'm not talking future-telling here nor word-for-word inspiration but instead the words of a prophet calling the church back to holiness and right thinking. It truly is a masterpiece and I hope more believers pick it up and listen. God still speaks through believers. Not like the prophets of old, but He still does it. We would be wise to listen to each other.

... that rabbits love lettuce and I've been losing sleep over the fact that I planted nine romaine lettuce seedlings in my new garden last Tuesday. I expect one or two to disappear one night soon. And I've been told fences won't stop a hungry bunny. Yikes!