Jesus cleaned out the temple twice, once at the beginning of his ministry, and once at the end.
A lot of folks read the story about Jesus chasing the cattle and sheep out of the temple, of Jesus overturning the tables of the business-people there, and they infer that Jesus was angry, that he was displaying a holy wrath.
But that’s not what the stories actually say. In fact, since the stories never say what Jesus was feeling. Anybody who declares what Jesus was feeling – whether they think he was angry or whatever – are using something *other* than Scripture for that statement. Mostly, they’re imposing their own imagination into the gap of where the Bible is silent.
That is not Bible interpretation. That’s abusing the Bible to justify your own prejudices and misunderstandings of who God really is.
So what does the Bible actually say?
The first time, in John 2, it says that Jesus saw what was going on in the temple, and then stopped to weave a whip out of cords (literally, out of cords made from rushes, from plants like grass). Some observations:
• It takes a fair bit of time to make a whip, and it takes even longer to make one out of *small* cords. This was not a rash action, not an act of rage or passion. This was carefully thought out.
• The sort of whip you make from rushes or small cords is not a weapon. It’s a flimsy thing, only useful for driving livestock. This is not Indiana Jones’ favorite weapon; it’s more like a sisal rope. It will get the animal’s attention, but no more.
• The record is very clear: Jesus used even that wimpy whip only on the cattle and sheep. He reacted to the people differently, and unpleasantly for them, but Jesus did not go after people with even a wimpy whip.
The second event (Matthew 21, Mark 11, and Luke 19) is different. Jesus came into the temple during his “Triumphal Entry” on Palm Sunday. So he saw the shopping mall that they were setting up that day.
But it was the *next* day that he came back and cleaned the place out [Mark 11:11-12].
This was not a rash action either. He went back to his AirBNB outside town, and took no action whatsoever until the next day. He certainly had time to think through his choices. And knowing how Jesus did things, I’ll bet he talked it over with Father before he did anything. After all, this is the guy who said, he “can do only what he sees his Father doing” [John 5:19]. So apparently, cleaning out the temple was something he saw his Father doing.
Conclusion: the actual facts of what the Bible says about these events, absolutely do not support the idea of Jesus flying off the handle, Jesus in a rage, Jesus having a temper tantrum. Jesus was not out of control.
Yes, he did clean the place out. Yes, he did make a big old mess. Yes, he interrupted business in a very big way.
But there is no record of him ever hurting anyone, either human or animal. This was not an emotional reaction of any sort: in both cases, the record is very clear that he took his time before responding.
Summary: there are lot of folks who have a vested interest in the idea of an angry God. Some of them have leathery wings. But the New Testament doesn’t actually support that silly idea nearly as much as they shout and fuss.
Don’t believe their shouting and fussing.
Showing posts with label perspective. Show all posts
Showing posts with label perspective. Show all posts
Thursday
Transformed Thinking about Scripture
It's hard, isn't it, to let the Scriptures stand on their
own, particularly when they're passages that are a little uncomfortable for us,
a little unfamiliar to us, passages that don't entirely support our current
beliefs.
It's hard to just listen to what the Book is saying, without
filtering it through our theology and fitting it into a tidy little theological
box. When a verse or story doesn't support my view, and sounds almost like it
could be used to support the other view, that makes me nervous, and I feel the
need to quote verses that support my view to make me feel better.
So instead of that, I'm working on learning to not filter
uncomfortable, unfamiliar passages through either my theology or yours. Sorry.
Nothing personal. If it's true that "All scripture is God-breathed and
profitable...," (and it is) then the passages that argue against my
theological boxes are God-breathed and profitable as well. I want to profit
from them, too!
I suspect that this is at least part of what he means when
he tells us to renew our minds [Romans 12:3, Ephesians 4:23]
To my great surprise, that state of NOT having answers is
becoming more comfortable, more comforting to me. It's in THAT place where
Father can whisper to me, not so much his interpretation, but his heart on the
matter.
I love it when he does that. I value hearing his whisper,
his breath, as far more important to me than having perfect little theological
boxes.
So if you find me posting about, or musing about
uncomfortable things here, you may want to skip over them, and keep your
theological boxes in tidy order. Or you may want to jump in and look for what
God's breathing on there.
Grey Haired Rockers?
There were some remarkably talented musicians in the heyday
of rock & roll, back in the 70’s and such.
Have you ever noticed that a whole lot of the “big name” 70’s
bands are still on tour, still singing the same songs, still riding that wave.
And in all honesty, they’re still making a good living that way, reliving their
past successes.
Other artists with just as much of a heyday in the past, are
not riding on the past successes. They’re still pushing forward, still staying
fresh, still developing.
Don’t worry, this is going to make sense in a minute.
I was listening to one of those “golden oldies” (ironically,
it was a song called “Comfortably Numb”) when Father caught my attention, and pointed
out that there are at least two lessons to learn here:
1) The artists who made the turn and are still fresh and
creative have generally spent a season or three in a hard place before they
were able to move on in their craft.
2) This principle is true in the kingdom (and this one
really kicked me in the gut). There are lessons for me (and maybe you) here:
2a) There are some remarkably
gifted ministries of the past heydays of one revival or another who are still
singing the same (basic) message, still riding that wave. And in all honesty,
they’re still making a living that way, reliving their past successes. Some are big names; others still have regional
or just informal spheres of influence. We notice the big names more.
2b) There are other ministries (the
ones that come to my mind tend toward prophetic ministries, though that may
just be my perception) that have had just as much of a heyday in the past, but are not riding on the past successes.
They’re still pushing forward, still staying fresh, still pressing in for a
fresh revelation for this fresh season.
2c) The difference very often is
about who has been willing to be allured into the wilderness, away from busyness
and “success,” to sit with the Almighty, to listen to his heartbeat, to
understand more of his heart, particularly his intents for today.
I remember that after his baptism, Holy Spirit “drove” or “compelled”
Jesus into the wilderness [Mark 1:12] for a remarkable and memorable challenge.
But at the end of that adventure, “the angels ministered to Him.” And
afterwords, he “returned in the power of the Spirit.”
Apparently seasons in the wilderness are valuable.
I observe a few things here:
• Wilderness seasons seem to be God’s timing [cf Mark 1:12
& Hosea 2:14], not ours.
• But our choices are incredibly powerful here:
○ Do we choose to go to the scary,
uncomfortable place that he’s leading?
○ Once we’re in that place, do we
stand up and resist the evil that (mistakenly) thinks we’re weak? Do we whine
and beg for people to pray for us, or do we stand in the devil’s face and plant ourselves on
the foundation of the Word (both scripture and prophetic words)? [Note: Community
is precious in these times, but wildernesses are generally solitary events.]
○ Do we let angels minister to us?
(Do we know how?)
○ When
we come successfully through the wilderness, we walk in more of “the power of
the Spirit.” What do we do with that power, that influence?
If this feels rough, that’s only because it is. I’m in the
midst of these lessons myself. I don’t have all the answers anymore. I only
share this in case others are going through such a time, or will shortly, and
might benefit from some signposts along that trail into the wild places.
#AlMacksJournal
Friday
Do Not Think That I Came to Destroy the Law or the Prophets
I’ve run into several people recently who quote Matthew
5:17, and use that to say that the OT Law is still valid.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” [MT 5:17]
They’re saying “Fulfilled means it’s still valid. You’re still obligated.”
Others say, “No, Fulfilled means it’s done, it’s concluded. It did its job, and now it’s over.”
So I thought, Let’s see how that word is used in other places in the Bible. That should give us an idea of what it means here.
So here’s a list. This is just part of the New Testament list, but the Old Testament use of the word is similar. (See the links to the full list in the footnotes)
Suggestion: For each verse, ask: “Does ‘fulfilled’ mean ‘It’s still in power; you’re still obligated’? or does ‘fulfilled’ mean ‘It’s done, concluded, and here’s the result’?”
Mat 2:15
where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out ofEgypt I called
my son.”
Mat 2:17
Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
Mat 2:23
and he went and lived in a town calledNazareth . So was fulfilled what was said
through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Mat 13:14
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
Mat 13:35
So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”
Mat 26:54
But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
Mat 26:56
But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Mat 27:9
Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people ofIsrael ,
Mar 13:4
“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”
Mar 14:49
Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”
Luk 1:1
Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
Luk 1:38
“I am the Lord's servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Luk 4:21
He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luk 18:31
Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up toJerusalem ,
and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be
fulfilled.
Luk 21:24
They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations.Jerusalem
will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are
fulfilled.
Luk 22:37
It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors'; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
Luk 24:44
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
Jhn 17:12
While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
Jhn 18:9
This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”
Jhn 19:24
“Let's not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let's decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did.
Jhn 19:28
Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
Jhn 19:36
These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”
Act 1:16
and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.
Act 3:18
But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.
Act 13:27
The people ofJerusalem
and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled
the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.
Act 13:33
he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: “ ‘You are my son; today I have become your father.'
Act 23:1
Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”
--
Which is it?
Still in power; still obligated?
or
It’s done, concluded, finished?
-----
So here’s a list.
This is just part of the New Testament list (whole NT list: http://bit.ly/1MbLMaf),
but the Old Testament use of the word (whole OT list: http://bit.ly/1MbLMqF) is similar.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” [MT 5:17]
They’re saying “Fulfilled means it’s still valid. You’re still obligated.”
Others say, “No, Fulfilled means it’s done, it’s concluded. It did its job, and now it’s over.”
So I thought, Let’s see how that word is used in other places in the Bible. That should give us an idea of what it means here.
So here’s a list. This is just part of the New Testament list, but the Old Testament use of the word is similar. (See the links to the full list in the footnotes)
Suggestion: For each verse, ask: “Does ‘fulfilled’ mean ‘It’s still in power; you’re still obligated’? or does ‘fulfilled’ mean ‘It’s done, concluded, and here’s the result’?”
Mat 2:15
where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of
Mat 2:17
Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
Mat 2:23
and he went and lived in a town called
Mat 13:14
In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
Mat 13:35
So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”
Mat 26:54
But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
Mat 26:56
But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.
Mat 27:9
Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of
Mar 13:4
“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”
Mar 14:49
Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”
Luk 1:1
Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us,
Luk 1:38
“I am the Lord's servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Luk 4:21
He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Luk 18:31
Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to
Luk 21:24
They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations.
Luk 22:37
It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors'; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
Luk 24:44
He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
Jhn 17:12
While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
Jhn 18:9
This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.”
Jhn 19:24
“Let's not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let's decide by lot who will get it.” This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said, “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” So this is what the soldiers did.
Jhn 19:28
Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”
Jhn 19:36
These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,”
Act 1:16
and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.
Act 3:18
But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer.
Act 13:27
The people of
Act 13:33
he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: “ ‘You are my son; today I have become your father.'
Act 23:1
Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”
--
Which is it?
Still in power; still obligated?
or
It’s done, concluded, finished?
-----
So here’s a list.
This is just part of the New Testament list (whole NT list: http://bit.ly/1MbLMaf),
but the Old Testament use of the word (whole OT list: http://bit.ly/1MbLMqF) is similar.
Thursday
#Unfiltered
“Unfiltered” is sort of a thing right now.
Folks talk on Instagram or Facebook about posts and pictures
that are #Unfiltered: they’re real,
authentic, not faked, not Photoshopped, not particularly posed. “This is real,”
they insist.
I believe that this is something God is doing. God is
bringing this value for the authentic to the front of our attention. God likes authentic. He likes real.
That’s one of the things I like about him. He doesn’t filter
stuff. He’s authentic. He’s real.
He’s got this book (I guess they call it a Bible) that’s all
about his relationship with the human race, and so it includes lots of humans
in it: lots of people and their stories.
The people in his book, he calls some of them friends: some
of them are real screw-ups. Hmm. Actually, most of them are. In fact, nearly
all of them. If you were omnipotent and writing a book about your peeps, you’d
think you’d show the shiny side, the good-looking side. Make them look good.
He does that a little, but that’s the smaller bit. The
bigger bit is how badly his favorite people fark everything up. Or nearly
everything. And he still hangs out with them.
One of his favorites started out really poor, but with a
whole lot of God’s help, made it to the big time. And what does he do? He
seduces the wife of one of his best friends (and daughter of another good
friend). He gets her pregnant while hubby’s off fighting his imperialistic war.
And then he murders her husband so he can have her all to himself. Alongside
several dozen other wives and mistresses.
And God calls this son-of-a-birch-tree one of his favorites.
What?
Another guy lies about his 60-year-old wife (“Nah, she’s my
sister!” Essentially saying, “You can sleep with her if you promise not to kill
me.”) And while they’re trying to figure out how to seduce her, he trades in on
his status and ends up one of the richest dudes in the area. They have to ask
him to leave so he doesn’t destroy their national economy.
God says, “Yeah, that guy is my example. I’m going to call
him ‘the father of faith.’” As if it never happened!
Another guy refuses (three times!) to even acknowledge that
he knows the guy when God puts on skin and comes to town. The religious freaks
were setting up to murder him, and he totally ghosts the son of God. “Nope.
Don’t even know the guy. Could you pass me a sandwich?”
And God makes him head of the church. Are you kidding me?
Yeah. It’s outrageous. It’s a complete travesty of justice.
And it’s one of the things I like best about this God.
It’s not that he doesn’t care if we muff it up. It’s just
that muffing up doesn’t piss him off. He knows that’s how this species – built
from dirt in the first place, anyway – is predisposed. And he doesn’t shun,
ghost us, or get embarrassed when we come around.
In fact, he has spent literally all of recorded history
pursuing us, coming to find us, getting on his knees to clean off our mess, to
pull our foot from the trap, even ransom us from both sin AND death.
And if that wasn’t enough, he is so stoked to be close to us
that he’ll happily live inside of us. That was his idea: not a hair’s breadth
of distance between his almightiness and our dorky foolishness. Or rampant
suckiness. Or unmitigated evilness. He’s not impressed. “Yeah, come here, you!
Let me clean you up! Now isn’t this better, here with me?”
But wait! There’s more! He’s not done yet!
“So how’d you like to sit up here on this throne with me?
Look, you can see the whole Kingdom from up here! So as long as you’re here on
this throne, what kind of things would you like to do with this Kingdom? Cuz
I’m going to share it, all of it, with you! We’re gonna do this together!”
Yeah, that’s the God we get to be with. #Unfiltered.
Authentic. Real. Embarrassingly so.
And he invites us into all of this, to do all of life, with
him.
If we’re willing.
If God is Love, Then....
Here’s an interesting exercise.
Scripture is clear: God is love (cf 1John 48&16). Not
just friendship love, not just sexual love, but pure selfless love. The word
used is “agape” with is describe as absolute, selfless love. God is absolute,
selfless love.
So then, anywhere that the Bible discusses agape love, we can
insert God there: because God IS love (not just “is loving”), then a definition
of love must ipso facto be a definition of God.
Take the “Love Chapter” for example, 1 Corinthians 13.
The passage includes this definition:
“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
“4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
And so we can describe God this way:
“4 God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does
not boast, He is not proud. 5 He does not dishonor others, He is not
self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. 6 God
does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 He always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
I rather like that way of thinking. God is love. This is
what love is like. Therefore this is what my God is like.
Then I expanded my thinking.
We’ve been discussing hell in conversations on my wall. So I
look at what this says about God, and I ask how that speaks to my understanding
of hell.
This one caught me in particular: “He keeps no record of
wrongs.”
He’d pulled that card on me some years back, as I was meditating
on Revelation 20 (specifically v12). This passage is often called “The Great
White Throne Judgment.”
I hate that term, not because it’s wrong, but because it
carries so much baggage. We declare this is “The Great White Throne Judgment,” and we think we understand that. So we stop asking
questions, we stop learning.
Nevertheless, the verse in question says, “The dead were
judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”
It doesn’t say what that judgment is, but this judgment is
not about hell or a lake of fire, for v15 says, “Anyone whose name was not
found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” That’s a
different judgment, apparently at a different time, and certainly judgment according
to a different standard.
So as I was reflecting on what it meant to be “judged according
to what they had done as recorded in the books,” Father spoke up. “Those books
are not a complete record.”
Wait, what? Hmm. Well, the text certainly never says that
the record is complete, only that there is a record.
He took me to 1 Corinthians 13:5, which says, “[Love] keeps
no record of wrongs,” and patiently explained. “I keep no record of wrongs.” He
went on. “This judgment is about rewards.” And he took me to 1 Corinthians
3:12-15. “Judgment is about rewards more than about punishment.” OK. I can see
that.
But what about Revelation 20:15, those whose name is not in
the Book of Life? This brought an interesting response. “Why are you so sure
you know what the Book of Life really is. I’ve never defined it.”
Hmm. That’s true. [see https://nwp.link/BookOfLife]. OK. I’ll
take that on out of the “Things I know” category and put it into the “Things I
have some thoughts about” category.
By the way, a friend described that “lake of fire” judgment
in a way that made sense to me: Matthew 25:41 is clear that this eternal fire
is “prepared for the devil and his angels.” It was never prepared for humans.
And we assume (Scripture doesn’t say, as far as I can tell)
that no demon, no angel of hell has its name in the Book of Life. That being
the case, their destiny is that lake of fire. But that’s not our focus.
There are humans who have not yet let go of the demons
that have haunted them, controlled them, who still cling to them. If they are
unwilling to let go of their addiction to that demon that is thrown into the
lake of fire, then those people will still be attached to the demon as it lands
in the lake of fire. This is the result of a free will wielded unwisely.
And then my friend and I discuss whether God still loves
these poor, bound, suffering people whose deception put them into a lake of
fire? And we asked whether God would abandon them there, or whether his love would
move him to keep wooing them in that hellacious place.
And we thought some more. What is God really like?
Walking in The Woods: The Meaning of Life
One day I was walking in the woods, talking with God. Well,
it was mostly me talking, but we were together, and it was a good day.
I started talking about some of the big questions. Why are
we here? What is really the meaning of life? That kind of stuff. I was talking
my way through some of these, and I’m afraid I was feeling a little like
Ecclesiastes: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”
“So what is the real purpose of my life? There are lots of
things I can do with my life but in terms of eternity, not so much. In terms of
eternity, there are only a couple of things that I can really accomplish.
“In terms of eternity, I can know God. I can introduce
others to know God. And I can raise my children to know God. And that’s about
it. Nothing ever really changes.
“Then it starts all over again. They can know God, and they
can introduce others to know God, and they can raise their children to know
God. And that’s all. It never changes.”
And the earth shifted.
I felt a veil removed from my eyes, and suddenly, I saw
Father in his secret place, it was like I was seeing him in his bedroom, in his
intimate place, half dressed. I was almost embarrassed by the intimacy.
And with tears in his eyes, he looked at me, and said, “Yes. That's it. That’s exactly it.”
And I realized that this was exactly the way he wanted it to be.
And I realized that this was exactly the way he wanted it to be.
Tambourines & Trumpets in Public Worship Meetings
This has been burning in me for a couple of weeks. I guess I’d
better get it out. I’ll be as gentle as I can.
I get it that some folks like to worship physically. I get
it that some folks believe that making a lot of noise makes their worship more
meaningful or more powerful. And I truly understand wanting to get more deeply
involved in worship.
Here’s the place I’m coming to: If you’re part of a group of
people worshiping, then it’s not appropriate for your worship to be
overwhelming the worship of the people around you.
And to that end tambourines and trumpets do not belong in a
public worship gathering. The principle applies to things that we do in worship
that over-ride or hinder the worship of others around us, but let’s use these
as our focus.
Here’s the exception: If you’re part of the worship team, in
unity with them, AND you’re really skilled, then there might be a place for
those instruments.
But if you are regularly blaaaating your ram’s-horn when you
feel the spirit move, then you are a disruption to unity, not a contributor.
And if you’re constantly banging your tambourine, regardless
of whether you think you’re keeping the beat or not, you are a disruption to
the unity of the group, not contributing to it.
There’s a bigger problem with tambourines, and I apologize, but I’m going to get a bit nerdly here.
There’s a bigger problem with tambourines, and I apologize, but I’m going to get a bit nerdly here.
Unless you are physically located on the stage with the
band, your instrument is not physically ABLE to keep the beat that the band is
keeping, and you will be (not “may” be) making their job substantially more
difficult.
This is physics, folks: sound is slow. It takes time to travel from the stage to you. So when “the beat” leaves the stage, it takes time to travel to your location, dawdling along at a measly 343 meters per second: the farther you are from the stage, the more time it takes for the beat to reach you. The sound is delayed when it reaches you.
This is physics, folks: sound is slow. It takes time to travel from the stage to you. So when “the beat” leaves the stage, it takes time to travel to your location, dawdling along at a measly 343 meters per second: the farther you are from the stage, the more time it takes for the beat to reach you. The sound is delayed when it reaches you.
Let’s imagine that your tambourine playing is exactly
perfect, and they strike their tambourine at the instant they hear the beat. They
are still not striking their tambourine at the same time that the band is. They’re
striking the beat after the sound has taken its time to reach them. That’s not
the same time. They’re delayed in striking the tambourine, because of the delay
that their beat took to reach you.
Then, of course, the sound from your tambourine – which is already the loudest thing in the audience – takes its sweet time moseying throughout the room. So that sister over there hears the beat from the band and then hears the beat from the tambourine at completely different times. Now she’s thrown off. This happens to pretty much everybody in the room that’s not standing right next to the rogue percussionist on the tambourine.
Then, of course, the sound from your tambourine – which is already the loudest thing in the audience – takes its sweet time moseying throughout the room. So that sister over there hears the beat from the band and then hears the beat from the tambourine at completely different times. Now she’s thrown off. This happens to pretty much everybody in the room that’s not standing right next to the rogue percussionist on the tambourine.
The worst part is by the time the band themselves hear the
noise from your tambourine (and because it’s so loud, and its sound is so sharp
and cutting, they will hear it), it is so far off the beat by the time that the
sound reaches the stage – again because of physics – that now the delayed
tambourine beat is competing with their beat. They cannot play their best with
two out-of-sync percussionists fighting to lead.
If the drummer and the tambourine player are separated by
more than 15’, the difference in the beat is noticeable and is distracting.
That’s not opinion, that’s science. And if the distance is greater than that,
it can be very difficult or impossible to lead worship in that space.
The saddest part of this is that the person playing the
tambourine literally cannot recognize the havoc that they’re wreaking on the
worship in that setting, because they are perhaps the only person in the room
who cannot hear it. If you tell them that their playing is hindering the
musicians or other worshippers, they’ll often not believe you and take great
offense.
The net result of these instruments playing in a worship
gathering is 1Corinthians 14:17: “You are giving thanks well enough, but no one
else is edified.” In many cases, you are giving thanks well enough, but everyone
else is prevented from worshiping at all.
Does that mean I cannot worship with my trumpet or my
tambourine? Not at all. But it might mean that you shouldn’t worship with them
in public. Use them all you like in your secret place. But please do not bring
them into the public gathering, unless you’re very, very skilled with it, and
you are a member of the band, responding to the direction of the worship
leader.
I have also been part of percussion events, where the goal of the whole thing is for everybody to be gathered around together banging away together. Some of those have been heavenly!
But in a community worship gathering, no, not so much.
I have also been part of percussion events, where the goal of the whole thing is for everybody to be gathered around together banging away together. Some of those have been heavenly!
But in a community worship gathering, no, not so much.
Opinions About Pornography
OK. Let’s go step onto the scary trail. Let’s talk about
pornography, and about porn addictions.
I’m going to speak about things that I have no training in.
I have opinions, based on experience. I’ve not put this into words for a long
time, so this may get overly-detailed (that’s how my process works).
Comment: I’ll be speaking as a guy (I generally do, but this
time it may make a difference).
Warning: This isn't complete. Not sure it's actually
possible to be complete on this topic. This is more of an outline, notes, rough thoughts.
Personal opinion: neither accountability nor inner healing
will solve porn addictions. They may address some symptoms, but not solve the
problem.
Personal opinion: solving symptoms is never a substitute for
solving the core issue. If one symptom is solved, but the core issue is not,
then the core issue will build pressure, and pop out in another place, or (more
likely?) blow the scab off the same symptom.
Personal observation:
when “church folk” respond to any addiction, their response is generally in the
realm of “self control.” This does help a small number of people.
Personal opinion: a porn addiction is not primarily about
sex or about discipline. These are merely symptoms.
Personal opinion: the core issue is identity, specifically
intimacy in relationship. Intimacy, in this context, is NOT a euphemism for
sex: it’s about being known and accepted fully, and about knowing and accepting
fully. And the first place for this intimacy is with God:
Personal opinion: if a man does not have an intimate
relationship with God, if a man does not have confidence that he is fully known
and fully accepted by God, then he will try to meet that very legitimate need by
illegitimate means. Pornography is one of those illegitimate means.
Personal opinion: that business of being known fully and
being accepted fully by one’s wife (or wife-to-be) is supplemental and very
helpful, but does not replace the need for this relationship with God. Neither
does sex replace real relationship with God. [That’s covered in the DUH-101
course.]
Personal opinion: This inherently creates a problem: the
only solution is to know and receive the actions/choices of someone else.
Fundamentally, no man can solve this problem on their own, by their own
strength. There’s room for a sermon there, but this is not the time for that
sermon.
Personal Opinion: the only thing that a man can do to
facilitate others’ meeting of these needs is to initiate that sort of
relationship. With God, that’s only about making one’s self as open as possible
before God, and that is a scary process. With a bride that’s a terrifying
thing, because it’s the same kind of vulnerability, but vulnerability before a
fallible human being who has her own needs. Scary. But that’s all he can do to
help her offer that to him: offer it to her, both for her well-being, and by
way of being an example.
Personal opinion: the only things I’ve ever seen work appear
to be two sides of the same coin: It can be described as “Develop this kind of
relationship with God” or it can be described as “Know – really know, not just
study – who you are in Christ,” but these are (IMHO) really the same thing.
Personal opinion: there is a bit of good news in an
addiction to pornography: you were made for intimate relationship
with God, and this addiction demonstrates that you have a real hunger, and a real readiness for that
intimacy. You’re ready to develop a close relationship with your Maker. And God
is ready to develop that close relationship with you.
I say again: a porn addiction is rock-solid proof that you
are now ready and able to have the kind of intimate relationship with God that
you’ve always wanted.
Is it scary? Hell yes!
Are we guaranteed a life of ease and no problems? You’re
kidding, right?
But is it possible? abso-freakin-lutely.
And yeah, it really is the better deal! Oh my goodness, yes!
Glad I’m Not Domesticated
I gradually drifted toward wakefulness the other morning. I
rubbed my eyes, and looked at the clock, and rubbed them again. This was later
than I expected.
I stumbled out the bedroom door, and the cat was standing
next to her food dish, yowling for my attention. The food bowl was empty, and
she is used to being fed earlier than this, thank you very much.
Later, she stood at the back door, watching the birds on the
patio, and yowled again. I’d like to go out now, and chase some birds, please.
She gave up after I’d ignored her for a while, and wandered down the hall
toward her potty box.
A thought crossed my mind. “Aren’t you glad you’re not
domesticated.” My mind went through some quick acrobatics in response: Me?
Domesticated? Hah!
And then, wait. There was a season when I couldn’t feed
myself. I had to “hold on!” until Sunday, when the pastor would spoon-feed me
the same basic, elementary doctrines that I’d been spoon fed last year.
There was a season when I needed someone else to let me go
outside once in a while. Unless I had assurances from senior Christians, I
couldn’t trust that it was OK to go to things outside the church organization
and church programs.
And there was a season when I needed someone else to change
my potty box, or maybe change my diapers, because – even as an adult Christian
– I couldn’t deal with my sins and failures myself. I always needed someone to
point out to me, “Hey, that’s really not right,” or I always needed to have
people pray for me to get me past some stumbling point. (Don’t go too far:
prayer for one another is wonderful. But to always need others to pray for you to
get past any trial is not a sign of health or maturity!)
So I stood there, watching my cat saunter down the hall
towards the potty box that I’d cleaned out for her, I realized, not all that
long ago, that was me. I had actually spent a good portion of my life
domesticated, needing others to take care of every little thing for my life, as
a human, as a man, and as a Christian.
Suddenly humbled, I nodded my head gratefully. “Yes, Sir.
Yes, I am very grateful I’m not domesticated. Or at least not as domesticated
as I used to be.”
How Does God Feel About The Cross?
I was
driving home from work the other day, and I found myself thinking about the
Cross again. I’ve studied that center-point event of human history for half a century,
and I’m constantly aware that there’s more to understand about it.
I was
reflecting what a bloody, violent, dark day that was: the creator of the planet
was gasping, bleeding, nailed to this hunk of wood stuck in the ground. Evil
men were sighing in relief. Disciples were shaking their heads in confusion.
Demon hoards were cackling with delight.
I paused to
ask Father how he felt about that dark day. After all these years, he still
surprises me.
He reminded
me of a day in my own life.
I was standing next to my friend who was my pastor.
My brother was standing next to me, and he and I were both wearing tuxedos.
There were some other men and women with us, standing in front of a large crowd
of people; music was playing somewhere. There were flowers, I think, and maybe
some candles.
I saw none
of that. There was a woman down at the other end of that aisle. She was dressed in white and it seemed
that all the light in the room came from her radiant smile. And she was looking
at me. At me! She began walking quietly, confidently down that aisle. Toward me. I could barely
breathe.
I had been
looking forward to this day for years. I didn’t know a whole about my life and
what I would do with it, but I knew, I knew I must share my life with her, we
must do this together. She was my dream come true.
And here she was. She was going to, willingly, without any coercion, join her life with mine. This woman, she loves me! Me!
And now it
was happening. It was actually happening! My whole life was just now beginning, this day!
She walked toward me, through that crowd that neither of us saw. She stepped forward and stood next
to me and looked into my eyes. I was undone. My eyes were wet and my knees were weak.
And Father
whispered hoarsely,
“That.
That’s how I felt that day.”
Responding to the Covid Virus
I’ve been watching the foolishness and the panic in the
news, in the streets, in the grocery stores. Sure, I’ve been embarrassed
(haven’t we all?). Yeah, it’s a serious virus, but I still marvel at the degree
at which a society crumbles in the face of a disease.
I’ve been working to keep my perspective, to guard my
soul. Here are some things I’m meditating on:
• The promises of God are still “Yes!” and “Amen!” [2Corinthians
1:20] God is not caught off-guard by
this stupid disease. Nor by the irresponsible media whipping the people to a
frenzy of fear. God has not been side-tracked.
• God will not let me be tempted (to fear, to foreboding,
to panic, to hate) beyond my ability to resist that fear. And he’s a perfect judge of [my] character.
Circumstances may feel overwhelming,
but my Father who loves me promises me that they are not. He will provide a way of escape [1Corinthians
10:13].
• My Father is both amazingly capable, and passionately
in love with me. And he’s good. Really good. I can trust my life to him, even
in the midst of fear and panic [ibid, Mark 10:18, 2Corinthians 9:8]. I’m safe
entrusting myself to his care [Isaiah 49:16, Psalm 121:4, Luke 12:32].
I observe that the daily routine of billions of people is
disrupted. Yeah, for a small fraction of the population, it’s disrupted by a
trip to the hospital. But for most of the rest of the people, it’s disruption
by a government decision.
When daily routine is disrupted, all kinds of interesting
things become possible. Sometimes people begin to think. Certainly, people are
more open to new ideas, new beliefs, new practices. That’s really quite
exciting.
And I have this growing sense that God is on the prowl,
working in the background, behind the scenes, in significant ways. I find that
I want to believe that his actions will break out into the public, and maybe
they will. But if I’m honest, when he does that, human beings quickly
administrate and publicize every little thing he does. I’m not convinced he is
thrilled with that response.
The truth is that I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m
OK with that because I trust my Father to keep me in his hands (which is not
the same as keeping me from anything bad happening).
But in the midst of all of this three-ring circus, I can’t
shake the feeling, the growing excitement, that God is up to something good.
The Private Use of Miracles
It’s right there in Mark Chapter 8, but I’ve never heard anybody teach about it. Here’s the relevant part of the text:
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”
16 So they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.
17 Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts? 18 ‘Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?’ And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?”
“Twelve,” they answered.
20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?”
“Seven,” they said.
21 Then He asked them, “Do you still not understand?”
-----------------
I get it that the warning (v15) about the influence of the Pharisees (religious spirit) and Herod (political spirit) preaches really well. That’s cool.
And I get the encouragement (v18) that there are three ways of building faith from miracles (seeing, hearing, remembering). That preaches nicely, and I’ve benefited from that lesson.
But in the midst of all this, Jesus is chiding the disciples for their concern about provision (food: bread). The clear implication of the conversation is that Jesus is completely comfortable with using the same miracle that he used twice before for thousands, but using it this time to provide for himself and his 12 disciples. He doesn’t actually come out and say it, but it’s pretty clear nonetheless.
This challenges a belief that I didn’t recognize I had, and it makes me uncomfortable. I find that I’ve believed that miracles are for evangelism, or for public ministry, that somehow using them to cover for my mistake of poor planning was disrespecting the miracle.
But Jesus rather blows up that false belief. (And if that weren’t enough, he does it again in Matthew 17:27, where he sends Pete to get their tax money from a fish’s mouth! And he walked on water just to meet up with his boys who had left earlier.)
As I reflect on my crumbling misbelief, I realize that it includes the assumption that God loves “them” (whoever “them” is) more than he loves me, that he is pleased to provide for hungry masses, but for some reason, I don’t qualify for that sort of miracle.
I call that out as a lie. That’s not true. God loves me. Period. And since he’s an infinite God, with infinite omnipotence and stuff, therefore his love for me is infinite: it is not possible for anyone ever to be loved more than he loves me. Not crowds of sinners, not the 12 disciples, not that missionary in Africa who gets to raise the dead so often. Not even you. He loves me fully, completely, infinitely.
It’s OK. He loves you that much, that way, too.
And apparently, he’s OK with relying on miracles for everyday life, for lunch, for taxes, for meeting friends. Wow.
Done
I found myself writing this down the other day. I wanted to
share it, in case it encourages someone:
The Bible does not
teach that Christ died “so that we can be saved.” He did not open the
possibility for me to do enough good works or do the right deeds so that I can
work my way in to heaven.
Rather, he took all the sin and all the judgment that was
due to you and to me, past, present & future, and rather than buying the possibility
of salvation, what he bought was salvation itself (the Bible calls it a “sure
salvation”) that he provided for us. He declared, “It is FINISHED.” As in
“There’s no more to do.” Done. Finis.
We (you and I, and everybody else) have the invitation,
since God honors the free will he invested in us, to receive that free gift of
salvation, or to reject it. It’s only a choice, and the choice is exercised by
faith: by believing God’s offer. (Ephesians says that even the faith is a gift
from God, not from my own works, specifically so that nobody can boast about it.)
So do you live now, today, in complete freedom from sin?
From guilt? From shame? It’s God’s intent that you do. He bought that complete
freedom for you!
Think of it this way: God has written me a check, in the
amount of “complete forgiveness” (it’s WAY more than that, but we’ll go a step
at a time), and he signed it. All I need to do is countersign the back (how? I
believe him, I change my thinking) and deposit the check in my bank account.
The Bible is very specific that my works are not only USELESS for the purpose of acquiring
salvation – of acquiring ANYthing from God, actually – in fact they actually
get in the way, because if I rely on my works, then I do not and cannot rely on
His works. It is His works, His finished works, are what accomplishes salvation
and healing and grace and power and a clean conscience, and, and, and!
But let’s go back to that check for a moment: that’s not
just for my debt to sin, that’s the full resources of Heaven payable to me, a
son of the King of heaven, the heir (says Hebrews) of the riches of heaven: by
depositing that check, I’m suddenly much wealthier than Steve Bezos, Warren
Buffet, and Carlos Slim combined.
And of course, as that sinks in, I’m likely to live a
different kind of life than I used to. As I understand my limitless wealth, as
I understand how loved and accepted I am, I’m likely to change, to become
generous, both in my resources, and in my care and affection. In other words,
my actions, my “works” will reflect who I am.
THIS is the place for “good works.”
If I love on people in order to earn something from God,
then I have rejected God’s free gift to me: I’ve essentially spat in his face
and said, “I’ll do this on my own, thank you very much!” And of course, doing
things on my own is not really in the same league as what He can do.
But when I am full of his love, fully accepted by my omnipotent
Daddy, then I become generous and loving and giving like He is. Curiously, this
often looks the same as the “good works” that I might consider by way of
rejecting His gift; but the difference in my heart, in my motive, makes all the
difference in the world (literally!).
It’s one thing to give someone gifts in an attempt to force
them to love us and accept us. It’s quite another to bring the same gifts
because we love them, and because we’re confident in their love for us. We call
the first one a “stalker” and we call the police and we get a restraining
order; the second is joyfully and gratefully received, and the already-strong
relationship is further strengthened.
This is such a big deal that the apostle Paul wrote
(Galatians 1): if anybody tries to teach you that you need to do ANYthing in
order to be forgiven, to be loved, to become an heir in God’s family (which he
describes as “pervert[ing] the gospel of Christ.”), then he says, “Let them be
accursed!” If that weren’t enough, he takes it a step further: “But even if we,
or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have
preached to you, let him be accursed.”
“Accursed” is a pretty strong word.
Some time ago, I was meditating on Hebrews 4:16 (“Let us
therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find
grace to help in time of need.”) and talking with God about it, when Holy
Spirit interrupted me. I could hear the tears in his voice, as he said, “You
know, the priesthood wasn’t my idea in the first place.” And he explained
Exodus 20:19 to me while he wept. (See http://bit.ly/TheOTHERbenefit)
This is the kind of relationship with God that it’s possible
to have. This is God’s idea of what relationship between God and man is
supposed to be like. This isn’t what I was taught in Sunday School, this is
what I’ve learned from God and his word.
It may not be what you grew up with either. But if you’re up
for this kind of a personal, face-to-face relationship with God, you might want
to tell him so. ;) I’m very sure you’ll start a beautiful adventure together!
We Have Misunderstood Matthew 18
I’ll bet you’ve read this passage from Matthew 18. You may
have heard it preached or practiced.
“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him
his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your
brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the
mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he
refuses to hear them, tell [it] to the church. But if he refuses even to hear
the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Assuredly, I
say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever
you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of
you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them
by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My
name, I am there in the midst of them.” - Matthew 18:15-20
I’ve had to walk through this with folks (on both ends of
it, actually). I’ve seen it up close, and I’ve seen the fruits of it up close.
And it’s made me think this through some. Did you know that
this paragraph is surrounded by paragraphs where Jesus is not actually speaking
literally? (Before: cut off your hand. After: forgive 70x70 and then the
parable of the talents.)
So there’s good reason to reconsider our normal practice of
ripping this paragraph out of its context in the rest of Matthew, out of its
context in a first-century agrarian society. There’s good reason to reconsider
our 21st century Information-Age literalist interpretation of this
passage.
So consider this alternative rendering of this passage. Think
of this as a cultural reference.
If your friend gets caught up in the stuff of their life, if
they forget who they are, go be with him (or her), remind them of who they are,
who God sees him to be, who you know they are. If he hears you, it’s all good.
But if he’s not able to hear you, gather some friends with
you and remind him how awesome he is. Remind him of who you’ve known him to be.
It’s likely he’d listen to a group of friends, if they’re people who he’s known
are for him.
But if he still can’t hear you, get him up in front of the
church. “Guys, this is Matthew. You all know how awesome Matthew is. Come on,
let’s lay hands on Matthew. Let’s remind Matt of who he is, cuz he’s had a hard
go for a while, and he needs our support!”
But if he is so messed up that they still can’t get past the
garbage in their life, then treat him like a tax collector.
How did Jesus treat tax collectors? (He’s our example, remember?)
He befriended them (Matthew 9:9), he brought them close to him, he put them on his ministry team (Matthew 10:3, Luke 6:15), he trusted his reputation to him (the book of Matthew), he went out of his way to hang out with him (Luke 19:5).
He befriended them (Matthew 9:9), he brought them close to him, he put them on his ministry team (Matthew 10:3, Luke 6:15), he trusted his reputation to him (the book of Matthew), he went out of his way to hang out with him (Luke 19:5).
That’s how we treat people that have forgotten who they are
and gotten stuck in sin.
Go thou and do likewise.
Why Jesus Turned James & John Down
James and John wanted to sit at Jesus’ side in glory. They
wanted to be close (and, given the context, they wanted to be big shots).
[They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your
right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”][Mark 10]
Jesus said No.
Curiously, he wasn’t saying “No” to the desire to be a big
shot. In the next breath, he shows them how to aspire to greatness
appropriately. [Mark 10:42-45]
I’m thinking that Jesus said No because sitting on his right
and left was too far away for his preferences. That means they’re separated,
that means there’s (a little) distance between him and them.
He didn’t want them to be separate from him, even if they’re
right next to him. He wanted them united in him [John 14:20, 15:4, 17:21]. He
didn’t want them seated on the throne right next to his. He wanted them – just
like he wants you and me – right there on his throne with him, in him
[Ephesians 1:20]
So go ahead and aspire to greatness. Go ahead and aspire to
“become great,” as Jesus encourages.
Just do it his way. Just do it from your place IN him. Don’t
aspire to be separated, next to him. You are in him! Go with that! It’s way
better than “next to”!
Adjusting the Target
Adjusting the Target
Anybody who lives in this world knows some people who are
hurting. I know I do.
I saw some posts recently, “Pray for me,” and “I am needy!”
So I looked through their wall for some sort of explanation. And that’s when I
heard Holy Spirit’s whisper.
You see, their pages had lots of God’s promises posted,
Bible verses, encouraging statements. In the midst of all those promises, Holy
Spirit whispered to me, “They’re looking to the Word, but not to Me. Their
target is falling short.”
He schooled me, and I could feel the compassion in his heart
in the process.
“Focusing on their pain, on their need, blurs their vision,
they can’t see me clearly. So they look to my promises instead of to me.
“They think that the promise of what I will do for them when they come to me is enough to blunt the pain, but they stop at the promise; they don’t actually come to me to let me heal them.”
“They think that the promise of what I will do for them when they come to me is enough to blunt the pain, but they stop at the promise; they don’t actually come to me to let me heal them.”
I could feel his tears.
And in this, I’m reminded that it’s our job to fix our eyes
on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith [Hebrews 12], to think about
what is true and noble and excellent and praiseworthy [Philippians 4].
It’s not only counterproductive to put our attention on the
need, on the hurts and betrayal, it’s downright contrary to Father’s clear
instruction. The reason, I think, is because of the principle, “What you fix
your attention on, you empower in your life.”
It’s because looking at the wrong part of the picture
inhibits our ability to receive what we need from our Father who loves us!
It’s not the promises of God that heal our heart and provide
for our needs. The promises point to our God, our Father, who heals our heart
and provides for our souls.
It’s easy, when we’re looking at the pain, at the need, for
our eyes to fall short of Him.
“You search the
Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures
point to me!"
~John 5:39
Prophetic Flavor
When God speaks through a prophet, is the prophet
experiencing God? Is the prophet speaking for God? Let’s assume ‘Yes,’ in the
cases we’ll discuss today.
Now what language is that prophet speaking in? Which
human language is she using to deliver the immediate message from the infinite
heart of God to Earth?
Well now, that’s going to depend. The voice of God
expressed in that prophetic word will generally come in the language that the
prophet knows, and will always come in the language that those the Lord is
speaking to know. Around here, that’s English. God speaks in English,
specifically American English. With the ‘r’s included.
Why does God speak English? English is certainly not God’s
first language. English is not the official language of Heaven. None of the
Bible was actually written in English, it needed to be translated. When God
became man and walked on this ball of dirt, he didn’t even speak English then.
Why would God speak English?
Why wouldn’t he speak Latin? Latin is a good language for
careful communication. Or German. German can handle a whole lot of ideas that
English can’t. Why doesn’t God speak German?
You already figured that out. If God’s prophesying to me
(or through me) God doesn’t use German because I don’t know German (yet). The
reality is that God is more committed to the people to whom he is speaking than
he is to the sterile, strict, legalistic communication of his words.
When he’s speaking to English speakers (such as myself),
he is kind enough to speak in English. When he is addressing Germans, he speaks
German. When he’s speaking to Imbongu tribes people of Papua New Guinea’s
southern highlands, he speaks Imbongu to them.
In this, God is modifying his message because of the
vessel he’s speaking through, and because of the limitations of the people he’s
speaking to. He limits the infinite, omniscient thoughts of the Almighty to a
message that a human can communicate, and another human can hear, understand
and respond to.
It’s like all of infinity has just a little tiny pinhole
to get through. So most of it doesn’t make it. Most of God’s infinite thoughts
don’t make it through that pinhole to me. For example, I’ve never heard God
talk to me about why he made Deneb, in the constellation Cygnus, as a stable
blue-white star instead of a variable star like 9 Cephi [in the constellation
Cepheus, of course]. For some reason, that information hasn’t made it through
the translation from the vastness of Heaven’s knowledge to the realm of human
knowledge.
God modifies his message in order to fit people better.
Sometimes he speaks English, sometimes he speaks German, sometimes, he speaks
Imbongu.
Another way to say that is that God modifies the way he
reveals himself to us so that his infinite omnipotence doesn’t blow up our
mortal little brain cases. Every experience we have of God is ‘toned down’ from
the full-power of the Infinite Almighty.
More than that, it’s toned down in ways that speak to
individuals. Like speaking in a human language, he also tones down visions and
spiritual experiences. Jesus’ presentation of the Kingdom of God was much
different to Mary Magdalene than his presentation to the Apostles, and both of
those were different than his presentation to the Pharisees of the day.
So God limits what he shares, how much he shares, and how
he shares it, based on who he’s sharing with.
But he also governs what he shares, how much he shares
and how he shares it based on who he’s saying it through. Everything we hear
God say through a prophet is flavored by that prophet, by that prophet’s
language, by that prophet’s history with God.
Now, let’s go one step further. I think that God
specifically chooses among available prophetic voices in order to find one
whose particular flavor is pleasing to him about the topic he wants to
communicate.
I can imagine God getting ready to deliver a word to a
congregation, and he’s thinking, ‘I could send it through Shaniqua, because she’s
got a great gift of mercy, and this is a tough word. Or I could use Digory because
he’s ready to start giving public words. But I think I’ll use Ivanka this time;
her mind is so logical and ordered that this word coming through her will be
understood by Thomas over in the corner, and he’s the one that is the key to
the whole thing. Besides, it’ll do Pastor Bob good to get a good word like this
through someone like Ivanka!’
When you prophesy, don’t go out of your way to remove
your own personality from the message. God counts on the messenger to flavor
the message he’s distributing. And remember: God likes your flavor.
“I came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it…”
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or
the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
That is pretty much the standard, go-to verse for people
who want to convince you that you need to be in bondage to the Law like they
are. Yeah, let’s look at that.
First of all, this statement is found in Matthew 5: Jesus
is speaking to people under the Law. He is not speaking to New Covenant
believers. He’s speaking in the language of folks under the Law, speaking to
people under the Law, but he’s not reaffirming the Law.
Go look at it. Read all of Matthew 5. In that conversation, Jesus is not
saying, “Be sure to obey the Law!” He’s saying, “The Law is only the starting
point!”
Verse 17 is one example: “For I tell you that unless your
righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you
will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” If you don’t do better than
the people who do the law the best, it ain’t gonna get you into the Kingdom.
That's what this whole sermon is about: the Kingdom.
Then he gets real serious. What follows is where Jesus
deconstructs the Law. “You have heard it said, … but I say to you….” Five times
he raises the bar above what the Law had required.
Then he goes on (Chapter 6 continues that sermon)
explaining a better way. He doesn’t really talk about the Kingdom for a while,
but he gets to it: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of
its own.”
That very sermon continues on through Chapter 7, too.
He’s already dismissed the Law, the godly works of the old paradigm; now he
dismisses the godly works of the new paradigm: “Many will say to me on that
day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out
demons and in your name perform many miracles?’”
Yeah, that's not the goal either. "Depart from me, I
never knew you." It's about knowing
him.
Then he finishes preaching wanders down the mountain and
demonstrates his new Kingdom by healing the sick and teaching about the
Kingdom.
OK. That’s our context. Now let’s look at that specific
phrase, “I came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it…”.
Yes, Jesus fulfilled the Law. Now the Law is fulfilled.
What does it mean when something is fulfilled?
My father fulfilled the mortgage on his house. Now that
his mortgage has been fulfilled, that mortgage is obsolete, fulfilled,
finished, powerless. That’s what “fulfilled” means. It’s done.
So, yes, ALL of the terms and conditions of the Old
Covenant (for that's what the law is) are now obsolete, fulfilled, finished,
powerless, now that the Old Covenant is dead and gone.
The Torah (the first five books of the Bible, containing
the Law of the Old Covenant) is an interesting (and useful) history book. It tells
the story of a covenant that God never wanted, and that never worked [Acts
15:10]. We can learn from their mistakes, and we ought to.
But it is completely without merit as a standard to live
by today, if for no other reason than there is nobody, literally not one body,
who is still part of the Old Covenant to which the Law applies.
People try to say, “But obeying the Torah (or at least
the 10 Commandments) is good. It’s part of making us acceptable to God.
Balderdash! Obeying the Law is an obstacle, a stumbling
block to us becoming acceptable to God. Obeying the Law in order to be acceptable is to throw his gift of grace back in his face.
I am so thankful that the Law has been fulfilled! This is
such an excellent expression of God’s mercy!
You see, it is not even possible to obey the Torah in our
day and age, and it hasn’t been possible for nearly twenty centuries.
A huge part of the law was the sacrificial system. And
nowadays, there is no ark of the covenant (it was lost centuries ago), there is
no tabernacle or temple (it was destroyed many centuries ago) with an altar to
kill bulls and goat on. And James says, "For whoever shall keep the whole
law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all."
More importantly, there are no Levites left to offer
those sacrifices to God. The Levites were the only ones whom the law allowed to
do that. Even worse, there are no records of Levitical bloodlines, and without
those records, nobody could minister if there was a temple. Those are gone, literally forever.
All of the genealogical records (all of the documentation
of who’s a Levite and who’s not) was destroyed when the Old Covenant was
destroyed as the Temple was destroyed in the conquering of Jerusalem in the
first century. [https://nwp.link/WikiAD70]
There are many parts of the law that cannot be obeyed now, and stumbling
in one point of the law makes you guilty of the whole thing. No wonder it was
destroyed.
Scripture predicted that the Old Covenant was going to be
done away with and the temple would be destroyed [Hebrews 8:13] and Jesus
described it in detail [Matthew 24] a full generation before it went down. Literally,
not one stone was left on another. (And because of his warnings, the Christians
- the only ones who believed his warnings - escaped that destruction.)
Paul summarized this whole law business quite nicely: “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained
through the law, Christ died for nothing!” [Galatians 2:21]
Does that mean that we live lives characterized by
rebellion against the Law of the Old Covenant? Where the Old Covenant command was “Do not
kill,” do we make murder our habit in order to avoid an old, dead Law?
You can hear how silly that sounds when we see it in
black and white. No, we still don’t kill people. But that's not because of the
obsolete rule book of a failed covenant that never applied to anybody but
Israel anyway.
Rather, we don’t kill because we’re like Jesus and he
doesn’t kill. We don’t kill because he’s teaching us to “love one another as I
have loved you,” and murdering people isn’t actually very loving.
So throw off the lies that say, “You must live by the Torah! You must obey the Ten Commandments."
"Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of
the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.” Cast out the
efforts to obey as the way to please God. There is no inheritance for you in
that path.
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