Where is God in the Haitian Earthquake?

I think that this video presents a good response to the question of God and the earthquake.

New Every Morning

One of my favorite passages in the scripture is found in Lamentations:

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.' "
-Lamentations 3:19-24

I have many sweet memories of singing these verses in church and in my devotions. In some sense I think that these words have molded my theology more than most. During difficult times ... times of questioning and unbelief ... these words provided me with comfort and strength. The words I sang go like this:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases

His mercies never come to an end

They are new, every morning

New, every morning

Great is Thy faithfulness O Lord

Great is Thy faithfulness

It can be said that the heart of the Bible is God's love for, and faithfulness to, His people. We are often a bit bewildered and dismayed when this love and faithfulness does not look the way we want them to look. Our pain defines us much more than we want to admit. Times of deep disappointment and trouble can call this love and faithfulness into question. When I am in such a state I find it helpful to remember that this love and faithfulness was on full display on a cross so many years ago. The writer of Hebrews says of Jesus:

"he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people." -- Hebrews 2:17

Merciful and faithful! Oh the incomparable Jesus! When we despair most He remains faithful ... and merciful! I remember speaking a prophetic word over 20 years ago that said, in essence, that when Satan demands to sift us like wheat ... Jesus prays for us (like He told Peter) that our faith would not fail. Does that encourage you? Only a merciful and faithful High Priest can intercede for us when we cannot pray for ourselves.

The following scriptures speak of His faithfulness to us:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." -- 1John 1:7

"the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one." -- 2Thessalonians 3:3

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." -- 1Corinthians 10:13

Though we are often faithless He remains faithful ... to forgive us ... to protect us and to lead us ... great is His faithfulness. His mercy is new every morning.

The War for Conformation

Life can often bring pressures to change.. sometimes the changes can be good and sometimes not so good.. and many times the changes and trials of life bear down hard conforming us in strange ways. When I think about this a few verses come to mind:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. -Romans 12:2

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. -Romans 8:29

There is a tension in these verses. On one hand they speak to the idea that we have a responsibility to reject worldly molding.. on the other hand it speaks to the idea that God is at work making us like Jesus. Another verse comes to mind when i consider this tension.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
-2Corinthians 10:5

This verse is part of a passage that tells us that we are in a spiritual war. It speaks to me of my need to live from my inner most being and not from my mind. When we live from our own understanding we are led around by thoughts that may seem right to us but are not God's best.. reminds me of this scripture:

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
-Proverbs 14:12

This graphic verse spells it out.. living from our own understanding produces death.. living from our innermost being leads to life.. it is a matter of conformation. Will we allow our innermost being.. that place where His Spirit lives.. to conform us or will we be conformed by the understanding of our head? I think that it is a war that can be won.. but not with our head.. no matter how smart we are

The Simplicity of Faith

This morning I found myself writing this in an email note to an old friend:

I think that my life took a turn for the dark side when I went from simple faith to complicated religion.

Don't you just love simple and uncomplicated things? Faith does seem to be something as simple as forsaking and trusting. As I reflect on the simplicity of faith I think about what Paul said in the eleventh chapter of 2Corinthians:

But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

Isn't it interesting how Paul speaks of being deceived by the enemy when we are drawn away from simplicity? In my life I have found faith to be something that brings clarity and simplicity to life. On the other hand religious activities have just complicated my life and sometimes have trumped faith.

Possibly.. with a new year coming.. we can examine ways to embrace the simplicity of faith in, and devotion to, Jesus. What are the religious things that you have found to once complicate your life?

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A Christmas Prayer

This beautiful Christmas prayer comes from beliefnet..

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman..." -Galatians 4:4


God with us,

I've come to see you. I'm not as clean as I wish I was, but I'm hoping you'll receive me just as you did the rough, and sweaty shepherds who burst in on you on that holy night so long ago. They were afraid. I guess that spectacular light show in the sky got to them. I wish I felt more afraid than I do. I should, considering this is it: the Incarnation. But all of this is so simple; so ordinary. No, it's less than ordinary. This is abject poverty. Most babies aren't born where the livestock is. I keep asking myself, how can this be God? Yet, here you are. I know it's you, because here I am, on my knees, and my heart is aflame within me.

It isn't as pristine as the Christmas cards make it seem. It's cold, and drafty, and filthy, and it smells of animals and dung in here. No wise men are hovering over you with their gifts. The shepherds aren't even here. Just me, and your folks, and my hands are empty. But Lord, seeing you like this, so vulnerable, my heart is full.

Look at you in that feeding trough. I can't get over how tiny you are, but oh. You are perfect. The scriptures say when you grow up you won't be much to look at, but I don't think I've ever seen such a gorgeous child. I hope I always see you like this: beautiful, new, and surprising.

Oh my! Your mom is bringing you to me! Thank you, Mary. You really are full of grace. This is incredible! I feel so clumsy, Lord. Like I can hurt you if I'm not careful. But you feel so good in my arms. You're like a warm little ball of pure love. Can you feel me shaking? I'm undone. You're right here at my heart. I wish I could stop time right here, and hold you like this forever, loving on you, and kissing you like this.

You still smell like the blood from your mother's womb. Oh, Jesus. You'll have this same coppery scent again in about 33 years. But it'll be a much bloodier occasion than your birth. That time, you'll be dying, so that I can be born anew. Have mercy. I don't want to think about what I'm going to put you through. Not today. But I can't help it.

Oh, man. Forgive me, Jesus. I'm crying all over you. You're the baby, but I'm the one blubbering. I'm not trying to scare you on your birthday, but the shadow of the cross is on this barn, and there isn't a thing I can do to stop what's going to happen to you. So, I'll just continue to hold you tight, if you don't mind. If I can keep you close to me we may just get through the rest of your story together. Despite how small you are, I'm the one that needs you to save me. This is craziness, but this is the way you chose to do it. Who can understand such mysteries?

I'm amazed that you can fall asleep in my guilty arms. Maybe you're so quiet and peaceful because even now you know you'll make it all right. Oh, Lord. Who can understand such mysteries? It's mind blowing enough to think that you are here: God as a baby, born in the humility of a barn, resting in my arms, my ragged heartbeat sounding in your tiny ear. And you will not forget me.

Amazing grace.

Sleep in heavenly peace, Lord Jesus. And welcome. I'm glad you're here.

Amen

Letting Go of the Results

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I visited a blog today where a young man spoke about the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.. those young Israelites who refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar's giant golden idol. It caused me to think about Stephen, one of the deacons in the early church, who was stoned for confronting religious leaders. Consider this response to Nebuchadnezzar's threat of death by fire in the third chapter of the book of Daniel:

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."

Don't you just love their response? Breaking it down ... these men simply said that our response to trials are not dependent on the results ... we trust God ... we let go of the results ... we follow His leading ... and we leave the future in the hands of God. In a sense we never really trust the Lord until we let go of the results. Not that it is easy. ツ

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What's Love Got To Do With It?

I woke up this morning thinking about a scripture from the thirteenth chapter of first Corinthians. That chapter is sometimes called the love chapter because of its focus on, and definition of, love. It's placement in Paul's letter is an interesting one because it falls between two chapters (twelve and fourteen) that address spiritual gifts in the body of Christ. It is like he was saying that spiritual gifts only operated in the way that they were designed to when love is present. Consider these verses that begin the chapter:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

As I read these verses my mind races back to the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus lays bare the inadequacy of external religious rules and laws and speaks to the motives behind our actions. Jesus goes to the heart of the issue when he says:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. (Matthew 5:21-22)

In these verses Jesus speaks to us of the real issue.. the one that law cannot address.. a motive of hate instead of one of love. Much of the gospels cover Jesus' ongoing dialog with religious leaders who did not seem to understand what it meant to have a love motive.. at one point Jesus instructs thems to go and learn what it means to be compassionate.. a rather insulting thing to say to someone who professes to be a religious leader.

I think that the life of Jesus is filled with images of what it means to love. On many occasions the gospels speak of Jesus being moved by compassion. How do you think the writers knew that Jesus was being moved that way. I suspect that Jesus was visibly moved and perhaps cried as he ministered healing to those who were hurting. In truth love was pouring out of Jesus and sometimes it poured from His eyes in the form of tears that everyone could see.. as it says in Hebrews Jesus is touched by our weaknesses.

The message that Jesus came to bring and demonstrate is that, as Paul says, we are nothing if we do not act with a love motive. We are nothing when we are not compassionate. We are nothing when we are arrogant, envious, prideful and selfish. But.. and this is a big but.. we are something when we love.. we are something when we are patient, humble, forgiving and kind.. we are something when we bear with people.. we are something when we believe the best about the them and hope with them.

We are something because when we love we are like God.