The Great High Priest

Readings for today: Ezekiel 14:12-16:41, Hebrews 7:18-28, Psalms 106:1-12, Proverbs 27:4-6

God is eternally consistent. From the beginning to the end of Scripture, a single story unfolds. God creates the universe and all that is in it. It is good. It is beautiful. It is right and true. He makes a man. Made in His own image. Places him in creation as a “priest” of sorts. One who exercises dominion over all God has made. One who keeps the Garden and makes it flourish. One who lives for God and His glory. But Adam fell into sin. The original high priest unfaithful. The impact is devastating. All of creation falls into ruin for lack of a faithful high priest who will present her to God holy and without spot, wrinkle or blemish. 

Time moves on. Another priest is called. Noah. Set apart by God to exercise dominion over a new creation. The new world that emerges from the flood. But again, the high priestly line fails. Rather than be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth; they stick together. They build a tower. A temple to their own name. God looks down. Confuses their languages. Scatters them across the earth.  

More time passes. Another priest. Abram. Called out of Ur, he will be the father of a new nation. They will become a holy priesthood. A people for God’s own possession set apart to exercise dominion over the earth. They are to walk in the light of God and teach the other nations to do the same. Once again, the high priestly line fails. They turn inward. They hoard the blessings of God. They become entitled. Prideful. They scorn the Gentiles they are called to serve. God punishes them and sends them into exile. 

God goes silent. Four hundred years. God raises up yet another high priest. His only begotten Son. Jesus becomes one of us. Takes on human flesh. Assumes a broken human nature. He lives among us. Walks among us. Teaches us. Heals us. Suffers for us. Dies for us. He experiences all that human life has to offer. The good. The bad. The ugly. All so He can fully and rightfully represent us before the Father. At the same time, He remains God. His divine nature is never relinquished. So He can fully and rightfully take on the sins of the world. Jesus is the perfect high priest. His divine and human natures satisfying every aspect of the covenant God first made back in the Garden. 

This is what makes Jesus unique. Superior to every angel and every prophet who has come before or after Him. He plays His unique, high priestly role even now on your behalf. And because His sacrifice has been accepted “He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews‬ ‭7:25‬) Friends, you are set free. Receive the free gift of salvation from your high priest and place your trust and confidence in Him!

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 16:42-17:24, Hebrews 8, Psalms 106:13-31, Proverbs 27:7-9

Living the Gospel

Readings for today: Ezekiel 12:1-14:11, Hebrews 7:1-17, Psalms 105:37-45, Proverbs 27:3

One of the strangest things about being a prophet in the Old Testament is the number of times God uses their lives to illustrate His coming judgment. Jeremiah wore a ruined loincloth, broke a flask, and bought a field in the midst of a siege. Each action an embodiment of God’s judgment or salvation. Hosea married a prostitute and gave his children terrible names like “not loved” and “not my people” to illustrate the faithless nature of Israel. Ezekiel lay on his side for hundreds of days, cut off his hair and his beard, and packed a bag for exile to communicate God’s righteous judgment on His people. Can you imagine God commanding you to do the same? What would that even look like in our world today? 

Thankfully, you and I don’t have to imagine. Our call is not to embody God’s judgment. Christ perfectly satisfied the demands of God’s justice on the cross. He turned away God’s wrath from our sin. He took on Himself the punishment we deserved. He became the embodiment of sin in order to win our salvation. So unlike the prophets of old, we no longer have to walk around naked, shave our heads, marry prostitutes, or do anything else to communicate God’s judgment on our friends and neighbors. 

Instead, we are called to embody the gospel. We are called to make our lives a living demonstration of God’s grace. We are called to love our neighbors. Pray for our enemies. Preach to the lost. Care for the poor. We are called to be humble and meek. Peacemakers in a violent and angry world. We are called to tear down every wall that divides us one from another whether it be politics, race, sexuality, or any other high thing that would set itself up against the Kingdom of God. The resources God gives us to accomplish this great task are prayer, fasting, meditation on God’s Word, corporate worship, preaching, participation in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and a host of other things the people of God have done down through the ages to remind themselves of God’s abiding presence and power in their lives. 

So how are you proclaiming Christ with your life? Do the people around you recognize Christ’s presence in you? Do they hear from you the good news of the gospel? How will you seek to bring glory to your Savior today?

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 14:12-16:41, Hebrews 7:18-28, Psalms 106:1-12, Proverbs 27:4-6

Illusion of Control

Readings for today: Ezekiel 10-11, Hebrews 6, Psalms 105:16-36, Proverbs 27:1-2

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” (Proverbs 27:1)

We began interviewing the church planters here in Ethiopia yesterday. The stories they share are always inspiring. Miracles of healing. Miracles of resurrection. Miraculous deliverance from addiction and demonic possession. All to advance the cause of the gospel in an area that is 98% Muslim and hostile to Christianity. The thousands who have responded to God’s call and given their lives to Christ face tremendous persecution. They are cast out of their homes. They are driven from their families. They lose jobs. They are exiled from their community. Some are even killed for their faith. 

One young woman is planting a church in the Harar region. Harar is the 4th holiest city in Islam. It is a beautiful place full of incredible history. But there is political unrest in the area. Over here, politics are always mixed with religious faith. Different tribes hold to different faiths. So the issues are complex and multivalent. There are riots and protests across the zone. Many have been injured or killed. Her congregation is afraid for their lives so they have fled the area. Only she remains. And she knows tomorrow is not guaranteed. Still she preaches Christ. Still she ministers to those who are hurting in her community. Still she prays for the salvation of those who seek her life. 

What would you do if you knew there was no tomorrow? Many people I know would make a bucket list. They would take an exotic vacation. Do something they’ve never done before. They would scale Everest. Dive the Great Barrier Reef. Finally take the family to Hawaii. None of these are necessarily bad things but they are certainly not eternal things. The men and women we meet over here have given themselves fully over to God. He guides and directs their steps. Death is a constant companion. They see it all around them. They know there is no tomorrow. They know it is God who holds their lives in His hands. 

Control is an illusion. We have no idea what tomorrow may bring. It may bring great glory or great tragedy. It may bring great success or great failure. It may bring new life or it may bring us face to face with death. We like to think we are in control. We make plans. We put money away. We work hard to retire early so we can live the “good life.” But we are meant for so much more! God designed us for eternity. He created us to bear His image and likeness to the world around us. He intends for us to make an eternal impact on those we love and live among. True fulfillment comes when we give everything over to God. All our time. All our treasure. All our talent. All our plans. All our best intentions. Even our future. Once give God control, we are set free. The things of this world no longer have a hold on us. The ways of this world no longer seem attractive to us. The kingdoms of this world no longer have any power over us.

What would you do if you knew there was no tomorrow? Would you spend your final hours sharing the gospel with everyone you can like the young woman I just met? Or would you spend those hours on yourself and those you love? Would you give those precious moments to temporary pleasure? Or would you leverage them for something eternal? The reality is tomorrow is never guaranteed. The only hope we have in this world or the next is Christ. 

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 12:1-14:11, Hebrews 7:1-17, Psalms 105:37-45, Proverbs 27:3

Impeccability

Readings for today: Ezekiel 7-9, Hebrews 5, Psalms 105:1-15, Proverbs 26:28

During my first session over here in Ethiopia, a young Ethiopian church planter asked about the sinlessness of Christ. Was He able to sin? Were the temptations He faced real? Can Christ truly identify with us in our weakness? Did He have a fallen human nature like us? These are questions with huge implications and ones the church has been wrestling over for two thousand years. 

The Book of Hebrews is one of my favorites because it pushes to embrace the fullness of both Christ’s divine nature and His human nature without diminishing either one. Over the course of history, Christians have tended to emphasize one at the expense of the other. Our human minds simply cannot grasp the mystery of the incarnation so we bring Jesus down to our level. We reduce Him to terms we can understand and grasp. We elevate certain aspects of his nature over and against others. We try to confine Him. Restrain Him. Fence Him in. But Jesus is not a tame God. He will not be domesticated to our theological agendas no matter how well-meaning they may be. He refuses to allow us to define Him and instead presents Himself to us on His terms – and His terms alone – through His Word. 

“For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:16-18)

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)

“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 5:7-10)

The author of the Book of Hebrews clearly believes Jesus was human in every respect. Subject to pain and suffering. Hardship and heartbreak. Hunger. Thirst. Weariness. Sadness and joy. Christ emptied Himself of all His heavenly power and glory in order to become one of us. One with us. As such, He inherited the fallen human nature and was tempted in every way just as we are so He might – through perfect obedience – become the eternal high priest we so desperately need. 

The doctrine of impeccability teaches us that it was impossible for Christ to sin. Being God, He not only would not sin, He literally could not sin. This, I submit to you, is yet another attempt to pierce the mystery that is Christ. It is an attempt to use human logic to make sense of the Incarnation. Can God sin? Of course not. Is Jesus God? Absolutely. So Jesus cannot sin? According to the Book of Hebrews, the possibility IS on the table. He was made like us in every way. He suffered when being tempted. He sympathizes with us in our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way just as we are. He learned obedience through His suffering. In short, He became the 2nd Adam and through His life, death, and resurrection offers Himself up for us all. Does any of this make logical sense? No. But God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. His wisdom is unsearchable. And His faithfulness eternal. 

So I took the young church planter to the Book of Hebrews. We read over these verses together. We re-affirmed our absolute commitment to a sinless Christ. Not because He could not sin but because He would not sin. Choosing instead a life of perfect obedience to His Heavenly Father’s will. We rejoiced together at the immense sacrifice Christ offered by taking on a fallen human nature and sanctifying it from within. We celebrated the fact that He reigns in heaven even now as our great high priest, eternally offering Himself in our place. We were overcome with gratitude with the idea that because of what Christ has done for us, we can now approach the throne of grace with confidence knowing we will find mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 10-11, Hebrews 6, Psalms 105:16-36, Proverbs 27:1-2

Preaching

Readings for today: Ezekiel 3:16-6:14, Hebrews 4, Psalms 104:24-35, Proverbs 26:27

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul." (Ezekiel 3:17-21)

Preaching is not for the faint of heart. No matter what technique one may use, it ultimately comes down to communicating God’s message to God’s people with faithfulness. Preaching is not self-help. Preaching is not moral therapeutic deism. Preaching is not a TED talk. Preaching is not simply positive and encouraging. As preachers, we cannot escape the call to talk about sin. We cannot escape the call to talk about grace. We cannot preach the Law without the Gospel. We cannot preach salvation without talking about what people are being saved from. 

Ezekiel clearly understands his role. He is not to speak his own words. He is not to offer his own ideas. He is not simply helping his people live their best life now. God has made him a watchman. When he sees danger on the horizon, he must sound the warning. When God’s people engage in sin, he must call them out. When the wicked come against him, Ezekiel must not fail. He must confront the wicked with God’s truth and let the chips fall where they may. If Ezekiel preaches faithfully, God will deliver him. But if Ezekiel falls down on the job, he will bear the blood guilt of his people. 

It’s a sobering task to be sure. To think about the fact that every time I get up in the pulpit, I have a responsibility to preach God’s Word faithfully no matter how it may be received. And I know myself too well. I am too weak to do this on my own. Left to my own strength, I will run from the confrontation. I will make excuses. I will avoid the hard texts. I will try my best to spin things in a positive direction. Frankly, that’s why I typically preach verse by verse through entire books of the Bible. It forces me to grapple with the challenging passages. It forces me to preach sermons that aren’t always warm and fuzzy. It forces me to say difficult things to the people God has placed under my care even as I seek to comfort and assure them of God’s amazing grace. 

On the other hand, there is freedom in this passage for me as well. I am not responsible for how God’s people receive God’s Word. That’s worth repeating over and over again to myself. I am NOT responsible for God’s people receive God’s Word. I am simply the messenger. Simply the herald. Simply the watchman. I cannot control how people respond. So when someone tells me “they didn’t get anything out of the sermon”, that’s on them. Hopefully they will reflect on what’s keeping them from hearing and receiving the Word God has for them. Or when someone tells me “that’s the best sermon I’ve ever heard” and then go out the door and do the opposite of what I just talked about…again, that’s not my responsibility. I can grieve for them. Weep over them. Pray to God on their behalf. But ultimately, my job is simply to deliver the message as faithfully as I can. 

This passage is not just for preachers by the way! Every single Christian is made a watchman or watchwoman over their families, friends, co-workers, fellow students, and the other people God has placed in your life. Every Christian is called by God to deliver God’s Word to the lost and lonely in our world. Shame on us if we let our fear or anxiety or introversion or personal struggles get in the way. God is clear. If we don’t sound the warning, the blood of those we love is on our hands. Ask Christ for the boldness to proclaim the gospel to those in your life today! 

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 7-9, Hebrews 5, Psalms 105:1-15, Proverbs 26:28

Calling

Readings for today: Ezekiel 1:1-3:15, Hebrews 3, Psalms 104:1-23, Proverbs 26:24-26

I remember when I was first called into gospel ministry. It happened almost at the same time I was converted from death to life. I was a student at the University of Colorado in Boulder. I had recently become a Christian and I couldn’t stop telling others about Jesus. It felt like an internal pressure I couldn’t resist. A burning passion in my heart to share the good news. I wanted everyone to know about this Jesus who had changed my life forever. I led Bible studies. Engaged in apologetic debates with classmates and friends. I served in leadership in my campus ministry. Someone along the way asked me if I had ever thought about being a pastor. From that moment on, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. 

The years have not been easy. Pastors literally battle principalities and powers and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly ream on a daily basis. We walk with people through the most difficult times in their lives. Addiction. Abuse. Depression. Suicidal ideation. Physical and emotional trauma. We are on call twenty four hours a day and seven days a week because tragedy never takes a day off. Along the way, we preach sermons, lead ministries, disciple believers, and try to find ways to shepherd a community of people towards the Kingdom. Those we love and serve struggle with sin. They often fight the will of God. Far too many abandon the faith altogether and we feel every loss viscerally. Perhaps that’s why pastoral ministry is considered to be hazardous to one’s health! 

Ezekiel understood the challenge. He knew the call was not to fortune and fame. He would not be a social media influencer or attract thousands with his preaching. Instead, he would struggle and battle and fight for the soul of his people. It would be hard and he would grow tired and be tempted to throw in the towel. Listen to how God describes it, "Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you." And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. And he said to me, "Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God.' And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, nor be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns are with you and you sit on scorpions. Be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house. And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.” (Ezekiel 2:1-7) Whew. You mean I won’t lead a megachurch? You mean my “brand” will suffer? You mean I won’t be comfortable and well-esteemed and make a good living? No indeed. Quite the opposite. In order for Ezekiel to fulfill his calling, God is going to have strengthen him. “Because all the house of Israel have a hard forehead and a stubborn heart. Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces, and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint have I made your forehead. Fear them not, nor be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house." (Ezekiel 3:7-9) Notice there’s not talk of balance here. No talk of self-care. No talk of Ezekiel’s well-being. This isn’t about him. It’s about the call of God on his life and the sacrifice God is asking him to make. 

Far too many of my friends and colleagues in ministry struggle with their calling. I don’t want to diminish their pain in any way. The suffering is real. Trust me, I know. However, I do find too many hold to unrealistic expectations. They make false assumptions that answering God’s call will not cost them personally or professionally. They make the mistake of thinking it shouldn’t impact their family life. They believe ministry can be accomplished in a forty hour work week and the church (or perhaps even God) has no right to demand more. They have a hard time with criticism. They almost can’t believe it when people leave their church. They seem shocked when sinners show their true colors. I get it. I feel the frustration myself. But then I go to God’s Word. I read about the calling God places on people like Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Deborah, David, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Elizabeth, Mary, Peter, and Paul. I pay particular attention to the calling our Father placed on His Son. And I realize my expectations are themselves sinful and self-centered. My life is not my own. I was bought at a price and God has every right to use me as He so chooses. My job is simply to trust Him come what may. 

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 3:16-6:14, Hebrews 4, Psalms 104:24-35, Proverbs 26:27

Jesus is Greater

Readings for today: Lamentations 4-5, Hebrews 2, Psalms 103, Proverbs 26:23

Who is Jesus? A great teacher? A enlightened human being? An angel from heaven? Some kind of celestial creature? Or is He God Himself? God taking on flesh and blood and moving into our world to be with us? Centuries ago, Jesus asked his disciples the most important question we will ever face in this life. “Who do you say that I am?” How you answer that makes all the difference in this life and the next.

Thankfully, God doesn’t leave anything to chance. He gives us the Book of Hebrews which sets out to answer this all-important question for the people of God and the author wastes no time getting right to the point. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” (Hebrews 1:3-4) Everything you ever wanted to know about God is revealed in Christ. All the questions you ever wanted to ask about God’s nature and character are answered in Christ. All the doubts and fears you’ve been harboring regarding God’s love and grace are quelled in Christ. He shows us who God is in all His fullness. In all His glory. In all His majesty and power. There is no God lurking in the shadows beyond Jesus. There is no God hiding behind Jesus. God has not withheld any part of Himself but instead reveals Himself fully in Jesus. 

Jesus is greater than any angel from heaven. His splendor and might far exceeds that of the heavenly host. He upholds the universe by His power. He purifies the human race by laying down His life for their sin. He destroys the power of death through His resurrection. He is given all authority in heaven and on earth as He ascends to sit at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. No angel could ever accomplish such things. 

Why would God do such a thing? Why would God choose this way to reveal Himself? Why did God not choose a different way? Because God is faithful to Himself. Faithful to His plan. From the beginning, His design was that humanity would reign and rule with Him over all creation. God’s plan was for you and me to serve as His vice-regents on this earth, caring for all He has made. Yes, our rebellion introduced sin and evil into the world and we’ve been paying the price ever since. But God will not let us go. Instead, He made Jesus a little lower than the angels “so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that God, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source…” (Hebrews 2:9-11) Jesus was “perfected” through suffering. Not that He became something He was not but that He perfected the plan of salvation God had in place from before the foundations of the world. 

And this gives us hope. “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:14-18) Jesus did not come to save angels. The devil and his demons are beyond redemption. Jesus came to save the sons and daughters of Abraham. He came to save humanity from fear and death and the devil. In order to do that, He had to be made like us in every way. Taking on a fallen – though not sinful – human nature. In this way, He can represent us before His Father as our faithful and eternal high priest. 

So back to the original question. Who is Jesus? If He is just a good teacher then His death is meaningless. If He’s just an enlightened human being then we can take or leave what He has to say. If He’s an angel or some other celestial creature then He is not like us and we are left without hope. But if He is God – as the Bible clearly and unequivocally declares Him to be – then we can trust Him when He says our sins are forgiven and we are set free. 

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 1:1-3:15, Hebrews 3, Psalms 104:1-23, Proverbs 26:24-26

God’s Faithfulness is Great

Readings for today: Lamentations 3, Hebrews 1, Psalms 102, Proverbs 26:21-22

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:22-26)

Some of the most precious words in all of Scripture are found in the most unlikely of places. Consider these verses from our reading today. They are the inspiration behind one of the greatest hymns in the Christian world. They are sung at funerals and in times of great sorrow as the people of God remind themselves of God’s promise. And yet, they come in the midst of a book full of unspeakable suffering and pain. Terrors on every side. God literally waging war on His people for their sin. God razing His city to the ground. Tearing His Temple down to its foundations. Lamentations is one of the hardest books for us to read much less understand. How could God treat His people in this way? How could God literally become our enemy? What does that say about us? What does it say about God? 

There is constant theme running throughout all of Scripture. The world is fallen. It is not as it should be. All the pain and suffering, violence and evil was not part of God’s original design. It is the direct result of human rebellion. Humanity refuses to worship God in the way He deserves and the way He demands. Instead, we aspire to be gods ourselves. We want to be in control. We want to be in charge. We fight and claw for as much power and wealth and control as possible. The result? Our world groans under the weight of our sin. Sadly, we refuse to take responsibility, choosing instead to blame God for our mess. Yes, the world is fallen but the good news is that God has not abandoned her. He will not let His creation descend into chaos and self-destruction. He reaches out to the world over and over again. He sets apart a people to be His chosen instrument of blessing to the nations. He sends them prophets and priests and kings to lead them in the way of righteousness. His will is for them to herald His great love and faithfulness. Alas, they fail. Their sin gets in the way. They conform to the ways of this world and the result is destruction and exile. 

The Bible would be a depressing book indeed except that a deeper and even grander theme emerges. The great faithfulness of God! Yes, this world is fallen but God is not done. Yes, things are not as they should be but God is making all things new. Yes, God’s original design has gone awry but God will not let go. God will have the worship He deserves and demands and so He sends His Son. He reveals Himself in all His glory in Jesus. His steadfast love and faithfulness takes on flesh and blood. His mercies take on human form. And those who wait for the Lord will find Him. Those who look to the Messiah will find salvation. They do not hope in vain for God is faithful to Himself. He is true to His own character. He is not like us. He does not lie. He does not change His mind. His love is eternal. His mercies renewed every morning. His grace amazing. His faithfulness is indeed great! 

Readings for tomorrow: Lamentations 4-5, Hebrews 2, Psalms 103, Proverbs 26:23

Lament

Readings for today: Lamentations 1-2, Philemon, Psalms 101, Proverbs 26:20

I am flying over the Atlantic Ocean right now. On a mission trip bound for Ethiopia. I will spend the next two weeks among the poorest of the poor. Men and women of whom the world is not worthy. Their suffering is unspeakable. Many of them have been beaten. Stabbed. Shot. Some have lost loved ones. Others have been imprisoned. They face hunger, thirst, disease and a host of other challenges that come along with living in the developing world. The people in the villages they serve are even worse off. They face drought. Famine. Natural disasters of various kinds. They have little to no access to healthcare or education or any of the other advantages I take for granted. Death is a constant companion. The result is a lot of despair. Depression. Hopelessness. 

Lament is such an important spiritual discipline. It’s okay to grieve.It’s okay to weep. It’s okay to have one’s heart broken over the state of the world. In fact, I’ve often prayed for God to give me His eyes to see and His heart for the world but only recently have I realized that God’s eyes are full of tears and His heart is a broken one. Lament allows us to share in God’s suffering for the world. It gives us a language to express our pain and heartbreak back to our Heavenly Father who loves us so much. 

The suffering of the people of Israel in the wake of the fall of Jerusalem is overwhelming. You can hear the cries of their hearts in the raw emotions of Lamentations. “She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks; among all her lovers she has none to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her; they have become her enemies…Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me, which the Lord inflicted on the day of his fierce anger…For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears; for a comforter is far from me, one to revive my spirit; my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed…Look, O Lord, for I am in distress; my stomach churns; my heart is wrung within me…” (Lamentations 1:2, 12, 16, 20) These are cries of dereliction. Cries of helplessness and hopelessness. There is nothing more bitter than the taste of utter despair. 

Furthermore, they know all of this is from God. They recognize it as His divine punishment on them for their sin. “How the Lord in his anger has set the daughter of Zion under a cloud! He has cast down from heaven to earth the splendor of Israel; he has not remembered his footstool in the day of his anger…The Lord has scorned his altar, disowned his sanctuary…The Lord determined to lay in ruins the wall of the daughter of Zion; he stretched out the measuring line; he did not restrain his hand from destroying; he caused rampart and wall to lament; they languished together. Her gates have sunk into the ground; he has ruined and broken her bars; her king and princes are among the nations; the law is no more, and her prophets find no vision from the Lord.” (Lamentations 2:1, 7-9) I can imagine nothing worse than feeling abandoned by God. To experience His wrath in place of His love. His justice in place of His mercy. To experience God as enemy rather than friend. Frankly, that sounds like hell to me.  

Lamentations is a book that honors the deepest, darkest, and most desperate places of our hearts. It invites us to grieve terribly over the state of our broken human condition. It encourages us to weep. It affirms our sorrow. The book reveals a God of terrifying justice and great faithfulness. It encourages us to come humbly before God acknowledging our sin yet confident in His grace. Whatever pain, suffering, or heartbreak we may experience in this life. Self-inflicted or not. Circumstantial or not. We can cry out in all honesty to God, “But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures to all generations. Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?” (Lamentations 5:19-20) And we can be just as certain He will answer our prayers. “Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old.” (Lamentations 5:21)

Readings for tomorrow: Lamentations 3, Hebrews 1, Psalms 102, Proverbs 26:21-22

I was Blind but now I See

Readings for today: Jeremiah 51:44-52, Titus 3, Psalms 100, Proverbs 26:18-19

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see. 

Those words ran through my head this morning as we read about the final days of the Kingdom of Judah and the end of Zedekiah. It’s a pretty gory picture. The King of Babylon captures him as he tries to escape. Makes him watch while he slaughters his sons and then puts out his eyes. It’s that last detail that I found myself pondering. Why does it appear so many times in these readings? Jeremiah mentions it twice in chapters 39 and 52. The historians mention it as well in 2 Kings 25. Perhaps it’s just a painful reminder of how utterly broken Zedekiah had become before the judgment of the Lord. 

As I pondered this little detail, I began to wonder if there wasn’t something more symbolic at work as well. After all, Zedekiah had been spiritually blind for years. He reigned for eleven years in Jerusalem but did evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not honor God. He did not walk in God’s ways or according to God’s commands. He disdained the Word of the Lord and rejected the worship of the Lord. So perhaps his physical blindness is simply the logical consequence for his spiritual blindness and that’s why it’s mentioned so many times. Or maybe I’m reading too much into it...:-) 

I remember my own spiritual blindness. I was raised in the church. My parents were faithful to take me to worship every Sunday. I sang in the choir. I hung out at youth group. By all outward appearances, I was incredibly engaged. However, my heart was hard. Selfish. Locked in sin. I was blinded by my own desires. My own fears. My own doubts. I could not see God. Could not hear God. Did not want to follow God. This was all exposed my freshman year of college. Once outside of the protective rhythms and accountability my parents set, I floundered. I was lost. I wandered aimlessly. I drank heavily. Skipped class. Avoided God. When confronted, I blamed others. I blamed my professors. I blamed my friends. I was so blind I could not see the wretch I’d become.  

That’s when I met Jesus. He confronted me on a sidewalk right outside the UMC up on the campus of the University of Colorado. He opened my eyes and it was like I was seeing the world for the very first time. The light was blinding. The exposure painful. All my sins were laid bare before Him. There was no escape. I was overwhelmed by sorrow. Overwhelmed by grief. Overwhelmed by the depth of my sin. The road back to health was not easy. It was one tentative step after another. It required facing the consequences of my actions. The brokenness of my relationships. The anxiety of my failures. But Jesus was faithful. He was the light for my feet. The lamp for my path. Because my eyes had been opened, I could actually see the way He laid out for me.  

I have no idea where you find yourself this morning. If you are blind or if you can see. Perhaps you are like Zedekiah or like I was prior to receiving Christ. Groping in the dark. Stumbling around in the shadows. Blinded by your desires. Fears. Doubts. Failures. I pray you come to Jesus! The One who specializes in restoring sight to the blind! Let Him open your eyes! Let Him show you His glory! 

Readings for tomorrow: Lamentations 1-2, Philemon, Psalms 101, Proverbs 26:20

God’s War with Evil

Readings for today: Jeremiah 49:23-50:46, Titus 1, Psalms 97-98, Proverbs 26:13-16

Exile from the Garden. Death in the Great Flood. Confusion at the Tower of Babel. Plagues in Egypt. Conquest of Canaan. What do all these biblical events have in common? God’s perpetual war against evil. God has made it clear from the beginning of time that He will not allow humanity to persist in sin. Just as He did not allow Adam and Eve to stretch out their hand and eat of the Tree of Life in the Garden after their sin, so He will not allow us to go on living in idolatry. God hates sin. He hates the idolatry of our hearts. He hates unrighteousness. He hates evil. 

Now I want to be very clear here. Just because God hates sin DOES NOT mean He hates sinners. Just because God hates idolatry DOES NOT mean He hates those who make the idols. God loves the world. God loves His creation. God loves those made in His image. And because His love is fierce and loyal and steadfast and true, He hates what sin does to us. He hates how it corrupts us. He hates how it breaks us. He hates how it dehumanizes us. In this way, God’s “hatred” is strangely comforting. It is strangely comforting to know God hates my sin so much He would die on a cross for me. It is strangely comforting to know God hates my sin so much He would send His Spirit to indwell me and sanctify me from within. It is strangely comforting to know God hates my sin so much He gives me the opportunity to repent and return to Him an almost infinite number of times. And what is true for me is also true for entire communities. Cities. Nations.  

God sets out to destroy the Ammonites. To punish them for their sin. The discipline of God is harsh and brutal and terrifying. But the section ends with a strange promise. God will restore the fortunes of the Ammonites. God sets out to destroy Elam. To punish them for their sin. The discipline of God is harsh and brutal and terrifying. But again, there is this strange promise. God will restore the fortunes of Elam.  

God set out to destroy His own people. The nation of Israel in both its northern and southern kingdoms.  “Israel is a hunted sheep driven away by lions. First the king of Assyria devoured him, and now at last Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has gnawed his bones.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭50:17‬) He punished them for their sin. The discipline of God was harsh and brutal and terrifying. But now the tables turn. The very instruments God used to bring about His discipline now come under His judgment. Where is the might of Assyria? What happened to her? Her meteoric rise in human history was matched by her sudden fall. The same is true for Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar was the mightiest ruler of his time but his empire would not last. Why? Because he did not just battle with Israel. He went to war with God Himself. 

Psalm 97 is one of my favorites…“The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and burns up his adversaries all around. His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory. All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; worship him, all you gods! Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O Lord. For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!” No one can resist God’s power. No one can match His might. It is God who holds the fate of the nations in His hands. God who directs their paths. God who sets their courses. It is God who causes them to rise and fall according to His will and His plan. No one escapes God’s judgment. No one can hide from His sight. No one can run from His presence. God is on the march! He will not rest until the whole earth is cleansed. He will not relent until the whole earth repents and turns to Him. He will not let up until sin and evil is utterly defeated and destroyed. 

What is our response? Fear? Trembling? On some level, the answer is yes. Even better, it should be humility. Confession. Repentance. Joy. For this same God has promised to make all things new. Including you. Including me. He has promised one day to wipe away all our tears. Eliminate all pain and suffering. Gather His children to Himself in glory to live forever safe and secure in His loving arms. Turn to God, friends. Suffer under His discipline no longer. Let His Spirit cleanse you and sanctify you and give you a heart that beats for Jesus alone.  

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 51:1-53, Titus 2, Psalms 99, Proverbs 26:17

God-Breathed

Readings for today: Jeremiah 48:1-49:22, 2 Timothy 4, Psalms 95-96, Proverbs 26:9-12

There are two things that are “God-breathed” according to the Bible. Scripture itself and human beings. In the beginning, God creates humanity. Male and female made in His image. Fashioned from the dust of the earth, God brings them to life by breathing His spirit into them. They are given the mandate to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and exercise dominion over all He has made. 

In a similar fashion, God brings the Scriptures to life. Without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Without God breathing out these very words, the Bible is just another book. Just another ancient text that may or may not have much relevance for our lives. There would be no difference between it and the Koran or the Book of Mormon or any other sacred text. The sentiment expressed by Paul to his protege, Timothy, in 2 Timothy 3:16 is what sets it apart. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness...” Paul has been following this guidance in his own correspondence with the churches he’s planted. A careful examination shows hundreds of quotes and allusions to the Old Testament. Paul is a first-rate rabbinical scholar who has been taking the text and applying it to the specific situation each church faces. His brilliance at applying the Scriptures in an authoritative way is what sets his letters apart from that of the other church leaders at the time. Even the Apostle Peter recognizes the unique authority Paul’s been given when he writes, “And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters.” (2 Peter‬ ‭3:15-16‬) 

Throughout history, Christians have believed God reveals Himself in two “books.” The book of nature whereby God reveals Himself as Creator and the book of Scripture whereby God reveals Himself as Savior. The Holy Spirit is the key that unlocks our understanding not only of the world around us but also of the Word of God. He illumines our hearts and minds. He gives us insight into who God is and what God is about. He speaks to us in ways we can grasp and understand. All so that we will come to a deeper relationship with the One who loves us more than we can ever hope or dream.  

If you’ve been tracking with us this year, I am sure you have had moments where God has spoken to you from His Word. Verses that stuck out to you for all sorts of reasons. Perhaps it was a difficult time you were going through. A difficult decision you had to make. Or a difficult situation you needed to resolve. Maybe it was a Word of affirmation that came just at the right time. Or a Word of comfort. Perhaps it was a fresh insight or flash of understanding as you learned something new. These are all signs of the Holy Spirit breathing new life in and through the text. And it never gets old. Never grows stale. There’s always more to learn.  

God doesn’t just breathe His Word into you. He wants to breathe His Word through you to the world. This is why Paul concludes his letter to Timothy with a strong charge to preach what he has learned. “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy‬ ‭4:1-5‬) Friends, now more than ever our world needs the truth of the gospel. Our world is full of all kinds of fake news, lies, deceit, gossip, slander, etc. People are suffering. People are struggling. They are looking for anything and everything to fill that eternal void in their hearts. How is God responding to this great need? He sends you. He sends me. The people on whom He has breathed His Spirit and into whom He has breathed His Word! So fulfill your calling! Engage your ministry! Do the work of evangelism and share the good news of Jesus with everyone you meet!

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 49:23-50:46, Titus, Psalms 97-98, Proverbs 26:13-16

The Kingdom of God

Readings for today: Jeremiah 44:24-47:7, 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17, Psalms 94, Proverbs 26:6-8

“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." (Revelation‬ ‭11:15‬)

I wonder if we truly grasp the implications of what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer. Do we really mean what we say when we ask our Father to accomplish “His will on earth as it is in heaven.”  It reminds me of the famous quote from Annie Dillard, “On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return. ” Or the great quote from CS Lewis, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” We simply cannot see beyond the horizons of this world. We refuse to look past the immediate gratification of our desires. We are all materialists at heart, believing this world is all there is and refusing to acknowledge the reality of a bigger, larger, more glorious kingdom. We hold onto the power and privilege of this world and refuse to surrender our hearts to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We give Him part of our lives - as if we have that option - and believe He will somehow give us a pass on the rest. We believe He’s returning one day but we forget that with that return comes the final judgment when all of our thoughts, attitudes, and actions will be laid bare. 

I am not sure why God’s actions take us by surprise. He tells us quite clearly and frequently in not so many words that the kingdoms of this world WILL become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. He tells us every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. In heaven. On earth. Under the earth that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. He tells us He will punish sin and iniquity to the third and fourth generations. He tells us He will protect and defend and discipline His people. He tells us idolatry is a capital offense that deserves the death penalty so it shouldn’t surprise us when He executes such judgment on the pagan nations. I know it is scary. It is a picture of God we are not used to seeing. We don’t like this view of God. We don’t want to acknowledge holiness as a part of His eternal character. We would much rather settle for an indulgent god who loves us as we are and never challenges us or judges us but always accepts and affirms everything we say and do. But such a god bears no resemblance to the God of the Bible.  

It is hard to read these words from Jeremiah. It is hard to think about the millions of people who will suffer as a result of the judgment God brings on their nation. It is easy to think of them as innocent bystanders who simply are collateral damage in this war God is waging against the false gods. However, innocence is a lie. There is no such thing as an innocent human being. We are all guilty of idolatry. All guilty of betraying our first love. All guilty of sin and have gone astray and the wages of our sin is death. The just consequence for our behavior is death. God is not losing control here. He is not lashing out. God is not suffering from “road-rage.” He is acting in accordance with divine justice.  

You may not buy this idea. You may think I’m making excuses for God. After reading this, you may want to throw out your Old Testament. But before you do, please understand you will also be throwing out the cross. The cross makes no sense without the Old Testament. The suffering and death of Jesus makes no sense without all that has gone before it. Christ comes embedded in a story that is already in progress. In fact, the crucifixion is the apex of this story! It is the climax to this grand narrative! It is the place where God throws down ALL His judgment. ALL His wrath. ALL His righteous anger at human sin. Jesus hangs in our place. Jesus stands in the gap. Jesus becomes our substitute. Taking it ALL on Himself and fully satisfying the Father. And this is why the Father gives Him all authority in heaven and on earth. Jesus bought the throne at the price of His own blood and He shall reign forever and ever! 

In fact, He is reigning even now from on high. The world ignores Him at their own peril. He is preparing to come again. This time with glory and power from on high. So hear in Jeremiah’s words a warning. Bow the knee. Surrender your will. Submit to Christ. For He is your King! 

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 48:1-49:22, 2 Timothy 4, Psalms 95-96, Proverbs 26:9-12

Gospel Hope

Readings for today: Jeremiah 42:1-44:23, 2 Timothy 2:1-21, Psalms 92-93, Proverbs 26:3-5

Lesslie Newbigin was an Anglican missionary in India for decades. When he retired, he returned home to England where he spent the rest of his life speaking, teaching, and writing about the mission of God around the world. He was asked one day - based on all he had seen - if he was an optimist or a pessimist. I love his response. “I am neither an optimist nor a pessimist; Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.”

It sounds like a non-sequitur. Like Newbigin was avoiding the question. I don’t think so. After all his years in the mission field, I think his thinking simply transcended the binary categories of this world. For Newbigin, it’s not about whether the world is getting better or worse because he knows his only hope is in Christ Jesus. His only hope is in the Kingdom Jesus inaugurated on earth through his death and resurrection. He lives therefore by a different set of rules. He thinks in eternal categories. His eyes have been permanently lifted above the chaos that fills the earth to the peace that comes only from heaven.

The Apostle Paul shares Newbigin’s perspective. And he is trying to pass it on to his young protege, Timothy. “Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus…Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor…Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.” (2 Timothy‬ ‭2:1, 3-6, 8-10‬) So much of the New Testament from Jesus to Paul to Peter to James to John directs our gaze heavenward. To the place where no moth, rust, or thieves break into steal. To the place where homes are being built not made by human hands. To the place Jesus ascended in order to prepare the way for us. Heaven is the Christian’s home. This world is passing away with all its trinkets and trivialities. All its suffering and heartbreak and pain. As good soldiers in Christ, we don’t get caught up in its affairs. As God’s athletes, we are competing for a heavenly prize. As spiritual farmers, we are sowing and reaping eternal rewards.

Does this mean we forget this world? Does it mean we become so heavenly minded we are of no earthly good? Of course not. We are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world. We are sent out to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. The good news of the gospel. Filled with God’s grace and the Holy Spirit, we work to bring God’s will, God’s way, God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. But we do so soberly. Humbly. Meekly. Always recognizing the temptation to place our hopes in our own strength. Our own wisdom. Our own effort. If we aren’t careful, we’ll start to believe our own hype. We’ll fall into the trap of thinking we can bring the Kingdom of heaven to earth without any help from the King.

This is why Paul leaves Timothy with the following admonition…“This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. Remind everyone about these things…” (2 Timothy‬ ‭2:11-14) Friends, our only hope in life and in death is that we belong - body and soul - to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ. No matter how life is going for you - good, bad, ugly - do not place your hope in your circumstances. Do not despair over your circumstances. Fix your eyes on Jesus and let His hope fill your heart!

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 44:24-47:7, 2 Timothy 2:22-3:17, Psalms 94, Proverbs 26:6-8

Emotional Power

Readings for today: Jeremiah 39-41, 2 Timothy 1, Psalms 90-91, Proverbs 26:1-2

I grew up next door to a bully. I was younger than him. Smaller than him. Weaker than him. He made it his goal in life to torment me. Every day I would run outside to play with all the kids in our neighborhood and he would be there waiting for me. The next thing I knew, I was running back inside in tears. My mom first encouraged me to ignore him. When that didn’t work, she encouraged me to stand up to him. When that didn’t work, she encouraged me to punch him as hard as I could in the mouth. That effectively ended the bullying. As I grew older, I knew I couldn’t solve my problems through violence but my feelings still got hurt. People still said mean things about me. Still made fun of me. Still attacked my character from time to time. And something my father used to tell me - that I used to find incredibly frustrating - has stuck with me. “No one hurts your feelings…you allow your feelings to be hurt.” No one has emotional power over you unless you give it to them. No one can harm you unless you first make yourself vulnerable. Now I realize there are all kinds of implications to this advice. Some positive. Some negative. But it’s the first thing I thought of this morning when I read these words from 2 Timothy…

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy‬ ‭1:7‬)

The world tells us we need to be afraid. The world tells us we are weak and vulnerable. The world tells us we are victims of our circumstances. And sometimes the world is right. I know far too many who’ve suffered abuse. I know far too many who’ve faced discrimination. I’ve known far too many who’ve been the victims of terrible crimes. These things are real and I do not want to diminish them in any way. At the same time, I’ve also known far too many who live with a spirit of fear. I’ve known far too many who refuse to take responsibility for their own emotional health and well-being. They make themselves vulnerable to all the wrong people at all the wrong times. They are the victims of their own poor choices and when confronted, they blame-shift. They believe the lies that they are powerless, helpless, and hopeless. Their despair is heartbreaking.

Friends, God has not given us a spirit of fear. He has given us a spirit of power, love, and self-control. He has not left us helpless and hopeless, abandoned and alone. He has given us His Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. You have been given a spirit of power so that you might transcend your circumstances. You have been given a spirit of love that is in no way contingent on the actions, attitudes, or response of another human being. You have been given a spirit of self-control that allows to fight against both your sinful nature and the corrupt systems of this world. Don’t believe the lies! You are not trapped! You are not a victim! You are not a lost cause! These things do not define you!

If you are in Christ then you have been filled with His Spirit. The same Spirit that sustained Christ through His life, death, and resurrection now lives inside of you! Think of all Christ endured in this life. All the injustice. All the abuse. All the suffering. All the pain. Think of the wrongful imprisonment. The mock trial. The extreme torture. The agonizing death. And yet Jesus never plays the victim. “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father." (John‬ ‭10:18‬)

In some strange way, my father was right. No one hurts my feelings unless I let them. No one takes my joy from me unless I allow it. No one takes my peace from me unless I first give them permission. I have been given authority over my life through Christ. I have been given authority over my body through Christ. I have been given authority over my emotions through Christ. I have been given authority over my mind through Christ. Does this mean bad things will never happen to me? Of course not. In this world we will suffer. In this world we will face trials and temptations. But my life is now hid with Christ so I no longer need be afraid. I’ve been crucified with Christ and no longer live so this world has no hold on me. This world has nothing for me. My eyes are fixed on Christ who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising its shame.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 42:1-44:23, 2 Timothy 2:1-21, Psalms 92-93, Proverbs 26:3-5

Rejecting God’s Word

Readings for today: Jeremiah 37-38, 1 Timothy 6, Psalms 89:38-52, Proverbs 25:28

I want to tag back to yesterday’s reading for our devotional today because it speaks to our relationship with God’s Word. The Bible declares God’s Word to be living and active. Breathed out by God Himself. It is sharper than a two-edged sword and pierces to the innermost parts of our beings. God’s Word has a power all its own. It never returns empty. It always accomplishes the purposes God sets out for it because God Himself guarantees it.

God is faithful. God is true. God never breaks His Word. From the beginning, God has set His heart on having a people He will call His very own. He made an unbreakable covenant with Abraham. He renewed that covenant at Mt. Sinai. He raised up prophets, priests, and kings to protect the covenant. Over and over again, God declares His covenant to His people. Each generation needing to commit themselves anew. Sadly, God’s people were not faithful. They rejected their God. They rejected His Word. They rejected His ways. Perhaps the saddest story of all comes at the end of Israel’s national life, where the king literally cuts up God’s Word and burns it in the fire.

“Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin." (Jeremiah‬ ‭36:2-3‬) Jeremiah obeys. He writes everything down on a scroll and gives it to his servant, Baruch, to proclaim. Baruch goes to the Lord’s House and reads it in the presence of all who’ve gathered. Officials from the king’s household hear the news and they ask Baruch to come and read the scroll to them. Eventually, the scroll makes it’s way into the king’s presence for one final hearing. The tension builds. How will the king respond? Will he repent? Will he turn back to the Lord? Will he humble himself and bow the knee? Sadly, the answer is no. He takes out a knife and cuts the scroll to pieces as each line is read and then proceeds to burn it in his fire pit. His rejection of the Word of God is complete and final. So is his doom.

One cannot so easily dispose of God’s Word. Coming from the Holy Spirit, it is eternal. Unquenchable. Inflammable. Unbreakable. The grass may wither and the flower may fade but the Word of God endures forever.  (Isaiah 40:8) So again the Word comes to Jeremiah. Only this time, judgment has replaced grace. Justice has replaced mercy. God’s wrath is about to be fully unveiled. “Thus says the Lord, You have burned this scroll, saying, "Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast?" Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night. And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭36:29-31‬)

It is a serious matter to reject the Word of God. To disobey His commands. Whether by ignorance or by deliberate defiance, we rebel against God to our own peril. God takes our sin seriously. Far more seriously than we know. He is so holy. So righteous. So just. His nose cannot bear the stench of sin. His eyes will not behold the stain of sin. His presence will not endure even the appearance of sin. It must be dealt with. It must be done away with. A price must be paid. A sacrifice offered. It will either be us or it will be Christ. Either you receive Christ as your perfect sacrifice. Receive Christ as your perfect substitute. Receive Christ’s atoning death on your behalf or you will bear the punishment yourself. You will receive all the judgment and righteous anger of God. It will be eternal and unending because the depth of your sin and rebellion is eternal and unending. 

I know this sounds harsh. I know this doesn’t feel good. What about God’s love? It is there! In Christ! One cannot separate Christ from the love of God for Christ Himself is the love of God!  “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John‬ ‭4:10‬) God has provided a way for you to escape the coming judgment just as He provided a way for Jehoiakim to escape his coming judgment! Repentance! Faith! Accepting the perfect sacrifice God Himself has offered on your behalf! Do not reject the Word of God, friends! Receive Christ and live!

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 39-41, 2 Timothy 1, Psalms 90-91, Proverbs 26:1-2

Amazing Grace

Readings for today: Jeremiah 33-34, 1 Timothy 4, Psalms 89:1-13, Proverbs 25:23-24

God’s grace is truly amazing. No matter how bad things get. No matter how far we fall. No matter how fast we run. God is always quick to forgive. Quick to relent of the judgment our sin rightfully deserves. Zedekiah is another in a long line of evil kings. Kings who reject the will of God. Kings who worship idols. Kings who seek their own glory and power instead of humbly serving God. Judgment is coming. Jeremiah has been sent to proclaim the impending doom. The sins of Israel are many and have piled up over the years, creating a mess God intends to use Babylon to clean up. It’s going to be ugly. It’s going to be tragic. It’s going to be painful. Many will suffer. Many will die. All they hold dear will be destroyed as God’s justice rolls down on the earth. 

But even now at the eleventh hour, there is hope. God’s mercy makes one last appearance. God commands Jeremiah to speak a word of grace to the nation. To speak words of life instead of death. “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known…Behold, I will bring to the city health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭33:3, 6-9) Yes, they cannot escape God’s judgment. Yes, they cannot escape the exile to come. But this is not the final word. God will not allow His eternal covenant to be broken.

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: 'The Lord is our righteousness.' "For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever." (Jeremiah‬ ‭33:14-18‬)

Friends, Jesus is the righteous Branch God has caused to spring up out of the waste and desolation that is left of Israel. God sends His Messiah to executive justice and righteousness in the land once more. God sends His Messiah to save His people and secure His city. Jesus is the greater David. The righteous King who now sits on His throne. Jesus is our great High Priest constantly making intercession for us before the Ancient of Days. Jesus is God’s answer to all that has gone wrong in this world and Jesus is God’s solution to the perpetual problem of human sin.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 35-36, 1 Timothy 5, Psalms 89:14-37, Proverbs 25:25-27

New Covenant

Readings for today: Jeremiah 31:27-32:44, 1 Timothy 3, Psalms 88, Proverbs 25:20-22

This morning I went on a run with a friend and we talked about the blessings of adversity. The lessons we learn only through hardship and suffering. The ways God reveals Himself to us when we are down and out and have nowhere to go. The humility we receive when our strength and wisdom has failed and we’ve come to the end of ourselves. Most of all, we talked about what it’s like to be fired in the furnace of affliction and come out refined as pure gold. This is God’s promise repeated throughout the Scriptures and we see it again today in our reading from Jeremiah.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jeremiah‬ ‭31:31-34‬)

Think about everything Israel has endured. First, consider her sin. Her unfaithfulness. Her spiritual adultery. Her rebellion against God’s Law. Israel was full of evil towards the end. She looked no different than any other nation on earth. She was full of injustice and greed and oppression. She worshipped many gods. Built many temples. Visited many shrines. Rather than serve as a light to the Gentiles, she adopted their pagan customs and ways. The result was judgment. God poured out the cup of His wrath upon them. He tread the winepress of His fury and paid them back in full for their sins. He sent them into exile. He destroyed everything they held dear. It was brutal and terrifying.

Jeremiah has watched all this go by. Set apart by birth from God to serve as His prophet, Jeremiah has the unenviable task of speaking God’s truth to a people who will not listen in a time of great cultural upheaval. He is called to pronounce judgment. He is called to speak hard truth. He is called to challenge the rulers of his people who are leading everyone astray. He is beaten. He is imprisoned. He is dragged before the authorities on more than one occasion. His life is hard. He grieves. He weeps. He suffers. And just when you think it can get any worse…a fresh Word appears.

God will not forget His people. He will not abandon them forever. He will make a new covenant with them. It will replace the covenant He first made with Israel when they came up out of Egypt. It will replace the covenant forged at the Mountain of Sinai where they received God’s Law. Instead of carving His Law on tablets of stone, God will carve into every person’s heart. He will adopt them again as His children. He will be their God. They will be His people. There will no longer be a need for high priests to intercede for God Himself will be their intercessor. Their mediator. Their teacher. He will wipe away their sin. He will cleanse them from their iniquity. He will restore them to right relationship with Him.

How will all this happen? Jesus. In Jesus, God meets His people face to face. He rends the heavens and comes to earth. He comes down to our level. He meets us where we are. He speaks our language. Endures our suffering. Becomes one with us. God with us. He dies in our place. Taking the sins of the world on His shoulders. He turns aside the Father’s wrath. He pays the full penalty for our sin. He satisfies the demands of divine justice. And after rising again from the grave and ascending into heaven, He sends us His Spirit. To dwell in our hearts. To give us a heart transplant. It is the Spirit of God who inscribed God’s Law into our hearts. It is the Spirit of God who regenerates us so that we might know the Living God. It is the Spirit of God who applies the work of Jesus to our lives. It is the Spirit of God who guarantees our salvation. This is why Jeremiah buys a field. He can see into the future and He trusts God to make good on His promise.

Do you trust God to make good on His promises? Do you take God at His Word? In the midst of all the trials and struggles and heartbreaks of this life, do you look to Jesus for hope? No matter where you’ve been. No matter where life has taken you. No matter what you’ve experienced - good, bad, or ugly - you can trust God to faithful and true. He is calling out to you. He is reaching out for you. He is working right now to bring you home. Embrace the new covenant He offers you in Christ and you will find the peace you’ve been searching for.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 33-34, 1 Timothy 4, Psalms 89:1-13, Proverbs 25:23-24

Political Prayer

Readings for today: Jeremiah 30:1-31:26, 1 Timothy 2, Psalms 87, Proverbs 25:18-19

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.“ (1 Timothy‬ ‭2:1-4)

Do you believe God wants to save Donald Trump? Do you believe God wants to save Hilary Clinton? Do you believe God wants to save Xi Jinping or Kim Jong-Un? Do you believe God wants to save your senator or representative? What about the man or woman serving in your state assembly? Town Council? School board?

Politics has a way of bringing out the worst in us. Our Twitter feeds are full of condemnations of those with whom we disagree. We live in a “call-out” culture where self-proclaimed watchdogs take advantage of every opportunity to go on the attack. We assassinate character. We impugn motives. We assume the absolute worst about people. All sides of the political equation are guilty. And all they are doing is playing to the masses. There’s a reason most of the cable news shows have devolved into opinion segments. We don’t really want hard news. We want to live in an echo chamber where our own views are expressed without being challenged. It’s comforting to us to know there are others who hold our opinions. It’s like a warm blanket that makes us feel safe.

Now imagine you live in Timothy’s world. A young pastor serving a new church in a city called Ephesus where the introduction of the Christian faith caused a riot. Upended the economy. Made you very unpopular with the locals. Talk about a tough job. It would be easy to retreat. To pull back. To go into hiding. It would be easy to attack your enemies. To work against the authorities. To subvert the empire. It would be tempting to call down fire on those who are actively persecuting you. Curse the Romans who are seeking to abuse, torture, and kill many in your congregation. But then you get this letter from your spiritual mentor. Paul encourages you to go the other way. To pray for all people. Especially kings and those in authority. He challenges Timothy to pray in faith for the salvation of all who would believe. Jews and Gentiles. Romans and barbarians. Slave and free. It’s a bold call and it sounds so like Jesus.

Imagine what would happen if we spent as much time praying as we did scrolling through social media? Imagine what would happen if we prayed for our leaders and those in authority rather than constantly subject them to our withering attacks? Imagine if it didn’t matter what political party was in power or who lived in the White House or who donned the robes of the Supreme Court? Imagine if those in power received the full prayer support of Christians all over the country? Imagine if instead of complaining about their decision-making, we prayed for wisdom? Imagine if instead of attacking them over their arrogance and pride, we prayed for humility? Imagine if instead of killing them over the mistakes they inevitably make, we prayed for conviction? And imagine if - after praying - we then re-engaged the public sphere and lovingly confronted our leaders with the truth of the gospel?

The call to prayer is not a call to passivity. It’s not a call to inaction. It’s not a retreat. It’s a way for us to get our own hearts right before the Lord. To check our motives and make sure they align with Jesus. It’s a way for us to surrender any of our own personal or political agendas to the Lord and let Him guide and direct our steps. The kingdoms of this world rise and fall. They come and go. At their very best, they are still full of corruption and injustice and oppression. Such is true for all human systems. We battle principalities and powers. Spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. The only weapons we have are not of the flesh. The weapons of prayer and God’s Word are the only things mighty enough to tear down every stronghold and every high thing that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.

Friends, if you find yourself discouraged by the actions or inactions of our current political leaders…pray. If you find yourself frustrated by the overheated rhetoric that passes for political discourse these days…pray. If you find yourself growing angry or feel the rage building at the injustices perpetrated by any local, state, or national administrations…pray. Cry out to God! Call on Him for salvation! And then fight not just for the soul of our nation but for the souls of those who lead our nation.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 31:27-32:44, 1 Timothy 3, Psalms 88, Proverbs 25:20-22

For I Know the Plans I have for You…

Readings for today: Jeremiah 28-29, 1 Timothy 1, Psalms 86, Proverbs 25:17

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬)

If only I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard this verse quoted at a graduation, wedding, seen it on a t-shirt or coffee mug. It has become cliche. A platitude we like to use to support the fulfillment of our dreams and desires. It’s why proof-texting is a dangerous business. 

Jeremiah 29:11 is a verse embedded in a story. A tragic story. The story of Israel’s exile. They have lost their home. They have been forcibly removed. (Think Trail of Tears or something like it...) Their leaders have been tortured and put to death. All of their cultural icons - including the Temple of God itself - have been raised to the ground. In short, their collective identity as the people of God has suffered a massive hit, leaving behind an emotional and spiritual crater that will not be easily filled. Especially not as they rebuild in a foreign land. 

Think about the collective shock we all felt on 9/11 when the planes hit both towers and the Pentagon. Think about the grief we all felt. The rage. The anger. Now multiply that many times over. Imagine terrorists taking over our country. Capturing our leaders. Torturing them on national television and executing them. Imagine them systematically destroying every monument we’ve ever built. Washington. Lincoln. Jefferson memorials all destroyed. Arlington. Mount Vernon. Monticello. All burned to the ground. Imagine them trying to erase “America” from the face of the earth. This is what the Israelites experienced and as they begin to settle into captivity. Into slavery. Into their new lives as strangers and foreigners in a new land and then they receive this letter from Jeremiah. 

• “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29:5-6‬) In essence, live your lives. Do what you’ve always done. Don’t spend your days looking back at where you’ve been but forward to the future. 

• “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29:7‬) Pray for your enemies. For those who destroyed your way of life. For those who killed your loved ones. Conquered your land. Burned your cities. Destroyed your nation. And don’t just pray. Actively seek to bless them. Bless their city. Bless their communities. Be salt and light in this new place. 

• “For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29:10‬) Settle in for the long haul. This is not going to quick or easy. You will be in exile for generations. Your children and children’s children will be born here. You may actually never return home yourselves. 

It is only AFTER all these difficult things have been said that Jeremiah pens the words we love to quote so much, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11-14) 

Friends, the hard truth we don’t like to think about very much is that God’s plans for us often include exile. Suffering. Hardship. Pain. God uses things as tools to knock off the rough edges of our lives. To refine out all the impurity. To strain out all the sin. His “good” plans for us that give us a future and a hope include taking us through the fire so that we can be made pure and holy as He is pure and holy. Seeking God with all our hearts means trusting Him with the direction of our lives...even when that direction doesn’t appear to be comfortable or safe. It means letting Him lead and guide us into dark valleys where all we have is His presence. It means trusting the Good Shepherd to eventually find us green pastures and still waters though the journey may be long and arduous to get from here to there. This is what Jeremiah is trying to communicate to his people as they start their heartbreaking, gut-wrenching exile in Babylon. God is with them. He has not forgotten them. He will eventually redeem them. This is their hope! This is their future! And though they themselves may not actually get there, they can trust God will bring their descendants home.   

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 30:1-31:26, 1 Timothy 2, Psalms 87, Proverbs 25:18-19