A Chuckle and a Cringe

Some passages of Scripture make me chuckle. Then there are others that start off making me chuckle until I realize just how serious they are. Take these verses from 2 Timothy, for example.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. 2 Timothy 3:1-5

This passage combines such a wide range of behaviors and attitudes to describe the wickedness we must avoid. And, right in the middle of the list, we find the phrase “disobedient to parents.” Out of everything that could be said about such evil men, this one seems almost ludicrous. Until...

Until you stop to contemplate what disobedient children grow up to become. As children, they disobey and disrespect their parents and other adults. As adults, they refuse to submit to authority. How many ramifications exist in such defiance?

But, disobedience to parents isn't the only thing we might be inclined to chuckle at. We have become so lax, even as Christians, that it doesn't bother us if some of our brothers and sisters tend to be ungrateful about everything. We are only slightly concerned if any of them hold a grudge and refuse to be reconciled to someone. And, we all need to look out for our own well-being and make sure we have the things we need, but that doesn't make up lovers of self or money. Does it? We all need a break now and then, but surely that isn't replacing our love for God with a love for pleasure. I could go on...

The problem with going on is that I have already seen myself in this list, and I don't like the picture. These are the people we should avoid in these “last days” and “difficult times,” yet I fall into many of these traps. Why? Because as much as I hate to admit it, I don't always take the Bible seriously. Instead I chuckle when “disobedient to parents” is compared to people who are “brutal.”

When God calls us to holiness, the expectation is high. It is so high, in fact, that we cannot attain to it. We cannot avoid fitting into this list...unless we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, filling us with the power of God.

Oh, may we begin to truly take God's Word seriously! Oh, may we no longer be lax and laid back in our obedience to His Word! And oh, may we stand out and not be counted among those who should be avoided in these last days and difficult times.

1 Peter, Week 4

Note: This post is fourth in a series of nine posts working through a nine-week Bible study. Week one can be found here. Lesson posts are posted every Tuesday.

This week's study from 1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times focused on living faithfully in a society hostile to Christianity. I have to say that, for me, the crux of the entire lesson came down to this verse:

...and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threat, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 1 Peter 2:23

The verse speaks of Jesus and what He endured when He went to the cross. He was without sin, yet He was condemned, beaten, and sent to die the death of the worst of criminals. How can I ever cry for justice for myself when the least of my sin is worthy of the death Jesus died? He took that death for me without even the slightest objection to the insults, accusations, or physical blows directed toward Him.

In the context of the lesson, Jesus' surrender of all deserved justice gives us a picture of how we should respond to the persecution of this world. This is not necessarily a step-by-step instruction guide showing every action we should take when we are persecuted. If it were, how could we explain how some are called to die for their faith while others are spared? How would we reconcile the actions of those who publicly preach in hostile environments with those who disciple in hiding? Instead, this is a call to follow Jesus' example. Jesus trusted. He trusted the Father to handle the details. He trusted the Father to handle the judgment. Jesus simply walked in perfect obedience, obedience that led Him to death on the cross. Philippians 2:5 calls us to have this same attitude, the attitude of humble obedience, even if it means death for ourselves as well.

In all honesty, I don't endure persecution like Peter's audience endured. Chances are, many of you do not either. The worst I experience is to “endure” the talk of several friends and family members who repeatedly poke fun at and insult my faith. They do me no harm, other than to sadden my heart. I am in no danger because of their words. So, lacking in direct persecution and danger to ourselves, how does the lesson of 1 Peter 2:23 shake out for us?

I see two things:

1. Trust. This isn't only about persecution. This is about every hard thing we do in life. This is about seeing a loved one walking a dangerous path, but knowing we can do nothing about it. This is about enduring a painful ordeal that seems to be never-ending. This is about aching for a hurting friend and wishing we could just fix it. We may not be living under hard-core persecution, but we are still in the battle against spiritual forces. And every pain we see requires an active response on our part: the response of trust. God is just. Will we trust Him to act justly in every painful situation we see or endure?

2. Preparation. For many Christians living in Europe in 1939, the level of persecution changed overnight. One day they were free to worship and live as they pleased, with the worst of their persecution being insults from unbelievers. The next day, a madman invaded their land and truly living out the fullness of their faith became instantly dangerous. It could happen here, too. Every ounce of our freedom could be gone in an instant. If we can trust God to be the perfect Judge over the insults today, then we will be better equipped to walk in that trust tomorrow when the true persecution comes.

So, it comes down to entrusting myself to the perfect Judge. If I will do that, I will be able to face anything this pagan world has to throw at me.

It Shows

Have you ever seen the change that comes over someone when they find the love they never expected?

It might be a child who has never been loved by a family. There's a hardness. A toughness. An “I can make it through life without anybody's help” attitude about her. Then, a family opens their arms, home, and hearts to her. There's a fight at first, because she just doesn't want to be hurt again. But, as their love persists through the fight, suddenly she realizes she really is home. And though it may take months or even years, the change finally comes. And when the change comes, it's an incredible and complete transformation.

Or it might be the man whose heart was broken in high school by the girl he just knew he would spend the rest of his life with. She walked away with someone else, and in that moment he became convinced he would never love again. In his eyes you can see the barrier. He is closed. He might have friends. He might even have other girlfriends. But, as soon as any of them get too close, he backs away and throws up the wall. He might wear a smile, but it only shows on his lips. There is nothing he truly enjoys. Even his favorite hobbies are only fun for a time, and then the emptiness returns. Everything others celebrate is just an opportunity for him to show his cynicism. Until that day when someone manages to break down his barriers. That day when someone loves him through it all and doesn't let go. And then it clicks. He can't help but love her back. And when he does, those barricaded eyes fling open. The cynicism disappears. And every celebration becomes filled with joy for the first time in years.

Have you seen it? I have. And it melts my heart. The transformation can make a person almost unrecognizable. You see them do things and hear them say things they never would have before. You see them celebrate when before they would have mocked. Even people on the fringe of their lives suddenly get to know them in ways they never would have before. It's a breathtakingly beautiful transformation.

But, there's only one kind of love that can do it. It's the love of God. There is no home that can truly transform a child unless it is a home that belongs to God. There is not a romantic relationship that can keep from breaking that heart again unless it is a relationship that is centered in submission to Christ. With Him, it's beautiful. Without Him, it's impossible.

The most beautiful thing about such stories is that it doesn't actually take a family's home or a romantic relationship to break down the hurt and bring in the freedom. No, all it takes is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He does use His people to accomplish the purpose, but it all comes back to Him. It all comes back to the love that He pours out through us.

Are you that unloved child? Do you have that broken heart? God might heal your hurts through His children, but don't look for it there. Look for it in Him directly. Open yourself up to His love. And let everyone around you rejoice as they see the transformation in your eyes.

It will be a beautiful sight.

A Heart Like Daniel’s

I've been looking back through my journal lately, reminding myself of lessons learned in the past couple of months and trying to determine whether or not I have actually put those lessons into action. As I ponder through them, many of them will probably show up here, intermingled with the more recent thoughts from Scripture and life.

One that stands out to me today came from an October reading from Daniel.

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans—in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. Daniel 9:1-3

I have read this passage many times. I think I've just skimmed past it, though, because Daniel's apocalyptic visions are so hard to wrap my mind around. But this time something really stood out to me. Daniel had been taken from his home as a young man – possibly in his teens – when God's judgment fell on Jerusalem and Judah and the exile began. According to Jeremiah, the length of the exile was to be seventy years. Obviously, Daniel was observing that this time was coming to an end because his prayers began to center on the restoration of Jerusalem and her people.

It was this focus of prayer that really grabbed my attention and my heart this time around. Daniel was an old man by now, and he had been through quite a bit in his years. I'm sure there were many times of fear and uncertainty in his life as he went through this trial and that challenge, including being thrown into a den of starving lions. He had endured power changes and had managed to be elevated to high positions in almost every one. He had seen prosperity and success, but he had also seen without a doubt that he could have a good, solid, vibrant, growing relationship with the one true God even in the pagan land of Babylon. Even as he served closely under pagan kings, he could remain true to his faith. He saw his God meet every last one of his spiritual needs right where he was.

And yet, he prayed fervently that he and his people be restored to their home.

In our eyes, it seems insane for Daniel to not be fully satisfied where he is. In all his prosperity, both spiritual and political, he's not content? His life has not been full and good?

But the key here is that it wasn't about Daniel's life. It was about God's heart. As Daniel read the prophecies of Jeremiah, he knew that God's heart was intent on the restoration of His people to their home. His will for the future of His chosen people and the world as a whole revolved around the restoration of Jerusalem. Daniel saw God's heart. And, as he saw God's heart, he hungered, longed, and even passionately needed to be in the center of that will. Even if it meant surrendering all of the success he had seen throughout his life. Even if it meant a change. Even if it meant a return to a land he could hardly remember.

We have no record that Daniel actually did return to Jerusalem with the exiles. But, I don't think that was the point for Daniel. I think the point was that his focus was to be the same as God's, regardless of what happened to him personally. As I read of Daniel's heart, my heart longs to be the same way. I long for nothing to matter but God's will. I long for my heart to be so in line with God's that I don't care about my life. I am instead passionate about His plan. I want my heart to be so hungry for His will to be accomplished that it is an intense need of mine to be in the center of His will.

I want a heart like Daniel's.

Helpful Hints Thursday: Chick-fil-A

Well, I had an awesome helpful hint in mind for you. But, I didn’t write it down. And, most of you know what that means. Yep – it never happened.

Oh well. So, as I sit here contemplating a new idea, my eyes just happen to land on the Chick-fil-A calendar on my wall. Voila! I think I’ll mention a little secret about Chick-fil-A coupons that you may or may not know.

The expiration date isn’t a big deal!

Yep, it’s true. I have a coupon holder full of last year’s calendar coupons, and more likely that not, Chick-fil-A will honor them.* So don’t throw those out of date coupons away!

*Ultimately it is the individual restaurant’s decision whether or not to take out of date coupons. So, there may be cases where the coupons are refused.

In Need of a Fire

Yesterday morning I needed a fire. I didn't need it because it was cold outside. In fact, it wasn't really fire weather at all. I was comfortable in my short-sleeve pajamas as I curled up on the couch for my morning quiet time. I didn't want a warm beverage, and I quickly discarded the sweater I had pulled out just in case. But, somehow I just felt like I needed that fire.

It probably had something to do with the fact that Doug was gone. He left on Monday to head to a conference. I was supposed to go with him, but our plans changed at the last minute. Things had gone well in his absence, despite the change in plans, but there was a security missing with him gone. Of course, there was the fact that I just missed him. But, I also missed the warmth that naturally comes from having a kindred spirit physically there with me.

So, I built a fire. I added some kindling and another log to the wood that was left in the fireplace from a previous fire we had just let die out. For a while there wasn't much to the fire. The kindling and smallest log burned enough for me to enjoy a small fire during my quiet time, and then the bigger logs just smoldered as the morning wore on and I came and went while taking care of other tasks around the house. Then just before I sat down on the couch with my netbook to work on some writing, I stirred the fire and added a log. The fire began to blaze up from the hot bed of coals, and before long crackling, warm comfort was wafting from the fireplace. Even as the day grew warmer, I turned the heater way down and let the fire keep burning. It was beautiful.

It's amazing what comfort something so simple can bring. To me yesterday morning that fire had nothing to do with being a source of heat. It had to do with being a source of presence. So often in Scripture, God's presence is equated with or represented by fire. I know God Himself wasn't in that fire, but as I watched those flames flicker as if alive, I felt His presence in a very real way. As I sat in front of the small flames and had my quiet time, I sensed my heart softening and preparing to hear from Him. As I saw the smoldering logs throughout the middle part of the morning, I sensed His presence glowing like a burning coal in my heart, creating a foundation to draw on throughout the day. As the fire burned bright and warm later in the morning, I felt Him surrounding me while I wrote and worked.

No, God was not in that fire. But, God's creation – including that fire – is intended to point us to Him. It was made for the explicit purpose of letting us know His love for us. His very presence is revealed all around us, whether it be in a fire, a new spring flower, or a child's laughter.

What do you need today? What part of God's creation is He using to draw you to Himself? It just might be time to build your own fire, and let His presence surround and consume you in the most beautiful of ways.

1 Peter Study, Week 3

Obviously, I'm a little late posting my thoughts on 1 Peter: Finding Encouragement in Troubling Times this week. But, I can say that I'm very excited about sharing this week. There was so much more in this lesson than I could even begin to share in a blog post, but here are a few thoughts.

Before I even began the study itself, I got caught up in the beauty of the first two verses from this week's reading assignment.

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5

What a rich passage! Christ Himself was rejected by men, but is choice and precious in God's sight. And so are we! We are the living stones who, because we have been associated with Christ, have been rejected by this world. But if we are in Christ, then we are intentionally chosen and exceedingly precious to Him. So, what do we do with that realization? That is exactly what lesson three explores.

Peter's primary ministry was to those of Jewish background. And, when he spoke of the “spiritual house,” “holy priesthood,” and “spiritual sacrifices” in verse five, his primary audience would have thought back to the magnificence of the temple. One of our discussion points was to contrast the idea of the temple to our nature as “living stones” of a “spiritual house” as presented in these verses.

The temple was incredibly precious to the Jews. To this day, the Jews mourn the loss of their temple, a loss that is now nearly 2000 years old. The temple was the focal point of their worship. Although they have synagogues and places to learn and grow in their faith, they no longer have that place of connection to God. It was there they could go to interact with the priests who would approach God on their behalf. They would journey long distances to find their way to that one place on the map. That place of connection with God.

So, what about us? We are the connection! We are a living, breathing temple that is not limited geographically to one spot on the map. Instead, this temple stretches around the world, available to every tongue and nation. And there is more. The Biblical temple was only truly accessible to the priests, and the rest of the people had to rely on the priests for communion with God. Now, as the living, breathing temple of God, we are all priests. Every last one of us.

But there still remains the question: what do we do with this knowledge.

When we look back at the priests of the Old Testament, we see that they offered sacrifices for the sanctification of the people and the praise of God. In the same way, we are called to fulfill our priestly duties. But obviously we don't have to kill animals and burn them on the altar. Instead, we offer ourselves. We give ourselves in full surrender to the work of Christ, offering praise to Him and serving one another. The danger is that, just as the priests fell into the habit of offering sacrifices physically, but without the heart behind it, so we can fall into the trap of going through the rituals without truly surrendering our hearts to Christ. It is so much easier to be a functional stone, holding our spot in the building, than it is to be an active part of a living organism. This spiritual house is not the type of building where we are laid and then do nothing more. It is a body. A living entity, built to accomplish God's work on this earth. We must never simply go through the rituals of sacrifice. We must truly live lives of sacrifice.

I have known all of these truths for so long, but it's so easy to walk through life and forget to live these truths. Being reminded that I am both precious and chosen as a part of this living building is a comfort and a challenge.

Next week we will discuss what Peter teaches us about living as that royal priesthood in the midst of a very secular world.

This study was sent to me by Kregel Publications in exchange for my participation in this graduated blog tour. I am not required to respond positively to the study.