Devotional Phil. 2:1-2

My Facebook Bible memorization group has finished Isa. 58 and moved to Philippians 2. You are welcome to join us at Hiding the Word on Facebook. Meanwhile, I am posting the devotional thoughts here!

If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ,
if there is any consolation of love,
if there is any fellowship of the Spirit,
if any affection and compassion,
Make my joy complete by being of the same mind,
maintaining the same love,
united in spirit,
intent on one purpose.
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"Therefore." I learned in Precept to ask "what is the therefore there for?" In other words, it connects something. What is "therefore" linked to in this case?

Foundational to 2:1-18 is the context of chapter 1 - Paul's relationship to the church at Phillippi and his prison ministry.This is a book addressed to the body of Christ - the "one anothers" of the New Testament usually are. In chapter 1, Paul encourages the church to focus on the Gospel, not people's motives in sharing it, and on their own conduct.

Significantly, immediately prior to 2:1 Paul exhorts the church that suffering goes hand in hand with faith in Christ. Because of this, Paul asks them to bring him joy by focusing on their relationship with each other, pulling together for a purpose.

He specifically addresses 5 aspects of their relationship with God and each other. He approaches these in a very God-centered way; it all flows from what we've received in our relationship with Christ, but that can and often is manifested through "one another". He asks them to consider if they have received any:

* Encouragement in Christ - that encouragement that can only come through relationship with Christ. At the deepest hurts and pains of life, at the darkest moments, true believers don't need self-help material or Oprah's latest book; they need to be pointed to Jesus. True encouragement is always in Christ.
* Consolation of love - This refers to the comfort that comes from love. Specifically the love of Christ poured within our lives, working through and to one another. Nothing consoles like true love.
* Fellowship of the Spirit - this can mean both "spiritual fellowship" or "fellowship brought about by the Spirit". Biblical fellowship involves more than eating together; it is a sharing of common purposes and goals.
* Affection - Tenderness, feelings of love. It's an emotional term.
* Compassion - Refers to mercy, caring.

The Message puts it this way: If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you [care]--

Paul asks them to first consider what they've received - from God and others - and then exhorts them to consider what to do with that. He doesn't just want them to sit around and feel warm fuzzies. It's not just about the good feeling I get when a friend from church calls me when I'm down, or about the food that people brought over when my mother-in-law died. Paul challenges them to something higher; something purposeful. He wants them to strive to turn what they've received into something that can be given out. And it starts with the exhortations of verse 2:

* Being of the same mind - means literally "feel the same way and think the same thoughts". We will soon see Paul doesn't mean "agree on the color of the carpet" - he means "focus on what's important and be in agreement about it."

* Maintaining the same love - We could debate what the "same love" means but I think in the it most likely refers to keeping that "consolation of love" going - maintaining it. It's easier to pour out love on someone in a crisis time, then back off and return to the corners when things level out. If we've received comforting love from God and other during a tough time - seek to maintain that same love. Don't get bitter or petty just because there is not a crisis to rally around. We see this a lot in our country. Sept. 12, 2001 was a day of unity and love. The 2004 elections were some of the most bitter ever. The love wasn't maintained. Paul wants it to be maintained so we can move on to a purpose!

* "United in spirit." I love this literal word: "fellow-souled." We should be so united that it's as though we share a soul. As Caroline prepares to go to Asia my soul should be bonded with hers for the people there. That's united in spirit.

* "Intent on one purpose." What is the "one purpose?" Another Bible study principle: Let the author define it for you within that book if possible. In Philippians Paul clearly defines the "one purpose": Jesus. Knowing Him and making Him known. Living in Him. Proclaiming Him. Glorifying Him. There will be plenty to divide us. We can unite around Him - around knowing Him and making Him known. We will see as we proceed through this passage that Paul will challenge us to do that very thing!

The bottom line of these first two verses goes back to a principle I've come to rely on. We are "blessed to be a blessing." Paul wants them to be a blessing first to each other, then to the world. That's a challenge to live up to - but so worth it!

May YOU be blessed to be a blessing today.

Devotional: Isa. 58:13-14

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
If you call the Sabbath a delight
and the Lord's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
Then you will find your joy in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.
The mouth of the Lord has spoken.
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We love to ride on the heights.

Oh, we know there are times of trials and struggles in the valley. But let's be honest ... it's a lot more fun to reflect back on the valley from the mountaintop than it is to struggle through the reality of life. No wonder Peter wanted to build tents on the mount of transfiguration.

The beauty of Scripture is that it's okay to want the heights. Joy is a great pursuit, and feasting is encouraged! Yet as so often happens, Scripture turns upside down the ways we are to get those things. It's not by financial success, fame, or power. It's not by the number of people in our church or the sales of our Christian self-help books. We don't get to the heights by being invited to speak at more churches than the next gal.

Instead, this Scripture tells us that the way to find joy, ride on the heights, and feast on all God has intended us to inherit, is through ... the Sabbath.

The Sabbath? Wow, that's not what I would have expected. At the end of this oracle about helping others, God suddenly pulls out the 4th Commandment...and takes it much further. He tells us we are to delight in it, find it honorable, and significantly - not do our own thing. Ah, there's the rub - and the link to the rest of the chapter.

Basically, Isa. 58 says to get over the idea that your religious observances are about you. They're not. They are about truly drawing near to God and seeking Him, as evidenced in our relationships with other human beings ... other people made in His image ... others with whom we are in community. And always, always, it's about Him. Does He know our deepest needs? ABSOLUTELY! No one knows them better. Yet He also knows they will never be met until we look up and look out. Up at Him, out at others.

Now, as New Testament believers it is legitimate to ask what we do with these verses about the Sabbath. Are they mere window dressing while we focus on the remaining 12 verses? Do we take them literally? It is only Sunday (or Saturday, if you prefer) that we should honor?

There is room for differences on this point (see Rom. 14:5), but my perspective based on Heb. 4:9-10 is that in Christ we enter a "sabbath rest" and we live "in the Sabbath". Paul repeatedly tells us that we should glorify God in all things at all times ... so we don't get a "day off" from a day that should be holy to God. Think about it in context of verse 13: For a Christian is there ever a day that we should say "OK today, I'm going to do as I please, go my own way, and speak idle words." I can't say that there is.

Now, I don't hesitate to say that I see the wisdom in a day set aside for worship, prayer, and rest. God knows we can't go 24/7 ... He made the "sabbath" for us, because we are human and frail. All I'm saying is that in the context of this passage, I see it most accurately applied to life. If I say, "OK, I want to have joy, ride on the heights, and feast on all God has for me to inherit, what do I do" the answer will come back "quit doing what you please; treat the days God gives you as honorable and delight in doing what He wants instead of going your own way." (And frankly, I'll hear "watch those idle words" more than once.)

The reality is, joy is a fruit of the Spirit, so the real path to experience the fullness of Isa. 58:13-14 is not to try harder to enjoy serving God, it's to be filled with more of His Spirit. Ezekiel 36:26-27 tells us that when God puts His Spirit within us, we want to walk in His ways. More than that, He gives us the love for God that we need. Scripture says we love because He first loved us. So as His Spirit fills us, we love Him more and find ourselves pursuing Him harder with each passing year. "Doing as we please" becomes less appealing.

So from the perspective the full counsel of God's Word, I think I can safely say that if you struggle with "your part" of this passage - the part that delights in God's holy day, the part that rejects selfish ways - then the answer is more of His Spirit. Because as Galatians 5 teaches, the Spirit and the flesh are set against each other. They can't occupy the same space! Something has to give. In submission to Him, we can experience the reality the His Spirit is greater than our flesh.

And that puts me on the heights, indeed!

Devotional: Isa. 58:9b-12

If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
With the pointing finger and malicious talk,
And if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry,
And satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
Then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you always;
He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land,
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins,
and will raise up age-old foundations;
You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of streets with dwellings.
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Making a difference. For those of us with activist hearts, it's more than the mantra of the current era ... it's our heartcry. Once we "awaken" to the full-orbed teaching of Scripture we see that God's priority on the spiritual doesn't mean he ignores the temporal. In fact, there are plenty of Scriptures to show us that He doesn't want us to ignore the "stuff of earth" either. As Francis Chan observes in "Crazy Love", sometimes God's answer to our question, "Why are people starving?" might be to turn around and ask us that question.

That's why this is one of my favorite sections of this passage. The results of the actions God prescribes will bring light into darkness and restoration into brokenness. And that's pretty cool.

Let's break this down. It's basically a big if-then statement, some cause-and-effect relationships:

If we ...
1) Stop oppressing others (through legalism, or mistreatment, or unfair wages, or any other number of ways.)
2) Stop gossipy, malicious conversation (wounding words)
3) Pour ourselves out for the hungry (the Hebrew translated "spend yourselves" means to "cause to come out from the spirit/soul" ... the KJV says closely "draw out thy soul"). This signifies a meeting of others' needs that comes from deep within our being.
4) and satisfy the needs of the oppressed ("satisfy" meaning to provide more than enough - to fill, to overflow even; and "oppressed" meaning afflicted, humiliated - the same word is used for "rape" in some places in the OT) ...

Then - the effect will be profound.
1) Light in dark places, so much so that night is like noonday;
2) Guidance from God;
3) Satisfaction of our own needs in the midst of a dry place;
4) Physical strength;
5) An inward "watering" that keeps us flourishing and fruitful (reminiscient of the "river of life" Jesus spoke of);
6) Corporate restoration of brokenness - including making unliveable places liveable again!

As we've discussed before, it's easy to spiritualize these verses. Sure, it is referencing spiritual freedom and healing. But again, I go back to the fact that God is chiding them in part for being ONLY focused on spiritual ritual and not the effect their religion should have "where the rubber meets the road". It says a lot to me that in many Third World countries where life conditions are much closer to the culture of the Bible than our own Western "advanced" society, Christians don't hesitate to apply these things very literally. Believers in Israel/Palestine who long for peace, believers in Sudan who are on the run, believers in Pakistan who live in secrecy ... all see these verses and others like them as very practical ways to change their society. They know Christ will come again and make all things new. But they want to experience glimpses of His kingdom on earth ... His will on earth as it is in heaven.

So I've been giving some thought to this as I've worked on memorizing this section. Why does God connect these things? Why this cause-and-effect relationship?

I think part of it simply goes back to the principle of the Great Commission. He promised His presence always as we go. That doesn't mean that just because we are about His business we will never suffer. It does mean that if we are focused on His work, then He will clear obstacles until He has a different plan for our lives or our service is complete. So those personal "cause-and-effect" relationships center on His kingdom purposes - a key distinction missed by prosperity gospel teachers. Significantly, the ones mentioned here whose needs will be met and whose frame will be strengthened are the very ones who in the depth of their souls want to meet the needs of others - not themselves.

The effect on those around us - on the "darkness" in which we live - is another way God's kingdom is revealed on earth as it is in heaven. I think the reason "light in the darkness" is part of the "cause and effect" of these verses is reflected in Jesus words of the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 5:16: "Let your light shine before men, so they will see your good works and glorify your father who is in heaven". If you are in a dark environment, you know the impact of light. It's noticeable. And it's for His glory. So when God tells us our actions will have the effect of making our light brighter and push back the darkness - it's all about His glory.

Finally, the corporate opportunity to rebuild, raise up, restore ... all is part of the Hebrew concept of "shalom" which is much more than peace ... it is wholeness. Verse 12 is a beautiful example of what shalom can look like in the life of a nation - or a church - or a family. We forget, so easily, that even though God allows for our human failures and weaknesses - for example, by allowing that governments have the "sword" to protect good against evil - He also has a perfect will that He wants to see on earth as it is in heaven. He uses everything for His purposes ... but that doesn't mean He doesn't want to see some of the bad things reversed. Shalom is the state that results when those things are reversed and we get a glimpse of His kingdom.

Thomas Merton captured this concept beautifully in his poem, Senescente Mundo:
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I hear a sovereign talking in my arteries,
Reversing, with His promises,
All things that now go on with fire and thunder.

His truth is greater than disaster,
His peace imposes silence on the evidence against us.
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We get that, personally and spiritually. What I hear in God's word through Isaiah is that it can also be true on a very practical level. And the actions we take fueled by a heart that has been filled with His Spirit and changed to be in line with His purposes can be part of that incredible process, for His glory.

Isa. 58:5

(Sorry I just now realized I failed to post this!I)

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
Only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is this what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
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What sticks out to me here is the repetition of the word "only". God isn't telling them NOT to physically fast ... He is just saying there is more to it than that!

We know God doesn't abhor sackcloth and ashes - Job clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes as an expression of his mourning, and he was called righteous. What God DOES abhor is the heart-set that says this is sufficient, I have fulfilled my religious duty. In fact, I think "duty" is one of the worst words we can use in relationship to God. Throughout Scripture one of the words He seems to love using is "delight".

He wants us to "delight" in Him. He wants our relationships to be characterized by love and joyous service. Matthew 25 records people helping others in such a natural way that they don't even realize that they have served Christ ... they are just overflowing their love to "the least of these".

There is a place for fasting and external positions of humility. But they are worthless when they reflect manipulation, duty, or legalism. What God wants is delight in Him ... a new heart that loves to draw near to Him as much as it desires Him to draw near.

Devotional: Isa. 58:8-9A

"Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
Then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry for help, and He will say: Here am I."
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Promises. I love 'em! I love that Jesus is the "yes" to all God's promises. I also love that God lets us know when it's okay to want something.

It's okay to want to have a light that shines! It's okay to want healing and righteousness. It's okay to desire answered prayers. It's OKAY!

But the path to getting those things is the path of other-centeredness discussed in verses 6-7. Only "then" (3 times repeated) will we experience the promises of God. We tend to get spiritual when we really need something. This passages says that such times might be when we need to get off our knees and start serving instead.

I'm not demeaning prayer - it's crucial. I'm just saying that in this context, God says that we experience these answers as we minister. I don't think God is saying NOT to pray ... verse 5 indicates that He is concerned with people "only" focusing on spiritual rituals. What I envision is God teaching us to pray and even fast, then get up and start serving ... and we will find answers.

We will have a light in the darkness of our community. We will experience healing in areas of struggle or even health issues. We will walk more righteously and God's glory will be apparent in what we do. And our prayers will be answered. His presence will be with us.

The Gospel of Matthew ends with the promise that Jesus will be with us always. But the context is conditional: "As you are going"... to fulfill the Great Commission. I think Isa. 58 says something similar: "as you are serving" ... He will be working. Like the 5 loaves and 2 fishes, He will make far more out of what we bring to Him. We'll get answers to prayers we never knew to pray. The divine "if-then" effect will define our lives.

Devotional: Isa. 58:6-7

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-
When you see the naked to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood."
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God's patience amazes me! He is giving the Israelites - and us - through Isaiah and very strong message ... one He wants proclaimed loudly. He doesn't hesitate to declare the errors of their - and our - ways. And yet if you look at the chapter, the majority of the content addresses what is RIGHT and GOOD ... what should be done. He is teaching them - and us - the way out of pathetic self-centeredness. What patience.

If you're like me, you look around at the world and especially our culture and despair at the selfish individualism. It's easy to think we are so steeped in it that there is no way out. Yet God reveals through these verses and the ones to follow that there IS a way out. It's to become other-centered through practical acts of servant love.

It's interesting that even secular psychology recognizes now that morbid introspection is not the way out of depression and other such issues. Where the problem is not clinical in nature, "do something for someone else" has become a common prescription. God knew this a long time ago and these verse reflect a shift of thought that will ultimately remove the root of self-centeredness and as we will soon see, result in true wholeness.

The first thing that struck me was how much of this passage references freedom. Loosing chains, untying cords, setting free, and breaking yokes are all freedom-centered phrases. I think of Chris Tomlin's "Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)" ... truly His amazing love and grace sets us free. But what God says through Isaiah is that we play a role in such freedom! True fasting isn't just about spiritual rituals but about practical actions. It's about having an agenda that promotes freedom.

How can we do this? Spiritualizing this passage is easy - and we can and should pray for spiritual freedom from the enemy's bondage. That is the priority. Yet this passage is such a contrast to the spiritual rituals preceding it, and comes in conjunction with such practical ministries as feeding, clothing, and sheltering, that I can't help but see God intending this in very practical ways.

When we keep Isa. 58:6 on a spiritual shelf, to be taken down and prayed fervently over a wayward child in spiritual darkness, we see some results - but miss the full impact of the verse. Passages like this fueled the anti-slavery movement. They encouraged those fighting against apartheid. They convicted Christians to get involved in the Civil Rights Movement.

What injustices do you see? What oppressions have stirred your heart? What yokes do you long to see broken after the cords are untied? Maybe, just maybe, God would use this passage to stir you to get involved in a practical way IN ADDITION TO praying for those chains to be broken.

For example, based on this and numerous other passages, I can say unequivocally that God does not want children trafficked in sex slavery. Sure, He wants them saved. But He also wants them FREE. He wants the judges of this world to line up with His justice to end this horrific injustice. So I look for ways to raise awareness of this issue; bills that might make it easier to bring these people to justice; and missionaries who are going to areas where this is a special problem that need to be supported and prayed for. I can honestly say that if I found out a trafficking house was in my area I would be contacting every law enforcement person I could find, rallying women I know to help meet the needs of the girls when they are rescued, and lobbying for asylum so they wouldn't be shipped back to their countries only to be cast aside or sold again.

What stirs you? Maybe it's freedom from drug addiction. Perhaps it's fighting for the unborn. You might cry yourself to sleep thinking of hungry kids on the street. Take what stirs you to God, and see what action steps He might give you to be part of His freedom agenda.

Verse 7 is one of those easy to interpret, hard to apply passages.
+ Share your food. When you have an abundance, Paul teaches in 2 Cor. 8-9, it's to share with others.
+ "Provide shelter to the poor wanderer" - some translations read "homeless person". The KJV captures the sense of "refugee" in the phrase "cast out". The word is not used much in the Old Testament but comes from a root word meaning wandering, in the sense of maltreatment. Basically, it's someone who is both poor and homeless, probably due to someone else's mistreatment.
+ "When you see the naked, clothe him." Provide basic needs - that's the heart of this message.
+ Don't "turn away from your own flesh and blood". "Turn away" can also be translated "hide yourself" or "look the other way". Paul wrote that true ministry begins at home - widows with families were to be cared for by them, partly so they could learn how to minister! (That puts a whole different light on our treatment of the elderly, doesn't it.) He also said failure to provide for one's household makes a man worse than an infidel. In a society without any private or public health insurance, where believers were frequently outcast and expendable. these commands were crucial. The group - Israel here, the church in Paul's day - relied heavily on families to do what was right. Thus, in such a group-oriented society, turning away from one's family was dumping responsibility somewhere else and failing to follow basic commands of Scripture. We can't minister well until we learn to minister to our families.

Upside down thinking. We hear traces of the Sermon on the Mount in this brief but deep passage. But the resulting fruitfulness will be beyond compare!

Characteristics of God's Anointed Work

Recently, I blogged here about the concept of "anointed" work. When I wrote that, I was in the midst of an in-depth study of the concept of anointing as seen in the lives of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. I thought I would share some of the things that I learned from that season of studying their narratives. Specifically, I wanted to learn what characterizes God's anointed work - how does it look in the stuff of life. Here are some of the principles I saw in the lives of these three workers for God's purposes:

God's anointed work is characterized by ...

• A real context. Each book occurs in a specific historical and situational context. Esther 1 outlines a lot of the background of the context of Esther's rise to the throne. But the context is not the point. Instead, the context is merely the canvas on which God paints His purpose.
  
• A mind or spirit stirred in a certain direction (Ezra 1:5). Along with this comes an open door, in God's timing, consistent with the direction we are stirred (vv. 1-4), and provision for the work (vv. 6-11). This stirring can look different for each of us, but Daniel 9 gives one possible way it might happen - through God giving us information consistent with Scripture we are reading at the time. Nehemiah 1:1-4 also illustrates how God can give a call where we are, building on our heartfelt concerns.
  
• Preparation (Esther 2; Neh. 1). Esther had to prepare to meet the king. Nehemiah had to prepare to broach the subject to the king. One preparation is practical; the other is spiritual. Both are important. An anointed work requires that we be prepared for the nitty-gritty of the job as well as for the spiritual aspects of the task.
• The efforts of multiple people with different roles (Ezra 2) . No one person gets the glory - it belongs to God alone! Each person fulfills his or her appropriate role voluntarily. Giving is not compelled. Ezra 8:15-20 shows Ezra even intentionally seeking out those gifts needed but missing within the group. Nehemiah 3 reflects the same concept. Neh. 11:1-2 gives us a picture of different logistical placements being supported and blessed. Esther enlisted others for support before taking a major step (Est. 4:15-17).
  
• Responsiveness to God's Word with an authentic, open response to challenges and divine intervention when needed (Ezra 5). Ezra 7:10 reveals that understanding of God's Word is given as we seek it. Nehemiah 8 shows the work as being centered on God's word as foundational, and obedience to what was taught as essential.
  
• Authenticity. Ezra 8:24-34 underscores the place that trustworthiness and accountability have in work God anoints. Esther responded openly and authentically when the time was right (Est. 7:3-4).
  
• A clear view of good and evil. Nehemiah was very concerned with God's holiness (Neh. 13) and led people in confession of sin (Neh. 9). Esther didn't hesitate to call evil by its name (Est. 7).
  
• Confirmation by the facts (Ezra 6:1-2), favor by authorities (6:3-12), perseverance by the people (6:13-15), and finally, celebration upon completion (6:16-22).
  
• A plan that understands the way the "real world" works. (Neh. 2). Remember we are talking about God anointing work in the stuff of life. Nehemiah couldn't give his king a spiritual "when the Lord leads" answer. He had to trust God to give him a plan that would meet the needs of his boss to know when he would be back. So, he presented the solution after gathering the facts, respecting the structure he worked within.
• Hard work. Building a city wall wasn't easy! Nehemiah and the people had to sweat and labor and toil, even though it was a God-given task. Along the same lines, commitment is required to complete the task (Neh. 9-10). This commitment is enhanced by God-centered priorities and the remembrance of God's grace and mercy.
• Faces reality. None of our protagonists ignored the reality of the situation. Esther 4 poignantly records Esther and Mordecai's conversation about just what could happen. In the context of reality, though, God's anointed work is characterized by the ability to see a larger perspecftive regarding the purpose of our individual roles. We see ourselves on that canvas of life, painted in by God for a specific purpose.
  
• Dependence upon God (Ezra 8:21-23). Radical humility and trust in God are key factors in a work that He anoints. Nehemiah exemplifies this as he diligently and intentionally sought God in prayer before approaching the king (Neh. 1:5-11). In fact, Esther 6:1-2 shows that divine intervention in even the smallest of details can occur when He anoints a task.
  
• Moving forward despite fear (Ezra 3). Rather than wait on feelings, the person engaged in God's anointed work makes an effort to follow God's Word, giving worshipful support and exuberant praise!
  
• Opposition that tries to deceive, discourage, distract, and destroy (Ezra 4). Nehemiah 4 also illustrates examples of challenges that could make us lose heart and shows us that sometimes a position of guardedness is necessary while the work continues.Esther 3 also reveals that these challenges will be intentional.
• Focus in the face of distractions (Neh. 6). We have to stay where we are placed by HIM. We can expect the enemy to deceive, posture, and attempt to instill fear. In the midst of that, we can regain focus by having a renewal of God's equipping strength (6:9).
• Others-oriented (Est. 8). Mordecai and Esther could have stopped with their personal victory. However, Esther pressed on to the corporate victory. They weren't just trying to elevate Mordecai; they wanted to see their people victorious. Esther and later Mordecai (Ch. 10) used their positions for purpose, advocating on behalf of others.
  
• Joy that is shared with others. Worship, praise, and celebration permeate the successes in each of the three books I reviewed. Neh. 12:31-47 is an especially beautiful picture of delightful praise! Esther 9 records that God's anointed work should be remembered!
  

What I have learned is that God's anointed work far surpasses the strictly spiritual interpretation I held for years. In fact, my eyes have been so opened to this understanding that it has really expanded my view of work and of the role of Christians in our society. I see my job and my interactions with family and neighbors in a whole new light. I also see that I can't do everything - so I'm learning to identify what God has anointed ME to do on a given day or in a given setting. How is He going to use my gifts; what passions has He placed on my heart; what strengths seem "innate" but are really from Him? These are the questions I am asking to sort out what is "expected" versus what is "anointed".

I want to learn to walk in that anointing! I want my life to be characterized by a firm conviction that this moment, this task is God's place for me right now. I want to be careful not to volunteer for things that He hasn't anointed me to do. And I never want this to be an excuse for inaction - instead, I want to focus on what I am TO DO versus what I am not to do. For example, I am not anointed for children's ministry. That has been confirmed over 3 years in two different settings. However, there are areas where I do sense God's anointing. Some are obviously ministry-related; others are in the stuff of life. That is where I want to give my time and energy, knowing that He has painted me into the portrait on the canvas for His purpose. Based on Neh. 2:18, I want to know that I have the good hand of my God on me for a task HE has given.

Devotional: Isa. 58:3-4

'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?'
Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.

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In Isaiah 58: 3-4, God's people haven't gotten the indications they expected that God heard them. From their perspective, they are doing what is right - fasting and humbling themselves. They just don't get it! Sounds painfully familiar to me. What seems to jump out from this to me is that their approach seems designed to get attention, versus seek God. I'm reminded that the previous verses told us 3 times that their apparent seeking is illusory!

Getting God's attention versus seeking Him. What a difference. Again, we see the man-centered versus God-centered approach. When we seek God's attention, we want what He can give; we want the "feeling" that comes from His presence; we want results. This is not unlike the attention-getting behavior exhibited by the prophets of Baal in the encounter on Mt. Carmel. They tried everything possible to get their god's attention to no avail. But seeking God - being willing to hear Him in a still small voice as much as a whirlwind - means we want HIM more than any answer or result. But God, in His grace, teaches them where they are wrong. Specifically, He spells out three wrongs they do even while fasting:

* Doing as they please
* Exploiting workers
* Engaging in verbal and physical conflict

Doing as they please - the NET translates this "fulfilling selfish desires". When we pursue God, we go in the direction AWAY from our selfish desires. Gal. 5 makes it clear that the Spirit and the flesh cannot go in the same direction. They are opposed to each other. This tells me that a good test for whether my motives are truly God-centered is how much selfish desire - doing what I please - is present. Of course there will always be a mixture - we are not perfect - but it is a good exercise to start learning to sort them out!

Exploiting workers - this is an interesting use of language. The word used here for "exploit" is the exact word used in Exodus 3-5 to describe the treatment of the Israelites by the Egyptians. God had warned them to allow that experience to positively affect their relations with others - Deut. 24:14-15 spells out specific ways this should impact relationships with workers:

"Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin."

The chapter ends with an admonition to keep all the commands included, because of their understanding of the slave experience in Egypt. This makes their exploitation of workers especially repugnant from a Godward perspective.

There are a number of ways workers are exploited today. Whether through unfair wages, unrealistic expectations, or even outright abuse, the reality exists in our society as much as the sweatshops of China. This passage is a good reminder to ask ourselves in any work situation - especially if we are in any kind of supervisory or decision-making position - how we are treating employees. However, even non-supervisors have the opportunity to treat employees differently because of God's presence in us. I remember a story from the University. Custodial staff in a certain building were asked not to drink out of the fountains in the very building they cleaned! We can treat service workers with love and compassion regardless of our position at work - and likewise, we can exploit others even without formal authority.

Engaging in verbal and physical conflict - God makes clear in other passages that he hates violence against the innocent. Isa. 59:6-8 underscores this perspective by calling such violence evil. In Malachi 3:16, God places his hatred of violence on the same level as His disdain for divorce. In fact, the passage in context is an admonition to husbands who are mistreating their wives and then wanting to divorce them. Reading the Gospels, it is hard to imagine that the New Testament personal ethic is anything less than non-violence. And yet on the same day they "seek" God through fasting, they are engaging in verbal and physical conflict.

Few of us in this group are likely to engage in direct physical conflict - but what about that sharp tongue that produces quarreling and strife. The classic example for this is the person who gets irritable and snaps at a family member for interrupting her quiet time! (Ouch ... that one hurt me!!!) The possibilities for quarrel and strife are endless; the opportunities for peaceful conversation will demonstrate a difference in us that can only be due to the Holy Spirit.

God ends this passage by addressing the reality: this action will never get their prayers answered. I'm reminded of David, who said if we regard iniquity in our hearts, God won't hear us. "Regard" means to treasure it, hold on to it. It's that sin we secretly hope God never asks us to give up. That's the very one we have to lay down to get an answer, because that's the sin that is the source of our rebellion.

Isa. 58:1-2: Further Reflections

I have loved reflecting on these verses as I memorize them. One thing that I noticed this morning is the connection between verse 2 and verse 1. The message about their rebellion and sins comes because of something they are doing - it is in a specific context. Isn't that true of all God's revelation to us - it comes in the context of a specific situation? That's why it is so personal. We have that consistent "logos" - the entire word of God - but have that personal "rhema" that he speaks into our specific situations. That's why a verse might jump out at you that you have missed for years. That's the beauty of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

But in this context, the word given to Isaiah to make clear to Israel is based on a specific context: their worship. God sees them seeking Him daily - these were people that didn't miss their quiet times! He sees them looking eager to know His ways, seeming to want Him to come near. They want just decisions. They seem to be doing everything right.

But that's the problem - it's an illusion. They "seem eager" - that phrase is repeated twice in one verse. "as if" is another key phrase. They are acting one way, but their actions are different. "As if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God" indicates that well, they are not what they seem.

So "For" - the connecting word of these two verses - for this reason, God sends a message about rebellion and sin.

What would this look like in my life?? "Rosa is having her quiet times every day; she's acting like she wants to know me and have me come near her. She really advocates for justice - why just look at her Facebook page! She's acting as if she does what is right. She is acting like she hasn't forsaken My commands." It's called hypocrisy, and God hates it.

It's easy to hide rebellion and sin - from others and from ourselves - behind religious activity. Thankfully God loves us enough to declare to us - loudly if necessary - our rebellion and sins.

Isaiah 58: 1-2

Wow - it's been a long time! I am working on a graduate research paper (basically a thesis) and capstone project for school, so unfortunately this blog has taken a temporary back seat. However, I am currently memorizing Isa. 58 with a group of ladies and sharing devotional thoughts on each section we work on - so I thought I would cut and paste them here. Today's thought is on Isa. 58:1-2:

1 "Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the house of Jacob their sins.

2 For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
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God makes it clear: Isaiah is to deliver this prophetic word to His people, Israel. Furthermore, he is to deliver this message loudly! I don't know if Isaiah literally shouted this message, or if this is God's way of saying hey - don't miss this one. It's crucial. Regardless, the significance of the message is obvious.

These verses really serve as a summary of what God will address in the oracle to follow. Specifically, He will address issues of:
* Rebellion
* Sin
* Forsaking God's commands
* Seeking Him for guidance, justice, and nearness without living righteously

As I thought about this oracle, I wondered "what audience does this most apply to today?" It's easy to look at the word "nation" and immediately start thinking about our own country. It's easy to criticize modern-day Jews who still reject Messiah, since the passage is addressed to Israel. But the audience that I believe should hear this message first and foremost today is ... the church.

If we look at the scope of much of the Old Testament, we see it's not about only one people group or political nation. Instead, we see that it is the story of God's dealings with His people. Israel, the chosen people of God. Israel, blessed to be a blessing. Israel, from whom the Messiah would come. Israel, who was supposed to influence other nations rather than be influenced by them. Israel, who was supposed to show to the world the difference a relationship with God could make.

Who does that call go out to today? Not the United States. Not Jewish people. The church. We are the people of God, blessed to be a blessing. We are to influence those around us and show the difference a relationship with God can make.

So, I am studying Isa. 58 as a message to the church, corporately, and to me, specifically. Here are some questions I'm asking from verses 1-2:

* Where am I in rebellion?
* What sins do I need to confess?
* What commands have I forsaken?
* What do I expect from God that I want to receive without living righteously - "doing what is right"?
* Can I truly seek Him and His ways if I'm not willing to do the right thing when He reveals it?
* How can I help my church pursue what is right corporately, so that as we seek God's guidance, justice, and nearness, we are doing so from the right posture?

Tough questions - ones that make me so appreciate of the grace of God in my life. But grace is never an excuse for laziness. Titus 2:11-14 tells me that God's grace TEACHES me to deny ungodliness and live righteously. So as I read Isa. 58, what is He by His grace trying to teach me? That is the heart of my reflection on these first two verses.

Anointed?

But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. (1 John 2:20)

Anointed.

It sounds so spiritual, doesn't it? After all, we know the biblical history of the word. From its first use in Genesis to its last in 1 John, "anointed" is used in contexts involving priesthood, holy oil, worship - all things we associate with "religion". But "anointed" is also used of kings - most famously Saul and of course David. Sometimes we have a little harder time figuring out how to translate those references into our modern-day culture.

I've found that in the church we tend to either ignore the concept of "anointing", relegate it to academic study and compartmentalize it to history, or spiritualize it. We tend to characterize an emotional service or powerful message as "anointed" - which it can be. Some even go so far as to abuse the biblical meaning of the word, adopting a hierarchical perspective of anointing to indicate that God has anointed this prophet or that leader in a way that makes him or her super-spiritual, above everyone else ... sometimes even above question.

I've been studying the concept lately because that's what I do when something is confusing to me. And while I'm far from having a comprehensive study complete, one thing I have grasped easily is that "anointing" is a concept understood less by parsing Greek and Hebrew words and more by observing God's hand in the lives of His people. This "narrative theology" is yielding far more insight into how God's anointing works in his people's lives than I had previously uncovered through a verse-by-verse analysis of crisma, the Greek word translated "anointing" above.

What I have seen is that our use of "anointing" is compartmentalized - but God doesn't limit His anointing to "spiritual" circles. When I look at God's hand in the lives of His people, I see individuals empowered to store food (Joseph), lead nations (Saul, David), save lives (Esther), travel with refugees (Ezra), rebuild walls (Nehemiah) ... the list goes on and on. You can think of many examples.

There are warnings in Scripture as well - of individuals who tried to do something outside God's "anointing" or favor. Josiah went to battle in a war that wasn't given him to fight - and was mortally wounded. A prophet went back to Judah apart from the way God had prescribed and ended up deceived - and dead. David stayed home when he was supposed to be fighting - and fell into sin with Bathsheba.

My study thus far has yielded a basic understanding of "anointing" from a biblical perspective: We are anointed for a task when we have God's hand on us for a task He wants to complete (Neh. 2:18). Our part is to be in the place we are supposed to be, fully yielded to His Holy Spirit. He will then provide the "crisma" - the gift, the unction, the anointing - for His task.

Here's the kicker: It doesn't have to feel "spiritual". Today I spent the day pouring out weeks of preparation to train student workers at my job. God put on my heart that after all that preparation, I should just focus on loving them. The day was challenging, since I'm an introvert by nature and being "up front" all day, in a room with 6 other people, tires me. But God so filled me with love for these students and the conviction that this was where I needed to be, that the day was a joy. I felt His anointing for what might seem to the outside a quite non-spiritual task.

Eric Liddell, the runner made famous in "Chariots of Fire", said, "When I run I feel His pleasure." Eric understood something evangelicalism has lost: The doctrine of vocation. Eric was anointed for God's task because His focus was God's glory. Not because at the end of the run he would preach a sermon ... but because in the middle of the run he depended on God and didn't care who knew it.

The Biblical reality is that everything we do is spiritual. Believers in Christ don't have the right to compartmentalize. We are to live for Him fully in all corners of our lives. We are to be the best (chemist, computer tech, administrative assistant, runner) we can be - for His glory, not our selfish ambition. When we depend on Him ... when we know we make it through because of the gifts He provides ... when we worship Him before, during, and after our task ... when the quality of our work honors Him ... when we are where we need to be ... then His Spirit will empower us for His purposes. Those won't necessarily be our own purposes. But that's really the point anyway. Because it's not about us. It never was.


Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people (Col. 3:23)

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31)

Going on "alone"

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. I've had more to do than I realized and was shocked to see it's been almost a month since I've posted.

Among the many things that has happened in these few weeks is that I have a friend who has left the known for the unknown, venturing out "for the sake of the Name." She is a person with the gift of "connections" and had many friends who helped her out at various points over the past few weeks. Different ones walked with her these last few days, assisting with details and errands and offering up well-timed diversions to help her enjoy her time before leaving for 2 years abroad.

But yesterday afternoon, she went somewhere that no one else could go ... no one that is but One. The One who called her on this journey. Oh, we can and will and should still support her - so she's not truly "alone". But at the moment she went upstairs from the lower level of the airport, to that section where no one could follow, we released our grip on her and put her in His hands. And she was going on alone.

We all face such times in our lives - maybe not on an airplane; perhaps just in our quiet times. We may be wrestling through something that we have to work through with God; some issues of obedience are places we have to walk through "alone", with Him. Beth Moore calls it "the place of further still". We have several priority relationships in our lives - the larger groups, the smaller groups, the friends and intimates - but there is a place we go to that only He can go with us. It's the place Christ went in Gethsemene, when He left the disciples and went "further still, about a stone's throw away" to a place with God alone.

The place of "Further Still". The place where we go when we need to do business with God, or when He calls us to something that requires our gut-level obedience, or when our friends let us down, or when no one else can get on that plane though many want to. The place where we go on alone ... but not alone.

If God is calling you to something and people are letting you down (falling asleep and all that, like the 3 did) ... or if so many want to go but can't ... or if you are struggling to accept something hard ... get to that place of Further Still. Go on alone with Him. Have some trusted friends who can pray for you during that time, but don't hesitate to ask them to release you into His hands. He'll handle you gently. Things might look different on the other side ... but He'll be there too. Along with any community He wants you to walk with along the way.

My legalistic neck

I have a pain in the neck - literally. For 18 years I've suffered on and off with severe neck pain, and chronic stiffness especially in the morning. Recently it worsened to include my upper back. It's much better now, thanks to a regimen of stretches, some physical therapy, hot packs each morning, and careful posture. But a recent series of tests and doctor's appointments revealed that the source of this pain and stiffness is not something that can be repaired. My cervical spine is completely straight, rather than curved as it should be. The specialist I saw yesterday explained that the reason my upper back is affected is that when a baby develops in the womb, the cervical spine develops first and everything else comes off of that. If that area develops incorrectly, it causes problems in the rest of the development - problems that sometimes don't show up until we are fully developed. Bottom line: I have to continue to be proactive to care for my back and neck, and be aware that flare-ups will probably still happen. There goes my dream of being an Olympic gymnast ;). 

 After I left, I thought about what this could teach me. Other than being disappointed that the condition wasn't something that could be quickly adjusted (oh, how addicted we are to the idea of instant gratification), I began to seek the spiritual truth God might have in allowing me to have this congenital problem. It wasn't long before I realized that my neck was a picture of legalism. 

Legalism - that rigidity that causes one group to think their extrabiblical rules and forms are God's mandate for all people of all times. Legalism - that pride that puts trust in those rules and forms rather than in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Legalism - that killer of faith. Like my overly-straight, not-as-flexible-as-it-should be neck, legalism has an effect on those around it. Who among us in the church hasn't felt the sting of legalistic judgment -- or been on the side doing the judging. Who hasn't seen the fallout when a group turns inward because no one else "gets it" (in their own mind) ... turns inward, and dies. Yet their rigidity doesn't only affect them - we are the body of Christ, and we experience adverse affects when legalism bring too much rigidity into one part of the body. 

 I saw a similar picture of legalism in the ice storm we had in January. Surprisingly, the small, young trees didn't experience a lot of damage - most of those are intact or only slightly damaged. The older, larger trees, however, experienced a lot of breakage, losing the treetops and even entire trees. Horticulturists explained that the younger trees had more flexibility; the older ones were more settled and rigid. 

So what's the answer to legalism? Contrary to the opinion of some in the early church (and today), its opposite is not license (the absence of any limits). The opposite of legalism is grace. Grace allows for flexibility within biblical parameters; it quickly forgives and grants mercy when wronged; it refuses impersonal judgment and offers a personal touch with a heart of love. Rom. 5:1 refers to Jesus giving us the "introduction to this grace in which we stand." Grace isn't merely the road to salvation - that's important, but it's only the introduction. Instead, grace is the environment in which the believer stands. It's the ground under our feet. So grace should be the air we breathe - with each other, with those around us. Biblical grace doesn't ignore changes that need to happen - in fact, Paul teaches in Titus 2: 11-14 that grace teaches us to "renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age". But it's all by grace, enabled by the Holy Spirit. And we should extend that same grace to others.

John Piper's new book on marriage includes this incredible concept: Extend to your spouse the same measure of grace you've received from God. WOW! I don't know about you, but I could never extend more grace than I've received. I'm working on that concept - not only with my spouse, but with others. Biblical guidelines are critical to walking in an environment of grace, but I'm learning one thing - if I'm going to err, I want it to be on the side of grace and mercy, not legalism and rigidity. 

So - back to my neck. With all this perspective, I've decided that my neck tightness or pain will be a physical reminder to pray for the ability to walk in grace. To never be rigid and legalistic. To always remember that legalism will affect other parts of the body adversely. And to never, ever forget that God has set me in an environment of grace for a purpose. He will empower me. My part is to show off His grace to others. 

Unable - and enabled

The trumpeters and musicians played together, praising and giving thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they loudly praised the Lord, singing: “Certainly he is good; certainly his loyal love endures!” Then a cloud filled the Lord’s temple. The priests could not carry out their duties because of the cloud; the Lord’s splendor filled God’s temple. (2 Chr. 5:13-14)

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven. and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the Lord’s splendor filled the temple. The priests were unable to enter the Lord’s temple because the Lord’s splendor filled the Lord’s temple. (2 Chr. 7:1-2)

I've never been in a service where the leadership was unable to perform their duties because God's presence was so powerful, so I'm having a hard time imagining what this might have been like for Israel.

They had worked toward this day for years. Scripture tells us it took Solomon 20 years to build the temple and his house. With the careful preparations David made, we can be sure that the priests knew for a long time just what would be expected of them on that special day when God's temple would be dedicated.

When the day finally arrived, it didn't exactly look like they planned.

First, the glory of God was so strong they were "unable" to perform their duties.

Then, Solomon prayed and God's splendor - His "Shekinah" glory - so filled the temple they couldn't even enter.

I read that and I wondered - how many times have I been so engrossed in my duties or the planned agenda that I completely miss His presence? The important thing is God's presence ... not my duties or the planned agenda. I want to welcome His presence, not be so absorbed in 'doing' that I miss His presence.

The great thing about knowing we have the indwelling Holy Spirit is realizing that He is ultimately about enabling us to do His will, to walk in the gifts He's given us. But along the way, I might need to be made unable to do what I'd originally planned - because He has something better.

I recall the story of a concert pianist with high personal ambition who lost his sense of touch. He couldn't play, and was devastated until he turned his hands over to God. One day he sat down at a piano again and could suddenly touch. He remembered that promise, and now plays anointed worship music for conferences - the selfish ambition replaced with a desire for God's glory, the unabling becoming an enabling at last.

Significantly I think, there was no room in the temple for the priests because the temple was so filled with God. When my heart's cry becomes like John the Baptist's - "I must decrease, and He must increase" - then I will begin to know what His glory really looks like. When our churches focus less on our plans and more on His, then we just might find ourselves unable to continue ... but ultimately enabled for greater ministry.

Things Revealed

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deut. 29:29)

I love to ask questions. In many ways, I never escaped the "why" stage. I was always the kid who didn't just want to know why the sky was blue; I wanted to understand refraction {sympathetic sigh for my parents here}.

I'm not quite sure why God made me this way, but I have carried it over into my relationship with Him. It's not that I don't have faith - I do - but God has wired me such that I need to know that my faith makes sense! As my pastor's wife puts it, I have to know that what I believe is intellectually honest. I don't want to have a "faith" sector of my thinking and a "facts" sector. I want to know how the two intersect and what makes sense to explain that.

The great thing is, we have a God who is about revealing, not withholding. From creation to Scripture to Jesus, God has revealed Himself. Did He tell us everything? No. And for people like me that can be a hard pill to swallow. That's why this passage in Deuteronomy means so much to me. There are "secret things" that belong to Him. But there are many, many "things revealed" that He has given to us, to lead us into a loving and obedient relationship with Him.

Ultimately, what God has chosen to reveal is sufficient. We can spend a lifetime pursuing the depths of these "things revealed" and still barely scratch the surface. Jonathan Edwards theorized that the reason that heaven will be for eternity instead of a predetermined length of time is that it will take eternity for us to plumb the depths of an infinite God and all the things we couldn't know while here below.

I love that God has given me a mind to ask questions. I love that our faith is based on solid facts: a literal resurrection, a risen Christ seen by many, the written witness of those who walked this soil with Him. Paul and John especially go to great lengths to let us see that our faith is grounded firmly in reality. And yet I also love that He doesn't answer every question. He knows what I can handle.

I love that He has placed around me some faith-filled people who simply trust His loving hand and His pure heart. They remind me that all my searching and digging is pointless if it doesn't lead me to deeper relationship with Him and others. For as Paul wrote, knowledge without love is nothing.

True Hospitality

The knock on the door came unexpectedly at 2:00 PM today.

Not that it should have been unexpected, mind you. Though not on the wall calendar, the meeting was on my email calendar and written on the to-do list I'd never gotten around to looking at in a busy morning. But the events of this thing called "life" had caused me to completely forget that today was a day I'd been looking forward to for a few weeks.

A couple of divine appointments established a connection between me and another believer who I really have wanted to get to know. We planned to meet today and she was prompt, knocking on the door at 1:55. When my husband came and asked if I was expecting company, I immediately remembered and was aghast.

The house was a mess. I hadn't even so much as vacuumed up the mass of seed kernels and dog hair left by our pets, much less put up things around the kitchen or folded the clothes on the bed. Furthermore, I was not in a mood for company at the time! While I wanted to see her, I'm an introvert by nature, and playing hostess in this setting stretched me waaaaaaay out of my comfort zone!

But God is good and faithful. Somehow I managed to welcome her and she was gracious from the beginning. She managed to make me feel comfortable in my own home, my own mess. She brought a cheesecake, we sat at the table, and conversation began to flow. Within minutes I realized I wouldn't have missed this for the world - mess or no mess.

Over the next 4 hours we laughed and talked. When I got hungry I got up and ate; she eagerly invited herself to have one of the bananas on the table. When she got tired, she took a catnap and I threw in a load of laundry and cleared off the counter. What is a struggle even with my closest friends and extended family became the most natural thing in the world with my new friend. In the process, I heard one of the most amazing stories of grace I've ever known. When we prayed, I felt the presence of the Lord in a very real and powerful way. I knew that I so easily could have missed all of that for being "worried and bothered about so many things".

When my new friend left, she thanked me for opening my home. She said she was glad that it was the way it was, because it felt like life. Some days are good, some are bad; we're up and we're down; and we are in it together. Hospitality is more about being willing to share life than it is about any decorations, meals, or preparation time. It's about openness and servanthood and relationship and love. Mostly, it's about making someone feel comfortable enough to be who they are, to tear down walls.

Today, I played hostess. But my friend brought the hospitality.

Is Time On Your Side?

"That which is not done daily will never dominate a life." (anonymous)

Think with me for a minute about a couple of questions I've been asking myself lately:

• What do you want to dominate your life?
• What legacy do you want to have?

Now consider: Is your current approach to time management facilitating or hindering your answers?

North America is a very time-oriented society. Other cultural models tend to be more event-oriented (the time starts when the event starts) or person-oriented (it starts when everyone shows up).

Now, I am a list-maker and planner, so I'm the first to admit that there is something to be said for our cultural tendency to structure our days. But when time management becomes a master instead of a servant, something is wrong. That's when I think we can learn from other cultures. We can see time not as a commodity, but as a tool for facilitating our purpose in life. Thus, time management isn't about a system and a structure, but about priorities and purpose.

Some specific things I'm doing to try to bring time in line with what I hope will dominate my life:

• Schedule less. Follow the 25% rule: Make your list and cut 25% of the things off it. Questions to ask: "Is it worth it? Does it matter?" There will always be things that have to be scheduled. But I have found that I can work much more openness into my schedule this way. It's a very pragmatic approach. Interruptions will happen. Why not plan for them from the beginning?Figure out what's important enough to block off time for, and focus on that.
  
• Stretch your schedule. For those items you do schedule, or the time you plan to travel from one appointment or place to another, follow the 25% rule as well: Add 25% to whatever time you think something will take. This builds in time for interruptions, relationships, divine appointments - or just a few minutes to sit and pray or read. I committed to this about a month ago and guess what - I've been on time to everything for a change, AND been very relaxed on the way rather than anxious and blowing in at the last minute. I find myself entering a place in a totally different frame of mind, just because I'm 5 minutes early instead of 2 minutes late.
• Prioritize for focus. When you make your list ask what 3 things would be most significant in your day. You'll do other things besides those 3, but try to ensure that at the very least, you get those 3 things done. Which ONE is most consistent with your purpose? Do something toward that first - even before checking email ;).Additionally, give yourself permission to prioritize. We can't do everything equally well! Figure out what needs to be done top-notch and what can be less than perfect. Spent your time on what you deem most important and give yourself permission to "get by" in minor areas. What needs the bulk of your attention will vary from person to person and even day to day. Just give yourself permission to be less than perfect. Overall, reduce the number of tasks you do each day, but make each one count for more.
  
• Quit multi-tasking. I know. I haven't figured out how to do life without multi-tasking. At the very least, learn to focus on the task you have prioritized in that moment. Have one "top of mind" task to return to when you get interrupted. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Keep biting away at that top of mind task despite the interruptions, and when you prioritize an interruption, just be there for it - fully, in that moment.
  
• Say No. Examine new commitments carefully before saying yes. Pray over everything. When you don't have a choice (you have a flat on the way to work) say no to worry - keep the main thing the main thing. Look for God's divine purpose in the moment and say no to being anxious about it.
  
• Simplify. Realize your to-do list will never be "done" - and let it go. Focus on the progress and the journey. Sometimes, it helps to see the forest rather than the trees. It's a process, and we are all on the road together. Stay grounded on your purpose, prioritize, motivation. Use the strengths of others who might find your challenging tasks, easy and fun! (I hate to make posters, for example, but my student workers enjoy it! So, I delegate, get rid of stress, and they have a blast!). Just tell yourself things like: "I'm being productive in a different way"; "I'm expanding my repertoire of uses of time"; "I'm becoming more flexible"; "I'm learning how to manage relationships instead of time"; "I'm learning how not to offend people". From http://www.missionarycare.com/brochures/ss_eventoriented.htm

Bullet point titles from http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/01/7-simple-time-management-rules-for.html

Think back to yourself at a younger age. What would you tell yourself to fill in these blanks:

• Life is too short to __________________________.
• Life is too short not to _______________________.

In the long run, this is boiling down in my life to doing less of what matters least and more of what matters most. I still get a lot done and am still very task-oriented by nature. But I'm doing it in a much more relaxed mode these days, with a view to the why more than the what. And I think that honors God - our relational God, who wants us to prioritize abiding above doing.

Aiming for the Moon

"Aim for the moon and if you don't make it, you might just land among the stars." This little bit of advice from my grandmother stuck with me all my life. As a result, I've always tended to be a bit unrealistic in my goals. Early on this was reflected in selfish ambition. I wanted to win a Pulitzer by the time I was 30. Now 40, my main writing outlets are this blog and papers for school.

The last 10-15 years my ambitions have changed. I've realized that I shifted my "aim high" mindset toward creating unrealistic lists and never quite getting around to things that I really needed to focus on. Somehow, I've become lax and settled for less in areas of key importance, while aiming high on my daily to-do list. "Aiming for the moon", for me, has become a task-oriented goal, and I consistently disappoint myself.

So I've had somewhat of an epiphany. What if I aim for the moon in my purposes and overarching life goals, but try to be a bit more realistic in my daily tasks? What if I build in time for interruptions and see who God brings my way? What if I refuse to accept mediocrity in the things that really matter, and give myself permission to do less of what doesn't matter so much. I wrote in my journal the other day:

I have allowed the tyranny of the urgent, the pressures of life, fatigue, selfishness, to lead me to accept mediocrity as normal. Glory is at stake in how I work and how I eat. Rewards are profound in richer relationships. God's kingdom never advances by the status quo. And I will know Him most intimately if I aim high in seeking Him hard.

I still aim for the moon - to glorify God and enjoy Him, to seek Him, to do all things for the sake of His name. That might mean doing less, not more, and saying no to things I could end up doing poorly. Currently I'm experimenting with a 25% rule: Add 25% to whatever time I think something will take, and remove 25% of the things from my daily list. I'm curious what God will throw into the mix - what divine appointments might I have because I approach life at a little slower pace, and shift my task-oriented tendencies to joining Him in His work.

I suspect I'll always remain task-oriented and that I will always seek to get things done. He made me this way, and those are strengths and gifts. But as I learn to exercise them under the influence of the Spirit, I must realize that if I'm settling for less where I should be striving for more, and pushing for perfection where I don't have to do so, then I'm in the flesh. At that point I should turn around and go in the direction of the Spirit, quit striving and know He is God. He WILL be exalted in the earth - and I want that to happen through me.

New Posts on The Big Picture

I've been catching up on WCF posts over at The Big Picture. Check it out at http://worldchristianfoundations.blogspot.com.

Also - I am thrilled to report I have a paper topic for my Graduate Research Paper (like a thesis sort of ). No title yet, but the topic is the role of new immigrant evangelical churches in establishing community among Central American immigrants to the US. I'm pretty excited about it and will keep you posted!

Faith vs. Trust

They received divine help in fighting them, and the Hagrites and all their allies were handed over to them. They cried out to God during the battle; he responded to their prayers because they trusted in him. (1 Chr. 5:20)

My efforts at an application-centered read-through of the Bible have sometimes been, well, challenging. Such as the past few days in 1 Chronicles. One thing I love about this approach, though, is that it teaches me to look for God's personal hand in the lives of those we encounter in Scripture. When I see His hand there, I can recognize His touch in my own life as well.

Today I was captivated by this verse tucked into the chronology of Israel. The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manessah - the group that had stayed east of the Jordan River rather than settling in the Promised Land - faced some pretty stout enemies. yet when they cried out to God, He responded - giving them divine help. "Respond" here literally means "allowed Himself to be entreated." What motivated his response? Their trust in Him.

My mind immediately went to an encounter Jesus had with a man who also asked for divine intervention. The centurion's slave was sick, and he sent for Jesus. Luke records the contrast of those who were trying to convince Jesus of the man's worthiness for a piece of His time, and the man's own humility and trust that Jesus' mere words would be sufficient:

After Jesus had finished teaching all this to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was highly regarded, but who was sick and at the point of death. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they urged him earnestly, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, because he loves our nation, and even built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not presume to come to you. Instead, say the word, and my servant must be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him. He turned and said to the crowd that followed him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith!” So when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.

I realized through these two stories that often I relegate faith to an intellectual level. Do I believe that God can heal, can intervene? Sure. But do I trust Him? Too often, the answer is "not so much."

But a word study of "faith" reveals something striking: Faith is really "a belief that brings with it the ability to relax" - in other words, to trust. When I have abstract "faith" I know God's character, promises, and potential. When I trust Him, I know that He is my only hope and that He will do what is right.

That can be hard when other people are involved. We want to believe that God can and will work, but there is someone's free will or some seemingly insurmountable circumstance standing in the way. We feel we must "do" something. But as my pastor wisely pointed out this morning, that was Sarah's attitude as well - and the result was the child of the flesh.

That's where trust comes in. If I trust God then I will trust Him with that person, that circumstance. I might not know what is going to happen - or even what is best. But I trust Him in it. I trust Him with me. I put myself in an environment where His Spirit can flourish and He can speak to me as I walk in the Spirit, and I let go of the fear and anxiety that is evidence of lack of trust. Faith has now moved from my head to my heart. It affects how I sleep at night and what I do the next morning.

Am I there? Not by a long shot! On my best days, I get a glimpse of the potential. I live in the words of Jarius: "I do believe; help my unbelief."

Funny - I have a hunch that if I really trust Him, He will do just that.

New posts on The Big Picture

I have 3 new posts on The Big Picture (http://worldchristianfoundations.blogspot.com) if you are following that blog. Catching up on lessons for school!

Pleasing God

I've been turning over in my head our perennial tendency as believers to please God.

It's not a bad thing - Prov. 16:7 holds out an enticing promise that for those whose ways please Him, their enemies will be at peace. Jesus gave an example of someone whose ways were always pleasing to God (John 8:29). Paul even writes that we should "try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord" (Eph. 5:10; Col. 1:10). There is much to commend the sense of feeling God's pleasure over our decisions and courses of action. We all want to hear Him say, "Well Done."

And yet ... something nags at me. Something tells me it is far to easy to have our focus be "pleasing God". Something tells me that the Pharisees too wanted to please God. So how can I bring the desire to please God into check, to avoid the legalism of the Pharisees? Should "pleasing God" be the motive that gets me through each day?

More and more, I'm thinking - probably not. Maybe it's just me, but living to please opens the door for me to despair when I've failed, and to live for the reward as an end in itself. Instead, I'm seeking to practice as a motive something I learned from our dog: delight in His presence.

Our dog loves nothing more than to be by us. He is 12 1/2 years old and feels every bit the old dog that he is. But he is faithfully up off his bed and excitedly greeting us at the end of the day. He literally lives for the times at night when we call him into our room to sleep next to us. While he sometimes is not pleasing to us in his actions (like finding him in a puddle of water today ... laying down) - he never fails to delight in our presence. And the one discipline that works faster than anything else is to put him away from our presence even for a few minutes. He quickly comes in line when it affects his closeness to us.

So I'm questioning if maybe that's more of the "pleasing" that God wants us to strive for. Desiring His presence so greatly, that we will put aside anything that affects the intimacy of the relationship, make "pleasing Him" more about Him than about the warm fuzzy I get when He pats me on the head. Sure, certain actions please Him. But if those actions are taken apart from a genuine desire for His presence, I'm not sure He's very pleased. The older brother in the story of the prodigal (Luke 15) did the right actions, but didn't truly enjoy his father's presence.

God doesn't want older brothers. I think what He wants are prodigals who can't wait to be with Him and who long to do the right thing because we delight first of all in Him and long to be with Him. He wants people freed from demons who refuse to leave the foot of the cross. He wants those who ignore the crowd and wash His feet with their hair, who love much because they are forgiven much. He wants people who will honor Him for His "scandalous grace" and who can't imagine life without Him.

When He is our all in all, we will find that sin can't stand in His presence. We'll do whatever we can to honor Him. And I think that He will find that very pleasing indeed.

A Different Kind of Easter Lesson

As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” (Luke 24:36-39)

Easter was very different for me this year.

As I blogged previously, I entered this week desperately wanting, needing to fully experience the cross and the resurrection. I needed the perspective of realizing that God has provided in Christ the answer to all my questions about the evil I see in the world.

I proceeded through the week in my usual manner, following through the Gospel accounts on each day of our Lord's last week before the crucifixion. I expected amazing insights each day - wonderful times on the mountaintop, and words I could share with you. After all, that's what happened before; you can read those thoughts under March 2008.

But God had a different kind of Easter lesson for me this year. Because of circumstances my quiet times this week were fragmented. I was tired. I felt like I was desperate to hear from God - not for ministry, but for ME.

And, I did hear from Him. What He impressed upon me more than anything was the realityof the cross, the reality of the resurrection. Let me explain.

Some people in western Christianity today are spiritualizing the cross and resurrection. The cross becomes not a place for Jesus to take our place in death and to die as the lamb of God, but a place of symbolic sacrifice and self-centered "suffering" when our rights are violated. Similarly, in their false teaching the resurrection becomes not the central point of our faith, not even necessarily bodily, but just a symbol of our ability to "rise above" such violations. It's liberation theology for our modern psycho-therapy saturated world.

But this week was a lesson to me that if the cross and resurrection aren't literally real, they are meaningless. As I struggled with the realities of life, I didn't need a spiritual lesson. I needed a Savior. In my fatigue and desperation to hear His voice, I didn't cry out to a principle. I cried out to Jesus.

As I watched The Passion of the Christ Friday night with my church family, I sensed God speak to me about true freedom. He died to set me free from sin and self. He died not so that I can indulge the flesh, but so that I can be victorious over it. The doctrine that rejects the reality of the cross doesn't give me power over my flesh. But Jesus does. True freedom comes because the cross is REAL.

Today as I listened to my pastor teach on Luke 24 and the proofs of the resurrection, I was challenged to ask myself again why I believe. He asked a simple question: "Where is His body?" As I pursued the Scriptures, I realized what great lengths the Gospel writers go through to show us proof of the resurrection. Never are we asked to take this most important of doctrines by faith alone. Does it require faith? Sure, especially 2000 years later when the witnesses are long gone. But for those initial audiences of Scripture, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul go to great lengths to authenticate the resurrection. They answer arguments by showing the source of rumors (Matt. 28:11-15). They include multiple eyewitnesses, including some who wouldn't be expected from the point of view of self-defense (women's testimony was inadmissible). Paul even points to the fact that some of the more than 500 were still alive and thus could be questioned (1 Cor. 15:6). Even Jesus Himself in the passage above invites those in the Upper Room to see that He isn't a spirit. He doesn't say "believe because I said so". He says "touch and see."

"Touch and see". That became the heart of the Apostle John's witness. He would later write:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:1-3)

You can almost hear his cry: "He's real. I was there. It's all true." I am so grateful that God gives us the gift of faith and enables us to take Him at His Word. But I am also glad that He went to such lengths to undergird the key doctrine of our faith with solid, logical proof. For as Paul points out in 1 Cor. 15, if the resurrection isn't true, our faith is in vain.

The literal reality of His death and resurrection give me hope in a week like this, and every week. On my best days, I might be tempted settle for a spiritualized Savior. But on my weak ones, I know the truth: I need Him to be real.

Praise God, He is. Hallelujah, the Gospel is true!

Eager for Holy Week!

I came into this Resurrection Week feeling more ready than ever before for the perspective it will bring.

For years, I've spent Holy Week re-reading the narratives about Christ's last week of ministry, on the day of the week they occurred (as best we know). It's always great to get a fresh look at The Greatest Story Ever Told. Each year I grasp something new, something I haven't seen before.

But never before do I recall being so eager for Holy Week. Take the tragic shootings this past week (at a nursing home and an immigration center), add an increased awareness of the suffering throughout the world, and throw in the general hopelessness many seem to feel -- I came to today needing to be reminded afresh of the firm reality of The Story.

My first reminder came this morning as I read the Palm Sunday narratives. Jesus' Triumphal Entry - so profound, fulfilling prophecy, yet so different from their human expectations. There was so much He could have done there among those people, those who were waving the branches and welcoming Him, those who were correcting them. But He chose instead to spend time in the temple. One of the things He did there grabbed my attention this morning:

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. (Mt. 21:14)

The "blind and the lame" didn't have a great reputation in Judaism. We first encounter the phrase as a unit in 2 Sam. 5:6, when David goes up against the Jebusites to take Jerusalem. David was warned "the blind and the lame will ward you off" - as the people proudly thought their city was undefeatable. David takes the city by going up through the water shaft and attacking "the blind and the lame" - likely not literal individuals, but statues of Isaac (blind) and Jacob (lame) that guarded the city and were thought to provide divine protection. Whatever the details, this episode led to a saying in Israel that "the blind and the lame" were not welcome in the king's house. (Despite David later reaching out to lame Mephibosheth, this saying prevailed beyond his lifetime.)

By the time Jesus came, this saying had been extended to "the house of the Lord" and there were additions to the temple laws of Scripture ... restrictions that severely (and unbiblically) limited the circumstances under which individuals who were disabled could enter the temple. For example, those whose disabilities required padding (for their stumps) were restricted because of potential uncleanness, though this was not mentioned in Scripture. These people frequented the gates of the temple looking for alms, and some who were partially mobile could enter the temple courts.

But we see Jesus not only healing the lame and blind in his interactions in the countryside, but also in the temple - in the gates and court areas, most likely - we see Him revealing God's heart and showing yet another way religion got it wrong. David had reflected this heart when he had Mephibosheth at his table. He showed that God's heart is not to restrict us but to welcome us - even if we have to be carried to the table (see 2 Sam. 9).

So today, The Story has reminded me that He is ready to receive me in my broken state. It has reminded me that He went out of His way to show God's heart to the "blind and the lame".

Much more awaits this week. This is the perspective I need in light of the sometimes harsh realities of this world. He isn't just a Savior for the afterlife; He is the Transformer of my here and now. But it all starts with His death and resurrection.

I am ready to feel deeply the crucible of Calvary and enthusiastically run to see the empty tomb. Will you join me there?

A Hint to Walking in the Spirit

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.(Gal. 5:16-17, ESV)

Walking in the Spirit is hard.

Despite teachings that as a believer we will seemingly "want the right things", Paul presents our faith-walk as a struggle between the flesh and the Spirit. We may WANT to do new things, but our flesh will always take us a different direction. We have to rein ourselves in, you might say.

But recently I've found a hint to walking in the Spirit ... a hint tucked right into Paul's letter to Galatia.

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself....”If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life... And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Gal. 5:13-14; 25-26; 6:9-10)

Paul talks about love and serving one another in the same section that he discusses walking in the Spirit. I've never noticed the connection before, but I don't think it's an accident.

I've noticed that it's much easier for me to fight sin when my life is filled with serving others than when I'm focused on my own struggle with sin. The principle is borne out when I watch the lives of others. Whether it's a family member, a Christian co-worker, or someone at church, I see that fleshly patterns are more apparent when people are not serving and using their gifts than when they are. A critical spirit disappears when it is turned outward into a sharp focus in a crisis situation. A pity party ends when the gift of mercy is being used in the life of a needy child. My own tendency to over-intellectualize - and the pride that can stir - is squashed when my efforts are poured into teaching and I'm reminded how many questions I still don't know how to answer.

Are you struggling to walk in the Spirit? Take a hint from Paul. Walk in love and service using the gifts God gave you. See if that makes the Spirit flow much more freely in your life!