Light-work

Peace or Fire on Earth

When Jesus was born, the angel chorus sang, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” So it is a little surprising to hear Jesus say something that sounds quite different: “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division” (Luke 12:49-53).

In the latter passage, Jesus is declaring that He will someday bring judgment on the earth and that it can't happen soon enough. Before that fire falls, however, Jesus Himself must be immersed in God's judgment. Peace will not flow from this baptism, but "division;" Even the most basic of family connections will be upset with fathers taking sides against sons and daughters taking sides against mothers. Their disagreement has to do with fire and peace.

It is not politically correct to say it, but the world stands under the shadow of God's wrath (Col. 3:6). Fire will fall! Here is some good news -- There is an escape plan! The Apostle Paul explained it to the Thessalonian church: For they themselves report . . . how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:9-10). When Jesus returns, He will save His own from the falling fire.

How can He do this? Remember that baptism Jesus underwent! When He died on the cross, He experienced the wrath of God as a substitute for men. The fire of judgment fell on Him so that it need not fall on us! He offers this supreme service as a gift for any who want it. Receive this gift and enjoy true peace. Or refuse it and fire will fall.

This notion of "targeted peace" aligns perfectly with what the angels promised: “And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” Those with whom God is pleased will enjoy peace. Those who reject His Son and refuse the supremely costly gift for which He paid, will not.

When "Peace on Earth" is assumed to be a privilege enjoyed by all men simply because "it's Christmas," the very purpose for which Jesus came to earth is trivialized, men are dulled to the fact that the place is about to go up in flames, and the profound value of what Jesus accomplished is diminished.

The angel chorus understood it perfectly. A myriad of them came near Bethlehem to celebrate the first phase of a grand undertaking, a peace initiative that would make it possible for some to avoid the fire that would otherwise consume all. This is definitely something worth singing about!

Elusive Christmas Peace

The shepherds were doing what shepherds do at a certain time of year - hangin' with the sheep. It was all pretty routine camping under the stars until a terrible figure flashed onto the scene. He exuded an intense light "not of this world" and left the shepherds groveling in abject terror. Perhaps their fear began to fade when this angel announced some good news, namely, the date and location of a Saviour's birth. Next, a heavenly chorus beamed down, declaring “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:13-14). The fanfare was not lost on the shepherds who concluded something big was afoot. They acted on this angelic intelligence report and were not disappointed.

Since that night almost two millennia ago, Christmas cards have heralded the moment using the phrase "Peace on Earth" as the focal point of their cover art. The phrase seems to anchor a lot of our culture's Christmas sentiment, which ranges all over the peace map. Some celebrate God's initiative to restore peace between Himself and men through His Son, Jesus. The more politically correct celebrate a hippie inspired notion of world peace. For families in conflict, Christmas peace is a relational cease-fire, a brief truce where everyone tries to "get through the holidays" without igniting renewed hostilities. Merchants are looking for some sort of peace connection to their products which they can exploit to boost Christmas sales figures.

I found this ad a creative example: Having your septic tank cleaned for visiting family and friends is how to enjoy peace of mind at Christmas. Wow! Peace on earth from something as simple as septic service. Who knew?

So are we honoring the birth of Jesus in all this? I am not denying one jot or tittle of the angels report to the shepherds. But are we justified when we connect the angelic declaration to the enjoyment of some sort of generalized peace in our time?

Here is a passage that must be placed alongside Luke 2:13-14 because it seems contradictory. It captures words of Jesus uttered about 30 years after the angels' birth announcement. Jesus declares to his followers, “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division” (Luke 12:49-51).

So who's right? The angels who suggest that Jesus came on a peace mission? Or Jesus who declares He has come to grant anything but peace? What do you think?

Bunker to Sunlight

A month and a half after his graduation in May, 2010, our son was diagnosed with stage II Hodgkin’s disease. Six months of intensive chemo and radiation followed. Tests in May, 2011, confirmed his cancer was in remission and his counts were trending positive. Also in May of 2011, his medical insurance provider denied all of his claims, asserting that his cancer was a "pre-existing condition."

We were profoundly grateful for God's goodness in healing our son, but now overwhelmed by medical bills of almost $250,000. We pled with God for grace, determined that we would not choose bankruptcy, and set about the task of satisfying twenty different medical providers.

Now six months later, we have written the last check and put it in today's mail. As of Dec. 8, 2011, every account has been paid in full because God provided! We are emerging from our emotional bunker into sunlight and joy. The great weight of uncertainty and financial pressure has been lifted. God has lavished us with grace and we are humbled by His goodness. The sunlight feels good!

Book of Revelation Dominoes

Here is the stated purpose of the Book of Revelation from the first verse: The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place (Rev. 1:1). It is obvious that Jesus made this book available to His people for the purpose of generating understanding, not confusion. Alas, there are a lot of people who are confused by the book. So here is my attempt to simplify and clarify. In the interest of simplicity, I have not gone into all the background for each element in this chart - but you can click here if you want to listen to the 60 sermons that provide the explanation for this framework.

The chart above (click on the chart to view a larger version) shows three series of seven (identified as seals, trumpets, and bowls, respectively). Think of these as a series of twenty-one dominoes which fall sequentially. When domino seven falls, it causes the next series of seven to occur. When domino fourteen falls, it puts in motion the last series of seven. These dominoes represent mostly natural disasters, political developments, and supernatural events. The severity of these events is intensified with each new series. The last series of seven represents "full strength wrath."

I am suggesting that the timing of these events is represented by a sort of logarithmic scale. The earlier events (dominoes on the left) describe events that may or may not overlap but which, in some cases, span a period of months. However, the last series (the dominoes on the right) represent a quick succession of events. Taken together, the twenty-one dominoes fall with accelerating momentum that builds to a crescendo of final judgment.

In chapters 10-14, we learn about three developments which will be synchronized to the fall of the fourteenth domino. The amazing prophetic ministry of two Jewish witnesses, the supernatural protection of Israel, and Satan's war against the saints will all culminate in the last series of seven that is set in motion by domino fourteen. This last series will involve the outpouring of "full strength wrath" on those who dwell on the earth. It will also culminate in the judgment of the economic and religious center that is Babylon, as described in chapters 17-18. The fall of domino twenty-one will be synchronized with the victory of the Lamb over all opposition and the revelation of His bride.

The bars for the three periods that end at the fourteenth domino have an indefinite starting point. These periods are all 42 months in duration, but we cannot pinpoint which domino falls 42 months before the fourteenth. The bar for the judgment of Babylon also lacks a precise starting point, but there is no doubt about its end point which is synchronized to the fall of the last two dominoes.

Seems pretty simple, right? Are you tracking with me? So where would the rapture described in 1 Thess. 4:13-18 fit?

Babylon's World of Extremes

JD asks a great question from the sermon series on Revelation: In the last couple weeks we have touched on Babylon and the type of city it will be; my questions are: Is Babylon spared or sheltered in some way from the devastation of the judgments poured out? If not, how is such wealth and opulence available and usable so soon after the global devastation of the judgments? We spent a number of weeks going thru the tough times ahead spiritually and how it will become economically oppressive and devastating worldwide and exponentially so for believers - how does what we are now hearing about Babylon and it's wealth and comfort correlate with what we have previously gone through? World wide famine, economic collapse, enormous loss of human life, natural disasters on a scale unseen previously - and then a city where pleasure rules and stuff is God- where does it all come from in the wake of such devastation and catastrophic losses?

Essentially, she is asking how a city experiencing plenty can exist in a world of devastating want. First, let me affirm what she is saying about the hard times ahead. The second vision in the book of Revelation (Chapters 4-16) outlines an event sequence that consists of three series of seven. Think of them as a line of 21 dominoes representing global natural disasters and political shifts. With the fall of domino seven and domino fourteen, the dominoes that follow take it up a notch from the previous group of seven. JD is exactly right that these will be the worst of times for those who dwell on the earth.

So, how can it be the best of times for Babylon? We are provided with a hint in Rev. 6:6: And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine” (Rev. 6:6). This verse is connected to the third domino. It describes runaway inflation. A denarius (see above for a sample coined in 2nd C. BC) in John's day represented about 3 grams of silver and was the equivalent of a laborer's daily wage. It would buy about 10 quarts of wheat. So John is describing an economic climate in which the value of money has been reduced by a power of 10. Stated in another way, the cost of basic commodities has increased by a factor of 10. No matter how you slice it, this is a description of not much bread for your dough.

But then there is the last phrase, "do not damage the oil and the wine." This suggests a glaring disparity. Those dwelling in the land of subsistence will be in a world of hurt. But those sitting in the lap of luxury will be unfazed - the economic crisis associated with the 3rd domino will not inhibit those who are enjoying the good life. Babylon is not named here but could easily be such a place of living the good life unhindered.

Certainly by the time we conclude the last set of dominoes, whatever protections Babylon has erected will come to naught. But until then, Babylon will hold onto enough of her greatness and grandeur to effectively convince herself that she is beyond the reach of the misfortune that befalls the "little people." Such a grand delusion!

 

The Babylon Code, Pt. 2 of 2

In a previous post, I indicated my preference for an interpretation that connects Revelation 17-18 to Babylon on the Euphrates. I closed with two questions. The first concerns the "imminence" of the Lord's return. If the events of the tribulation will occur at a time when ancient Babylon has returned to become a thriving religious and economic center (which it is anything but today), wouldn't this suggest that the return of the Lord lies far in the future? I also asked, "Does the urgent appeal for saints to 'come out of her [Babylon]' (Rev. 18:4) have any relevance to saints living today since this Babylon does not yet exist?"

To answer the first question, I would point to Dubai as an illustration. (The luxurious Burj Al Arab hotel is pictured above.) This city has a lot in common with future Babylon, and the pace of its emergence as a mecca of opulence has been brisk. Babylon will apex at the end of the seven year long tribulation. A petro-dollar fueled orgy of construction begun a few years (or decades) before the start of the tribulation could repeat the "miracle" that is Dubai. So while I can say we are not there yet, we may only be not QUITE there yet.

As to the second question, understanding the Babylon Code is critical. Based on Revelation 17-18, we can identify five statements which capture Babylon's creed. These declare how future Babylon thinks:

• “I live for me.”
• “You cannot argue with my success.”
• “Get in my way and you will regret it.”
• “There is no ‘right and wrong,’ only what makes me feel better.”
• “No one can stop me from doing what I want.”

Do these not have a familiar ring to them? Do they not sound like the mantra's of western materialism? So I am inclined to suggest that while the city of Babylon is not yet built, the Code of Modern Babylon is very much in evidence. In which case the urgent appeal for God's people to make a clean break makes perfect sense. We live in a day and age when the spirit of Babylon is alive and well even though the city has not yet made her grand entrance. Saints who prevail when she does will have learned how to defy her philosophy even while living in Pre-Babylonian times.

Prevailing saints disagree with the five tenets of the Babylon Code, and they are capable of expressing that disagreement even when it is unpopular to do so. Learn how to recognize it today, how to make a clean break from it, and you will ready when construction gets underway in earnest.

The Babylon Code, Pt. 1 of 2

The Book of Revelation is quite graphic in its description of the Fall of Babylon. This city boasts a long history and notorious reputation. Originally founded by Nimrod (Gen. 10:8,10), it soon became the focal point of men's celebration of their own accomplishments. Bad idea! God intervened and the city was branded with a fitting designation: Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth (Gen. 11:9).

Despite this setback, Babel refused to go away nor mend its ways. Notably, Babylon (same city) was the destroyer of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC. In her historic heyday, power, wealth, commerce, and wisdom were hers. The OT prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah would describe her as idolatrous, wicked, arrogant, self-confident, covetous, cruel, and domineering. Babylon is less than a shadow of her former self today, so it is curious that she is presented once more in Revelation 17-18 as the global focal point of man centered religion.

Bible students differ in their identification of "Babylon" in Revelation. It would seem straightforward to identify it with a rebuilt city on the Euphrates river (see image above). The vast gap between the current state of affairs (quite humble) and the future state of Babylon (grand and impressive) suggests the merit of finding another interpretive option. So some have proposed that "Babylon" is a code word for some other physical city (Rome or Jerusalem are often suggested), an institution or entity (the "apostate church" or papacy are often proposed), or a "Babylonian ideology" that gains a global hold on men's thinking.

We need to remember that this is a problem of biblical interpretation. If the text is clearly discussing a rebuilt city of Babylon on the Euphrates in Iraq, then we must choose to believe what Scripture says will happen MORE than we believe our own perceptions of what could be. Yes, I have difficulty imagining a world class city like the one described in Revelation 17-18 coming into such wealth and prominence out of the current political, military, and economic milieu. But I must not allow the limits of my imagination to dismiss out of hand what the text might clearly be saying. Bottom line: I am open to all the options.

All views which propose that "Babylon" is a code word or symbol face a serious difficulty. They lack a decoder. There are 29 phrases or terms used in Revelation that are clearly symbolic. And all 29 of them are identified as symbols by the use of a key term or phrase which connects the symbol to what it represents. The first of these code-breaker phrases in the Book of Revelation appear in 1:20: “As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches (Rev. 1:20). (I have highlighted the code-breakers in blue.) No such code-breakers are used with the term "Babylon" to indicate it represents something else. In fact, the exact opposite occurs. A woman sitting on a scarlet beast is clearly identified as code or a symbol of the great city of Babylon (Rev. 17:3-5). Babylon is not the symbol but the reality behind the symbol (which is a harlot in scarlet and purple).

The view that this is the actual city of Babylon on the Euphrates at the apex of a future "greatness" is the conclusion of a plain sense reading of the text. In Rev. 2-3, John clearly intends the mention of a city name to be taken literally. In the one place in the prophecy where he employs a code name for an actual city, he provides a clear code-breaker: And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified (Rev. 11:8).

Several descriptive details add to the impression that the actual city of Babylon is targeted in Rev. 17-18: The fact that the Euphrates River is specifically named in 9:14 and 16:12 marks out a geographical area connected to Babylon as a key focus of coming judgment. The suggestion that Babylon has access to the sea is a detail that fits with Babylon on the Euphrates which is navigable to the Persian Gulf. The descriptive phrase "which sits on many waters," itself a code phrase for the city's global dominance (17:15), recalls Jeremiah's use of this language to describe Babylon (Jer. 51:13), a city of canals, waterways, and marshes. The position of the city "in the wilderness" (Rev. 17:3) is a detail that would also fit Babylon on the Euphrates, although it is not clear if this phrase indicates the city's location prior to or after her judgment.

I find the view that this is the actual city of Babylon on the Euphrates to be more persuasive. Of course, this raises some other questions: Does this mean that the events described in Revelation are "a long ways off" since it would take years for such a city to become a reality? And, does the urgent appeal for saints to "come out of her [Babylon]" (Rev. 18:4) have no relevance to saints living today since this Babylon does not yet exist?

Good questions! What do you think?

Behind the Badge

After God came through, I told the Police Chief about it and he got excited. Then I told the CBC Elders about it and they decided to cover the airfare for scholarship recipients for the next five years. Then I told the congregation about it, and they got jazzed about providing a banquet that went way beyond your typical banquet. They, in turn, began telling local businesses about it, and additional gifts for police officers began pouring in.

So on Sept 11, we enjoyed an elegant steak dinner together. Officers and guests were seated next to CBC table encouragers whose goal was to make sure than none of them left without knowing they are valued and appreciated. Here is a brief excerpt of my comments that were an attempt to crown what each guest heard at his/her table:

We are grateful for your service, largely unseen, often under-appreciated, but vital to our welfare. Collierville is a great place to live! But, it would not be so if it were not for you. For your dedication, your sacrifice, and your commitment, thank you!

I would like to add a word of recognition to the spouses and family members of officers. We are not blind to the fact that you too, have made profound sacrifices for us. When you hear about two officers from West Memphis who never walked away from a routine traffic stop that went terribly wrong, you cannot help but think of your spouse. And yet, you support them as they each day serve us. We are in awe of you and pledge to pray for you in whatever way you ask. Thank you for what you do.

What an honor to cap off the evening by having each officer stand and to then pray for them (pictured above). It was a thrill to learn that the evening was the buzz of the department. I received several encouraging notes including a hand delivered letter from the police chief the next day. Here's an excerpt that was a joy to read: "Perhaps I can sum up the evening with a quote I heard this morning from several of the officers in attendance last night, 'I have never felt more appreciated and genuinely welcomed than I did at the ceremony,' a common and overwhelming sentiment throughout our department."

We who have such profound reasons to be grateful for God's grace ought to be good at expressing our thankfulness. It was intensely satisfying that we succeeded in communicating heartfelt gratefulness to a group of unsung and dedicated public servants. That was worth doing!

God Comes Through!

I love it when God delivers! Last spring, I was so amazed, I had to write it all down. Here it is:

March 13, 2010
This was so amazing that when I was praying this morning, I was compelled to write it down.
I went to a Front Sight Two Day Defensive Handgun Course in Nevada last November. While there, I was overwhelmed by a realization of the challenges that policemen face. I wondered about showing appreciation to them by providing a way for some to come to Front Sight.

God went before me to set up the appointment, but yesterday I met with Larry Goodwin (Chief), William Hamric (Assistant Chief), and Jeff Abeln (Assistant Chief) to share my story and to ask if they would be interested in some training from Front Sight. I explained a little bit about the camp and my plan for how CBC could help. We would potentially provide a scholarship and airfare. The Collierville Police Department would have to come up with the funds for food, lodging, rental car, and incidentals while there. I explained that I did not want to pursue this unless they saw the value of it. They all indicated an interest in our offer.

I explained that my next two steps would be securing advantageous pricing for these scholarships and then approval of the program by the CBC Elder Board. Once we passed these two checkpoints, we would be ready to plan for a banquet in which four scholarships would be awarded. I left the meeting encouraged by their response but also sobered by the challenge of securing scholarships. The “normal” price for a two day camp is $1,000-1,200. My desire was to do something that is sustainable, so I wanted to secure 20+ such scholarships. But a price tag for the program of over $20,000 (not including the airfare component) seemed more than a little daunting.

I drove home from the meeting with a mixture of excitement, encouragement, and doubt. I stopped at the mailbox and found a post card from Dr. Ignatius Piazza, the founder of Front Sight. He was offering “a deal” that I had to read over and over to assure myself that it was the solution to my challenge. He was offering me anything that I had purchased in the past for half-off the price I paid. Here’s what made this offer so unbelievable. In early 2009, I had purchased certificates for myself and family members for $100 per course. So, if I read this right, he was offering to sell me a scholarship certificate for $50 that would normally cost $1,000 plus.

What is most amazing to me is the timing. God put this card (unlike anything I have ever seen) in my mailbox where I would receive it 30 minutes after meeting with the Collierville police chiefs. It answered PERFECTLY to what I wanted to do and overcame (what seemed to me to be) the greatest obstacle to the success of this outreach ministry. I had the funds for 20 certificates in our “God account” and Rock agreed, “Let’s do it!”

So, I immediately followed the instructions about how to secure 20 certificates by mail and made sure my letter and check went to the post office this morning. I am having trouble believing this has happened, so I am anxious to see the actual certificates. Won’t the police chiefs be shocked! I suspect they looked at me like I was dreaming but probably would never follow through. God came through!

Sionara Moriah!

What was it like for Abraham and Isaac on the return journey from Moriah? In a previous post, I speculated about the inbound leg to Mount Moriah and the associated faith test that Abraham passed with flying colors (see Genesis 22). So what mixture of relief and high fives propelled the journey back to Beersheba?

The biblical text is somewhat terse: So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived at Beersheba (Gen. 22:19). Alas, there are no details. But the return destination is named - Abraham established himself at Beersheba. It was here that Abraham had taken his faith to a new level before the whole Moriah challenge. Genesis 21 recalls, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba, and there he called on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God (Gen. 21:33). Abraham's choice of a tent site after Moriah affirmed that calling on the name of the Lord was a good idea in the first place.

And well it should be! After passing the Moriah Test, God made His intentions clear. Genesis 22:15-18 recounts, Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, “By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” What a promise! God vowed to profoundly bless Abraham because he had declared, "God matters more to me than even the life of my son."

I am grateful that God is allowing me and my son to return from Moriah. Although Austin had a large mass in his chest, and has been (and will continue) receiving treatment, his latest scan came back "completely normal." From over four inches across to nothing in two months seem miraculous to me. The Doctor has declared this a "textbook case" of how treatment should work. I consider it a textbook case of how the goodness of God works. We are grateful for treatment, but overwhelmed by God's goodness.

I have sought to emulate Abraham and hope that the God who reads hearts has seen in mine echoes of Abraham's faith. Should God find in what He sees a reason to bless me, I cannot say. But I am grateful that we are walking away from Moriah and that I am already so profoundly blessed. High fives all around!

Enroute to Moriah

What a trip! In Genesis 22, God asked Abraham to travel to a mountain He would designate and there offer up his beloved son, Isaac. Abraham arose early the next day to begin the three day trip.

There is no record of the conversation on days one and two, although I cannot imagine a lot of playful banter lightening the mood. Yet the brief interchanges that have been preserved from day three sound a note of hope. Abraham could envision how the situation might turn out differently. But no plan B was forthcoming. So Abraham kept his pace steady to fulfill God's original request. The altar and wood were arranged, the lad bound, the knife unsheathed, and Abraham's arm bared as he braced to plunge the blade into the heart of his son.

What would the journey to Mount Moriah have been like if I walked in the sandals of Abraham? Although my pace on foot would be labored, my mind would be racing in a tumble of questions like these, "How does this request square with God's previous promises? Isaac's birth was miraculous; his destiny was to become the first installment of God's covenant with me; he is poised to become a man who fears God and who is ready to serve Him. And now I am to extinguish all the hope and promise Isaac represents! God's request just doesn't make sense! And then there's the moral dilemma. How can the God of life advocate taking the life of the innocent? Surely this is the opposite of what I would expect of a holy God. Perhaps I have been confused. Perhaps, I have assumed that God is asking me to do this, when God couldn't possibly be the source of such a request! This is all a horrible mistake caused by  miscommunication."

Against the backdrop of such reasonable doubts, Abraham stuns us - he betrays no trace of flinching from God's request in the pregnant moment as the blade is raised. But then God interrupts: He said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me” (Gen. 22:12). Did you catch the connection God made? Fearing God and withholding a son are mutually exclusive. By his willingness to give God his son, Abraham proved the genuineness of his fear of God.

I would not presume to equate my experience with Abraham's. But I have recently joined the fellowship of those who journey to Mount Moriah and am striving to learn from Abraham's victory. Earlier this week, our son was diagnosed with cancer. That God would call our beloved son to Himself is among the range of possibilities. So I am asking God to grow in me the authentic fear of Him that is capable of releasing a son to his heavenly Father. I want to fear Him without doubt, without flinching, and without regret. I want to have the kind of regard for my God that considers it an honor to give Him such a precious gift.

God may choose to restore our son - we are fervently praying for precisely that. But even if God does not, we will still love Him and fear Him. Indeed our experience is only deepening our love. For in some small measure, we are experiencing something of what it was like for Father to journey to Mount Moriah and willingly consign His Son to death on a cross. The ghastly picture of what Abraham was about to do shows us what the Father actually did. God stopped Abraham but refused to excuse Himself. Through our tears and anguish of heart, we are seeing with even greater clarity the amazing love of our Father.

The Onesimus Protocol

Onesimus was a first century slave belonging to Philemon of Colossae in Asia Minor. After having robbed his master, Onesimus fled to the anonymity of Rome. There he encountered and was converted by the Apostle Paul, who sent him back to his former master bearing a letter of appeal. In His letter (known to us as The Epistle of Philemon), Paul was struck by an irony suggested in the name, "Onesimus," which means "useful." He declared, "I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me" (Philemon 10-11). Where once "Useful" had been a galling liability to Philemon, now he had been transformed into an asset to both Paul and his friend, Philemon. What had changed? Character! Onesimus had become a new man in Christ.

Here are the characteristics that, according to Peter, define such a man (or woman). Seven qualities are listed first, followed by a description of the outcome for those who develop them: Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-8).

The "outcome description" in the last sentence is an "if/then" statement. "If" these qualities are increasingly evident, "then" you are someone whose relationship with Jesus is making a positive difference in the lives of others. The implication is quite clear - the man who does NOT possess or has stopped growing these virtues is like an old abandoned jalopy in the desert, totally useless!

There is one difference between the jalopy and the useless believer. The condition of the latter is not permanent! Notice the phrase, "applying all diligence" in 2 Peter 1:5. It indicates that these seven virtues respond to elbow grease. The man who lacks self-control can make progress if he will work at it. The disreputable woman can become a lady of moral excellence, if she will apply herself to doing so.

There is one important caveat. A regimen of character development begins with a specific kind of faith, the belief that God has purified a man from his sin and enabled him to become a new man in Jesus. This kind of faith gives the believer the capacity to change, but the process is not automatic. The individual must supply diligence.

So here is a summary of the process of character development based on 2 Peter 1:5-8: When a man or woman comes to know God through faith in Jesus, he is provided with a resource kit. And in this kit is everything necessary to grow a whole host of character qualities, IF the individual will supply personal effort. As he directs his energies toward becoming morally pure, wise, self-controlled, persevering, godly, kind, and loving, he will make genuine progress and become the kind of person that others value having around. He will be like a tree that bears fruit.

The process of adding character building effort to a faith in Jesus is the protocol that made Onesimus look like his name. You can use this same protocol! Have you come to know God through faith in Jesus? Then you don't need anything except a commitment to work at growing noble character. Doing so will make you an "Onesimus" who is both useful AND fruitful.

It Takes Three to Change

Having discovered Mr. Wickham's true character, Lizzie laments, "How is such a man to be worked on?" The centerpiece of sliminess in Pride and Prejudice, Wickham eventually furnishes ample evidence his character is both corrupt and confirmed. The unassailable answer to Lizzie's rhetorical question hangs in the air with frank finality, "Impossible!"

Is this true for all? Is inner change beyond reach? The Bible is quite clear that redemption unlocks the power of genuine transformation. Paul names a den of disreputable characters in 1 Cor. 6:9-10, and then reminds the Corinthians, "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11). Notice the first occurrence of the word, "were." It indicates not just an occasional lapse but a steady state of moral failure. In their former condition, the Corinthians were a consistently sordid lot. But this was the black velvet against which the Gospel gleamed so brightly. Being washed, sanctified, and justified through Christ so altered them that, where once they were aptly described as thieves, or womanizers, or drunkards, NOW those labels no longer fit. With truth and over time, they had been made new from the inside out.

This kind of change is not merely external. But it will be evident in externals. Try to take a sample of the human soul and put it under a microscope. Find a device to which a man or woman can be wired up with probes to produce a print-out of his character. Like the wind which can only be observed by the things it affects, so is a man's character discerned through words and deeds. They are not the essence of but windows into a man's character.

Jesus was addressing the religious bigwigs of Israel who were confused on this distinction. He explained, “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke 6:45). In the name of character transformation, we can fiddle with how someone expresses himself. We might succeed by maintaining, for a season, a favorable impression. But sooner or later, the true state of a man's character will be made evident in what he says.

Deeds also tell us about a man's character, sometimes providing an even clearer account of a man's heart than his words. In Paul's ministry on the island of Crete, he encountered a group whose declarations of allegiance were soundly contradicted by their actions. He observed, "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed" (Titus 1:16).

As a man is transformed from the inside out, those internal changes will be reflected by new speech and behavior patterns. So any attempt to form character must give attention to all three domains. It will address the ways that a heart must be renewed. It will teach how such a heart will speak. And, it will show the kinds of deeds that will flow from such a heart.

If you are going to teach children how to become men and woman of character, you must give attention to all three domains, heart, word, and deed. Focus purely on heart, and you will reap arrogant do-nothings. Focus merely on words and deeds and you will raise up hypocrites. Focus on heart as the source and noble speech and deeds as the outflow, and you serve them well.

The Wedding

Here's a nice piece from Justin Metcalfe! I am sure my high opinion of this video is unrelated to the fact that I AM RELATED to the bride and groom, Alex and Lauren.

When 24 Becomes 48

It was only noon, and Joshua was having a very long day! It began about 30 hours earlier when a breathless runner stumbled into Israel’s camp at Gilgal. His message: A coalition led by the five kings of the Amorites has laid siege to the city of Gibeon. They are going  to “teach Gibeon a lesson” for breaking ranks and aligning with Israel. Gibeon will be no match for this overwhelming force unless their new ally, Israel, answers their SOS.

To Joshua’s mind, the action of the five kings was a critical blunder (on their part) and a strategic opportunity (for him). The prospect of conquering the five walled cities of the Amorites in the hill country looked like a long and grizzly business. But now the armies of the five cities, including the army of Jerusalem, had left the safety of their walled defenses to take to the field. If Joshua could meet them on the field before they returned to their cities, he could do in a day what would otherwise take many weeks and lives.

Joshua sprang into action. He assembled the army of Israel for a stealth march under the cover of night. As they moved silently through the darkness, Joshua heard a voice outlining the necessary battle plan.  It was God who spoke and informed Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands; not one of them shall stand before you.” So, this would be a battle that involves pursuing an enemy in retreat. When the morning sun rose behind their backs, Israel saw complete shock illumined on the faces of five armies.

The day of battle began with open field combat at Gibeon. With God’s assistance, Israel promptly seized the upper hand and began paring away at their confused opponents. When it became obvious to the five kings that remaining on the field would lead to the total loss of their armies, they sounded the retreat.  God slowed the retreating armies by providing a killer hail-storm at the descent of Beth-horon as Israel took up the pursuit.

So it was that Joshua found himself facing a dilemma at high noon. Despite his fatigue, he knew that Israel needed to finish the job TODAY! Once the five armies (or what was left of them) reached the safety of their walled cities, even a remnant could defy Israel with impunity. So Joshua made an audacious request of the God who promised him success in the day’s battle. He asked God to make this a 48 hour day. The rest of the story you know well! And there was no day like that before it or after it, when the Lord listened to the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel (Josh 8:14).

So what’s the point? God had a job for Joshua and all that was required was faithfulness and trust. God supplied what was missing to transform Joshua’s faithfulness into unbelievable effectiveness. Look at all that God supplied: A key window of opportunity, timely information, encouragement and critical battle field intelligence, cosmic reinforcements (hailstones to die for!), and a supernatural day in which a man could accomplish what would otherwise require two.

The story turned out this way because Joshua did two things: He was doggedly determined to follow through with what God asked and was audacious enough to ask God to supply what he lacked. Our God is the same God who heard and answered Joshua’s prayer. So do whatever He asks of you and pray for Him to supply what you lack to complete it. He can give you whatever is needed, including a single day in which you accomplish the work of two, if you will ask!

Twenty Plus Years of Prayer In the Making

This last Saturday, I officiated at a wedding. Not an unusual occurrence, by itself, but there were some special circumstances. The groom was my son. And his bride was someone for whom I have prayed for years but only met a few months ago.

Here is an excerpt of my words from the ceremony:

Lauren, when Alex was born, Mom and I began praying for his future wife. I did not know you then, but God did. I have prayed to God consistently for over twenty years for three things, protection, growth, and a ministry perspective:

(1) God, please protect her and put as much distance as possible from whatever threatens her spiritual welfare. (2) God help her to keep growing in You, to sink her roots deep in Your Word, and to draw close to You. (3) And give her a ministry perspective, a clear and tenacious commitment to spend her life serving Your purposes, to use the gifts and abilities you have given her to advance the work of your kingdom.

It is a genuine delight to meet the first-fruits of that prayer! God is good.

What a beautiful answer to prayer! I look forward to exploring the specifics of how God worked in the years before I met my new daughter.

Church Growth By Intimidation

This was not your usual revival meeting. One man came forward to make an impressive contribution from a real estate deal. Instead of the adulation he envisioned, this man received a thundering rebuke and died on the spot. The guys with the stretcher hardly had time to get his body to the morgue before the man’s wife showed up. She betrayed her complicity in her husband’s scam and promptly joined him in death.

Needless to say, everyone in town was a little rattled! Whispers were heard on the street: “Don’t get too close to those Christian unless you want to put your life on the line.” The whispers were not without warrant. The basic problem with this late couple was an attempt to represent themselves as something they were not. They wanted to LOOK LIKE the real deal without BEING the real deal. Perhaps they actually deluded themselves into thinking they were the real deal. But, God was not fooled by this sham and made His point with double corpses as exclamation points.

Here is Luke’s summary of the reputation of the early church after the “double death revival” meeting:  “But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem” (Acts 5:13). The average Joe of Jerusalem respected the saints and appreciated their commitment. But he also had enough sense to realize that an insincere association with these folks could prove fatal.

So here is what I find fascinating. Some would say that church growth requires us to present ourselves to the average Joe as unthreatening and undemanding. We should demurely declare, “Hey, come hang with us. We are benign enough to be safe and unintimidating. You’ll feel perfectly at ease.”

But look at Acts 5:14!  When the church was respected but intimidating, that's when growth kicked into high gear!  Luke reports, “And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number” (Acts 5:14).  The word “and” at the beginning of the verse tells us that when the church was frighteningly  real, that is when its growth went into overdrive! 

Suppose someone comes among us and says, “I respect your devotion and dedication, but I’m not ready to make this kind of commitment.”  Don’t interpret that comment as a call for us to become less committed or to hide our devotion to Jesus under a bushel basket.  It’s an affirmation we are following the lead of one of the fastest growing churches in history.  We may be scary to an average Joe when we are the real deal, but that is also when he sees that in Jesus you don’t have to live a life that’s just average.

Can Bad News Come From Grace?

God had something to say and wanted Jeremiah to get His message through. When God revealed the contents of this message, it gave the prophet reason to pause. God was asking him to deliver the kind of bad news that makes people want to kill the messenger: "Amend your ways or Jerusalem is going to be turned into rubble." His previous experience with national leadership told him not to expect a warm reception.

The beauty of being a pessimist is you're either right or your expectations are exceeded. In this case, after talking straight with Israel, Jeremiah was the former: Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the officials and to all the people, saying, “A death sentence for this man! For he has prophesied against this city as you have heard in your hearing” (Jer. 26:11).

Despite the accusations, Jeremiah did not flinch: Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and to all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard” (Jer. 26:12).

The skewed  reasoning of the religious bigwigs went like this: “We don’t agree with Jeremiah’s message, and that’s all we need to know. Jeremiah deserves death for the audacity of telling us we need to change.” It is remarkable that the priests and prophets did not debate the merits of Jeremiah’s case. They did not ask, “Could it be true that we must either change or be punished?” Had they done so, they might have seen that Jeremiah’s preaching was a benefit not a bane.

What if someone could have provided rock-solid intelligence about what was planned for 9/11 (and how to prevent it) before it happened? Who wouldn’t find receipt of such information an incredible benefit?  That is precisely what Jeremiah did. But, the power trip the priests and prophets were on blinded them to the value of what they were receiving. The general populace did get it right, saying, “No death sentence of this man! For he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God” (Jer. 26:16).   

An unfavorable message, if it comes from God, is evidence of grace not grumpiness. God does not have to warn us. He could easily give us a taste of “shock and awe” without warning.  But that is not how our Father operates. Even when we are walking in disobedience, His love moves Him to tell us what we NEED to hear even when it is not what we WANT to hear. So if you want to receive the full benefits of God’s grace, ask Him to help you hear and take to heart whatever He wants to tell you, even when He has some bad news.

More Memory Tricks

Yesterday, I showed you how Scripture memory can be enhanced when you tap into auditory, visual, and motion memory. This method can be used with other content besides Bible verses. The clip above is a sample of the "Basic Old Testament Survey" we use with our younger elementary age children at CBC. We call it the basic OT survey, because we add numerous supplementary data sets once the children have mastered these basics. For example, we introduce the seven days of creation and the names of the twelve sons of Jacob. I have attached a print copy of the Basic OT Survey for your reference.

It is important for children to understand this basic historical framework and how the books of the Old Testament fit in this sequence. But our investment in children must go beyond this level of learning. All Scripture is designed to change how we think, speak, and act. So we also show them how to draw valid applications for their personal lives from the Bible's account of God's dealings with Israel.

Bible Memory With Motions

Children are way smarter than you think. For example, using the method depicted above, we can tap into auditory, visual, and motor memory to make memorizing the Bible a snap, even for young children. This video, featuring Rochelle Fleming, shows you the motions that go with a NASB version of Ephesians 6:10-18. Our class of four and five year olds has mastered way more than simply reciting "Jesus loves me" when our teachers use this technique.