I Laughed Until I Cried!

It's been a really rough week, but I finally got some relief this morning when this item came out in a daily newsletter for bankers.

I did not make this up. My imagination for the ironic is not this well developed...

TARP Chief Says Federal Efforts Must Continue
The newly appointed head of the TARP said the economy is improving, but the government must continue its economic recovery efforts. Assistant Secretary for Financial Stability Herbert Allison told the Congressional Oversight Panel the economy remains “vulnerable” due to rising unemployment, falling home prices and pressure on commercial real estate.

Allison, the former chief executive of Fannie Mae...

At this point I literally fell over laughing. I mean, I laughed until I cried.

[For those who might not know, Fannie Mae is the company that made the rules and created the sub-prime instruments that collapsed the capital markets last year. TARP is an agency tasked with bringing order and economic recovery to the markets.]

Sometimes I really wonder if Our Father laughs, rolls His eyes, or is just deeply, deeply saddened by us. And to think how often we (I) turn to our (My) own judgement, rather than trusting Him.

And when I think that through, it isn't funny.

Much love to all. (That's a goal, not yet a reality.)

A Man's Greatest Challenge

I grew up admiring three men that epitomized what I wanted to be in life:

My Father, My Grandfather, and... ...wait for it... ...John Wayne! Oh yeah!

I've learned the hard way that modeling myself after any man isn't necessarily the best way to follow Jesus. (There's enough material in that sentence for a series of ten posts, at least.) But today I just want to highlight one place where the John Wayne model breaks down.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."

- Ephesians 5:25-27,

We've all heard preachers preach on this passage as they try to smack the guys back into line on occasion.

But, let's stop and think that one through for a minute:

"...just as Christ loved the church..."

When does Jesus love us?

When we reject Him?
When we follow false gods? (The Biblical model for this is "adultery"...)
When we break His heart?
When we walk away from Him?

Yes, yes, yes and yes!

When are we allowed to give up and walk way from a wife? Here's a self-test:

[ ] Yes [ ] No When she burns the dinner?
[ ] Yes [ ] No When she disobeys the Word?
[ ] Yes [ ] No When she no longer interests you?
[ ] Yes [ ] No When she costs you a lot of money?
[ ] Yes [ ] No When she has an affair?
[ ] Yes [ ] No When she has another affair?
[ ] Yes [ ] No When she divorces you?
[ ] Yes [ ] No When she dates other men?
[ ] Yes [ ] No When she enters an adulterous marriage?

When do you get to give up? (Isn't that how we look at it? "We get to give up!" As if getting to go on to our own adultery is a gift!).

A good place to start is to ask, "When should God give up on me?"

Note the following single passage from scripture and the order that it gives to these topics.

1) Forgive seven times seventy
2) Parable of the forgiven servant
3) Instructions on forgiveness
4) Instructions on divorce

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents [millions of dollars] was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. [a few dollars dollars] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriagec because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

- Matthew 18:21-19:12

If you think that your wife has done so much that she cannot be forgiven, then maybe you don't understand exactly how much you've had forgiven.

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."

- Ephesians 5:25-27,

It really isn't that complicated. It's very simple. And it's an impossible task if you don't have God's help.

Let'em Go in Love!

"Those wascally wabbits over at the Berean Call" just posted another current events article on "De-Baptism" that is very interesting. (The link is here.)

De-Baptism Gains a Following in Britain [Excerpts]
More than 100,000 former Christians have downloaded "certificates of de-baptism" in a bid to publicly renounce the faith, according to the London-based National Secular Society (NSS).

It seems that several campaigns are afoot around the world asking people to publicly disavow the faith they no longer practice or believe. These campaigns encourage people to request that their names be withdrawn from church membership roles. They’re on the internet, Facebook, etc., etc. promoting this cause.

The purpose seems to be to reduce the political and social power of churches who use their "large memberships" as a tool for political power. The Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches in particular seem targeted, but there is no reason these campaigns would stop there, given the adamant atheist agendas their web sites present.

As a testimony to the general increasing Godlessness of our societies, the article is disturbing. My initial reaction was negative. Then I started to think this through…

What if churches were forced to focus on impacting the world by changing lives, rather than trying to change Congress?

What if people were confronted with the difference between a church membership and a person who has a relationship with their Savior?

What if we were to get some help destroying the illusion that there is a comfortable fence you can rest between being lost versus being a follower?

Our fear is that people will be lost, that people will go to Hell. If this is truly our concern, then who should we be more concerned about than those who are under the illusion that they are saved, when they are really lost?

"These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."

- Revelation 3:14-18

It concerns us to see the world becoming more and more antagonistic to Christianity. In our fear, we sometimes error by turning to political influence and worldly help rather than to Our Lord for protection. But things are working out as God understood and confirmed to us:

"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come."

- Matthew 24:9-14

The world will hate us, but we don't have to be afraid. God is always was and always will be in control:

"But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."

- Genesis 50:19-21

These folks behind these campaigns believe that they are "striking a blow against God's followers" and "declaring their independence from God." And in doing so they may perform a great service for those who are known by His name. Hilariously, (at least to me,) a South American group with one such agenda actually adapted the slogan "No En Mi Nombre!" which means "Not in My Name!" Out of the mouths of babes...

"The Lord works out everything for his own ends— even the wicked for a day of disaster."

- Proverbs 16:4

And yet, above all, we live in hope. It puts kind of a hopeful spin on that wonderful passage from Hosea where God adopts the rejected children:

“In that day I will respond,” declares the Lord— “I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth; and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and oil, and they will respond to Jezreel. I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’

I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’ ”

- Hosea 2:21-23

Thank you, Lord!

Smack!

There are several places in the Bible where there are these little back-handed insults that condemn without a lot of elaboration. Like where Jesus comments on Solomon, who was regarded as the height of Jewish riches and splendor:

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

- Matthew 6:28-30

Do you hear that back-handed comeuppance? "Glorious Solomon... yeah, almost as glorious as God's grass."

Smack!

But there's one place in the Bible that has what I suspect is the insult to end all insults. If it were written by man it would be a throw-away line. Just a single sentence tacked onto the end of the book of Judges:

"In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit."

- Judges 21:25

After 21 chapters of describing the struggles of the Israelites best efforts and failures...

"...everyone did as he saw fit."

Smack!

Where do I go from here? Talk about how my spiritual walk has been characterized by my willfulness? Talk about how modern American's worship self-will? Talk about how pop culture has changed "right" from a code of conduct set out by God into a "feeling"? Let's just let God speak to the topic about our ideas of what's right...

"There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."

- Proverbs 16:25

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.

- Proverbs 3:5-8

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

- Proverbs 1:7

"...everyone did as he saw fit."

Foolishness like that would be funny if it weren't so tragic. And it is just as tragic today in broken America... Broken Arizona... Broken [where you live]...

Broken homes... Smack!
broken economy... Smack!
broken lives... Smack!
broken schools... Smack!
broken government... Smack!
broken churches... Smack!
broken witnesses... Smack!

And we honestly believe that we can make ourselves happier than God can make us?

Well, if we believe that, it certainly isn't based on the evidence.

"My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace."

- Proverbs 3:11-17

My Wish For You In Worship

"Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow.

So one hundred worshippers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become "unity" conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified."

- A.W. Tozer

The water of fellowship...

"Whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again . . . the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up within him for eternal life."

- JOHN 4:14

Flesh-hooks

I was wanting to write an entry about our culture's overwhelming obsession with sexual relationships. I wanted to include the many passages warning of the dangers of serving the flesh, but I didn't really know where to start. So I fired up the trusty old Logos Bible Software and did a topic search under "Flesh". The listing that came back included several listings for "Fleshhook".

"Fleshhook"? Like there was any chance I was going to pass that up?

Doesn't the very sound of the word describe so many temptations and desires? How cool... It's like a sermon in a single word. "The fleshhook caught me!" or "What's the fleshhook in your life?"

So what, I asked, is a fleshhook? According to Harper's Bible Dictionary:

Fleshhooks
Forklike implements used by priests for sacrifices (Num. 4:14; 1 Sam. 2:13-14, which speaks of their having three prongs), now usually translated ‘forks.’ Those in use at the Jerusalem Temple were made of gold (1 Chron. 28:17) and bronze (2 Chron. 4:16)
_{- Achtemeier, Paul J. ; Harper & Row, Publishers ; Society of Biblical Literature: Harper's Bible Dictionary. 1st ed. San Francisco : Harper & Row, 1985, S. 312}

The Easton's Bible Dictionary further explains that:

"used in the sacrificial services (1 Sam. 2:13, 14; Ex. 27:3; 38:3) by the priest in drawing away the flesh. The fat of the sacrifice, together with the breast and shoulder (Lev. 7:29–34), were presented by the worshipper to the priest. The fat was burned on the alter (3:3–5), and the breast and shoulder became the portion of the priests."
_{- Easton, M.G.: Easton's Bible Dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1996, c1897}

Fleshhooks were used by Eli's sons to sin against The Lord:

"Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord. Now it was the practice of the priests with the people that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice and while the meat was being boiled, the servant of the priest would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand. He would plunge it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot, and the priest would take for himself whatever the fork brought up. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh."

- 1 Samuel 2:12-14 NIV

Three-pronged forks... Fleshhooks.

Go Figure.

Life by the Spirit

We are told to "Live By the Spirit". We are told what the fruit of doing this are and the results of not living by the Spirit are explained:

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

- Galatians 5:16-26 NIV

"Live By the Spirit" is also translated in several other versions as "Walk by the Spirit" (RSV, Darby, KJV, NKJV, etc.)
"Live by the Holy Spirit's Power" (NIRV)
"Live by following the Spirit" (New Century Version)

But what does it mean to Live or Walk "By the Spirit" and how are we to do this?

I could fill paragraphs with my thoughts, but that would be doing you an injustice. Here are some passages that seem to pertain and I will leave this for your prayerful consultation with Our Father. God bless you.

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.  And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

- Romans 8:9-17 NIV

"By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

- 1 Corinthians 6:14-20

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

- Ephesians 5:15-20

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

- Colossians 3:15-17

"So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature,a the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code."

- Romans 7:4-6

"We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will."

- Romans 8:22-27

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,a whob have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,d neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

- Romans 8:28-39