Four fingers

Our church just finished up a series on Life’s Healing Choices.  We’re starting a new sermon series on the Purpose of Christmas.  Both of these come from Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, and include a small group component.  We attended the first series of meetings, and last night we went to the first session of the second one.

One of the discussion points was that as Christians, we should not be pointing a “bony finger” at anybody, telling them how bad and wrong they are.  One of the reasons is that for the one finger pointed out, we have three pointed back at us.  Somebody mis-remembered it as four fingers.  Jeff joked that she must have gotten the same advice he heard in college: “when you’re taking the count at church, add one for somebody the deacon missed counting”.

We had not heard that before, and the group (not so small at 18) laughed a lot.

But there’s a boatload of truth in the original idea.  As Christians, we are to emulate Christ.  And more – not just act like, but be like.  Internalize Christ as much as possible.  To have the mind of Christ.  John 3:17 says (in KJV and The Message):

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.

(there’s that finger thing again . . .)

So we’re supposed to break out of the “poor me” victimization that points an accusing finger at those who do wrong – the pornographers and the abortionists, the people pushing the country toward socialism and the welfare frauds, the cop-killers and the Ponzi schemers.  The world will take care of some of them.  God will take care of them all, in His time.

Now what about those extra fingers pointed back at yours truly?  Surely we who have trusted Jesus as our Lord and Savior are exempt from, um, you know, badness and stuff.  Guilt.  Wrong-doing.  Finger-pointing.

The Times of London asked people to write in, explaining what was wrong with the world.  One response was:

Dear Sirs, I am. Sincerely yours,
G. K. Chesterton

Some people see that as humorous, which it is.  I also see it as true.  Mark 10:18:

So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.“

and Paul, from 1 Tim 1:15

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief

Am.  Not was.  Like an alcoholic who recognizes that he is recovering but never recovered, we remain sinners in need of a Savior as long as we breathe in and out.  Even while writing up this blog entry, I was tempted to get bothered at Bettie and unload a bunch of frustration at the world on the woman I love.  I almost laughed when I recognized the disconnect between what I was writing and the action I was drawn to.  And I was reminded of 1 John 2:1:

I write this, dear children, to guide you out of sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a Priest-Friend in the presence of the Father: Jesus Christ, righteous Jesus.

And I am so grateful for that Friend and Brother.  Eternally grateful, as a matter of fact.

Academic rigor

Way back in nineteen-mumbledy when I was trying to figure out where to go to college, I would get mailings from various schools trying to woo me to attend there.  One that almost had me convinced was Reed College, in Portland, Oregon.  They had all the normal pictures of good-looking college kids having a great time, really enjoying spending their parents’ hard-earned money because the world revolves around them.  Normal stuff.

The thing that caught my eye was a quote from a student.  I’m sure it was real, though it may have been solicited.

I was going to write a paper on the need for greater academic diligence, but I never got around to it.

Funny, and it appealed to my sense of humor that the college would publish it.  That single quote almost decided me to head for the left side of the country.

I’m sure that Reed is a great school, but I ended up attending Mount Vernon Nazarene College (it’s MVNU now, since they jumped on the “gotta be a university” bandwagon, but I still attended the college).  And that made all the difference in my life.  In Oregon, I would not have met or married Bettie.  I would not have had the steadying presence of Ken Shaffer or Linda Shaffer.  I would not have caught the enthusiasm of Gerald Lashley or Jim Kiper as it relates to computers.

And my personal life would have been much different.  Away from the influence of a God-centered college, and God-centered family and friends, and a God-centered wife, I have no idea where I would have ended up.  Very, very differently, that’s for sure.  I see on Reed College’s front page that they are sponsoring an exhibit on “The Language of the Nude” at a college art gallery.  I didn’t need that then, and don’t need it now.  But in the atmosphere that probably exists out there, I’m sure I would have been more than willing to go discuss “form” and “structure” and “meaning” while looking at images of naked people.  Artists may have a need for that sort of thing – that’s for them to judge.  I have a need NOT to do that.

So I look at a road not taken, and I thank God for it.  The closer I am to Him, the closer I am to who He wants me to be.  And that is what is truly, eternally important.   It was my decision to go to college.  It was God’s influence that decided where to go.

Thanks, God!

The mind of man plans his way,
But the LORD directs his steps.

Prov 16:9, NASB

Chipotle

I had lunch from Chipotle yesterday – chicken burrito, black beans, mild salsa, cheese, sour cream, and lettuce.  The same thing I get almost every time I go, and it was as good as ever.

I checked my receipt on the way out to see what silly little saying they put on there.  Recent ones I’ve seen are “Our guac rocks” and “Unburritable”.  Fun.

Today’s said “You decide what’s inside”.  That’s true – you can have anything you want in there, including extras (adding guac to mine, which does taste good, is another buck and a half or so).

And then it happened – I started thinking of it from the God perspective.  We have the ability to decide what goes into our minds, our eyes, our ears.  We can choose to indulge in God stuff or in worldly stuff.  We can fight the temptations or welcome them with open arms.  We decide.

And just like at the restaurant, some of the things you include carry some cost.  A DUI.  A damaged relationship.  A police record.  Or maybe a peaceful night’s sleep, waking up with hymns in your head.  A clear conscience.  A joyful spirit, no matter what pain you may be feeling.

I was surprised a few months ago when David Letterman made some stupid sexual joke about Sarah Palin’s youngest daughter.  It made more sense later when the news of his affair came out.  He decided what was inside.

And it makes a lot of sense that Angie’s close friend Beth is praising God in the midst of having two kinds of cancer in her neck.  She decided what was inside.

Luke 6:45 says

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Amen, and amen.

God is imperfect

Well, an imperfect mirror.

2 Timothy 2:12-13 says

If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

It’s in His character to reject those who want to walk away.  We are not puppets.  We aren’t forced to love God.

It’s in His character to be faithful to his beloved.  We are human.  We can have the best intentions, but all fall short of the glory of God.

And yet, there is Jesus as a bridge.  His grace is enough.

And oh, how happy that makes me!

Indiana Jones

I like the Indiana Jones movies – the cliffhanger attitude taken from the old serial flicks.  Indy gets himself into a place where it’s impossible to get out of – and then a miracle occurs, and everything works out.

It’s not only on film that this happens.  Miracles happen in real life.

After the house being with our old realtor for nine months and having only four showings, our new realtor had us an offer in two days.  After some counter-offers, we have agreed on a price that should pay off our old mortgage.  It’s much less than we had hoped for a year ago, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it could have been.

They’re hoping to close the day before Thanksgiving.  That will give them the $8,000 government bailout money, and give everybody more to be thankful for.

Was it the realtor that did it?  Nope, although he’s a great guy.  It was God, testing and teaching us.  And if this all falls through, that doesn’t diminish God’s power or goodness.  It just provides Bettie and I with a new opportunity to grow our faith.

Prepeating myself

My minister is also my Sunday School teacher.  This week, though, he’s unavailable, and has asked me to teach.  He wants me to talk on prayer, and to pick out some verses on prayer.  As I work through them, you will be the beneficiary (as well as me, for getting a blog entry out of something I had to do anyway).

The first verse is Ps. 141:2

May my prayer be set before You like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice

Our prayers are incense offered to God.  Do we want to give Him the best incense we can provide, or will we make do with what’s on sale at the dollar store, a quick prayer tossed off before falling asleep?  (I’m preaching to myself here).

The second verse is Matt 21:22

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer

This is not a “name it and claim it” dealie.  This is about aligning your wishes, wants, desires – your life – with God and his will.  Once you are totally wrapped in God, inside and out, you will be asking for His will to be done.

Next up is Acts 6:4.  This reads better in the NASB:

But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word

Devoting ourselves to prayer.  Not to work, or pursuing your first million, or that sports car, or anything else.  This verse comes as they are setting up the group of seven men to make sure all the widows were fed, so there were also people who were not totally devoted to prayer.  I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on anybody.  Some are called to the prayer ministry.

This verse, though, applies to everyone.  It comes right after the armor of God.  Eph 6:18 says:

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

• all occasions
• all kinds of prayers and requests
• always keep on praying for
• all the saints

Paul isn’t leaving us a lot of wiggle room here.  We are to lead a life of prayer.  Brother Lawrence, in his book The Practice of the Presence of God, shows how all things can be done to God’s glory.  Breathing in and out can be a prayer.  Scrubbing the kitchen floor can (and should) be done as to the Lord.

But what if we don’t get it right?  Phil 4:6 says

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

I like this verse.  It comes down to (1) don’t worry, and (2) do ask.  The “don’t worry” part doesn’t mean that we should have no concerns about anything, floating through life like a jellyfish.  God cares about us, and it’s valid for us to have wants and desires, and to ask God for them.

So here’s a summation:

1. Your prayers go to God
2. You’ll get what you ask for if you believe (in God, not in the prayer)
3. We can/should be devoted to prayer
4. Always pray about everything
5. Don’t worry about it, and do ask

Feel free to print the list out and carry it in your wallet.  It’s a reminder.  It does not replace Bible verses.  It does not replace a prayerful relationship with God.  It is not a “get into Heaven free” card.

It’s also not a bad road map for part of that journey.

Copying from myself

This past Sunday, our minister showed a countdown video (time left before the service, not a rocket).  It had eleven verses from the Old Testament.  He included the references in the handout with the bulletin, and asked us to pick a verse and comment on his blog.  This is what I wrote, expanded a bit.

The verse that struck me the most from the “countdown” video was Isaiah 30:21, which says

Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

The part that hit me is that the voice comes from behind. We are not puppets – it is guiding instead of commanding, and we can choose whether to listen to the voice or not. That reminds me of another section, I Kings 19:11-12, where Elijah was on the mountain with a strong wind, and an earthquake, and a fire – but God wasn’t in any of those. He was the still, small voice. How easy it is for us to listen to other voices, other music, or even our own voices instead of taking the time and energy to listen to the voice of God.

Jeff preached a sermon a few weeks ago about there being two wolves in us, and the one that we feed is the one that grows.  This is another example of the same thing – if we feed ourselves on a steady diet of junk, we should not be surprised that we can’t last in a race.

This applies to spiritual stuff as well as physical stuff.

The Lord God made them all

I was watching a ladybug today.  We’ve been invaded by ladybugs (on the outside of the house – only one inside).  He (or she – it’s so hard to tell) trundled along the outside of the window, zooming along fairly well for being on glass, and then decided to fly away.  This after crawling for a foot or more – easily fifty body lengths.

So I started thinking about free will, and the picture that living things have – their mental view of the universe, as it were.  That may be as simple as “run away” all the way up to holding funeral services.  See this.

Dr Marc Bekoff observed four magpies alongside a fallen comrade, and recounted: “One approached the corpse, gently pecked at it, just as an elephant would nose the carcass of another elephant, and stepped back. Another magpie did the same thing.”

“Next, one of the magpies flew off, brought back some grass and laid it by the corpse. Another magpie did the same. Then all four stood vigil for a few seconds and one by one flew off.”

Is it real (meaning “did they hold a funeral service”)?  Don’t know.  Is it interesting? Definitely.

God has created many interesting things that we don’t know anything about.  Isaiah 55:9 says

As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

And so what?  What if birds hold funeral services, and ladybugs do have free will?

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (Luke 12:48b)

And do you have more brains than a ladybug?  More moral character than a bird?

At the end of time, do you want to hear “Well done, faithful servant!”, or do you want to hear “Buzz off, bird-brain!”?  It’s your choice.  And mine.

Milk, bread, paper towels

Some lists are normal and humdrum.  Some lists are awe-inspiring – visiting the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in DC gave me a staggering view of the immensity of that war.

In 2 Samuel 5:13-16, there’s a list of the names of King David’s children.  At first glance, it falls into the first category: it’s a list of his kids.  Solomon’s on there, of course, and some other ones.  It can slip by without much notice, but it shouldn’t.

After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. These are the names of the children born to him there: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

Eleven kids – he was productive.  Let’s look a little deeper.

The most famous one in the list is Solomon – the wisest man who ever lived.  He took over kingship of Israel from his dad.  It’s easy to forget that Solomon’s mom was Bathsheba, whose husband David murdered so their affair wouldn’t be discovered.  Solomon was conceived after David and Bathsheba were married.  Their first son, conceived out of wedlock, died soon after birth.

That son died even though David prayed to God for his life.

Wait – this murdering adulterer prayed to God??  Yes, he did, sincerely, and God heard him.  David had been called to accountability by the prophet Nathan (see 2 Sam 12) through the means of a story.  You’ve probably heard it – the poor man who has a little ewe lamb, taken away by the rich man who’s not content with all he has.  After David’s ire is raised, Nathan drops the bomb: David, you’re the thieving rich man.

What makes it even more devastating to David is that this piece of truth is delivered by a man who was probably a friend, as well as a prophet of the Lord.  David had named his previous son Nathan.

After Solomon (whose name is based on a word that means pay, repay, or fully pay) came Ibhar (He chooses), Elishua (God is salvation), Nepheg (uncertain origin), and Japhia (To shine forth, to send out beams).

Then David rounded out his naming of his sons with three God-specific names: Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.  The first means “God has heard”.  The second means “God knows”, and the last means “God is deliverance”.

David messed up his life, multiple times, but he came on strong at the end.

My minister has named his children Daniel and Grace – names chosen with an eye to the Bible and to God’s mercy.  There’s power in a name, and surprising truth in an every-day list of names.

Spoiler alert

Last weekend I got to spend some time with my favorite niece.

One of the things we did together was to read books.

This one was “No, David“.  A cute little telling of a kid who was always getting in trouble and being told “No!”  And after disobeying orders not to play indoors, breaking a vase, and having to sit tearfully in a corner, the book ends with David being hugged by his mom.  “Yes, David, I still love you.”

I really liked the book, and want to get myself a copy.  Funny art work, a Caldecott honor award winner, and very appealing.

Then I was thinking about it at a higher level.  It’s about me, and God’s unconditional love for me.  “No, Steve.”  “Don’t drive so fast, Steve.”  “Steve, eat better.”  “Go to sleep this instant!”  And a kazillion others.

And finally, at the end of it all: “Yes, Steve, I still love you.”  Wrapped in a permanent hug from my heavenly Dad.