Stephanie and I drove over with the kids after church on Sunday night to Mom’s and Dad’s. This year, for me, has been the best I can remember in terms of enjoying the Christmas season. It has been laid back for me but not for my wife, who is the primary shopper in our house, but I will admit that shopping is not my forte.
I was driving down the interstate, and begin to think back to the times that we would make the trip from Dothan to Opp and Andalusia to see Granny Harrelson and Grandmother Danford.
There are remarkable things that I remember about those occasions. I am frankly surprised that I don’t recall the gifts that I received, or many of them at all. However, I do remember the dumplings that Grandmother Danford made, along with her sweet tea, and banana pudding(if it is not cooked, it is not truly banana pudding).
Granny Harrelson lived the most distant of the two, and we would trek over to her house. It was a place where a little boys’ memory was given a holiday. She cooked on a wood burning stove, even though she had an electric one. The house, very modest by our standards, was heated by the fireplace that always seemed to be blazing out. We would dig out the Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys, and build a village. Granny was building something much grander.
Outside was the barn, the fruit house, the smokehouse and the wash house. But just beyond those was the small prayer house that was a daily visiting place of Grannies on a daily basis. She met with her best friend everyday. I was a bit young to really understand, and yet I could feel something cosmic going on in that little sanctuary.
I suppose that I could overdo the sentimental aspect of this. . .but there is a strong connection of that little prayer house to the generations that have followed. While the Christmas celebrations were modest in gifts that we could see, there is nothing modest of the huge gifts that were transmitted spiritually.
She gathered with the Christ child daily, and what she lacked in physical gifts, the better gift was that of a spiritual foundation that helped establish the family.
She was a slight little woman, who would never make it on the lists of those who are influential. Yet she seemed to have a much stronger connection of influence than those fleeting influences that we make here in this world. It does seem that some of the greatest gifts come in small packages.
Don’t overlook the gifts that are small in size, yet great in import. Often those nondescript, packages that are placed in the most unobvious places are those that will have the greatest impact in your life. After all, a manger is not the place we look for a Messiah most often. They are often hidden not by the blazing lights of a stadium, but much more often by the soft candle light of a stable.
Have a very blessed Christmas.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
They're Trying to Decrease the Doorway
Micah 5:2
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Luke 2:1-9
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
I. Introduction
Bethlehem. The word invokes such a rush of memories for even those of us who have never set step into the land of Israel. This hallmark of cities has brought many things into our lives. It is steeped in history, even before the portion of scripture that I read as a text tonight.
· Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob, would be buried here
· Ruth settled here, a stranger that was brought into the family record of Jesus from Moab
· David was a son of Bethlehem
· Samuel would bring the anointing oil here to crown the next King of Israel
· It was the well that David’s mighty men would draw water from after battling through the host of Philistines
· And ultimately, it served as the birth ward of Jesus the Messiah
Much has changed in the years since then. Bethlehem is an unsettled place. There is a concrete curtain that surrounds the city, allowing for only one entrance in and out of the border. It seems to me that the entrance of to the city of the Messiah has gradually been reduced in size so that there is very little way to get to the city where Jesus was born.
The steel gate booms behind you if you allowed to entrance into this small town about five miles south of Jerusalem. This city where the angels would herald from the hillside, has closed its doors to those seeking the Messiah.
Around the traditional place of which Jesus was born, a church has been built. A small cave served as the place where Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. Pilgrims still come to this church, kneeling in worship to the King that has already come, yet those get fewer each year.
So tonight, I preach to you, “A Decreasing Doorway.”
II. Text
In our text, we read verses of what are the most familiar passages of scripture. It is the culmination of the entirety of prophetic utterance from the Old Testament, beginning with Mother Eve. Even amongst those who aren’t believers, this portion of scripture is widely known.
It is the beautiful story of the birth of the redeemer. Imagine- a virgin is found with child and this story of redemption and grace suddenly steps to the forefront of history. Yet it was the small prophetic utterance from the mouth of Micah that would illustrate that greatness is not dependent on place, time or circumstance.
Though thou are small. . . . .it is the small places of life where greatness was and is born.
A. Jesus was born to the refrains of Angels
The entrance of the Messiah was accompanied by the refrains of the angels, as the songs so beautifully puts it
While shepherds kept their watchingo'er silent flocks by night,behold, throughout the heavensThere shone a holy light.The shepherds feared and trembledwhen lo, above the earthrang out the angel chorusthat hailed our Saviour's birth!
It was not an entrance that was hidden from mankind. The shepherds heard the voice of the angels ringing out over the quiet hillsides announcing the glorious birth of the Messiah. While Herod couldn’t hear the angel band, these simple shepherds understood clearly what was happening.
· I would rather be a shepherd on the hillside and hear, than to be a King whose deafness destroyed him
As the angels clearly and with clarity announced this occasion, the birth of Jesus was confirmed to the world. Obviously, there is and was great need to shout the news of His birth to the world. Those simple shepherds were given a great gift so they could come and worship at the manger. God chose these men to attend to the Messiah. I believe that He is still choosing men to attend to the Messiah.
· For some, it comes like a blinding light
· For others, it comes as a gentle voice
· And then, for others, the angels still appear to announce the arrival of the Messiah
Amongst the hay, and the sound of animals moving about in the stable, Jesus was carefully wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid down in the manger. Is it any surprise that Jesus was laid in the manger?
Yet in the beauty of the angel chorus, the doorway of hope was hidden from some of those that were in the surrounding area. It was in those same hills that other shepherds lived. In Bethlehem, there were many gathered, and yet it is not recorded that any of those attended to the Messiah.
Somehow there was a doorway that had been flung open for the shepherds, and yet others had not had the same invitation or worse yet, ignored the heavenly gathering outside on the hills.
B. Jesus was born, and the Wise Men came
From the simple shepherds, to the echelons of wisdom, the wise men heard the call, and followed the star. The voice of God came to those that would hear.
What, then did the voice of God sound like to these men? What does the voice of God sound like at all? Often the heralding voice of God does not come in angel choirs, nor is there a star.
· Samuel would here the voice of God in his bedroom, and there he would rush to answer Eli. The voice of God came to young Samuel with the same voice of the High Priest in his life.
· Mighty thunder and lightning came, yet it was in a still, small voice that the prophet would actually hear the voice of God,
These wise men came from a far country, perhaps that of the Medes. But regardless of origin they came from, they heard the call of God. Perhaps of all things, hearing and obeying the voice of God is paramount. If we don’t hear the voice of God, we could easily miss the birth of the Messiah in our lives.
Wise men still search for the Messiah. It is imperative that we understand that searching for Him is the most important thing in our lives. Yet in this search, you can be assured that God is definitely calling to you.
These wise men were looking for the Messiah, and came and knelt at the Messiah’s side. Sure, the gifts came in handy at a further date. But you will find what you are looking for.
· Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker was God, and I think that he found it
· He looked for a sacrifice, and he found it stuck in the thicket
Still, there is the necessary ingredient in hearing the voice of God. It is the absolute of obeying that voice. Time and circumstances will do their best to wither the voice of God in your life, and suddenly, a wise man’s journey is short circuited on the altar of personal pleasure.
These wise men would approach Herod the Great regarding this Christ child, and receive a chilling answer. . . “when you find him, let me know. . . .” This hallmarked the double meaning of Bethlehem’s name. On one hand, it was “the House of Bread,” but on the other it is also known as the “House of War.” While Jesus was laying there in the manger, a great battle had been set in array, and it was absolutely appropriate that Jesus would be born here in this place.
Bethlehem will either be known as a “House of Bread” to you, or it will be the “House of War” that defeats you. There are no neutrals in this decision. This decision of Herod of not embracing the House of Bread committed him to the House of War. He killed thousands of baby boys in his war on the House of Bread. And he lost.
C. Jesus Came, But Man Started Closing the Door
In the days and weeks that followed the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph were forced to go to Egypt to escape the hand of Herod. It would begin a pattern of rejection that Jesus would come to know closely. There, the King of Kings that was born a King would not reign in splendor, but would serve as a helper in a carpenters shop.
It is amazing to note that He was born King. Don’t think that this has ever happened, and I don’t think that it ever will. Kings are made. Yet this one was born a King. There in the rough outskirts of Jerusalem, a King was born and lived his first days. It would be the opposite of what I would want.
Although He was attended by the Wise men and the shepherds, it seems a little less than what a Kings arrival would require. The doors had began to shut almost as soon as He arrived. It seems as though as the swaddling clothes were wrapped around him, his rejection had already began.
As it is in Bethlehem now, with the walls rising around the city of His birth, there is a closing of the door on Him. The tradition place of his birth has now been surrounded by concrete and where a large door used to be, the church has been encased in concrete, and the door that held such hope has been gradually reduced in size so that now, in order to get inside, you are almost forced onto your hands and knees.
The doorway has been blocked, little by little, and one day, it stands to reason that it will be completely blocked.
I stand tonight to tell you that He didn’t come to stand in an ever Decreasing Doorway, but that he has flung open the door for us to walk through.
III. Conclusion
I stand here tonight to let you know that
· He didn’t stay in a manger. . .
· He didn’t stay in Egypt.
· He didn’t stay sitting on a well
· He didn’t stay in a rocking boat
· He didn’t stay on a rugged cross
· He didn’t stay in a tomb
It would be Bildad the Shuhite, in his talk with Job, that really spoke a truth that was prophetic in utterance, and I don’t think that he meant it to be, that really applies here.
Job 8:7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
The door may have closed on the manger and the stable that He was placed in, but that wasn’t the door he was bound to stay behind. He came out of all of these, and the next time He will return in the eastern sky. Here is the key. Jesus didn’t stay a baby in a manger.
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Luke 2:1-9
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
I. Introduction
Bethlehem. The word invokes such a rush of memories for even those of us who have never set step into the land of Israel. This hallmark of cities has brought many things into our lives. It is steeped in history, even before the portion of scripture that I read as a text tonight.
· Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob, would be buried here
· Ruth settled here, a stranger that was brought into the family record of Jesus from Moab
· David was a son of Bethlehem
· Samuel would bring the anointing oil here to crown the next King of Israel
· It was the well that David’s mighty men would draw water from after battling through the host of Philistines
· And ultimately, it served as the birth ward of Jesus the Messiah
Much has changed in the years since then. Bethlehem is an unsettled place. There is a concrete curtain that surrounds the city, allowing for only one entrance in and out of the border. It seems to me that the entrance of to the city of the Messiah has gradually been reduced in size so that there is very little way to get to the city where Jesus was born.
The steel gate booms behind you if you allowed to entrance into this small town about five miles south of Jerusalem. This city where the angels would herald from the hillside, has closed its doors to those seeking the Messiah.
Around the traditional place of which Jesus was born, a church has been built. A small cave served as the place where Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. Pilgrims still come to this church, kneeling in worship to the King that has already come, yet those get fewer each year.
So tonight, I preach to you, “A Decreasing Doorway.”
II. Text
In our text, we read verses of what are the most familiar passages of scripture. It is the culmination of the entirety of prophetic utterance from the Old Testament, beginning with Mother Eve. Even amongst those who aren’t believers, this portion of scripture is widely known.
It is the beautiful story of the birth of the redeemer. Imagine- a virgin is found with child and this story of redemption and grace suddenly steps to the forefront of history. Yet it was the small prophetic utterance from the mouth of Micah that would illustrate that greatness is not dependent on place, time or circumstance.
Though thou are small. . . . .it is the small places of life where greatness was and is born.
A. Jesus was born to the refrains of Angels
The entrance of the Messiah was accompanied by the refrains of the angels, as the songs so beautifully puts it
While shepherds kept their watchingo'er silent flocks by night,behold, throughout the heavensThere shone a holy light.The shepherds feared and trembledwhen lo, above the earthrang out the angel chorusthat hailed our Saviour's birth!
It was not an entrance that was hidden from mankind. The shepherds heard the voice of the angels ringing out over the quiet hillsides announcing the glorious birth of the Messiah. While Herod couldn’t hear the angel band, these simple shepherds understood clearly what was happening.
· I would rather be a shepherd on the hillside and hear, than to be a King whose deafness destroyed him
As the angels clearly and with clarity announced this occasion, the birth of Jesus was confirmed to the world. Obviously, there is and was great need to shout the news of His birth to the world. Those simple shepherds were given a great gift so they could come and worship at the manger. God chose these men to attend to the Messiah. I believe that He is still choosing men to attend to the Messiah.
· For some, it comes like a blinding light
· For others, it comes as a gentle voice
· And then, for others, the angels still appear to announce the arrival of the Messiah
Amongst the hay, and the sound of animals moving about in the stable, Jesus was carefully wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid down in the manger. Is it any surprise that Jesus was laid in the manger?
Yet in the beauty of the angel chorus, the doorway of hope was hidden from some of those that were in the surrounding area. It was in those same hills that other shepherds lived. In Bethlehem, there were many gathered, and yet it is not recorded that any of those attended to the Messiah.
Somehow there was a doorway that had been flung open for the shepherds, and yet others had not had the same invitation or worse yet, ignored the heavenly gathering outside on the hills.
B. Jesus was born, and the Wise Men came
From the simple shepherds, to the echelons of wisdom, the wise men heard the call, and followed the star. The voice of God came to those that would hear.
What, then did the voice of God sound like to these men? What does the voice of God sound like at all? Often the heralding voice of God does not come in angel choirs, nor is there a star.
· Samuel would here the voice of God in his bedroom, and there he would rush to answer Eli. The voice of God came to young Samuel with the same voice of the High Priest in his life.
· Mighty thunder and lightning came, yet it was in a still, small voice that the prophet would actually hear the voice of God,
These wise men came from a far country, perhaps that of the Medes. But regardless of origin they came from, they heard the call of God. Perhaps of all things, hearing and obeying the voice of God is paramount. If we don’t hear the voice of God, we could easily miss the birth of the Messiah in our lives.
Wise men still search for the Messiah. It is imperative that we understand that searching for Him is the most important thing in our lives. Yet in this search, you can be assured that God is definitely calling to you.
These wise men were looking for the Messiah, and came and knelt at the Messiah’s side. Sure, the gifts came in handy at a further date. But you will find what you are looking for.
· Abraham looked for a city whose builder and maker was God, and I think that he found it
· He looked for a sacrifice, and he found it stuck in the thicket
Still, there is the necessary ingredient in hearing the voice of God. It is the absolute of obeying that voice. Time and circumstances will do their best to wither the voice of God in your life, and suddenly, a wise man’s journey is short circuited on the altar of personal pleasure.
These wise men would approach Herod the Great regarding this Christ child, and receive a chilling answer. . . “when you find him, let me know. . . .” This hallmarked the double meaning of Bethlehem’s name. On one hand, it was “the House of Bread,” but on the other it is also known as the “House of War.” While Jesus was laying there in the manger, a great battle had been set in array, and it was absolutely appropriate that Jesus would be born here in this place.
Bethlehem will either be known as a “House of Bread” to you, or it will be the “House of War” that defeats you. There are no neutrals in this decision. This decision of Herod of not embracing the House of Bread committed him to the House of War. He killed thousands of baby boys in his war on the House of Bread. And he lost.
C. Jesus Came, But Man Started Closing the Door
In the days and weeks that followed the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph were forced to go to Egypt to escape the hand of Herod. It would begin a pattern of rejection that Jesus would come to know closely. There, the King of Kings that was born a King would not reign in splendor, but would serve as a helper in a carpenters shop.
It is amazing to note that He was born King. Don’t think that this has ever happened, and I don’t think that it ever will. Kings are made. Yet this one was born a King. There in the rough outskirts of Jerusalem, a King was born and lived his first days. It would be the opposite of what I would want.
Although He was attended by the Wise men and the shepherds, it seems a little less than what a Kings arrival would require. The doors had began to shut almost as soon as He arrived. It seems as though as the swaddling clothes were wrapped around him, his rejection had already began.
As it is in Bethlehem now, with the walls rising around the city of His birth, there is a closing of the door on Him. The tradition place of his birth has now been surrounded by concrete and where a large door used to be, the church has been encased in concrete, and the door that held such hope has been gradually reduced in size so that now, in order to get inside, you are almost forced onto your hands and knees.
The doorway has been blocked, little by little, and one day, it stands to reason that it will be completely blocked.
I stand tonight to tell you that He didn’t come to stand in an ever Decreasing Doorway, but that he has flung open the door for us to walk through.
III. Conclusion
I stand here tonight to let you know that
· He didn’t stay in a manger. . .
· He didn’t stay in Egypt.
· He didn’t stay sitting on a well
· He didn’t stay in a rocking boat
· He didn’t stay on a rugged cross
· He didn’t stay in a tomb
It would be Bildad the Shuhite, in his talk with Job, that really spoke a truth that was prophetic in utterance, and I don’t think that he meant it to be, that really applies here.
Job 8:7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
The door may have closed on the manger and the stable that He was placed in, but that wasn’t the door he was bound to stay behind. He came out of all of these, and the next time He will return in the eastern sky. Here is the key. Jesus didn’t stay a baby in a manger.
-Close the door on his birth, and you don’t have much. . . .he is gone.
-Try to kill him the crowd, and he'll slip through, because it is not his time yet.
-Close the door via unbelief. Even try closing the door to his tomb. . . .but He didn’t stay there either.
There will be no way to close him out, to Decrease the Doorway, but there will be a sky that was made for him to step through. It just seems to me that His doorways keep getting a little bigger and bigger.
There will be no way to close him out, to Decrease the Doorway, but there will be a sky that was made for him to step through. It just seems to me that His doorways keep getting a little bigger and bigger.
And there's one place where the doors never close, and never get smaller. That's the stable I want to pull into one of these days.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Growing Larger by Looking Smaller
Modern digital cameras obtain their images in an extremely inefficient way. They obtain millions of the basic building blocks of images, called pixels, in forming a picture of the subject matter. The images are then compressed ten to fifty times, and then a picture is finally formed that you are able to view.
One of the modern problems that seemed unsolvable was eliminating the excess pixels that were never “needed in the first place. It took a genius professor of mathematics overnight to solve the issue. Terence Tao was able to apply certain knowledge to an existing problem that had been unsolved by those who were in the know. He was made a full professor of mathematics at UCLA at the age of 24.
In solving the problem, he proved that you could obtain just the needed pixels instead of gathering all of the excess and then eliminate all of the rest. This inefficiency created an extra amount of work.
There are times where we see so much that it is difficult knowing what is good and worthy, and what should be jettisoned. Our focus can produce a great number of in focus pixels and still miss the proper portion on which we should be looking.
Demas spent much of his time with the proper things in view. Yet, it was focusing on the improper elements of the journey that cost him a valued friendship in Paul, and it all points that his salvation was left along with his friendship also.
The millions of pixels of this “present world” were far greater than his ability of sorting and removal.
Demas spent much of his time with the proper things in view. Yet, it was focusing on the improper elements of the journey that cost him a valued friendship in Paul, and it all points that his salvation was left along with his friendship also.
The millions of pixels of this “present world” were far greater than his ability of sorting and removal.
However, this is not a signal, lone event in scripture. It occurs with such repetition that it quite frankly is frightening. Time fails of telling of Cain, Hofni and Phineas, and even Uzzah.
Placing a hand on his disciples, Jesus would indeed steady a boat, but much more importantly, steady a life. He would encourage them, “Let not your heart be troubled,” but rather grow much larger by “believing on me.” He was, and is the part of the picture that should not be eliminated.
Placing a hand on his disciples, Jesus would indeed steady a boat, but much more importantly, steady a life. He would encourage them, “Let not your heart be troubled,” but rather grow much larger by “believing on me.” He was, and is the part of the picture that should not be eliminated.
Yes, indeed, he is everywhere. The viewports of life, the eyes, are constantly recording imagery. Yet the discipline of eliminating excess is often hard, and inordinately easy to eject. He is definitely in every picture that your eye will ever take. Everything is not God, but His Spirit is everywhere at once.
This principle is most in evidence around the Christmas season. The nativities are arrayed, carols are sung on the elevators and halls and yet the blessed Jesus remains in the background, relegated to the part of the picture that is soon eliminated in favor of a much more festive time. If I can successfully remove the Christ child from this time of the year, I will easily become self centered, and concerned solely with myself. This prescription is much in favor these days. Yet it is the dynamic opposite of the one written on the greatest prescription pad of all time. John the Baptist said it best when he reported, “He must increase, and I. . . . . . must decrease.” John remained constant in his ability of focusing and eliminating, seeing the precious portion of the picture that mattered the most.
Yet the magnificent words that Jesus said, “Never has there been a greater prophet than John" prove that looking and being smaller indeed caused him to be much larger than he ever could have on his own.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The Limitations of Friendship
Cyberspace is a ubiquitous word that describes much of our commerce and connections with each other. Bridging the worlds of both communication and business, it has, at its core, a desire to exchange information and ideas without the borders of usual person to person relationship.
There have been some startling patterns to start emerging as scientist began to scrutinize the information about how people connect. It is stunning that most of the relationships that exist in cyberworld are not in far flung places amongst vastly differing people. It is an assumption, wrongly made, that communication is far apart in context of distance. Our worlds have not changed since Stanly Milgram's famous experiments of the 1960's, wherein he established the small world phenomenon.
Tracing the connections across the internet establishes the fact that relationships, even where distance should not matter, are extremely dependent on proximity. This causes one pause, thinking that there could be some latent bias that prevents a clear picture from being formed in the mind.
Limitations are inherent in everything. The degree of pushing that we do in overcoming these are the key of connection. A few remarkable relationships mentioned in scripture remain somewhat mysterious in my mind. Considered that David and Jonathan should have been forsworn enemies, and yet a bond existed between them that was unbreakable.
Jonathan should have been more interested in killing David than Saul his father was, and yet there was a connection that prevented this. Limited only by death, this relationship was encouraged by a direct relationship. Yet there were periods of time that they were not close together, blessing this relationship with distance and perspective.
However, Gehazi and Elisha had a breakdown in values that ultimately proved the undoing of Gehazi. Gehazi, albeit a servant, would certainly developed some affinity and friendship to Elisha. Yet the ability of Elisha to Gehazi was hampered by an obvious inability of Elisha of transmitting spiritual insight into his life.
The limitation of this friendship existed in close proximity. Problematically, it was between two men of whom had to have a high degree of closeness. It seems that physical distance did not help in this case, and yet the distance between David and Jonathan did not serve to sever.
Perhaps the most deadly thing of friendship is the limitation of perspective. I need friends. You need friends. And then, we need truth. Often it is impossible because of commonly held notions differentiating in knowing what is truth and what is bias in the context of relational issues. Gehazi, and to my mind Elisha, was hampered by the sheer closeness.
Often, as it was in the Garden and on the Cross, it is in the forsaken friendships that we find ourselves at crossroads of destiny and time. Friends cannot go through it with you. You forge ahead, with God as your guide. Peter could not walk through the Garden with Jesus. Even John, the beloved disciple, couldn't stay awake. The inner strength for the coming battle arrived under an olive tree.
There have been some startling patterns to start emerging as scientist began to scrutinize the information about how people connect. It is stunning that most of the relationships that exist in cyberworld are not in far flung places amongst vastly differing people. It is an assumption, wrongly made, that communication is far apart in context of distance. Our worlds have not changed since Stanly Milgram's famous experiments of the 1960's, wherein he established the small world phenomenon.
Tracing the connections across the internet establishes the fact that relationships, even where distance should not matter, are extremely dependent on proximity. This causes one pause, thinking that there could be some latent bias that prevents a clear picture from being formed in the mind.
Limitations are inherent in everything. The degree of pushing that we do in overcoming these are the key of connection. A few remarkable relationships mentioned in scripture remain somewhat mysterious in my mind. Considered that David and Jonathan should have been forsworn enemies, and yet a bond existed between them that was unbreakable.
Jonathan should have been more interested in killing David than Saul his father was, and yet there was a connection that prevented this. Limited only by death, this relationship was encouraged by a direct relationship. Yet there were periods of time that they were not close together, blessing this relationship with distance and perspective.
However, Gehazi and Elisha had a breakdown in values that ultimately proved the undoing of Gehazi. Gehazi, albeit a servant, would certainly developed some affinity and friendship to Elisha. Yet the ability of Elisha to Gehazi was hampered by an obvious inability of Elisha of transmitting spiritual insight into his life.
The limitation of this friendship existed in close proximity. Problematically, it was between two men of whom had to have a high degree of closeness. It seems that physical distance did not help in this case, and yet the distance between David and Jonathan did not serve to sever.
Perhaps the most deadly thing of friendship is the limitation of perspective. I need friends. You need friends. And then, we need truth. Often it is impossible because of commonly held notions differentiating in knowing what is truth and what is bias in the context of relational issues. Gehazi, and to my mind Elisha, was hampered by the sheer closeness.
Often, as it was in the Garden and on the Cross, it is in the forsaken friendships that we find ourselves at crossroads of destiny and time. Friends cannot go through it with you. You forge ahead, with God as your guide. Peter could not walk through the Garden with Jesus. Even John, the beloved disciple, couldn't stay awake. The inner strength for the coming battle arrived under an olive tree.
Monday, December 10, 2007
To See, Step Back; To Understand, Step In
Georges Seurat, the French painter that was one of the champions of a style of painting that is called pointillism, utilized color in a new way. He would apply millions of dots of paint to a canvas and the interaction of these would produce a striking work of art.
It was a fresh way to consider the use of color. Only by stepping back a few feet can you even see the image that was created. In order for our brains to “see” the image, you cannot stand close. You must have the perspective a few feet, and even a few yards. The brilliance of this technique is that it took an ability to perceive from a few feet away while he painted within a few inches. There was a direct connection to this significant ability that allowed perspective when he was so close to the surface, and yet he could perceive from a distance.
There has recently been a movement, small as it may seem, that has discovered a direct correlation between the local actions of men and women and the grand affairs of nations. It is not well received, yet the connection is without challenge. The issues of Tiananmen Square have resulted in a bit more openness in China, and the small scale nuclear protest have worked their way into the policies of the United States of America.
But not only can the affairs of the locals affect the affairs of nations, it is without contest that the affairs of nations definitely affect the local population.
Scripture had promised since Adam and Eve had abandoned a close relationship with God in the Garden that there would be a rejoining of this closeness. God promised that the seed of woman would restore the relationship. Yet, for many years, the distinction between God and man threw the relationship into disarray.
But as God stood back in the heavens looking into the populace of the earth, it sat fresh on his mind that He could see the frailty of man. It was readily apparent that the Law only pointed out man’s sin without a real way of restoring a relationship. It was as if the points of color meshed into a picture that was not pleasing. The individual strokes on the canvas weren’t at all what He planned. So He could see the picture as it was, but more importantly, for what it was going to be. However, for all of the strokes there needed a bit more. . . a bit more of the artist standing close for the picture to come together.
The most stunning passage in the New Testament came when He stepped into this world in this manner: Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. God could see from his perch on the throne of Glory, yet understanding was far away.
He needed to understand what and how we feel in order for the picture to be complete. He was God, and as such had created man, yet He could not “feel” as a man felt. So he robed Himself in flesh, coming as a child in Bethlehem, in order to understand the picture. He had painted it from the foundation of the earth. Yet there came a time where he wanted to understand it.
The Bible quite clearly states that he can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. He came to understand what He had painted. It is amazing that this little child created an understanding that only by being born into this world, God would understand.
Perspective is one of the hardest things to master in life. . . it is hard both see the big picture and participate in the action. Yet God placed Himself into this position in order to both see and to understand.
In His struggles to and on the Cross, watch the interaction between seeing and understanding. “If it be possible. . . .Let this cup pass,” and “My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” The chasm of seeing and understanding finally closed. . .and Jesus died for all. . .He had stepped back, and He also had stepped in.
It was a fresh way to consider the use of color. Only by stepping back a few feet can you even see the image that was created. In order for our brains to “see” the image, you cannot stand close. You must have the perspective a few feet, and even a few yards. The brilliance of this technique is that it took an ability to perceive from a few feet away while he painted within a few inches. There was a direct connection to this significant ability that allowed perspective when he was so close to the surface, and yet he could perceive from a distance.
There has recently been a movement, small as it may seem, that has discovered a direct correlation between the local actions of men and women and the grand affairs of nations. It is not well received, yet the connection is without challenge. The issues of Tiananmen Square have resulted in a bit more openness in China, and the small scale nuclear protest have worked their way into the policies of the United States of America.
But not only can the affairs of the locals affect the affairs of nations, it is without contest that the affairs of nations definitely affect the local population.
Scripture had promised since Adam and Eve had abandoned a close relationship with God in the Garden that there would be a rejoining of this closeness. God promised that the seed of woman would restore the relationship. Yet, for many years, the distinction between God and man threw the relationship into disarray.
But as God stood back in the heavens looking into the populace of the earth, it sat fresh on his mind that He could see the frailty of man. It was readily apparent that the Law only pointed out man’s sin without a real way of restoring a relationship. It was as if the points of color meshed into a picture that was not pleasing. The individual strokes on the canvas weren’t at all what He planned. So He could see the picture as it was, but more importantly, for what it was going to be. However, for all of the strokes there needed a bit more. . . a bit more of the artist standing close for the picture to come together.
The most stunning passage in the New Testament came when He stepped into this world in this manner: Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. God could see from his perch on the throne of Glory, yet understanding was far away.
He needed to understand what and how we feel in order for the picture to be complete. He was God, and as such had created man, yet He could not “feel” as a man felt. So he robed Himself in flesh, coming as a child in Bethlehem, in order to understand the picture. He had painted it from the foundation of the earth. Yet there came a time where he wanted to understand it.
The Bible quite clearly states that he can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities. He came to understand what He had painted. It is amazing that this little child created an understanding that only by being born into this world, God would understand.
Perspective is one of the hardest things to master in life. . . it is hard both see the big picture and participate in the action. Yet God placed Himself into this position in order to both see and to understand.
In His struggles to and on the Cross, watch the interaction between seeing and understanding. “If it be possible. . . .Let this cup pass,” and “My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” The chasm of seeing and understanding finally closed. . .and Jesus died for all. . .He had stepped back, and He also had stepped in.
Friday, December 7, 2007
You Can Always Find a River
America, the broad and beautiful land that flows from sea to shining sea, has been explored broadly. Perhaps there are still some pristine areas that have not seen the eyes of mankind, but they are surely few and far between. The exploration of the North American continent was, of necessity done by following the rivers that flow through the plains and the mountains.
Rivers provide far more than just a cool place. They provide both water and life sustaining food sources that are usually predictable. Lewis and Clarke would stick with rivers as much as they could on their magnificent journey westward. Spanish explorers that preceded Lewis and Clarke would also follow this safe pattern of exploration.
Finding a river proved to be the essential item of long term success in the exploration of the natural world, by large. The pattern for finding a river was to go to the lowest point and there a river should be. Sometimes there were rapids, other times a small stream that hardly constituted a river, but the life giving waters of the rivers called to the explorer.
As time has moved on, better systems have developed in obtaining water for consumption, and yet there still is a cry for a river in all of us.
Rivers never flow on the top of a mountain. Their domain is in the valley. It is in the depressions of the earth that the swelling sounds of the life giving river flows. It was in the valley of Elah where David knelt down and chose five smooth stones.
He would record a bit later in Psalm 46 that “there is a river, the streams thereof shall make glad. . .”
The hard part of a river is that you have to go to the bottom of the valley, or across a broad, open plain to get to the flow. Often, we find ourselves despairing over the valley, but the river is deep and needful.
Just an observation in our Christian walk: wells are good, but they are for those that have settled. I am sure that settling is not what Christian had in his mind on his way to the Celestial City. It takes a river that moves to keep you alive.
Finding this river can be challenging, but you can always find a river. In fact, when you need it the most, at your most desperate hour, that is where you are likely to find it. It is in the exposure of the broad open fields that a river will be found. It is in the recesses of the dark valley that you will hear the rush of the river.
The rivers of America are becoming more and more polluted by the trashing of them. There is a movement afoot that is trying to clean them up.
There was river that welled up back a couple of thousand years ago, from the place of His darkest hour. It has washed away many sins, and yet it is still as pure as it can be. This river started and has never stopped flowing.
Rivers provide far more than just a cool place. They provide both water and life sustaining food sources that are usually predictable. Lewis and Clarke would stick with rivers as much as they could on their magnificent journey westward. Spanish explorers that preceded Lewis and Clarke would also follow this safe pattern of exploration.
Finding a river proved to be the essential item of long term success in the exploration of the natural world, by large. The pattern for finding a river was to go to the lowest point and there a river should be. Sometimes there were rapids, other times a small stream that hardly constituted a river, but the life giving waters of the rivers called to the explorer.
As time has moved on, better systems have developed in obtaining water for consumption, and yet there still is a cry for a river in all of us.
Rivers never flow on the top of a mountain. Their domain is in the valley. It is in the depressions of the earth that the swelling sounds of the life giving river flows. It was in the valley of Elah where David knelt down and chose five smooth stones.
He would record a bit later in Psalm 46 that “there is a river, the streams thereof shall make glad. . .”
The hard part of a river is that you have to go to the bottom of the valley, or across a broad, open plain to get to the flow. Often, we find ourselves despairing over the valley, but the river is deep and needful.
Just an observation in our Christian walk: wells are good, but they are for those that have settled. I am sure that settling is not what Christian had in his mind on his way to the Celestial City. It takes a river that moves to keep you alive.
Finding this river can be challenging, but you can always find a river. In fact, when you need it the most, at your most desperate hour, that is where you are likely to find it. It is in the exposure of the broad open fields that a river will be found. It is in the recesses of the dark valley that you will hear the rush of the river.
The rivers of America are becoming more and more polluted by the trashing of them. There is a movement afoot that is trying to clean them up.
There was river that welled up back a couple of thousand years ago, from the place of His darkest hour. It has washed away many sins, and yet it is still as pure as it can be. This river started and has never stopped flowing.
There Is a River
There is a river that washes you clean
There is a tree that marks the places you've been
Blood that was spilled, although not your own,
For all of your tears, are the wages for things you have done
And all of those nights
Spent alone in the darkness of your mind
Give it up, Let go
These are things you were never meant to shoulder
There is a river that washes you clean
There is a tree that marks the places you've been
Blood that was spilled, although not your own
For all of those tears, love will atone
So, give up the right
To control the waves that empty out your life
Above wild skies
Are the rays that break the shadows we design
Give it up, let go
These are things you were never meant to shoulder
Give it up, let go
There is a river that washes you clean
There is a tree that marks the places you've been
Blood that was spilled, although not your own
For all of those things, love will atone
For all of those nights, that you cried all alone
All of your tears, love will atone
Written by Dan Haseltine, Charlie Lowell, Stephen Mason and Matt Odmark
Written by Dan Haseltine, Charlie Lowell, Stephen Mason and Matt Odmark
Monday, December 3, 2007
Lending to the Lesser
We are all investors. Some invest on a grand scale, manipulating billions on a weekly basis. It boggles the mind the immense amount of money that is traded back and forth across the Wall Streets of this world daily. Then, most of us invest on a far smaller scale, investing toward a distant day of retirement that will hopefully pay dividends through our waning years.
The choices for a 401K retirement plan are offered at most places of employment, investing in a mutual fund that conglomerates many different stocks into a single entity. These are much safer options. Individual stocks are offered publicly, yet carry with them significant risk of failure, if proper choices are not followed in purchasing these stocks. In purchasing these, whether mutual funds or individual stocks, you purchase a limited share of the business. Either way, there is no guarantee that you will make anything from them.
Perhaps it is not the stock market that attracts you, but land, your children, or education. Reality is that we are all spending our finite amount of time here on earth on something.
Over the recent past there has been a emergence of investing in microloans- those business that will never make it to the stock exchange, but offer a much more direct relationship to the business. You can invest, say, in a herd of goats in Uzbekistan. You can invest in a grocer in Timbuktu. The list is endless. It seems almost quaint on one side, a bit humorous on the other. Yet these loans can and do account for real lives that are affected, not simply another dollar. In fact, there is little accountability of the money once it is invested. Yet the good far exceeds the gains of the stock market. People are fed, clothed and provided for as a result.
Much in the same fashion is the intent of the Word. We can and ought to spend time investing in the Bride of Christ. It is one of the best investments that you will ever make. Yet it is a hedged investment- the Bride is predestined to be taken out of here. Scripture is replete with this principle. I can invest my time and money in the physical buildings and necessary accoutrements of the business of the Bride, and yet it takes the investment of the other to really get a grip on the core investment of the Kingdom.
There are microloans of your time and effort that often exert themselves on your live in such a strenuous fashion that will provoke exhaustion in your mind and spirit. The time spent in a one on one bible study is strenuous, and heart rending. It requires much time and effort, yet it is scriptural in reaching them house to house.
Sheer closeness of this requires a great emotional deposit, knowing that the core of salvation is presented. Preaching is required for salvation, but there is somewhat an emotional detachment in doing so. How? At best, you have maybe an hour or so, invested in someone. You preach with no one particular in mind, allowing God to target. It is not at all the multiplied hours that you have placed into a Bible Study group, knowing the person, with the implicit knowledge of their individual salvation.
This is not guaranteed in any way. The ones that you have spent so much time with can part without so much as a return. I call it lending to the lesser. The investment is so much greater, and makes it a much more risky loan. The general stock market has seen an average increase of about 12% a year since its inception in America. Microloans haven’t.
It will exact a great cost on your life, both in preparation and time. Yet these microloans pay great dividends when the harvest comes. You will decide for yourself where you will spend your finite time on earth. I encourage you to lend yourself to the lesser.
The choices for a 401K retirement plan are offered at most places of employment, investing in a mutual fund that conglomerates many different stocks into a single entity. These are much safer options. Individual stocks are offered publicly, yet carry with them significant risk of failure, if proper choices are not followed in purchasing these stocks. In purchasing these, whether mutual funds or individual stocks, you purchase a limited share of the business. Either way, there is no guarantee that you will make anything from them.
Perhaps it is not the stock market that attracts you, but land, your children, or education. Reality is that we are all spending our finite amount of time here on earth on something.
Over the recent past there has been a emergence of investing in microloans- those business that will never make it to the stock exchange, but offer a much more direct relationship to the business. You can invest, say, in a herd of goats in Uzbekistan. You can invest in a grocer in Timbuktu. The list is endless. It seems almost quaint on one side, a bit humorous on the other. Yet these loans can and do account for real lives that are affected, not simply another dollar. In fact, there is little accountability of the money once it is invested. Yet the good far exceeds the gains of the stock market. People are fed, clothed and provided for as a result.
Much in the same fashion is the intent of the Word. We can and ought to spend time investing in the Bride of Christ. It is one of the best investments that you will ever make. Yet it is a hedged investment- the Bride is predestined to be taken out of here. Scripture is replete with this principle. I can invest my time and money in the physical buildings and necessary accoutrements of the business of the Bride, and yet it takes the investment of the other to really get a grip on the core investment of the Kingdom.
There are microloans of your time and effort that often exert themselves on your live in such a strenuous fashion that will provoke exhaustion in your mind and spirit. The time spent in a one on one bible study is strenuous, and heart rending. It requires much time and effort, yet it is scriptural in reaching them house to house.
Sheer closeness of this requires a great emotional deposit, knowing that the core of salvation is presented. Preaching is required for salvation, but there is somewhat an emotional detachment in doing so. How? At best, you have maybe an hour or so, invested in someone. You preach with no one particular in mind, allowing God to target. It is not at all the multiplied hours that you have placed into a Bible Study group, knowing the person, with the implicit knowledge of their individual salvation.
This is not guaranteed in any way. The ones that you have spent so much time with can part without so much as a return. I call it lending to the lesser. The investment is so much greater, and makes it a much more risky loan. The general stock market has seen an average increase of about 12% a year since its inception in America. Microloans haven’t.
It will exact a great cost on your life, both in preparation and time. Yet these microloans pay great dividends when the harvest comes. You will decide for yourself where you will spend your finite time on earth. I encourage you to lend yourself to the lesser.
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