Thursday, March 31, 2016

“We are all actors, set on the stage of the world, as the curtains open we put on our best performance to this audience of life.”~ Anthony Liccione

JUDGES 3-5

Upon Israel's rebellion God raises up Judges who continually rescue Israel from the Kings who would enslave them...

   31“Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD;
            But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might.”
            And the land was undisturbed for forty years.

LUKE 7:31-50

Jesus answer's the Pharisees criticism...

31Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

“ ‘We played the pipe for you,

and you did not dance;

we sang a dirge,

and you did not cry.’

33For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

JOURNAL

Being faithful does not mean just modifying behavior.  Because being faithful has nothing to do with pleasing people.  People cannot be pleased, playing to the crowd and trying to receive affirmation from the world will only lead someone to being a twisted, double-minded, narcissistic mess.  I think this is what Jesus was saying in these verses.  Man cannot receive the power and love for his life through the applause, approval and affirmation of others.  It won't work because people are flawed and sinful and another human can never provide what they need.

The reason is that performing for affirmation is rooted in selfishness, not love.  It is a twisted way of getting love.  Yet it is at the heart of our culture.  Performance can never merit love. Love is given freely without chains or mandates.  Love gives sacrificially to those who do not deserve it.  Love also gives without a need for reciprocity.  This goes counter to the capitalistic core.  Good business says you do a job and you get a just reward.  God says you fail miserably and I give you the keys to heaven.  Good business says you must earn your way.  God says you must only accept my love.

This is precisely why the ways of the world can never be confused with the way of the cross.  It is also why Jesus commands us to be in the world but not of it.  It is a crossroads in my heart that seems impossible to navigate...which is why Jesus calls us to follow him...for he is the only way through the twisted maze of this life.

5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really know me, you will know^b my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”(John 14:5-7)

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

“Most of the evil in this world is done by people with good intentions.” ~ T.S. Eliot

JUDGES 1-2

Israel begins to worship other God's after Joshua, Caleb and those originally with Moses' death...

20Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, 21I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. 22I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” 23The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

LUKE 7:1-30

Jesus heals a centurion's servant...

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

9When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

JOURNAL

I recently was confronted with the idea that people are all doing the best they know how...at first I bristled at this...thinking that so many times I have heard this and said this...when reality was that I knew better and to my estimation I was not.  I continually operated under this idea that I could get control of my actions and be perfect.  Reality is that has never happened.  In fact what I have continually discovered is that changing behavior is a grueling and difficult process.  

The reason is because there are so many subtle and sub-conscious things that influence the decisions I make everyday.  My past, my emotions...all derived from ingrained patterns of behavior that I do not consciously understand.  Therefore to think that I can just be convicted and understand right from wrong and then choose to do better is a pipe dream. 

So where does that leave me and where does that leave the world. It leaves me at the uncomfortable and vulnerable position of surrendering to God my best behavior and self-righteousness. It humbles me in a way that lets me know I can change nothing without surrendering to God...Admitting all the things I am powerless over...including all the "good" behaviors.  It leaves me in the very simple position of worrying over today, this moment rather than tomorrow. It finally leaves me in the position of gratitude for grace and forgiveness. 

Soo...thinking back through the idea that people are doing the best they can...I guess I agree and the reality is...that is why people need God and need a savior...because the best we can do is far, far from righteous.

 39Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. (Luke 22:39-43)

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

“The best revenge is not to be like your enemy.”  ~ Marcus Aurelieus

JOSHUA 23-24

Joshua's final words to Israel...

14“Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” 

LUKE 6:27-49

Jesus continues to teach...

27“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

JOURNAL

This passage is one of those that draws a line in the sand as to what will define the believer and Jesus leads it off in his teaching on love.  This fly's in the face of everything that we are taught and that we teach our children. Although I have read this passage multiple times it still is like cold water in the face...

It is impossible to live this way without Christ.  In our culture...following and loving this way seems as if it would lead to sure destruction.  Yet Jesus tells us clearly in no uncertain terms that this is how we are to love and this is how we are to live.  

How do we do this?  How do I give to those who hate me?  How do I lend and not expect repayment? How do I allow things to be taken and not ask for them? How do I allow someone to hurt me and continually love them in the face of that hurt?  It is impossible without Christ...isolated and alone, I will fail...I will become everything opposite of Jesus' definition of love.

7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:7-10)

Monday, March 28, 2016

“We're all going to die sometime, so you might as well die pushing the odds for something that matters.” ~ Karen Traviss

JOSHUA 21-22

God makes good on his promise...

43So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. 44The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. 45Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. 

LUKE 6:1-26

Jesus calls his twelve disciples, makes them apostles and then begins to teach them...

20Looking at his disciples, he said:

“Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.

21Blessed are you who hunger now,

for you will be satisfied.

Blessed are you who weep now,

for you will laugh.

22Blessed are you when people hate you,

when they exclude you and insult you

and reject your name as evil,

because of the Son of Man.

23“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.

JOURNAL

Who in their right mind would ever see suffering as being blessed.  Jesus completely turns the whole thing around and puts suffering and persecution as the place of greatest blessing.  It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode when George makes a commitment to do the complete opposite of every decision he normally would make...his reasoning is that if all his decisions in the past have been wrong, then the opposite of those decisions would be right.

It is obviously not that simple...or is it?  If all selfishness only leads to miser...then the opposite would logically seem to be the answer.  Seek to be a servant, to give more than I receive, to embrace suffering instead of running from it.  To seek to love rather than to be loved.  To find ways to give others the advantage rather than gaining it solely for myself.  What does a life dedicated to the opposite of having it all look like...I think it looks a lot like Jesus.

25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

28“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

...33In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. (Luke 14:25-33)

Sunday, March 27, 2016

“I hope you have not been leading a double life, pretending to be wicked and being good all the time. That would be hypocrisy.” ~ Oscar Wilde

JOSHUA 19, 20

The Israelites designate a city for refuge...

7So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. 8East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. 9Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

LUKE 5:17-39

Jesus hangs with the "wrong" crowd

27After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 28and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 30But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

31Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

JOURNAL

God is in the business of redemption.  "Perfect people" equal  arrogant, dishonest messes.  It is only in the admitting of needing refuge, help and salvation that we ever get the joy found in Christ.  I love that Jesus never mixes words here, in fact he confronts the bearers of shame head on. Jesus sees that one of the greatest enemies to the joy of salvation is the shame heaped upon the people by the Pharisees. Jesus doesn't need their approval or to be in their ring of acceptance.  He goes to where the deepest need is...the rejects and sinners. This is where he hangs out...this is where he spends his time. 

27“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. (Matthew 23:27-28)

Saturday, March 26, 2016

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”~ Elinor Roosevelt

JOSHUA 16-18

Joshua encourages the Israelites to take what has been given...

3So Joshua said to the Israelites: “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you?

LUKE 5:1-16

Peter joins Jesus as a disciple...

8When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

JOURNAL

God's command is to go and do, from the Israelites taking possession of the land to Peter dropping his nets and catching fish.  God is first about faith but then about action.  Peter shirks back initially out of shame and fear.  Jesus rebukes this in telling him not to be afraid.  For fear and shame tend to keep us from following God fully with joy and confidence.

I have found in life that those two demons (fear and shame) haunt me more than any other.  From what I understand about our brains and psychology. These two have a way of haunting us because they are rooted in our primitive brain and can be traced back to some of our earliest memories. They typically put us into fight or flight mode. When that happens we don't think rationally because our brain is telling us that we are in danger and must do something to fix the situation NOW...however the more we are able to stay in these "scary" moments and face them, the more we are able to allow these moments to pass and we can actually begin to conquer them.

The command to "not fear" is used over 100 times in the Bible. I don't think this means that we are to avoid the feeling or to suppress it...it means that we are not to allow it to control us. We are to wade through it, face it and ultimately conquer it...

4Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,^a

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me. (Psalm 23:4)

Friday, March 25, 2016

“Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work.” ~ Gustave Flaubert

JOSHUA 14, 15

Joshua goes out one last time...

10“Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day.

LUKE 4:33-44

Jesus is not consumed with fame...

42At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. 43But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” 44And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

JOURNAL

Work is one of the great blessings of life.  Yet there are so many things in culture that play up the allure of retirement. As if one day when you are no longer "working" life will then be full of joy. I was recently Reality is that there is evidence that the real joy in life is found in the daily grind of life. That's where the opportunity for love, generosity, kindness and passion exist. The reality is that I am where I am. I can either consider it a blessing from God and look at every moment as an opportunity to learn, to serve, to give or to teach.  Or I can long for something I may never get all the while wasting the gift of today.

I believe the key is balance...there should be times of rest and play. There are going to be moments of sadness, frustration and heartache. But that is just part of the beauty of life. We can't avoid it and if we extend extreme effort to do so...then we risk numbing our lives in ways that can harm us and those around us. I am where I am this moment today. Embrace it and live it...in doing so I glorify they creator who gave it to me in the first place.

 23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24)

Why are we here?

Years ago I read an article by Rick Reilly titled “Why are we here?”. It was a tribute to the beautiful mundane of sports.  I was thinking about that in reference to everyday life.  I was thinking how often its easy to get caught up wishing for tomorrow, the next vacation, the big deal, the promotion etc.  The reality is that those days may never come…while that seems sobering and depressing it actually frees us to embrace the amazing life in the here and now.  So I will attempt to give my own version of the same question...

We are here to wake up to a dreary morning and make pancakes for tired boys and see them gradually come to life. We are here to do a good job and find moments of joy and connection in our work. We are here to get the job and lose the job. We are here to connect with a friend, listen to heartache and give support even when we are at wits end in our own lives. We are here to feel the sun, the rain and the wind. We are here to write love letters,  friend letters and goodbye letters.  We are here to laugh, cry and scream. We are here to bandage the cuts, kiss the bruises and hug out the sorrows. We are here to change diapers, sing lullabies and answer cries at 2am. We are here to watch sunsets and sunrises. We are here to play catch for no reason at all. We are here to pour our heart and soul into a pick-up basketball game. We are here to strike out and hit walk off homers. We are here to paint, draw, color, create and dabble.  We are here to kiss, love, tickle and give piggie-back rides. We are here to finish the job, pay the bills and wake up and do it all over again. We are here to watch movies and eat popcorn.  We are here to cook, grill and bake. We are here to plant, grow and harvest.  We are here to teach and to listen.  We are here to exercise our bodies, eat glorious deserts and sleep late on Saturday. We are here to dance badly and sing off-key. We are here to decorate for the holidays, go on vacation and throw parties both big and small. We are here to mourn and celebrate. We are here for back rubs, high-fives and king of the mountain. We are here for heart to hearts and bad jokes. We are here to daydream and focus. We are here to ride bikes, sprint the last 20 yards, climb hills and mountains.  We are here to launch monstrous drives and shank it in the trees. We are here for triple bogeys and hole in one’s. We are here to attempt perfect dives and to play sharks and minnows. We are here to get dirt under our fingernails and stains on our clothes. We are here for slip and slides, water fights and rope swings. We are here to take apart and put back together. We are here to save our pennies and to give them all away. We are here to read books and have opinions.  We are here to question our existence and praise our creator. We are here to fight it out and then make up. We are here to forgive,  forget and remember. We are here to find ourself facedown in the arena and rise to our feet. We are here to live our lives and remember that today, this day, this moment, is an opportunity and a gift. We are here to face our final breath and be grateful,  knowing that we got the gift of a lifetime.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

“football is like life - it requires perserverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.” 
― Vince Lombardi Jr.

JOSHUA 11-13

God provides rest...

23So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.

LUKE 4:1-32

Jesus is baptized and heads out to the desert to be tempted...

1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2where for forty days he was tempted^a by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

4Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’^b ”

5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

8Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’^c ”

9The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10For it is written:

“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you

to guard you carefully;

11they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^d ”

12Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^e ”

13When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

JOURNAL

Joshua never takes advantage of his position.  He is fully obedient and humble to do all that God asks of him without question or grumbling.  Here we also see Jesus fully obedient and never grumbling or taking advantage of his position.  How is it that both Joshua and Jesus never abuse their power?  Not once do either of them ever act out of bitterness or a sense of entitlement.  

Joshua I more understand but Jesus?   The Son of God, full of power and love and fully capable of changing the world in the blink of an eye.  He allows questions, he allows betrayal, he allows disrespect.  He suffers and walks through the struggles and heartaches of this human condition, willingly and without a single selfish moment.  He follows this all the way to the cross and does not die valiantly in the midst of a heroic battle...but the "shameful" death on a cross.  

Here is one of the key differences between the life of Christ and other martyr's...Jesus had absolute power and never abused it.  Jesus was the King of Kings and chose to live as a servant.  He did this out of obedience...not because he had no other choice, but because he loved us completely and knew the only way to save us was to walk the road to the cross.

6Who, being in very nature^a God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature^b of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross! 

Philippians 2:6-8

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

“A great man is always willing to be little.”~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

JOSHUA 9, 10

The Gibeonites shrewdly gain favor from Joshua...

22Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by saying, ‘We live a long way from you,’ while actually you live near us? 23You are now under a curse: You will never be released from service as woodcutters and water carriers for the house of my God.”

24They answered Joshua, “Your servants were clearly told how the Lord your God had commanded his servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all its inhabitants from before you. So we feared for our lives because of you, and that is why we did this. 25We are now in your hands. Do to us whatever seems good and right to you.”

26So Joshua saved them from the Israelites, and they did not kill them. 27That day he made the Gibeonites woodcutters and water carriers for the assembly, to provide for the needs of the altar of the Lord at the place the Lord would choose. And that is what they are to this day.

LUKE 3

John Baptises and preaches the word ahead of Jesus' ministry...

9The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

11John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

12Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

13“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them.

14Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”

JOURNAL

John's words command the people to give freely, do a job fairly, and be good to other people. It's not an impossible calling. Yet it is a command that requires that our identity not be rooted in comparisons, selfishness or jealousy.  John's teaching went to the heart of the people and Jesus ultimately came to connect all the dots and fulfill all that John taught. 

Our world is a world that thrives on comparisons and certainty. Advertising and our consumerism feed off of how we stack up to others and what others have that we don't.  We are bombarded by it from billboards to commercials to social media to television etc.  Amazingly Jesus took a different path...he took the one of a servant.  He rejected all the temptations to justify himself and exalt himself in comparisons. He simply submitted to obeying God and serving mankind.  What an amazing gracious God I serve.  

6Who, being in very nature^a God,

did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

7rather, he made himself nothing

by taking the very nature^b of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

8And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to death—

even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)