Playing Frisbee with Jesus

I ran into a friend today who was with one of his developmentally disabled clients, a guy we'll call Alex. Alex kept saying over and over again, "Want to play frisbee? Want to play frisbee? Want to play frisbee?". He has pretty severe OCD among a suite of other serious mental issues. But when I said that I didn't have a frisbee, Alex took off his hat to use as a frisbee. And we "played frisbee" for a few minutes, throwing his hat back and forth.

He was just bursting with joy! Huge grin on his face! Alex was so happy and also super intent on the simple game.  It seemed to be a sacred time for him.  

My friend said that Alex will be talking about this for days. And in a strange way, I got a huge joy out of it too. As if God were present, enjoying the action, thrilling in the joy as much or more so than Alex. In a manner that is difficult to explain I felt that I was playing frisbee with Jesus.

This is another "chicken suit for the soul" moment. Using the lowly, seemingly useless stuff of the earth for a blessing in somebody's life. In this case a knit hat that became a frisbee.  

The calculus of God's kingdom is not the same of this world's. Because today I experienced this equation:

2 minutes + 1 hat = HUGE joy

We have so much stuff, are often overwhelmed with blessing, that we commonly loose sight of the value of the things around us. We tend to focus on what we don't have and so always walk around with a deep sense of need.  Who knew that chucking a hat a few times would purchase days of joy for somebody?  And not just Alex. But me too. And I sensed that Jesus was present and smiling big.   

Jesus taught that even giving a simple cup of water can have eternal value (Matt 25:34-46).  Is throwing a frisbee hat much different?  And what else can be used for God's glory?  But lately I'm thinking that perhaps that's even the wrong question. Maybe the right question is, which tiny speck or insignificant morsel of his creation can't be used for God's glory?

How much do we need to remember that the Almighty God of the Universe powerfully uses the perishable stuff of the earth for blessing, and some of that blessing will last for an eternity!  Even the very little stuff we do have, or stuff that is everywhere and all around us always,  can be multiplied by the Creator a thousand  fold.  Loaves and fishes style.

At Pastor Grant's suggestion I've been reading Jean-Pierre de Caussade who teaches that God is ever present in each moment (his book "The Sacrament of the Present Moment" is a game changer). But I also get the sense that God is also always at the ready to partner with us as we use even the simple things of this earth to magnify His glory and bless others way beyond the typical earthly value. 

So was I playing frisbee with Jesus?  Perhaps. If so, why not hacky sack with the Holy Spirit? Or flag football with our heavenly Father?  Mark Driscoll, Pastor of Mars Hill, talks about eating chicken wings to the Glory of God.  And why not?  I think Driscoll is exactly right about that.

So let everything we do, in word or deed, all be done in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17).

Have you ever had a similar experience?  Ever seen something simple used for great purposes? Ever seen God use something ordinary in an extraordinary way?  Do tell!

A Visit with Dori

A few days ago I heard that the office cleaning lady who used to take care of my work place was in the hospital. A friend called to give me the news and so I thought, admittedly with a tinge of stupid pride, that I could visit her and give her some degree of comfort. She's 84 and had a serious heart failure, and I didn't know what to expect.

When I got to the hospital today she didn't know who I was immediately, but then when I told her where I worked, her eyes lit up, she sat upright in the bed, dragging tubes and wires from her skin and bones arms.

She knew who I was from my desk that she cleaned for years. How many times did I pass her in the hallway at work, I'd be polite but never took the time to get to know her or move deeper than "Howzitgoing?" in our short conversations. But when I told her what desk I was in she said, "Oh, you're the one who had the divorce!" Yes, that's me I confirmed. She told me she knew something was wrong in my life because my desk changed. And at 79 years old, cleaning an office, she started praying for me. I had no idea. For years she's prayed for me and my son. For years. Through one of the darkest periods of my life, Dori has been praying for me. In the isolation of her room, she bent to her knees before God, for me when I was laid flat with my world upside down.

I was able to share with her today that my life is so blessed now, that I've emerged from darkness to become a guy so thankful for God's countless blessings in my life. Dori pumped her fist in the air, shocking me with her energy and praise to Jesus. Her wrinkled, shrunken face just beamed and burst in a huge toothy grin.

I asked her about her life. And that's when I learned that the "cleaning lady" is a towering hero of the faith. She's travelled the world 4 times over, smuggled Bibles into countries hostile to the faith, prayed with hundreds of souls to be saved, spent decades in the mission field, often a great personal risk. My jaw dropped. The "cleaning lady" is a saint. And in the work or her hands, dusting, vacuuming, emptying trash she was still in the mission field, serving Jesus, being a huge blessing, praying for me.

I went to the hospital thinking I might bless somebody, but walked away so blessed. I went to serve Dori, but she served me.

I'm pulling away some powerful lessons from my visit with Dori:

Serve God where you are with what you have to those around you.
God takes a life dedicated to Jesus and uses her powerfully no matter if it is in a remote region of the world risking her life, or cleaning a desk, or suffering from stroke in a hospital bed.

Dedicated prayer done anonymously has huge kingdom impact.
Pray for people that may never know the hours you spend on bended knee before the Father. I'm sure there will be a massive crowd that welcomes Dori into the kingdom, those she's brought before the Father in faithful fervent prayer, without any immediate reward or thanks.

In your worst circumstances God can use you the best.
Dori was literally a bag of bones, eyes fogged, teeth rotting, skin gaunt, face worn and stricken. But God was still using her powerfully in that hospital room. She said, "Well, I guess that since I can't go out to help people, God is bringing people to me so I can help them." Wow. She had every reason to be depressed and discouraged. But she was full of joy, serving the Jesus she deeply loves.

I'm amazed at Dori in a hospital bed, very sick, and poor, but still on mission. And then I'm challenged about how I'm using my health, my youth, my time, and my abundance to bless, serve and pray for others others.

How about you? Is there a Dori in your life? A living hero of the faith? Somebody you've discovered that's secretly been praying for you for years? Who will you be a Dori to?

Mephibosheth: Adopted by the King

This year I made a very unusual but amazing phone call. It went like this:

[Ring Ring Ring]

Her: Hello?
Me: Hi, is this Carolyn?
Her: Yes, who is this?
Me: It's Brian.

[Long, long pause...]

Her: Brian? Really???
Me: Yes.

[Lots of crying....]

You see, I was adopted and this was a phone call to my birth mom, the first time I ever talked to her in 41 years. Since it was a closed adoption, she didn't even know if I was alive, I didn't know about her either. But through some digging we connected with each other.

I have been doubly blessed by God. First, my birth mom was courageous and loving enough to make a huge sacrifice on my behalf, she didn't take the easy option, but instead chose a difficult road to give me life and put me up for adoption. Second, my adoptive parents, my mom and dad, are amazing. They took me into their family, loved me as their own son and have been a huge blessing in my life.

Are any of you adopted? If so, you've might have had this dream that you find out your birth parents were crazy rich, maybe the King and Queen of some realm, and they would take you on great trips on their yacht or limo or spaceship. And you'd visit them in their palace, and they'd spoil you, and have a huge plate of Rocket Donut bacon maple bars, and you'd eat so many bacon maple bars, and you'd be so happy and a little sick but so happy!

There is a truth in the Bible that each of us can be adopted by the King. God wants to bring us into his family. He wants to be our father. This is really life changing and more incredible than any earthly dream. This is way more awesome than a plate of bacon maple bars!

For some people, when we talk about family and fathers it is a good thing. Your family is together, your dad is a good guy basically (even if you think he's a dork because he doesn't exactly fist bump right, and you don't like it when he makes you clean your room). If that is you and you basically have a good family and a good dad, the good news is that God wants you to know him as a great Father.

But for other people as you read this, right now there is a pit in your stomach because home is not a safe place for you, it's a place of suffering, or abuse because your dad has done great harm, or abandoned the family, or is in jail, or has made work more important. Some people cringe even if they just think about their father. But God wants to be the perfect, loving Father they've never had. He wants to bring all of us into his family, give us blessing we can't imagine, be a source of peace not pain. God wants to be present in our life, not absent. He wants to be our rock, not our trap.

Ephesians 1:4-8 talks about our adoption:

For [God] chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will– to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us.

Doesn't this sound like a miracle, Hollywood adoption story? Like the best dream you've ever had? It is. Look at the language again: in love, by his pleasure, glorious grace, freely given, redemption, forgiveness, riches lavished on us!

The truth is God wants to bring you into his family. To really bring this alive we will look at possibly my favorite story in the Old Testament about three people:

1) The most famous King of the Bible: David
2) David's servant Ziba who he sends to adopt another person. The one Ziba seeks out is:
3) Mephibosheth: a wretched, crippled guy living in the desert and a natural enemy of the King who was adopted by King David.

This is my story. It is the story of a wretched guy who was made part of the family of the King. And it can be your story.

Quick summary of 2 Samuel 9

Background:
In the olden days, they didn't have peaceful elections to bring new leaders to power. They didn't vote for leaders. Changes in kingdoms were usually bloody, savage. And when a new King came to power by force, he usually wiped out everybody from the old leader's group, including family and friends. 1 Kings 15:29 is an example go the brutality. This would be like Obama rounding up all of Bush's allies, wife, mom, brothers, kids and killing them. It was brutal.

But when new King David took over from the old King Saul he had an amazing display of grace that he wants to show a descendent of Saul. He wanted to make an enemy a part of his family.

So King David sent a servant, Ziba , to search the land. Ziba found Mephibosheth, grandson of David's enemy Saul. A man crippled in both feet, living far away in a town called Lo Debar (in Hebrew "Lo Debar" means "no pasture" a barren place). This is a nasty place. Nobody books a vacation to LoDebar. You don't find LoDebar t-shirts or key chains. In 4,000 years not one person has hit "like" on the LoDebar Facebook page.

Mephibosheth was brought before the King and he must have been terrified. When Mephibosheth met David, it went like this in vs 8: Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?"

Have you ever felt like not just a dog, but a dead dog? When I was a kid I was walking with my sister. She was throwing a ball in the air and catching it, and I had a hedge trimmer (think BIG scissors). Just then I had the brilliant idea to snip the ball with the trimmers before she could catch it. And I chopped her finger, not off, but it was bloody. And I felt like a dead dog!

Mephibosheth knew that he was lower than dirt before the King. In fact, his name means "From the Mouth of a Shameful Thing". Wow. In today's language that name is like "Trash-Jaw Tim" or "Puke-Lips Paul." This guy does not have anything going for him. Picture this: a guy crippled in both feet, probably dressed in really shabby clothes, stinky, dirty, filthy feet, matted knotted hair. Coming before the king dressed in royal gowns, a jeweled crown, golden throne.

Mephibosheth was not expecting at all to be chosen to be brought into the family by the King. In fact, you could say that he should have been the very last to be picked.

Have you ever been the last to be picked? The very least desired, the least wanted?

I have. Last year I went to Cornwall Park with my son for some boffering (beating the tar out of each other with a variety of mideival foam weapons). Out of about 100 people I was picked almost dead last for the capture the flag game. Kai was picked way ahead of me, 10 year olds were picked ahead of me, if Granny Gertrude was there she'd be picked ahead of me. You might feel like this is your life: passed over, undesired, last in line or maybe not in line at all, left out. That was Mephibosheth. Not expecting to be chosen for anything.

But Mephibosheth was brought to David, and granted to feast at the King's table all the days of his life. He was chosen by the king to be brought into his family. Mephibosheth was given riches, land, servants, food galore, cleaned up, redeemed from a horrible life living in a barren place. And the cloth of the King's table covered the crippled feet of Mephibosheth.

More importantly than all of the stuff Mephibosheth got to enjoy, more than the sweet LED tv screen, the pool, the Beemer, the bling, Mephibosheth got to enjoy the presence of the King. When you sit at the King's table and are made a part of his family you get to know the king, you laugh with him, share life with him, learn from him. The presence of the king is a bigger blessing than the stuff of the king. Sitting at the King's table is a big deal.

Did you ever get frustrated with sitting at the kids' table at thanksgiving or Christmas dinner? Yup, me too. Adult's table has china, Kid's table has plastic plates. Adult's table has goblets and champagne flutes, Kid's table has sippy cups. Adult's table has steak knives, kid's table maybe a Thomas the Tank Engine spork. It's not that the food is better at the adult's table, but you are a part of their world and are close to them. You feel like you are a more important part of the family.

Memphibosheth, the dead dog, was made a part of the Family and got to sit daily at the table of arguably the most famous and important King of the entire Bible.

Put yourself in the position of the principal characters in the story and you'll see why this matters to your life.


Mephibosheth: Dead Dog Adopted by the King
Here is some tough truth: All of us are by nature Mephibosheth, by our sin and rebellion we are born enemies of God. You included. And by birth we're living in a far desolate land, Lo Debar. Crippled, helpless in and of ourselves. There is no way we deserve to be with God. And yet the loving heart of God searches out to the dry places, yearning to show kindness to those utterly unworthy of even a table scrap. And we're adopted, brought into God's family, brought into the Kingdom, shown grace and favor we don't deserve.

The Bible says that Mephibosheth became like a Son to David. We too can be adopted by God, into his family to be sons and daughters of the King.

How is this possible? Just like Mephibosheth we don't deserve to be brought into the family, we don't deserve to sit at the table. It is only by the kindness of the King.

The whole reason Jesus died was to bring enemies into his family. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the penalty for our sin so we wouldn't have to. When we accept Jesus as our King, we are forgiven, cleansed, made whole and brought into the family.

There is no way that Mephibosheth could have one day decided all by himself, "I'm going to go sit at the King's table today." Then hobbled up and knocked on the castle door and said, "I'm here, what's for dinner?". No matter how much he bathed, or made himself look pretty he was an enemy of the King. Same with us, getting into the kingdom of God has NOTHING to do with what we can do for God. There is no work we can do, no amount of going to church, not "being nice", not doing good deeds, not even helping a thousand old ladies across the street. NOTHING we do will get us into the family of the King. It is ONLY what the King has done for us, ONLY by his kindness, only by his grace, only by the work of Jesus are we brought into the family of the King. We only have to accept the invitation to sit at the table of the king. Like Mephibosheth we have to put our faith in the King, trust in him, kneel before him in humility and receive the blessing.

Ask yourself this: Am I living in Lo Debar? Far from the king? Do I know the King is looking for me? Do I know the King wants to bring me into his family?

There's only one catch, our adoption is not involuntary, God won't force us to eat at his table and enjoy the blessings of His Kingdom. Mephibosheth could have given David the bird and still lived in the wretched barren land of LoDebar. He could have rejected the offer of the King and continued to live in the desert. And there might be people reading this who haven't decided to accept this amazing invitation from the King. Maybe you're not exactly flipping God off, but what does it mean if you're not accepting his invitation and offer of adoption? By not accepting His offer to bring you into his family, you are rejecting it. And if you choose to reject God on earth in your life time, He will honor that choice you made for eternity.

But the good news is this in John 1:12:

Yet to all those who received [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God.

That's how you are brought into God's family, you believe in the name of Jesus.

Ziba: Servant that Helps Save
We can also be Ziba, the servant enlisted by the King to help others, sent to go find one whom the King might show his favor. If you are a Christian, then your Father wants to use you to bring others into his family. You could be like Ziba, sent by God to bless somebody.

But what if Ziba instead decided to take a detour and go live at the beach for a while? Watch a whole lot of football? Hang out with his friends playing Call of Duty Black Ops and too busy to look for Mephibosheth? Mephibosheth could still be living in Lo Debar. The Christian life isn't just feasting, it is also service. And sometimes at the will of King Jesus we must leave our place of comfort to bring good news to people that are lost.

For some people, the King might send you far away, but for most people you're sent to your neighborhood, your school, your own home. Will you respond to Jesus call to help save the lost? Is your Mephibosheth waiting for good news from you about his adoption into the King's family?

Serving the king and doing the work of Ziba can be very hard work. Remember that Mephibosheth was crippled and lived far away from the king. It probably was not easy getting him to David. There were probably times that Ziba had to lift him, carry him, feed him, give him water on the long journey. For some people you know, it might be a long journey to bring them to God. Perhaps years of prayer, years of caring, years of love, years of service, maybe years of being rejected. But won't it be worth it?

There's a clear challenge and application.

Challenge: Serve the King
If you are already in the family, adopted by the King, feasting at his table, don't you want to bring others to the table? Which one of your friends, family, classmates, co-workers is living in the barren land apart from God? If you know Jesus, you know something that can change a person's eternal destiny. I want to challenge you to take a huge risk and talk to one person this week about Jesus. Let them know that Jesus wants to save them, forgive their sins, give them a new life, make them part of his family. One person. If you do that, you're going to be blown away that God could use "dead dogs" like us for an eternal impact for the kingdom and bring somebody else into the family of God.

Application: Accept the Invitation to Sit at the King's Table
God, the King of Kings wants to adopt you, to bring you into his family. God wants to be your father, He wants you to sit at his table. Some of you right now are snacking on this nasty moldy crust of bread in the desert, you are lost in your sin, and you're being invited to feast at the table. When you receive Jesus as your Lord, put your faith and trust in Him, you are made clean, you are brought into a new family, and join an eternal kingdom. At this moment, you can leave the barren land, which is any place apart from God, and can be adopted by the King. I want you to accept that invitation to be brought into God's family.


Here is Ephesians 1:4-8 again. This is the very Word of God. If you've ever wondered if God could speak to you, this is it:

For [God] chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will– to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us.

Other Notes on Mephibosheth:
1) trinity in the Father (David), Son (Meph), and Holy Spirit (Ziba)
2) Meph had to humble himself before the King and acknowledge his position ("dead dog like me").
3) Christians sometimes push away from the table, leave the feast and return to LoDebar when living in the flesh, the "old man". We need to repent.

Care of the Most Holy Things

In Numbers 4:4 God commands the "most holy things" of the tabernacle to be cared for and carried by the Kohathite branch of the tribe of Levi (also Num 3:29-31). This must have been a huge honor, but was also a huge responsibility they had to carry. Literally. In Num 7:6-9 we see they had to carry the most holy things on their shoulders while the other Levite families (Gershonites and Merarites) got oxen and carts to carry their portion of the tabernacle. When you carry something on your shoulders, you feel the weight sometimes with every step, you think about it often, you mind is drawn to it. You're intimately familiar with it. On the road you have a constant reminder of the object in your charge on your back. The Kohathites were not allowed to use ox carts to carry the most holy things.

Eleazar: leader of leaders
The chief leader of the Levites was Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest (Num 3:32). He was appointed over those who were responsible for the care of the sanctuary. Eleazar, son of Aaron, brother to Nadab and Abihu, who were killed by God in priestly duties when the offered "unauthorized fire" (Lev 10), was appointed to be in leadership over those responsible for the care of the most holy things. In Num 4:16 Eleazar is set in charge of "the entire tabernacle and everything in it" for care and moving. He must have felt the tremendous burden of this stewardship. In fact in Num 4, the warning is issued multiple times to act properly with the most holy things or they would die (Num 4:15, 20; Num 3:10). Even Stephen Spielberg got this right in Raiders of the Lost Ark when the Nazis got torched by the Holy God for ordinance violations. Probably because they didn't have the hides of sea cows to cover it (Num 4:10). When Eleazar wrapped up the ark for the first time for transport, was he still grieving the death of his brothers? Did he delegate that task to others? Maybe not. As a leader he might have "taken one for the team" and had first position as ark carrier.

We too must lead by example. The "things" we carry as youth group leaders, parents, teachers, aunts/uncles, grandparents are most holy!! In fact, even more holy than the acacia wood and gold box that was the ark. How valuable are the people entrusted to our care? Look at the price paid by God the Father to redeem them. But despite the value of the most holy things (both then and now), God puts sinful, weak, clumsy , forgetful, lazy, stubborn people in charge (See post on God's Carny). In the OT He appointed Moses (murderer, coward), Aaron (idolater, liar), Nadab and Abihu (killed for unauthorized fire), Eleazar and Ithmar (?) to care for the tabernacle and said, "Now be careful, and obey, or you'll be killed".

In a very real sense it is both comical, and also sad. God knew they would fail. This is like putting Deputy Barney Fife in charge of secret service security detail for the President or Mr Bean in charge of the National Security Administration. Just look at the mess that Adam made. God told him to "take care of the garden". Basically, just go mow the lawn. And ends up with all of creation poisoned, corrupted, utterly ruined by war, sickness and sin. As if he went to trim the shrubs in the yard but ended up with the whole house a smoldering pile of ruin (which is not far from the truth).

And yet, God still entrusts us with the most holy things of His creation (people) and creation itself. Knowing that in our nature we are no better than Adam, God still gives us this huge stewardship. Why? Pure love and grace (which I always figure is a safe answer and probably not far from the truth with most unanswerable questions).


Leadership Lessons:
1) Eleazar was the third born of Aaron. A low man on totem pole of familia rights. Likely taking little leadership for most of his life. But with the death of his older brothers Nadab and Abihu, he was thrust into a leadership position. Sometimes our leadership roles suddenly come upon us. Learn what lessons you can wherever you're at, so that if you are called you can be as ready as possible.

2) People are not often fully ready for leadership but need to grow into the position. Moses was clearly not fully ready for leadership. Nor Aaron. At least learn from others' past mistakes so you can make fresh new ones! Are we surprised that Eleazar didn't offer "unauthorized incense"?

3) Num 3:49-51 Money was collected from the Israelites by Moses who then entrusted the money to Aaron and his sons. Our handling of $$ as leaders needs to be above reproach.

4) The most holy things we carry, our students or own children, are to be carried on our shoulders, not in ox carts. We're to be close, feel the weight of their lives, struggle along side them, be present with them. We hurt when we carry these most holy things in our stewardship. At times it is a grind. A discipling relationship with a student can be tiring, but it becomes less so when we remember the value of the most holy things we carry.

5) Our heavy lifting is sometimes done in the desert. Not only do we labor under the strain, there is a scorching sun, in a parched landscape, and sometimes feel like we're just wandering.

Other observations;
1) In Num 3:3 the sons of Aaron were anointed to be priests. The Hebrew word for anointed is "mashiah" which is where the word Messiah comes from. The priests were a foreshadowing of our Great High Priest, Jesus, the Messiah, the anointed one of God. We too are called holy priests (Peter 2:5), we are anointed and set apart for service. Our anointing is by the Holy Spirit (1 Jn 2:20-27).

Sea Cow Hides? Seriously?

In the post Chicken Suit for the Soul I suggest that nearly anything can be used for God's glory and to advance His kingdom. What about the hide of a sea cow?

Sea cow hides turn up in Exodus 25:1-9 for what might be the first shopping list recorded in history:

The Lord said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from each man whose heart prompts him to give. These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and hides of sea cows; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breastpiece.

“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you."

Moses has been on Mt. Sinai with the Lord for forty days receiving detailed instructions for two main things:

1) The Law, instructions for living and worship, which will be the cornerstone for much of the western world's justice system for thousands of years.

2) Blue prints for construction of the tabernacle, God's own dwelling place with man on earth. In the history of blue prints and architectural drawings, this set is arguably the most important among millions of buildings. Because, you know, this is the house for the Almighty Sovereign Lord of the Universe.

But sandwiched between these two monumental set of instructions to Moses, God slips in a shopping list. I'm picturing a dad handing over the minivan keys to his 16 year old son on the way to the grocery store, "Ok Moses, we need gold, silver, bronze, flour, sugar, milk, eggs, sea cow hides..."














And then Moses looks up from scribbling on the back of his envelope.

"Sea Cow Hides??? Seriously???" God nods.

This has always been a chin-scratcher for me. I understand the gold and silver, because you want the living place of God to be dazzling. But sea cow hides? Really? Maybe it has some amazing water-repellent qualities, or wicks moisture, or is super tough. Or maybe God just cracks up at this funky cow/whale/vacuum machine creature as some inside joke with the Trinity.

God intended the sea cow hides to be coverings for some of the holy things of the tabernacle during transport through the desert. So if not an inside joke then I think that sea cows are small link in a huge chain of the theme of coverings in the Bible. Here's just a quick survey of the theme.

Covering After the Fall
One of the first acts of Adam and Eve after the fall was to cover their nakedness (Gen 3:7). Using fig leaves, they sewed together a covering. My guess is that "leaves" are more than a few points lower than sea cow hide on the covering quality scale (CQS). Later, after the curses and consequences were meted out for their sin, God gives them an upgrade in their coverings and makes new ones out of animal skins (Gen 3:21).


Covering in the Desert
When God delivered Israel from Egypt He instructed Moses to build a tabernacle where His holy presence could dwell among a sinful, rebellious nation. In a sense, the tabernacle (along with the elaborate complex of rituals) was a protective covering so that the Israelites would not get torched by the glory of God's presence. Perhaps like heavenly oven mitts to keep the people from getting burned by the all consuming fire. The sea cow hides were just one image of this as the holy thing were set apart, sanctified, by being covered.

But I think that the tabernacle was not just a protective covering for the sake of the safety of the people, but also a picture of God's desire to be wrapped in the people He loves. God surrounded Himself in the desert with tribes of Israelites encamped all around. From the perspective of God, it looks like He is covering Himself with people like a cloak. A filthy, stained garment, but one that He will be making new and cleansing white as snow.


Covering of the Incarnation
In the incarnation, God the Son took on a human nature. Jesus was more than just God in a body. He became fully human while still being fully God. But God took on a covering of flesh and blood, he tabernacled among us in while he walked the earth. We need to be careful because there are a thousand errors to easily fall into when discussing the incarnation. If you put a sandwich into a Tupperware container, the two are still distinct. When Jesus was born, he wasn't just covered with flesh and bones like Saran Wrap, he actually BECAME human while still retaining his divinity.

But there is still a theme of covering: Jesus' glory was veiled, his kingly majesty was covered with humility, his glorious power was hidden beneath his role of suffering servant.

Covering on the Cross
On the cross Jesus took on our sin as a cruel, torturous covering. The sins of all people for all time for all places was placed on him. Then he was covered with the wrath of God to atone for our sin. He was covered with his own blood, shed for our redemption.

Covering of the Holy Spirit
After Jesus returned to his glory at the resurrection, the Father sent the Holy Spirit to live in our hearts. Christians become the temple of the Holy Spirit, we are the covering for God. This is incredible. In the Old Testament the sea cow hide is used to cover the holy things from a sinful people. In the New Testament, sinful people are redeemed then become a covering for the Holy Spirit.


Our Covering in Eternity
When we enter the eternal kingdom there seems to be a reversal. Humans go from being the temple of God the Holy Spirit, to God becoming the temple, our eternal covering. Revelation 21:22-27 is awesome:

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.

While the infinite God was confined and covered by the cramped desert tabernacle in the Old Testament, limited and finite people will inhabit and be covered by the temple of the eternal God in the kingdom.

Sea cow hides? Seriously? Seriously.

Cliffs Notes for the Proverbs

Not sure if Cliff has gotten around to the Bible yet. (He makes cheat sheets for huge works like Moby Dick, War and Peace, Oxford English Dictionary, etc...). So while reading through Proverbs I thought I'd try my hand at distilling the wisdom of Solomon into a few key themes. Of course this immediately violates #5 below for even thinking I could do anything with Solomon's wisdom. Where did my bag of chips go?


1) Talking/gossip/lying: Shut yer pie hole (Proverbs 4:24; 17:28; 12:17-19; 10:19; 20:19)

2) Your job: Work yer tail off (Proverbs 6:6-11; 10:4-5; 18:9; 20:4)

2a) Your job: But don't work so you got nothin' else to give (Prov 23:4)

3) Sexual temptation: you get burned when yer playin' with fire (Proverbs 4:14-15; 6:27-28; 7:22-23; the entire 5th chapter)

4) Wisdom: worth more than gold (Prov 4:6-7; 8:10-11; and practically every other verse in the book)

5) Humility: Don't think yer "all that and a bag of chips" (Prov 8:13; 3:34)

6) Ill-gotten gains: not worth jack squat (or they are worth just jack squat. Either way). (Prov 10: 2, 15:16-17; 20:17; 28:6,16)

7) Honesty: Don't be a scammer. (Prov 16:11; 20:10; 22:1)

8) Generosity: Give some of what you got. (Prov 3:27-28; 19:17; 21:13; 23:6-8; 28:22)

9) Righteousness: Be that. (Prov 3:33; 4:18; 20:7; 28:12)

10) Wickedness: Don't be that. (Prov 3:33; 4:14; 28:9)

11) Parenting: Yer more than a buddy. (Prov 19:18; 22:6)

12) Anger: Simmer down. (Prov 19:19; 29:11; 30:33)

13) The Fear of God: Yer knees best be knockin'. (Prov 19:23; 22:4; 23:17; 28:14)

14) Honoring parents: treat them like they are all that and a bag of chips (Prov 20:20).

15) Foolishness: Don't be a fool (Prov 26:1-12; throw a dart and you'll probably hit a verse about the folly of a fool)

16) Justice: give a rat's [backside] about the poor (Prov 29:7, 14)

Biblical Numbers [For Geeks Only!]

[Warning: this post is mostly for geeks like me. If you are not a geek stop reading immediately, lest you become one.]

An NIV text note for Proverbs 10:1 tickled my fancy today (sidenote: where and what the heck is my fancy? Seriously.) Proverbs 10 starts a collection and new section in the book. The note mentions that there are 375 verses in this section which runs through Prov 22:16. So what, you say? (Get out the tape for your glasses because the geek factor is going to kick in right about now.). Turns out that the value of the letters in Solomon's name is... 375.

[Hebrews were highly numerical and devised a system of assigning a value to each letter in the alphabet, so that a name and words had a number.]

Some people have taken Biblical numerology to the H.N.L. (whole 'notha level). Kabbala is a mystic sect based on Old Testament numerology and has recently gotten a shot in the arm thanks to Madonna.

And rabid eschatologists spend their holiday weekends trying to determine the name of the antichrist based on 666, the number of his name. And, yes, there's an app for that.

My interest in numbers is not in the mystical or end-times-guessing-game camp. But the geek aspect of how numbers are used in the Bible.

For example, everybody who has watched even a single snap of a football game knows John 3:16 Even Raiders fans.











But there are truckloads of other very cool 3:16 verses in the bible. Check out:
2 Timothy 3:16
Joshua 3:16
Matthew 3:16
Luke 3:16
1 Corinthians 3:16


Sequential Bible Verses
Some key passages in the Bible have cool numeric chapter/verse sequences:

Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.


Phillipians 4: 5,6,7
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.


Exodus 34:5,6,7
Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”



Luke 23:45
The sun stopped shining and the curtain of the temple was torn in two [at Jesus death. ]

Ecclesiastes 12:13
Fear God and keep his commands, for this is the whole duty of man.


Repeating Numbers
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

2 Tim 2:2
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
(Not coincidentally this is the basis for a cool mentoring ministry called Lead222)

Proverbs 21:21
He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.

2 Peter 1:21
For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Anagrams
Some great passages have cool number things and have anagrams embedded:

Matthew 7:7
Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you (A.S.K.)



These are the tip of the iceberg. I'd love to hear of other geeky number things you've found in the Bible.

The Center (part 2)

The first part of The Center looked at the arrangement of the Israelite encampment around the tabernacle as an image of God being the center of our lives today.

But there seems to be much more to this image.

The desert tabernacle also is a powerful illustration of how the farther we are from God the less holy and righteous we become in some practical ways.

I think of it like the radiation zone around a nuclear detonation. God's burning holiness is most intense in his presence in the tabernacle, but diminishes the farther one goes from "ground zero".


Holiest of Holies was Ground Zero for God's Presence
When a nuclear bomb explodes the radiation is most intense at ground zero then decreases in radial fashion with distance from the center (geeky math warning... Did God's radiant glory diminish following an inverse square law?) So that when moving away from ground zero the radiation level drops rapidly and eventually there is a point where it reaches zero. For the Israelites, the Holiest of Holies was ground zero, the presence of God resided there like no other place on earth at that time. God's glory and majesty was intense with radiance and power. On the Day of Atonement, once per year, one man, the high priest could enter this place, it would be like walking into the blast area with Geiger counters ticking a million times per second. You can't even distinguish the individual ticks. Entering this most holy place took almost 100 steps of ritual, sacrifice and offering. Perhaps like putting on a radiation suit (picture the space suit guys in the movie ET).

When the high priest was in the Holiest of Holies in the very presence of God how likely was he to sin or fall to temptation? With God thundering before him on the mercy seat, I'm guessing that the priest is going to win most every battle of temptation. Sin and everything unclean is consumed entirely in God's unshielded presence. This is why the high priest had a rope tied to his leg so others could pull him out if he died in there. People wouldn't go in to retrieve the body in the "hot zone". But the Holiest of Holies is a picture of our future eternity with God, where we will be in His literal presence always (not just one day a year), able to see Him face to face in all his glory, and completely free from sin.

When Moses spent 40 days on Mt. Sinai with God his face literally glowed (Ex 34:29-35 Ex 33:18-23) and the people insisted he wear a veil. We are also transformed by the presence of God and radiate holiness when we are in His glorious presence.

(Note that the glow eventually wore off of Moses' face, like what happens to a glow in the dark frisbee eventually. In this life when we are removed from the radiating glory, our holiness likewise diminishes with time. Not our positional holiness and righteousness in Jesus, but our practical righteousness. Ex 24:17 says that to the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire, so the nuclear detonation analogy works well, perhaps more than we suspect.)

With God at the center of our lives we reflect his glory, and the closer we are to him, the more we glow.

The Holy Place
Moving out from ground zero of the Holiest of Holies in the tabernacle, God's radiating holiness diminished somewhat (in the effect on the priests' lives). The geiger counter is ticking along at a steady clip (tick, tick, tick, tick) but not the piercing buzz as in the Holiest of Holies). In the Holy Place the Levitical priests would serve on a daily basis. They were more likely to sin in that place because God's holiness is not as intense (this is where Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu were killed for offering unauthorized fire). These priests were chosen by God, consecrated and set apart from the Levites to serve. They were less "sanctified" than the high priest on the day of atonement. Much of the time I feel like this is where my life is spent. Not in the fiery furnace and blazing presence of God, but the day to day rituals. Going about my life, paying homage to Him but also pretty busy with other tasks. God not exactly the center and full focus of who I am.

Outer Courts
And then God's holiness was diminished even more in the outer court of the tabernacle where the rest of the Israelites and even aliens could come to congregate and make offerings. The geiger counter might tick once every 20-30 seconds. These people were milling about, gathering for social occasions. Not stretching the analogy too far, but there have been times in my life where God is sidelined because the cares and worries of this life move me farther from the center, and I'm more prone to sin and lose the battle.

The Encampment and "Outside" the Camp
Move further out beyond the walls of the tabernacle to the encampment and the effect of God's holiness diminished significantly. The geiger counter is ticking once every 5-10 minutes perhaps. The people had occasional moments of dedication to the Lord (Ex 15 singing the song of Moses, confirming the Covenant in Ex 24:7) But for the most part the Israelites were characterized for 40 years in the desert as stiff necked, grumblers, quarrelers, weak, unfaithful, complaining, sinful, disobedient, covenant breakers, whiners, etc.. Because they were fairly removed from the center of God's presence they were less holy (and visa versa it can be argued. Sort of a chicken and egg issue.) It can be argued that many unbelievers are those in the camp and beyond.

Outside the camp the people considered unclean had to dwell. These were lepers, ceremonially unclean, and various classes of outcasts. These may might be considered the "lost sheep", ones who know God but are far from him. The Geiger counter ticks slowly here. They can be made clean, drawn closer to the center, but some spend their whole lives outside the camp, never fully enjoying the blessings of drawing near to God.

The Gentile Nations
Farthest from the center of God's presence in the Holiest of Holies are the Canaanites, those gentile nations occupying the land promised to Israel as part of the covenant. These people on a whole are not spoken well of in scripture. They are called evil, Molech and Baal worshipers, child sacrificers, practicing every kind of sexual sin and deviancy as a way of life. Maybe a tick on the Geiger counter every couple of years. Maybe. Sin flows like a river, not the milk and honey promised to the Israelites . But these "aliens" are not beyond hope and may partake in the Israel blessings in part if they become circumcised. There have been time in the OT where God directly blesses them. God sent Elijah to a gentile widow in Sidon and blessed her with the bottomless jar of flour and oil during a famine (1 King 17:1-15). Also Elisha cleanses the Syrian military general Naaman of leprosy (2 King 5:1-14).

In fact some of these gentile people of "the nations" are the ones promised by God to be blessed through Abraham's offspring, that is Jesus (Gen 12:3). God doesn't love them any less than the Israelites but their sin is grievous enough to merit punishment, judgement and wrath (as is ours!)

Application
How close to The Center do I live my daily life? Am I living before the mercy seat within the Holiest of Holies? Milling around the outer courts? Living outside the camp? Or assembling firewood for the altar of Molech?

The whole analogy is flawed in some ways, but works in more ways than not. Proverbs 17:3 says, "The crucible for silver, the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart." Our hearts are purified and made clean in this life (sanctification) to the degree we spend time in the holy, burning presence of God. It's a paradox, because if God is omnipresent how can we ever be far from Him? We need to make a choice to enter in, draw near. He's a consuming fire, but His awesome glory consumes the dross in our hearts, purifies us, refines us, so that what is left looks more and more like His image.

The Center

Numbers chapter 2 pictures the order and arrangement of the tribes of Israel encamping around the tabernacle. God is at the very center of their lives, everything emanating from that core, all activity moves out from the very presence of God.

There were three tribes camped on each side of the tabernacle and the Levites scattered around as well.

God's presence was not only the center and heart of the camp, but also the center of the tabernacle. Within the tabernacle there were different levels of access and closeness to God moving from the outer courts to the Holy Place and finally into the Holiest of Holies:

And inside the Holiest of Holies, was the ark. And inside the Ark was the covenant, the tablets given by God to Moses. And on top of the Ark was the mercy seat, where the very presence of God rested.

Mercy was at the heart of the Israelites whole order, resting over the tablets of the covenant, God's very Word. Their whole life was centered on this, literally.

The question is: Shouldn't our lives also be centered on God? With God at the heart of our devotion, our daily lives? Our waking and sleeping? Our thoughts and energies? Life gets busy and we have obligations, but does the Lord get sidelined and the things of this world take center stage, the place of honor, the most sacred space in our lives? What is sacred to us and set apart as special? What do we sacrifice on behalf of that sacred hobby, sacred job, sacred TV show, sacred relationship, sacred obsession?

In the tabernacle everything was bathed with the blood of sacrificed animals as people get closer to the Presence of God, hidden behind a curtain in the most holy place. A sinful people needed almost 100 rules for 1 man once per year to enter the Holiest of Holies to approach the Holy God. Failure to approach God without the protection of the sacrifices was deadly.

But we have been permanently brought near to God by one sacrifice. By even 1 drop of Jesus' blood countless people dwell in the center of God's presence for 100 million years and then some. Do we avail ourselves of the blood of Jesus to boldly approach the throne of grace (Heb 4:16) and find mercy and grace? The veil of the tabernacle has been ripped in two from top to bottom, and we can at any time enter into the center of the throne room, the presence of God.

In the desert some people had to be removed from the camp for various conditions making them unclean: disease, wrong offerings, eating blood of an animal, etc. When they were unclean or disobedient they were moved farther from God's presence, farther from the center.

Some people, like lepers, had to live outside the camp. They were unclean. They were sent away from the center (Num 5:1) so they wouldn't defile the place where God dwells.

And as disgusting as leprosy is, our sin is worse before God. If we were to see our sinful condition in bodily form, it would shock and horrify us. We would seem to be as disfigured as the latest stage leper who is nearly beyond recognition from his intended form.

Jesus healed lepers and touched them. But in a greater miracle, God sees believers through the imputed righteousness of Jesus. He doesn't see a disfigured and corrupted person, but one wholly righteous, clothed in white, and washed by the blood of the lamb. We have been made clean (justified) and are being made clean (sanctified). We are drawn to the center.

But when we sin, we distance ourselves from God. Christians are never assigned to the place of unbelievers but are not always in intimate communion and relationship. We move away from the center.

In the desert some people were aliens, outside of the chosen people, not even within site of the camp. Lost and utterly depraved (Lev 20:1-5 for example). There were whole communities and generations that did not even know that God called a chosen people, that He performed mighty wonders and miracles, that He delivered them from slavery with wondrous powers. How many people lived so far from the center of God's presence that they missed his glory? Never heard His thunder from the mountain? Never knew his name? Never covered their ears from the booming thunder blasts of Sinai, or shielded their eyes from the furious lightning? But instead were sacrificing their children in fire to the demon god Molech? How many? These were the people whose sexual sin was so deplorable that the very land was spoiled and defiled beneath them (Lev 18:25, 27). How bad must one's sin be before the earth that you stand on is corrupted? Like a poison that drips from a cup to the waters of a well, seeping deep, utterly corrupting it. Or, as in the Lev 18:28 text, like a rotten meat in the stomach, so that the stomach will vomit to purge itself clean. These people were very far from the center.

We're tempted to think of sin that bad as belonging to others, in a different time and different place. After all, which of us has sacrificed our child to an idol?

But we often underestimate the revulsion of our own sin to God and its consequences . Consider that the one single sin of Adam (eating fruit) was foul enough to spread death, decay and destruction to all of mankind, infecting billions of souls through thousands of years. That even nature itself and the natural order would be defiled and ruined. So much so that in order to redeem man He would need to destroy his body and give him an entirely new body (corruptible putting on incorruption) and the heavens and earth would need to be reformed.

Yet only by looking through the lens of our sin and its depravity can we fully appreciate the magnitude of the love and grace of God. Where sin abounded, grace super-abounded. We usually look at the arrangement of the camp around the tabernacle from our perspective, teaching us to keep God at the center of our lives. But when you look at it from the perspective of God, sitting on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies we see that God intentionally surrounded himself with fallen people, those of the would-be redeemed.

Despite the fallen nature of Israel, God the Father placed his majesty in their midst in the Holiest of Holies and surrounded Himself with 12 tribes of sinful men, wrapping them around himself like a dirty tattered cloak after setting aside His royal robes in the heavenly places. A material tabernacle housing God in the center of a sinful but chosen people.

And in the same way God the Son set aside his heavenly glory and wrapped himself in human flesh and lived among the throng of sinful man. Subjecting himself to the weariness, sorrow, pain, temptation in the center of humanity's depravity. A human tabernacle housed God among a sinful world. God the Son dwelling among men.

And then once again, today and in the church age, God the Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of Christian believers whose bodies become the tabernacle (temple) of God, yet still sinful and corrupt though justified and being sanctified. God the Spirit dwelling within a man.

There is a progression of intimacy of the triune God dwelling among man:

1) Father in a Tabernacle in the desert: separation by walls, curtains and ritual; Only one man, once per year could enter the presence of God. God was seen, but only rarely and in limited expression.

2) Son assuming a human body: separation from others by physical distance. Thousands were in the presence of Jesus, the God-man. But most still were not. There was no veil or tabernacle shielding God from sinful man other than his flesh. But people could touch him, crowds pressed in tight. A woman was healed by touching his cloak. For a moment on the mount of transfiguration the veil was pulled back just a smidgeon and the glory of the Son was revealed to Peter an John.

3) Spirit living in the hearts of Christians: millions (billions?) of people have the presence of God inside of them. God dwelling inside the believers in the most intimate arrangement possible. At times we grieve and quench the Holy Spirit by sin in our lives, like covering burning coals with a wet, wool blanket. Not extinguishing the Spirit, but also not fanning into flame.

This whole progression demonstrates the deep loving heart of God, his intense desire to be intimately at the center of humanity. The tabernacle in the desert is a great picture of God dwelling among men. He WANTS DESPERATELY to live among us. How much so? That he would kill His own son that we might be brought ever nearer and closer.

The CS Lewis book "The Great Divorce" has an interesting and relevant image of hell: a community of people that keep moving farther and farther away from each other and from God. Whereas God wanted to draw Israel in tight, the weight and gravity of His love pulling them in, those who reject God drift farther and farther off, severed from the draw of His presence and ever receding into the vanishing distance.

Why should God be the center of our lives? Because He wants to look out and around to see a circle of those He redeemed by Jesus' blood encamped about him.

More in The Center, Part 2.

Chicken Suit for the Soul: Book One

I might have discovered an idea for a book series that could displace the juggernaut of Jack Canfield's series Chicken Soup for the Soul on the NYT bestseller list. (I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin').

I'd call the series "Chicken Suit for the Soul" and book number one would feature lessons learned in the last week of middle school youth ministry. The common thread through all of the stories is how God uses the mundane, the odd, the everyday, the lowly stuff of this earth for His eternal, life-changing, majestic work of building His kingdom.



Chapter 1: Chicken Suit for the Soul
A few weeks ago the middle school youth group found itself in the (un?)enviable position of having a short fall of finances to run a 4 day camp on Lake Samish. So we ran a carwash with proceeds going to the camp. We ended up raising hundreds of dollars that went to sponsoring students unable to pay. The very generous owner of the carwash facility also provided some wacky costumes to attract attention of passing cars including: a grape costume, musical instruments, clown shoes, and, I believe, most importantly a chicken suit. Who can resist a 13 year old dressed up in a chicken suit? It is a recipe for a financial windfall. Having just returned from camp only a few hours ago, I'm blown away by the impact of that weekend in the lives of students. And some of those sponsored students whose lives are now eternally changed can trace the path of salvation of their souls to a chicken suit at a carwash.

The Almighty Sovereign Lord God of the universe used a chicken suit for His glory to build His kingdom. Thinking about this brings me to a question that is sobering:

If God can use anything for His good will, how am I using what He's entrusted to me for His kingdom? All that I have, even things I consider of little worth, might be of eternal value. Am I being a good steward of my stuff?

Colossians 3:17 says:

And what ever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

This weekend at the camp I saw two cans of sardines used in the name of Jesus for a food eating contest. I even saw Spam, arguably a creation of the devil, used to build the kingdom of God in Jesus name.

I spoke to a mom of one of the campers who sponsored two other students to go to camp. She spent $240 and one of those students gave his life to Jesus and his eternal destiny is now changed, his sins completely forgiven. $120 dollars! The "filthy lucre" ascribed to so much greed and ruin in this world was used in the name of Jesus for the salvation of a soul.

I'm reminded of Liam Niessen's character in the movie Schindler's List who realized only too late that more of the stuff of his world could have been used for the ransom and salvation of Jews from Nazi atrocities. He looked at the ring on his finger and was horrified when he understood that it could be used to save a few more people, but the realization came too late. I'm often convicted that I'm not fully using what's been entrusted to me in the name of Jesus for the glory of God to advance His kingdom. How many hours have I wasted on the couch before the TV. How many dollars have been spent on things that ultimately left me empty? How many things have I discarded as junk? And how many souls might have been ransomed by God using that stuff as His means? I know I don't bear the responsibility for anyone's salvation, but I also know that I've missed opportunities to play even a fractional role of eternal worth in people's lives.

Ultimately all of this is good news, if God can use the chicken suit for a soul, he can use you and I as well.

Reflecting on the camp this weekend, here's a possible outline for the rest of the first "Chicken Suit" book:

Chapter 2: Hacky Sack for Holy Lamb
Chapter 3: Slip and Slide for the Savoir
Chapter 4: Culligan Water Bottle for Christ
Chapter 5: Blobbing for the Bright and Morning Star
Chapter 6: Acoustic Guitar for the Alpha
Chapter 7: Oatmeal Fight for the Omega

Do you have any ideas for other chapters? The possibilities are truly endless.

Just Believe??

An entire industry has grown like a mushroom selling products, conferences, posters, coffee mugs, engraved toothbrushes all motivating people to "just believe". This video captures the essence of the "just believers" in all of it's sugary sacharine Care Bear sweetness:

[Caution, viewers may throw up their mouths just a little bit while watching]

I'll preempt any accusation hurled that I'm besmirching some great people by saying I have much respect for many of those people (Joe Pa of Penn State not the least) but we have to admit that you can pour too much sugar in coffee, and can also add too many rainbows to an inspirational video. ["Besmirch" is such an awesome word! I'm tempted to create a Facebook fan club page for the word. Anybody else in?]

The "Just Believing" philosophy falls short on a few levels:
1) Wrong Focus of Faith. Belief or faith without a reliable object as the focus is futile, or sometimes dangerous. If I believe that my dinner napkin is a good substitute for a parachute when I'm sky diving, then I'm going to have a rough landing. No matter how many rainbows, or what kind of feeling I put into that belief in the napkin, I'm going to be very flat and fairly spread out at the end of my jump.

2) No Focus of Faith."Just believing" without any object of faith is also "falling flat". Belief all by itself, divorced from an object, does not lead to success or motivation. To quote the famous, highly respected and revered philosopher and deep thinker Jack Handy, "It’s easy to sit there and say you’d like to have more money. And I guess that’s what I like about it. It’s easy. Just sitting there, rocking back and forth, wanting that money." "Just believing" often tends toward inaction. When I was a small kid, I used to think that pressing your hands together in prayer was kind of like a magical action that got you stuff, and the harder you pressed your hands together the harder you were praying. But belief with no object is the same as a prayer offered to the void, both are to no effect, even if there is fantastically good intentions and lots of sparkles and rainbows.

3) Self-Focus of Faith. I'm not opposed to self-confidence, but if you are believing in yourself, see item #1 above. Any student of history (even a mediocre one barely squeaking by with a C-) knows that people are utterly prone to chaos and evil of all sorts. Again, no besmirching great accomplishments of great people, but the soaring successes of human achievement (space flight, industrial revolution, Roman aqueducts, Starbucks grande americano) have their glory due to the Creator ultimately.

Biblical Belief
When I read the Bible is see two critical aspects of belief and faith:
1) The object of faith is the Sovereign God and Lord;
2) Faith is accompanied by action and gets people out of the comfy rocking chair.

Hebrews Chapter 11 is one of the classic passages about faith in the Bible. It is chock full of actions of faith recorded throughout history. I count almost 40 verbs describing the actions that accompanied and demonstrated faith some of which include: built, spoke, obeyed, lived, offered, blessed, chose, left, persevered, kept, marched, conquered, gained, escaped. And then the unpleasant actions as people of faith were: tortured, flogged, chained, stoned, sawn in two. Not many rainbows, butterflies and unicorns there.

Our faith is active, compels us to action as we believe in the God who didn't just sit back in his rocking chair, but entered history to live, die and be raised from the dead for our salvation. I'm so thankful that God didn't "just believe" in Himself. He gave, sacrificed, loved, died, bled, healed, suffered, prayed, walked, sweated, endured, rose, ascended for us. And now Jesus is reigning, interceding, saving, forgiving, sanctifying, and preparing a place for us. And someday He will return, cleanse, judge, rule, make new, and glorify those who believe in Him.

Why We Should Question the Bible

Should Christians question the Bible? Absolutely. But in a way that is not typically meant by "questioning". Often unsaved people or new Christians question the historicity of the Bible, or question where it's authorship is human or divine, or if the miracles recorded actually happened, or if the moral commandments are still relevant for this modern day. This type of questioning can diminish the authority of scripture in somebody's mind. Some people ask these questions in good conscience with sincerity, but others use such questions like a jackhammer, taken to the foundation and column supports of the Word of God in a deliberate effort to undermine.

But a Christian can use questioning as a chisel and tool for Bible study that brings depth, texture and richness to the Bible while preserving it's mantle of authority in our lives.

I'll use Exodus 34:4-5 as an example and share my questioning of the Bible today. This builds off Some thought about the same passage in The Knife Edge of the Name of the Lord. Here are the verses:

So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord.

In questioning the text, sometimes there are answers, sometimes there aren't. Here's how I've been questioning this text.

What was Moses' state of mind as he chiseled the tablets? Was he still angry because of the golden calf? Was he ashamed because he smashed the first two tablets after seeing the people worship the golden calf? Did Moses use a different type of rock for the second set of tablets than the first? What is the geology of Mt. Sinai?

OK, I'm a geologist so I can't leave that question unanswered. Excuse me while I do a long, exhausting google search [insert sound of clock ticking off all of 14 seconds...] Alright, I'm back. Mt. Sinai is a combination of granite, volcanic rocks, and some metamorphic rocks. Here's a picture courtesy of Wikipedia:














Since Moses was able to smash the first set of tablets containing the ten commandments, did he use a weaker rock on the first set? Did he select the rock for the first tablets based on how easy it would be to chisel? Were the first commandments made of a weathered volcanic rock, chosen by Moses because he could easily knock out the chiseling job in an afternoon while munching some mana chips? Did God instruct Moses to use the much stronger granite for the second set of tablets? Or did Moses make that decision himself? When Moses wandered the arid foothills of Mt. Sinai, did God issue a little cough when Moses looked at an outcrop of rock that was too weak? Because God is sovereign and all knowing and he knew the very rock that would be chosen by Moses, when that rock was being formed millions of years prior in the depths of the earth, did God point that rock out to and angel in heaven and say, "There it is, watch that piece. Someday it's going to be raised to the surface and exposed and I will write my law on it a second time."?

When Moses finally found suitable rock, was it laying loosely on the ground, or did he have to pry it from a nearly impenetrable slab on the mountain side. Did it require the help of Aaron? How long did it take Moses to chisel the stone? What became of the chisel that Moses used? Was it handed down to his son? Were there calluses formed on his hands in the process? Did the hands of Moses bleed when chiseling, because he labored so hard against a brutally strong granite? When Jesus worked his carpentry in the early days did his hands bleed in the same place as Moses?

[Here's where my questioning took an unexpected turn.]

Who else got calluses and blisters in the Bible? Did the Koathites get blisters on their shoulders from the poles when they carried the ark in the desert? Did the Levitical priests get blisters from swinging the blade that killed millions of animals to atone for sin? Did Peter have calluses from working his fishing nets? And when he was called to serve Jesus and leave his nets was he glad or sad when he lost the calluses? Did the man who carried the cross of Jesus get blisters on his shoulders? Was there a rookie roman soldier among those who flogged Jesus, who then went home and complained to his wife because the blisters on his hands really hurt bad? Were there blisters and calluses on the hands of the one who carved the stone that was rolled in front of Jesus' tomb. Did the Father and Son also watch that rock form in the bowels of the earth and then get exposed and mined at the surface? Did Jesus keep an eye on that stone for thousands or millions of years, knowing it would guard him in death and be the first thing he saw at his resurrection?

Yes, we should question the Bible. Often and in great detail. Questions bring out marvels and richness to an amazing, miraculous book that records God's very Word.

The Knife Edge of the Name of the Lord

Near the top of Mt. Everest, 28,000 feet high in the "death zone", there is a narrow ridge only a few feet wide that drops 10,000 feet down to one side and 8,000 feet to the other. This is a place where exhaustion is literally consuming, brain cells are killed at a rapid rate and neurological damage is certain within a very short period. And also in this place, there is little room for errors, and a misstep has huge consequences.














GK Chesterton said that theology is like walking a knife edge ridge with sheer drop offs on either side. The error of legalism falls to the right, and lawlessness to the left. If we neglect the love of God we err, if we neglect His justice we err. Both missteps can have a huge impact in our lives.

Exodus 34:5-7 walks this narrow course and makes clear that the name of the Lord encompasses both justice and love. This passage has been like the John 3:16 to Jewish people through the ages:

Vs 5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with [Moses] and proclaimed his name, the Lord.

Vs 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,

Vs 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."

Recently I made a personal discovery about the name of the Lord. The "Name of the Lord" rings throughout scripture like a deep bell, sounding and echoing and resounding throughout the entire book. Yet I didn't notice that until just a few days ago. Some things are too big to see.

In light of this, the passage in Exodus is a real gem for me, where God steps out before Moses and proclaims His own name: Jehovah, Lord. The name that is at the same time love, mercy and forgiveness along with justice, righteousness and judgement.

If we deny an attribute of God, say his mercy and love, then we fall into the abyss of legalism. God becomes a cruel school master to fear lest we have sloppy hand writing and get a rap on the knuckles with the almighty ruler. Or if we deny his righteousness and justice, then sin has no consequence, we tread on his creation and creatures with ever increasing cruelty, without regard to judgement from a righteous judge.

Either error is a form of blasphemy because we are denying the full, complete name of the Lord.

Application
The response of Moses in Exodus 34:8 to God proclaiming His name is awesome and should also be our response when we consider the Name of the Lord:

Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.

What was that like for Moses when the Lord proclaimed His name? Was the voice deafening, the sound of thunder and a rushing wind? Was it a still, small voice? Did Moses feel the voice booming inside him? When he went to bed for the next weeks and months, did the proclamation of the Lord haunt Moses, make him yearn deeply for heaven? Could Moses still hear that voice and freshly recall the Name of the Lord on his death bed as he overlooked the promised land from the east side of the Jordan river? Did Moses grit his teeth or want to haul off and knock somebody's head off when he heard that Name blasphemed?

When Moses himself sinned, was the shame and sorrow in his heart amplified because he knew the Name of the Lord included punishment for the guilty? After Moses was cleansed for his sins in the tabernacle rituals, was the joy and thankfulness in his heart magnified because he knew that mercy and loving forgiveness are part of the name of the Lord?

The details are speculative, but the result and application for our lives are clear: the Lord inspires worship, even by his name alone.

The Name Above All Names

Some things are too big too see. In a crowded downtown, walking past a sky scraper you might not realize its massive size or even acknowledge it is there. Some things are so numerous and pervasive that they escape notice. Being a geologist I know that no matter where you go, there are rocks in some form: the cement in concrete comes from limestone, the gold on your ring was once ore in a mine, the asphalt in the road has aggregate, the magnet holding up the picture of baby Huey on your fridge came from the ground. Rocks are everywhere but seldom seen.

This morning I realized that "The Name of the Lord" is the same way in scripture. "The Name of the Lord" is utterly shot through and through all scripture, the hinge for key doctrines, the motive for the drive of nations, the root of blessings and curses, the basis for the covenants, the foundation of prayer, among the top tier and varsity starting squad of the 10 commandments. The Name has been too big for me to see. Today, I just walked by an enormous, towing skyscraper, an edifice that pierces the clouds and spans whole city blocks. And I looked up and saw it for the first time.

This is what I was reading in 1 Kings 5:3-5,

“You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the Lord my God, as the Lord told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’ (1 Kings 5:3-5 NIV84)

Three times in three verses The Name is mentioned. Not only had I not fully noticed this in 1 Kings, but also the hundreds of other occurrences throughout the Bible. Somethings are too big to see. But once seen, too important to ignore.

Here's a brief survey of the Name of the Lord in scripture, by no means exhaustive:

“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. (Deuteronomy 5:11)

After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. (2 Samuel 6:18)

Solomon gave orders to build a temple for the Name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself. (2 Chronicles 2:1)

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7)

So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem (Psalm 102:21)

Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. (Psalm 113:2)

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever. (Micah 4:5)

“Then will I purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him shoulder to shoulder. (Zephaniah 3:9)

“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name'"(Matthew 6:9)

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ (Acts 2:21, Romans 10:13, Joel 3:32)

And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11)

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)

In the name of the Lord I was saved and am to live a life of worship. The name of the Lord is my protection, blessing, and drive for service. Is there a facet of our spiritual lives that doesn't fall under the umbrella of His name? The Colossians passage pretty well covers it: EVERYTHING should be done in the name of Jesus.

How many prayers have I scotch taped "in the name of Jesus" to the end like it was a pretty ribbon placed on a wrapped package? Not realizing that the name of Jesus isn't an add on, but the very underpinning of each action and word?

Solomon built the temple for the name of the Lord, a huge task requiring the labor of thousands for years. God wants me to build my life for His Name.

I wonder if I even know what this means at all. I'm sitting in a tiny Yugo in the basement garage of a 150 story sky scraper, not realizing what hangs above me. I haven't even been to the lobby, or ground floor. It has been too big for me to see, and now I feel almost too small to dare to lift my eyes.

Some people wonder if eternity will be boring because it is so long, I wonder if it will be too short to understand the Name of the Lord. Just His name, let alone the majesty of His full person and being.

But for now, may I worship Jesus, the God whose name is above all names.

"He Rescued Me because He Delighted in Me " 2 Samuel 22:20

In 2 Samuel 22:20 King David captures the very heart of the gospel of Jesus. David is singing a song of praise to God for the deliverance from his enemies and establishing his throne in Israel. This follows a lifetime of wars, battles, conspiracy and intense conflict, both from within and outside the tribes of Israel.

And verse 20 is an amazing anthem that could be sung by the Christian for a lifetime:

He brought me out into a spacious place;
He rescued me because He delighted in me.

A Spacious Place
I think that spacious places probably hold more meaning to David than the average Joe. Most of us have opportunity to walk a beach carefree, or hike an alpine trail high in the mountains, or spread a blanket in the park on a lazy Sunday. And most likely the great value of these normal, same-old-same-old, routine, everyday, vanilla blessings is often lost on us.

But David spent much of his life as a soldier, a warrior. And to the soldier, "normal" is a highly desired commodity. During the earlier days of the Iraq war, I corresponded with an army chaplain who said that the soldiers have given up the mundane blessings by serving in the army: choosing what clothes to wear intend of body armor, sleeping without the sound of incoming mortars and warning klaxons, driving a road that won't explode beneath them without warning. Anything that we have in abundance looses value, until it is lost and then it becomes the deepest desire of our hearts. We have "normal every day life" in abundance, but a soldier is deprived of just that.

Why was David so grateful for spacious places? For weeks or possibly months at a time he had to hide in caves to escape enemies that sought his life (1 Sam 23:14). After God removed His blessing from David's royal predecessor King Saul (1 Sam 15:26) and anointed David as the next king (1 Sam 16:1-13), Saul tried numerous times to kill David. 1 Sam 16:14 is a horrifying passage that shows the torment Saul had which led to the persecution of David.

Eventually David fled from Saul and had to hide in caves. Imagine that you have been anointed king, but you're very young and have the most powerful man in the nation seeking your death. What were the long nights like in the dark, cramped caves? I imagine that if there were places that qualify as "hell holes" this would be it. The caves probably reeked with the sweat and filth of David's fellow soldiers. There was probably no stories told, but a strict silence enforced. Each man fearing for his life, missing their families with a deep ache. They probably ate cold food and considered fire too risky.
Any noise from outside might just be the wind, or could be their death. They'd be trapped like vermin if discovered. How many times did David dream of the carefree days of his youth as a shepherd? On the spacious hills, the vast open spaces?

He Rescued Me
And God miraculously delivered David. With a mighty hand He defeated David's enemies and brought him to spacious places. From the blackest cave to a royal throne. This is the gospel. God does this for everybody He saves. He brings us from a place of darkness into a place of light. A spacious place.

CS Lewis depicts this in a very interesting way in his book "The Great Divorce". In that book hell is very small, recedingly small, vanishingly small. In fact the entirety of hell fits into a minute crack in the enormous, spacious land in heaven.

The saving work of Jesus rescues us from darkness, from the pit. From that small, tight space of suffering. One of the ironies in The Great Divorce is that those in hell, in that minute, tiny space experience a dreadful loneliness and far distant separation from each other and from God. Because separation from God ultimately means separation from others, from love, from goodness, from friendship. People whom have yet to be rescued by God are living in a small space, but still far from each other compared to His original design. When God rescues us the whole situation is inverted: He brings us into a spacious place but also into close relationship with Himself and others. He rescues us and makes us part of the church, the Body of Christ, the Bride. We go from being unsaved and alone in a cramped dark space, to being rescued and brought into tight union and fellowship in a spacious place.

He Delighted in Me
I think that the last part of the 2 Samuel 22:20 passage is the best, but also the most difficult to fully understand. Why did God rescue David? Because he delighted in him! Why does God rescue us? Because He delights in us!! God delights in people who are fallen, lost, wallowing in sin, filthy with the stench of their rebellion. This world of people who countless times have spit in the eye of God-- this world!-- He rescues because He delights in us.

I have difficulty accepting this at times. God delights in me? Me? One who has sinned more times than I can count? One who is vanishingly small compared to the Creator of the universe? One who would fit easily and comfortably inside a micro-fracture of the kingdom of heaven? How does He even know that I exist? Let alone know my name? Let alone delight in me? Take great joy in me? Dance and sing over me? Desire a relationship with me?

Yes! He brought me out into a spacious place. He rescued me because He delighted in me.

This is the gospel. This is good news.