From Filth to Sonship

Zechariah 3: 3-4 Now Joshua the High priest was clothed with filthy garments and was standing before the angel of the Lord. Then He answered, Take away the filthy garments from him. See I have removed your iniquity from you and I will clothe you with rich robes.

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When I truly approach God I fully comprehend that I am clothed in filth. I may think I'm coming before Him wearing my Sunday best, yet in comparison to purity I easily understand my filthiness. I cannot scrub hard enough to become clean enough to stand in the presence of God. But, because God is love, He does for me what I cannot do for myself. He removes my iniquity because I can't remove it. Then when I am cleaned to my soul, the Father wraps me in rich robes that I cannot provide for myself. Unmerited and completely unbelievable!

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I approach God with all my filth and He doesn't cast me out of His presence. Instead Father, through the cross you remove my iniquity, you clothe me in Jesus, and I stand before you as a son! Awesome!

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Teach me to walk in your ways, and to obey your commands. Lead me to the understanding that your will IS my blessing.

What Are You Doing Here, Kenneth?

I Kings 19:9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" Following a most dramatic display of God's power over the 450 prophets of Baal, Elijah runs because king Ahab's wife, Jezebel, has threatened to kill him. Let's see, God tells Elijah what to say to the prophets of Baal and shows Elijah His unequaled power by devouring them in fire and an angry woman makes this man of God run and hide in a cave? What is the deal?

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It turns out, I'm not that much different than Elijah when it comes to running an hiding. Let me give into the temptation of lust and you'll see me scramble. Let me be treated rudely by some arrogant people and my resulting irritation finds me sprinting to my own cave. When I want to have a pity party, you'll see me dash by like an Olympic champion. I suspect that many others can relate to me in these few examples I'm sharing here.

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But, here's the thing, my sin always causes me to run away from God and not towards Him. I desperately look for a place to hide so I can deal with my shame in private. Yet, it is as though I am an alcoholic sitting in a bar and then God approaches me and asks, "What are you doing here, Kenneth?" Rather than let me try to fix it on my own, the Father of creation comes in and in essence says , "You do not belong here, let's go." As His child, I find myself sometimes in places I ought not to be and so I hide hoping He'll let me wallow by myself for a while, but He never does. I'm His child, and He will never abandon me and when He comes to me, His question causes me to see where I am and to remember where I am supposed to be.

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"What are you doing here, Kenneth?" Father, I don't know. I only know I should not be here. I should be in your presence, but I chose to focus on something else and messed up big time. So I ran and thankfully You have come to me to bring me to my senses and draw me out of my hiding place. Keep asking me Lord, until I finally grow up and refuse to be found in places I should not be because I am a child of God.

WORSHIP!

II Samuel 12: 19-20, When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore, David said to his servants,"Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead." So David arose from the ground, washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshipped.

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This world is filled to the brim with pain, anger, frustration, loneliness, hostility, hurt, hatred, and on and on. I shared with my brothers that I struggle with frustration over seemingly trivial things and I cuss and use the Lord's name in vain, and I cannot seem to be able to get my reactions under control. Thankfully, they prayed for me and I know they continue to pray for me even now. I need their prayers and will continue to need their prayers in the future and I have all the confidence they will be with me years from this very night.

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Yet, the answer is not in their prayers, but in my response to their prayers. God doesn't snap His fingers and make me capable of dealing with my frustrations just because my brothers lifted prayers on my behalf. My sin needs to lead me to the house of the Lord and cause me to kneel down before Him and worship. When David learned how God had answered his prayer on his infant son's behalf, he instinctively knew what to do. He got up, cleaned himself off and went into the house of the Lord and worshipped. I have not done that; ever!

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What to do when the loss is devastating? Worship! The pain is deep? Worship! The soul is weeping? Worship! The heart is shattered? Worship! The days are as dark as night? Worship! The loneliness feels like an island? Worship! The walls are made of iron? Worship! The words cut deeper than a knife? Worship! The fear is overbearing? Worship! And then worship some more, and then worship again. Worship until the grace of God speaks louder than the moment at hand. Worship until His love brings comfort and peace. Worship until His presence is unmistakable. And He promises that He will reveal Himself to you. Thank you, Father, thank you.

A Heart Worth Glimpsing

The story of Rahab in Joshua 2:1-14 is a story of hope and God's ability to see the heart that men and women are unable to glimpse. Rahab was a prostitute living in Jericho and the time the Israelites were coming into the promised land. Joshua had sent two spies to survey the land and especially the city of Jericho. Upon entering the city they were led to the house of Rahab and found shelter there. However, they did not enter the house unnoticed and soon word reached the king that two Israeli's were hiding in the house of Rahab. The king sent messengers to order Rahab to give up the Israeli's and she chose instead to lie to the king. She sent the guards on a wild goose chase in the night. She then went to the Israeli's and begged for the life of her and her family when they came to invade the city.

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Her testimony is incredible. She tells the spies that when the people heard that the Israelites were coming, the terror of their God filled their hearts and melted them. Indeed, they have heard the stories of His power in Egypt, and of the cities of Shion and Og. She knew that if she handed the spies over to her king this would only postpone the destruction that was to come. So, she appealed for her life and the lives of her family. Clearly, Rahab knew what God was capable of doing and so while she was a sinner and one who our judgemental society today would look down upon, God saw her heart and that made all the difference.

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When the Israelites did come upon the city they utterly destroyed everyone in it, except for the household of Rahab. But, this is not the end of her story. Because God saw her heart and knew she feared and worshipped Him, He used her in the family tree that brought Jesus into the world. What an incredible testimony of the heart of God. Most people today would laugh and scoff that such a person is worthy to live, yet the Father saw something much deeper and much purer that we cannot glimpse. And that is why hope is so powerful. We may be lost in societies eyes, but in the eyes of the one who sees everything we have a hope of something much better. This woman heard the stories about God's power in other places. She heard the outcome of those stories. She knew that Jericho's outcome would not be any different and so she sought salvation. Testimony always precedes God, and His story cannot be suppressed or stopped. What will we do when the testimony reaches our ears. Will we try futilely to change the outcome by our own power or will we like Rahab come before Him in fear and acknowledge that you oh God are all powerful and I worship you and please bring me into your salvation?

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These are the hearts that God uses to change the world. A prostitute is in the family tree of our savior. Teach me Father how to glimpse the hearts of those that I do not like. Let me see them as You see them, and show me my own heart and teach me to worship you and fear you as Rahab did so long ago.

He Will not Leave Us Alone

The world is a very hard and harsh place. Look at some of the recent stories that sheds light on what the world sows and reaps. A high school sophomore hangs herself, because of the cruelty of her fellow students. They were relentless in their torture of her. What was her crime? She accepted a date with a couple of boys that asked her out and their former girlfriends took exception to her decision. Unfortunately, she felt so alone and so tortured that her only hope for peace was to take her life.

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Workers in a coal mine in West Virginia and on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico are killed from devastating accidents. Their families hold out hope for good news early in the announcement, only to learn that no hope will be coming. They are in deep grieving as a result.

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Six police officers are gunned down in Mexico as the violence of the drug trade continues to escalate in that country. They are taken because they wore a uniform that stands in opposition to what the killers stand for. Their families are mourning their loss as they struggle to make sense of the senseless.

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And this is just a picture of a few weeks out of this new year. The world goes about its way leaving heartache, suffering, divisions, and tears in its wake. There is no relief and there will be no relief. These same kind of stories will fill our papers and airwaves throughout the rest of this year and will continue into next year and the year after that and actually from now on.

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The world leaves people broken and defeated, seeing no hope on the horizon. It is then that the Father shows us His presence and tells us through Jesus, I love you. Galatians 4: 4-5 affirms this for us, "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His son,..... to redeem those under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons. Father, let us cling to you when we feel so alone and hurting. Assure us of your comforting presence and our status as your sons and daughters. Help us to be watchful for those who are especially feeling the wrath of everything the world has to dish out and to hold them until they are strong enough to stand on their own. Thank you and thank you.

Who Among Us is Nonredeemable?

I learned recently that my oldest son has decided to write me off as nonredeemable, and while that saddens me, I realize must move forward in life. I will however, continue to hold out hope for reconciliation one day. I have taken responsibility for the melt down I had with him right before the new year, but that has not been enough to satisfy him. I have also expressed my deepest regret and offered to make amends for his hurt and that has been rejected as well. So, our family is at a point where we may be plowing forward, (less one), in the remaining days our Heavenly Father blesses us with here on earth. If that is the case then hopefully, there will be a reunion with our oldest child in heaven.

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Nonredeemable, my what a sad word to even type. The word is so powerful that it fairly shouts that there is nothing good to be found in a life so defined, so don't even waste time looking. Nonredeemable, means that others can draw harsh conclusions about your heart, because there is no chance that anything good is hidden in it. Nonredeemable, means that those who reject you have sufficient reasons to make that decision and there is little chance that they will be in danger of judgement. Nonredeemable, means there is no hope for such a person. This person is and always will be a loser.

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Yet, nonredeemable is a fallacy. A bunch of erroneous judgements by others who choose to dislike you and want to justify their dislike by focusing on negatives. It is a word used not by the Father, but by His adversary to convince others it is acceptable for you to dislike this one. Instead our savior said in John 16:8, "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement." If you are convicted of your sin, then you are redeemable. If after conviction your heart seeks to be righteous, then you are redeemable. If you fear the judgement that will come before a Holy and Righteous God, then you are redeemable. Jesus gave us such hope with his words in this verse.

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Yet, there remains one more argument that is even more powerful in proving that nonredeemable is a fallacy. Go to the foot of the cross and meditate there for a while. If even one is nonredeemable, then Jesus death on the cross is in vain, because he died that all might be saved. Oh, the wonderful cross and I am so thankful that today, it's power is just as evident as it was 2000+ years ago. My own flesh and blood may write me off, but my Father says otherwise, and I think I'd rather listen to Him.

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Father, I messed up a few weeks ago and I expressed my sorrow and regret to my son. I offered to make amends. I went to my minister and confessed my sin to him so he could offer up intercessory prayers on both our behalves. Father, I believe in the power of the wonderful cross, because your son went there so I and everyone else could be redeemed. The power of the cross also says a broken relationship can be redeemed as well, so I think I'll go to the foot of the cross and leave the brokenness there so that you can bring your redemption to it. The hope of the cross lifts my heart and comforts my soul. Thank you. Thank you.

A Place at His Table

The last 24 hours of the savior's life shows Him beginning it by sharing the passover meal with His 12 disciples. The account can be found in Mark 14:12-31. One of the things Jesus did during the Passover meal was to talk about the significance of His body and His blood to the disciples and how they were to remember by eating the bread and drinking of the cup together. So, Jesus was very aware of what the next 24 hours held for Him.

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Clearly, Jesus knew what would transpire in the next 24 hours. He knew that those who were sharing this very meal with Him would also make some decisions that would be significant in their relationship with Him as well. Jesus shared that one of them will betray Him, one will deny Him, and the others will abandon Him. The incredible thing is not that He knew this, but what He did with the knowledge. He still shared the meal with them. He did not lecture them about being weak and unfaithful. He did not show any irritation towards them for their coming cowardice. He simply gave them something to hold on to later on when they were hiding and scared. They could always look back and know they had a place at the table of the King! He did not tell them to leave His table even though He knew what actions they were going to take in just a few hours hence.

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How encouraging! If our savior did not remove the disciples from the table when He clearly knew what they were about to do, that means He will not prevent me from sharing a place at His table as well. Unbelievable, I have a place at His table. In spite of my many failures and the mess I have made of my life, Jesus will let me share a meal with Him. In spite of what others think of me, Jesus thoughts are much different and He will still let me dine with Him. What a savior, what a King.

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In II Samuel 9: 1-13, David did a similar thing for Mephibosheth at his table. King David remembered his promise to his special friend Jonathan and inquired about any survivors that he was unaware of, and he learned about a son of Jonathan's named Mephibosheth. He had his servants bring Mephibosheth to him and an amazing encounter took place. Upon entering the presence of the king Mephibosheth prostrated him self and asked, "What is your servant, that you should look upon as a dead dog as I?" (II Samuel 9:8). He knew how insignificant he was and could not comprehend that anything good was about to come out of this encounter with the king. Mephibosheth was also lame in both feet, the result of a childhood accident, and it is unlikely that the king would want to have someone as helpless as that around him. But, David makes an incredible statement. He tells Mephibosheth that you shall eat at my table continually, verse 7.

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It makes no difference if I am crippled, physically out of shape, or carry things in my heart I shouldn't carry. The King has a place for me at His table. Give thanks that we serve such a King. Thank you, oh Father, for your wonderful grace. Let me become more like Jesus as I sit with Him at the table and learn of His heart. He has reserved for me, a pleace at His table.

Will God Speak to Me?

The dialogue between Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4:1-25 is most revealing. Here is a woman who chooses an opportune time to draw water so as to avoid seeing other women. Because this is not the time that the other women would typically draw water. She seems to be looking for solitude to probably avoid the cruelty that the other women would throw her way. She is a five time divorcee and is currently living out of wed lock with another man. This is a recipe for gossip, judgment, and rejection. She is the person others would hold up and say, "well I'm not perfect, but at least I'm better than she is." Who wants to hear such things said about themselves? I know I'd seek out the most opportune time myself if I had to face such cruelty.

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This woman must have really been lonely. She didn't even have a girlfriend she could walk to the well and visit with while they went about their chores. She concluded at some point that it would be better to go by herself and avoid the confrontations sure to come her way.

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Yet, on this particular trip, a man was sitting by the well and a Jew at that. I wonder if she thought to herself when she saw Jesus sitting there, "if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all." A Jew of all people. Jews and Samaritans mix together like oil and water. They just don't like each other. So, it must have been quite a shock when Jesus asked her for a drink of water. Now how significant is this? Look at the contrast between righteousness and sinfulness that Jesus and the woman represent. It is an ocean of difference. It is so clear, that I think we have to marvel at what actually occurred. Jesus spoke to her! God does not run from, nor even shun such a person. God instead speaks to such people. This is incredible! This is such a revelation about what our Father is like. He will engage you in dialogue. He will not be mean, judgemental, or reject you. Instead, He will reveal Himself to you, if you will listen.

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Her first response to Jesus' request for a drink was to raise up the old hatreds between their peoples. Yet Jesus did not respond in kind. Instead he told her that "If you knew the gift of God and who it is who says to you,'Give me a drink,' you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water." (John 4:10). When God comes to you, He brings a gift that will be refreshing to our souls. It will be renewing to our hearts. It will be revealing to our minds. God approaches such people and God speaks to us! Father, I am immoral, I am sinful, I am prideful, I am hateful, I am envious, I am messy through and through, and yet, You will speak to me. Father, I am stunned. Thank you.

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As the woman begins to understand that Jesus is no ordinary man, she shares some confusion with him. "Where are we supposed to worship God? Here or there?" Then, Jesus reveals something else that is extraordinary about the God who even today, we are still confused about. He tells her what kind of people the Father is seeking to worship Him. "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father is seeking SUCH to worship Him." (John 4:23) Oh that I will be SUCH a person.

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Then there is one more amazing thing that the woman reveals about herself. Even though she is an outcast, immoral, and sinful. She is actually waiting for "Messiah to come and tell us all things." She is living about as far from righteousness as one can get and yet she is looking for Messiah. When Jesus reveals that He is Messiah, she doesn't scoff, she doesn't laugh. Instead, she believes! He is coming and I want to see Him seems to have been her thoughts. I wonder if she thought that when He comes, I'll be an anonymous face in the large crowd that comes to hear Him speak, and yet here is the very Messiah and He is speaking to her personally and on her level. What a wonderful Father we have. He will reach out to me in the same way. He will meet me at my level, exactly where I am and will bring me along from that point.

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Father, this story is just so refreshing, so touching, and so incredible. As messy as I am, and as many issues as I have, You choose to speak to me and to let someone like me worship you. I am shaken to my core. I am so grateful. My own mother, the very one who birthed me, does not accept me like this, and yet You, my Father, You cherish me. Fill my heart with your Spirit and teach me more and more about You. Meet me at my well of solitude and loneliness, and speak to me.

Am I significant?

Am I significant? From the rejection of most people who I work with each day, I don't appear to be. When I try to say something at a meeting my thoughts are unimportant. I can be speaking in mid sentence and be interrupted by another person without the courtesy of being allowed to finish my thoughts. No one has ever returned to me and asked me to finish what I was saying. One team member has yet to acknowledge me 20 days into the New Year, yet he has been to every other person's office at least once.

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One evening following an argument with one of my sons, I came out of my room and found that all of my family had taken advantage of that opportune moment to leave. I came out of my room and found the house completely empty. My son no longer talks to me as a result.

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When I go out of town to visit with those in another location that I am assigned to work with, I typically enter an office and begin visiting with that person. Yet, as is often the case, another person enters the same office and even though I may be speaking they turn to the other person and begin a discussion with them completely cutting me off with no thought of wondering if that bothers me.

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I am broken and flawed. I have a temper, I am short on patience. In summary, I am a mess. Messy is the word that can be used to describe my life. I am unwanted and not liked. I am not significant enough to bother with. I am not worth listening to. I have no redeeming value to most of those around me. I would be abandoned if others could make that call. They would throw me out of the car and leave me standing by the side of the road while they raced off abandoning me there.

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Recently, we went to an animal shelter to look at dogs that were available for adoption. As we walked into the shelter the animals stood up in their little cages and wagged their tails in anticipation that we would give them some attention. Their eyes spoke of brokenness. They were unwanted and so desired to get out of the little cages holding them and run free. I could relate to them. I had empathy for their hurt. One young dog caught our attention because she was similar to the dog we had recently laid to rest after 14 years in our family. She gazed at us deeply and wagged her tail with dignity. She wanted us, but wouldn't get too excited lest we decide on another. We selected her, and she knows the joy of being wanted.

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Am I significant? Most of the people around will say no. If I were in the cage and stood up and called to them they would gaze my way, but move on. I know the hurt of not being selected. But....There is a God who made me who says otherwise. He reminds me that He made me. I have not grown into the way He planned me, yet He will not leave me in the cage. I am broken, chipped, hurting, and sad. Yet He still takes me. Why? What does He see that most people around me cannot see? Why would the Creator even care? Surely a majority opinion counts for something doesn't it? Surprisingly, He says no. His thought of me is independent of everyone else, and He will take the broken pieces and make my life into something beautiful.

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My Father, I have listened too much now to the thoughts of those around me. I have wanted to be accepted by everyone except you. Please forgive me. I need your presence in my life now more than ever. I am significant, because you do not make trash. You, Father formed me and breathed life into me. Oh Father, I belong to you. I have been claimed by the blood of your beloved son. Help me, oh Father to reach out to you each day. Help me to leave these painful feelings at the cross so that I am no longer burdened by them. Redeem my life father for your glory. If you can redeem me then there is hope for every other person in this world. Let gratitude flow out of my life each day for your love. Hold me Father for I am crying and need your comfort. Just like our dog Sierra, the door to my cage has been opened and you reached in with your powerful yet gentle hands and pulled me out to yourself. Thank you. I have forgotten. Please work on my memory to forget the pain and hurt caused by others and to fix my focus on you. Thank you for loving me.

Do We Even Care?

The story of the woman who was bent over and unable to straighten up in Luke 13:10-17, clearly contrasts the difference between God caring for us and our not caring for others. Jesus was in the process of teaching on a sabbath, when the woman walked into the synagogue. How telling that even in her condition, she seems to not be angry at God and she seems to not blame God for her physical condition, because she still went to the synagogue to worship Him. And Jesus noticed.

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Now it would have been easy for anyone to notice her, because she walked in such a way that it would have caught anyone's eye. Why? Because that is not how people are supposed to look. They are to stand upright not bent over, so we would have seen her situation and felt some sadness for her, because after all that is not the way it is supposed to be. Then we would have recognized our powerlessness and her powerlessness to do anything about ther condition and probably shrugged our shoulders and said there but for the grace of God........

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The text says that Jesus was teaching and I presume he was telling his audience some truth about his Father, when he noticed the woman. So, he called her over and said to her, "Woman you are loosed from your infirmity", and she was able to stand upright. This healing clearly shows to us that God cares. She was a person who accepted her condition and still chose to worship God and as a result, He "fixed" her.

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Now contrast this to the reaction of the other people in the synagogue. The ruler of the synagogue stands up and says, "there are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the sabbath day." Huh? Who has the power to heal? Does man, or does God? No man alive could do anything to help this woman. We are powerless in this situation. So if she should happen to be healed, then it must be an act of God, and wouldn't that be cause for us to rejoice with her?

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The rulers statement is incredulous. A healing took place in his presence and he was irritated. Why? He was irritated, because he placed greater emphasis on a day than he placed on a person's need. But Jesus action reminds us that people should always be our priority. People need healing 7 days a week, and when we recognize such a need we stop what we are doing and do what our Father calls on us to do. At the time, Jeus was teaching, but the lesson was not more important that this woman's need, so he stopped and let God work through him. We must always be alert to the needs around us, and when God causes us to recognize a need then we are to stop what we are doing and allow our Father to work through us to heal that person.

The woman in the story may have been anonymous to those around her, but she was important to her Father and he healed her. Do we even care?